Positive Wildlife News 2021

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A 20 million Euro rescue package for the Serengeti

Tanzania and Germany have a long history of working together, with 2021 marking the 60th anniversary of this cooperation. The focus of this cooperation is on the protection of Tanzania’s rich biodiversity.

Today, 28 October 2021, the two countries signed a series of agreements that include, among other things, a commitment of 20 million Euros to help Tanzania’s protected areas keep threats at bay and build back better and more resilient following the COVID-19 pandemic.

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), KfW signed the financing agreement with the Tanzanian Ministry of Finance and Planning. Now, that money will be used for biodiversity conservation in Tanzania, specifically for the Serengeti, Nyerere National Park as well as the Selous Game Reserve.

“This marks an historic commitment by KfW to help three of the most important protected areas in Tanzania withstand the unprecedented effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic”, says Dr. Dennis Rentsch, FZS Deputy Africa Director.

Some ways the funds will be used include support for rangers, black rhino protection, maintaining and improving park infrastructure and roads, strengthening park outreach to support local communities, and building back sustainable tourism developments.

A 20 million Euro rescue package for the Serengeti
 
New South Wales outback stations to be converted into national parks to save flora and fauna

The 120,000-hectare Avenel Station north of Broken Hill is the latest in a series of acquisitions by the state government designed to reshape the state's far west.
  • Avenel Station is the second-largest purchase in NSW national parks history
  • More than 500,000 hectares have been added to NPWS since 2019
  • The two recently purchased properties contain rare and endangered flora and fauna
It's the second-largest property purchase in New South Wales National Parks history.

https://amp-abc-net-au.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/100568626
 
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Early hopeful signs from California's plan to bring back monarch butterflies

California is working on its own butterfly effect to bring back monarch butterflies.

Across the state, environmental and nature conservation organizations are teaming up to create and restore suitable habitats for the butterflies, which in the past would migrate by the tens of thousands to California ahead of winter.

Monarch butterflies: California migration begins, hope for big numbers
 
I know that this news isn't about wildlife per say, it is about public lands that are habitat for wildlife. So far, oil companies have drilling leases on 13 million acres of BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land. Unfortunately they want to expand the size and scope of their leases. Katie Porter of California's 45th congressional district (Irvine, Tustin, Lake Forest, Laguna Hills etc.) is one of my favorite congresspeople! I like seeing her use of visuals including bags of rice, to show that each grain of rice represents one acre on lease to the oil companies. I love that she is strong, stands her ground and holds corporations and their greed accountable and holds their feet to the fire! I appreciate her having our environment's back! Again, she is probably my favorite congressperson! The fact that there are a few people that actually represent us (including the environment) and not just their corporate and wealthy donors is positive news.

 
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Build Back Better Contains Many Wins for Wildlife and Combatting Climate Change

“We were worried that a diminished bill might cut imperative funding for endangered species recovery, but we are thrilled to see these provisions and many more have made it through.”

Robert Dewey, Vice President of Government Relations for Defenders of Wildlife

After months of negotiations, today, the House leadership released a near-final version of the Build Back Better Act, a core piece of President Biden’s agenda that has drawn stiff opposition and been the source of intense conflict in a politically divided Congress. The bill has also been called the reconciliation bill and is a separate piece of legislation from the infrastructure bill currently in the House.

“This version of the bill should be welcome news to wildlife lovers and reflects a concerted effort to address the joint biodiversity and climate change crises,” said Robert Dewey, vice president of government relations for Defenders of Wildlife. “We were worried that a diminished bill might cut imperative funding for endangered species recovery, but we are thrilled to see these provisions and many more have made it through.”

Build Back Better Contains Many Wins for Wildlife and Combatting Climate Change
 
Humboldt Martens to Get 1.4 Million Acres

Stealthy, furry carnivores the size of house cats, the martens of Northern California and Oregon have disappeared from more than 90% of their coastal-forest range. The Center for Biological Diversity and our allies first petitioned for their Endangered Species Act protection in 2010.

On Friday, in a long-sought victory, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to protect 1.4 million acres of marten habitat. Unfortunately the proposal doesn’t give the animals pathways to travel between habitat patches. It also excludes — based on a voluntary agreement the Center and partners are challenging in court — some private land owned by a timber company.

Endangered Earth: Will These Cat-Sized Carnivores Get What They Need?
 
River Otters Are on the Rise in Texas

The elusive, playful creature is even popping up in downtown Houston.

With their thick, glistening manes, proclivity for play, and taste for crawfish, members of a growing southeastern species are flocking to Texas. And no, we’re not talking about recent graduates of Louisiana State University. North American river otters, which were scarce in the Lone Star State for most of the last century, are on the rebound.

A recent spate of otter sightings along Texas waterways, including in downtown Houston’s Buffalo Bayou, tracks with what the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has known for a while, says Diana Foss, an urban biologist with the agency: otters are making a comeback across the state.

Exact numbers are hard to come by—in part because the creatures are so elusive, and in part because the populations have been doing so well that TPWD no longer conducts otter surveys regularly.

“We have finite resources regarding biologists’ availability, so we try and tackle the rarer species,” Foss says. “In the next ten or twenty years, I’m anticipating that more people will see river otters in the wild or in their backyards, depending on where they live.”

If you are lucky enough to spot a river otter, odds are it’s a juvenile, according to Foss. They seem to be more adventurous than the adults and are willing to venture many miles to expand their territories. “It’s usually the young ones who are trying to find their own place in the world,” Foss says. “They’re like pioneers, moving westward.”

https://www-texasmonthly-com.cdn.am...travel/river-otters-on-the-rise-in-texas/amp/
 
Once extinct in China, now there are again 274 Przewalski’s horses in the wild

Przewalski’s horses have a long evolutionary history, by many considered to be the only truly wild horse species. But many threats made them go extinct all over, including in China. But in 1985 China started its efforts to bring them back, successfully so far, going from being once extinct, to having a wild population of 274 Przewalski’s horses nowadays.

A lot of effort from this was done in the Xinjiang Wild Horse Breeding Centre, which have bred the Przewalski’s horses for over three decades. The first reintroduction into the wild followed in 2001, with the release of the first group of about 27 individuals.

Once extinct in China, now there are again 274 Przewalski’s horses in the wild
 
Homesteading family’s lasting legacy realized in agreement to return nearly 10,000 acres of habitat to Colville Tribes in conservation deal

On a February day, with wind-whipped temperatures falling to 4 below zero, Colville tribal leaders approved an unusual transaction at their offices in Nespelem.

They agreed to accept ownership of a 9,243-acre ranch from Seattle-based Conservation Northwest, so long as the tribes agreed to a set of ownership stipulations (known as covenants) aimed at conserving the biodiversity of that land.

Homesteading family’s lasting legacy realized in agreement to return nearly 10,000 acres of habitat to Colville Tribes in conservation deal
 
Boreal Forest Offers Hope in the Face of Climate & Biodiversity Crises

As the world’s leaders meet at COP26, we consider the role of places like the Boreal Forest of Canada.

It is time for the next round of global climate negotiations. The 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is taking place in Glasgow, Scotland from October 31st to November 12th.

For many of us, the COP26 conference seems distant and unrelated to our daily lives. However, the irony is that the decisions made in that far away place, in that short two-week period will end up having a profound impact on our future and that of our children and grandchildren and for generations of humans to come.
The impact to us humans is shared with all the species that make up the incredible web of life on planet Earth. Climate change and biodiversity loss are intertwined and together make up the two greatest threats to our own existence.

Boreal Forest Offers Hope in the Face of Climate & Biodiversity Crises
 
Indigenous Community Secures New Conservation Area in the Buffer Zone of Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, Peru

On September 27, 2021, Peru’s Ministry of Environment formally recognized a new private conservation area on the communal lands of the Once de Agosto Indigenous community in Loreto, Peru. This community of Kukama – Kukamiria people decided to protect 2,718 acres of their biodiverse forests in perpetuity in order to conserve important water resources and medicinal plant species for current and future generations. Furthermore, Once de Agosto holds beautiful landscapes and ideal conditions for bird watching, making it a possible tourism location that could generate economic benefits to the community.

Its abundant fauna includes the small wild cat margay (Leopardus wiedii), the white-throated toucan (Ramphastos tucanus), the silvery woolly monkey (Lagothrix poeppigii), and more. Most notably, the forests of Once de Agosto are home to the jaguar (Panthera onca), considered near threatened by IUCN standards.

Indigenous Community Secures New Conservation Area in the Buffer Zone of Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, Peru - Andes Amazon Fund
 
Critically endangered plains-wanderers gifted 13,000ha of habitat by farmers to stop extinction

More than 13,000 hectares of prime plains-wanderer habitat in south-west New South Wales has been conserved with the help of rural landholders.

Key points:
  • NSW landholders have exceeded expectations in protecting 13,000ha of plains-wanderer habitat
  • The bird is listed as critically endangered nationally
  • Eight plains-wanderers have been released from captivity into northern Victoria
Fondly known as the Goldilocks bird because it does not live in areas too dense or too sparse with vegetation, the plains-wanderer is one of Australia's rarest birds.

https://amp-abc-net-au.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/100552434
 
Lake George Land Conservancy Protects 150 Acres in Bolton, Indian Brook Tributary

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has protected 150 acres of Bolton uplands through the use of a conservation easement, a tool used by land trusts that keep land in private ownership while protecting the land’s conservation values. The property includes one mile of stream corridor and 10 acres of wetland within the Indian Brook tributary of Lake George.

LGLC Protects 150 Acres in Bolton, Indian Brook Tributary | Lake George Land Conservancy
 
Latin American countries join reserves to create vast marine protected area

‘Mega-MPA’ in Pacific will link waters of Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica to protect migratory turtles, whales and sharks from fishing fleets

Four Pacific-facing Latin American nations have committed to joining their marine reserves to form one interconnected area, creating one of the world’s richest pockets of ocean biodiversity.

Panama, Ecuador, Colombia and Costa Rica announced on Tuesday the creation of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR) initiative, which would both join and increase the size of their protected territorial waters to create a fishing-free corridor covering more than 500,000 sq km (200,000 sq miles) in one of the world’s most important migratory routes for sea turtles, whales, sharks and rays.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...-protected-marine-reserves-to-create-mega-mpa
 
Galapagos Marine Reserve expands 60,000 new km2

Today in Glasgow, during the COP26 climate change summit, Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, announced the declaration of a new Marine Reserve in the Galapagos.

The new reserve announced at a press conference, will complement the current Marine Reserve with an additional 60,000 km2, which are divided into two zones of 30,000 km2 each. A zone of no fishing production (no-take zone), which connects the waters of Ecuador with those of Costa Rica, the second is a no longline fishing zone located northwest of the current Galapagos protected area, which will help prevent longlines from entering the current Reserve.

Galapagos Marine Reserve expands 60,000 new km2
 
Rescued From Extinction, Bison Rediscover Romania Mountains

Hoof prints in the mud, tree bark nibbled away: even if the newest residents of Romania's Carpathian mountain forest shy away from visitors, their traces are there for those who know where to look.

They are signs of the success of a project to reintroduce bison to this region after a centuries-long absence, key to keeping the hairy giants off lists of critically endangered species.

Bison had all but been driven out of Europe by hunting and the destruction of its habitats, but their reappearance in Romania has brought back a key component of the region's ecosystem.

Under gentle autumn sunshine on the edge of a centuries-old wood, young forest warden Matei Miculescu is on the lookout for members of the Carpathian herd.

Rescued From Extinction, Bison Rediscover Romania Mountains | Barron's
 
UngulateNerd92 said:
Galapagos Marine Reserve expands 60,000 new km2

Today in Glasgow, during the COP26 climate change summit, Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, announced the declaration of a new Marine Reserve in the Galapagos.

The new reserve announced at a press conference, will complement the current Marine Reserve with an additional 60,000 km2, which are divided into two zones of 30,000 km2 each. A zone of no fishing production (no-take zone), which connects the waters of Ecuador with those of Costa Rica, the second is a no longline fishing zone located northwest of the current Galapagos protected area, which will help prevent longlines from entering the current Reserve.

Galapagos Marine Reserve expands 60,000 new km2
Click to expand...

Here is another relevant article.

Galapagos marine reserve: Conservationists hail expansion

Conservationists have welcomed the announcement by Ecuador that it will expand the marine reserve around the Galapagos islands by 60,000 sq km.

President Guillermo Lasso announced the move at the COP 26 climate summit in Glasgow.

Mr Lasso told the BBC that his government wanted to show that action rather than words was the most effective way to fight climate change.

Conservationists called it "a brilliant first step".

https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-59149728.amp
 
Endangered California Condors Return to Mount Diablo and Contra Costa County for the First Time in Over 100 Years

For the first time in over 100 years, Contra Costa’s skies were crossed by one of the largest flying creatures on the planet, the California condor. Pinnacles Condor 828 checked out the area around Mount Diablo this summer, setting multiple precedents in recent history.

Endangered California Condors Return to Mount Diablo and Contra Costa County for the First Time in Over 100 Years
 
Boom time for Cape Verde’s sea turtles as conservation pays off

The number of nesting sites on the archipelago has risen dramatically, but global heating sees male population plummet

It’s nearly midnight as Delvis Semedo strolls along an empty beach on the Cape Verdean island of Maio. Overhead, the dense Milky Way pierces the darkness. A sea turtle emerges from the crashing waves and lumbers up the shore. Then another. And another.

Semedo is one of about 100 local people who patrol Maio’s beaches each night during nesting season to collect data on the turtles and protect them from poachers. This year has been busier than usual. Sea turtle nests on the islands of Sal, Maio and Boa Vista – the primary nesting grounds for loggerheads in Cape Verde – have soared in the last five years. Cape Verde’s environment ministry puts nest numbers in 2020 across all 10 islands at almost 200,000, up from 10,725 in 2015.

The West African island nation was considered the world’s third-largest nesting site for loggerheads (in terms of numbers of nesting females), after Florida and Oman. But nest numbers have risen so dramatically in recent years that some scientists believe Cape Verde to be the second largest, or even largest.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...26/fragile-success-cape-verde-sea-turtles-aoe
 
British Roseate Tern population hits new high

Roseate Tern has broken breeding records for the sixth year in a row, with the population on Coquet Island, Northumberland, increasing once more this summer.

A total of 150 pairs bred in 2021, this figure having climbed from 104 pairs in 2016. This is the result of dedicated conservation work to help the species, which remains Britain's rarest nesting seabird despite its recent upturn.

Roseate Tern was almost extirpated in the UK in the 19th century due to the demand for feathers for women's hats. In 1989 there were just 467 breeding pairs across the whole of Britain and Ireland, but conservation efforts have boosted the Irish population to 1,989 breeding pairs, in addition to the record numbers on Coquet this summer.

British Roseate Tern population hits new high - BirdGuides
 
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