Positive Wildlife News 2022

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Mother and calf doing well: maternity unit gives Canada’s caribou a boost

One herd has flourished in British Columbia after an Indigenous-led project established a carefully guarded pen to protect pregnant caribou and their newborn calves.

In a cramped cabin in western Canada, Starr Gauthier’s mornings begin with a comforting routine. As the sun flits through stands of mountain evergreens, she brews coffee, chops wood and prepares food – for her co-worker and for the endangered caribou whose fate rests in her hands. “I get fired up every morning knowing that we’re actually doing something that matters,” says the former oil worker.

“And it’s not just that we’re serving a purpose for our community and the ecosystem around us. We’re serving a global purpose. And I’m grateful to be a part of that.”

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...british-columbia-indigenous-first-nations-aoe
 
'Bumper year' for Cornish choughs

This year marks 20 years since the first Cornish born choughs were seen once again in the county.

Conservationists are celebrating the milestone with the news that Cornwall's bird continues to be on the up after another great nesting season this spring.

The Cornish Chough Conservation Network said this year 25 pairs, raising more than 70 youngsters, have been found.

These new additions bring the total population to about 200 birds.

https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-62507776.amp
 
Rainforest Trust and its Partners Protect Critical Habitat for Endangered Monarch Butterfly in Mexico, Surpassing 40 Million Acre Benchmark

To date, Rainforest Trust and partners have protected over 41.8 million acres of habitat—safeguarding more than 46,813,829,499 trees, 2,329 species, and 9,855,392,305 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. 16,708,382 of the acres protected are high integrity forest.

Rainforest Trust and its Partners Protect Critical Habitat for Endangered Monarch Butterfly in Mexico, Surpassing 40 Million Acre Benchmark
 
Sighting of new gray wolf family raises hopes of resurgence in Oregon

Presence of two adults and two cubs in Cascade mountains detected after federal protections restored earlier this year.

The sighting of a new family of gray wolves in Oregon’s Cascade mountains has given wildlife advocates hope that the recovery of the endangered species in the state is gathering pace.

The state’s fish and wildlife department (ODFW) said a group of two adults and two pups was captured by a trail camera in August.

Officials have designated the Warm Springs reservation where they were spotted a new area of known wolf activity (AKWA), and the animals will formally become known as the Warm Springs pack, the state’s third in the northern Cascades, if the group still has all four members surviving at the end of the year.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp.../2022/sep/16/gray-wolf-family-oregon-recovery
 
Secretary Haaland Announces Expansion of National Wildlife Refuge System with Lost Trail Conservation Area in Montana

Conservation easement ensures public access, recreation and sustainable timber harvest will continue on lands in Northwest Montana

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today announced the establishment of the Lost Trail Conservation Area in Northwest Montana as the 568th and newest unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This expansion – the first unit for the Refuge System under Secretary Haaland’s leadership – is the culmination of a 20-year locally-led effort to conserve important big game corridors and recreational areas in the region and a model for the Biden-Harris administration’s ongoing efforts to conserve and restore our nation’s lands and waters.

Secretary Haaland Announces Expansion of National Wildlife Refuge System with Lost Trail Conservation Area in Montana
 
Qawra Point in Malta declared nature reserve

Area becomes no-hunting area 11 months after this was promised

Qawra Point has been declared a nature reserve, banning all forms of trapping and hunting.

The development comes two hunting seasons after it was announced by then Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia in October 2021.

Then, Farrugia had said Qawra Point will be designated a no-hunting area.

Qawra Point declared nature reserve
 
Harpy eagle’s return to Costa Rica means rewilding’s time has come (commentary)
  • An adult harpy eagle was recently photographed in northern Costa Rica, which made national headlines and waves on social media.
  • Most believed these gigantic eagles had been extirpated from the region, but consistent efforts to restore forests and rewild ecosystems in the country mean they may return in greater numbers, if conditions allow.
  • A new commentary argues this signals it’s time to ramp up reintroductions of animals like giant anteaters, too, and prey for eagles and also jaguars: “Why not establish herds of white-lipped peccary into Piedras Blancas National Park, where they have been absent for over 40 years?” the writer wonders.
  • This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Hollow eye sockets glared at me from the dark tropical leaf litter. Not expecting to be watched from below, I rested on my haunches, searching with the image recognition software installed by my primate ancestors. Once sure there were no coils of a deadly fer-de-lance snake, I plunged my hand into the leaves. Out came the skull of Central America’s largest primate, a spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi). Immediately I could see that this animal hadn’t died of old age or sickness, it had been ruthlessly killed. Three holes pierced the top of the cranium, with a fourth puncture at the rear base of the skull. Holy crap! I was holding the skull of Costa Rica’s largest primate… killed by the greatest aerial rainforest predator on Earth – the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja).

Death was instantaneous the moment the monstrous bird smashed its prey. Talons greater than those of a grizzly bear shattered skull and pierced brain. But here was my predicament – this was January 2020, almost two decades since any photographic evidence of harpy eagles’ existence in the rainforests of the Osa Peninsula. Most believed that harpy eagles had been extirpated from the region, and harpies are not inconspicuous birds – they are vocal, inquisitive, and huge, standing over a meter tall with a two-meter wingspan. Add the fact that there are more tourists and guides coming to Osa than ever before (over 50,000 per year), all armed with cameras, cell phones, identification apps and telescopes – so how could such a behemoth bird go unsighted for so long?

https://news-mongabay-com.cdn.amppr...eans-rewildings-time-has-come-commentary/amp/
 
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Colorado’s state fish, once considered extinct, is reproducing naturally in native waters

Colorado’s state fish, the greenback cutthroat trout, was once considered completely extinct, but state biologists announced Friday that the species is now reproducing on its own.

“This is just another affirmation that our conservation practices work and that we can save species on the brink,” said Kevin Rogers, an aquatics researcher for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Federal officials first listed the greenback cutthroat as extinct in the 1930s, but small Colorado populations found in 1957, 1965 and 1970 have left the species with a tenuous, yet steady, presence on endangered species lists.

Biologists later discovered those populations weren’t purebred greenback trout. They were actually a similar looking subspecies. But in 2012, researchers discovered the world’s only natural, purebred population of greenback cutthroat trout in a 3.5 mile run of Bear Creek.

Since that discovery, CPW has managed a trout hatchery to keep population levels sustainable.

“Each spring, CPW aquatic biologists have strapped on heavy electro-fishing backpacks to painstakingly hike up Bear Creek to catch greenbacks and collect milt and roe – sperm and eggs,” CPW said.

Colorado’s state fish, once considered extinct, is reproducing naturally in native waters
 
The Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), especially the nominate subspecies, is definitely a great example of a conservation success story!

How Pronghorn recovered when their population was only 13,000

If you've ever driven across a western state like Wyoming or Montana, odds are you've seen the graceful herds of pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) blazing across the sagebrush of the high desert plains. Few people realize they're looking at the fastest land mammal in North America. In fact, only the cheetah gives it a run for its money in the speed department. They're not really an antelope and are more closely related to giraffes than other wild ungulates in the states, which is what makes their presence here so special. In addition, not many people realize this animal represents one of the great North American wildlife conservation success stories of the last 100 years. At one point, these beautiful animals had a population that only numbered around 13,000 animals. It was through some aggressive work by hunters and conservation organizations that the animals came roaring back from the brink of the endangered species list. Today the pronghorn population hovers around 1.1 million animals and they can be found wandering public lands in many states. This is how a group of dedicated conservationists brought this species back from the brink of extinction.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wideopenspaces.com/pronghorn-antelope-conservation/amp/

 
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UngulateNerd92 said:
The Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is definitely a great example of a conservation success story!

How Pronghorn recovered when their population was only 13,000

If you've ever driven across a western state like Wyoming or Montana, odds are you've seen the graceful herds of pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) blazing across the sagebrush of the high desert plains. Few people realize they're looking at the fastest land mammal in North America. In fact, only the cheetah gives it a run for its money in the speed department. They're not really an antelope and are more closely related to giraffes than other wild ungulates in the states, which is what makes their presence here so special. In addition, not many people realize this animal represents one of the great North American wildlife conservation success stories of the last 100 years. At one point, these beautiful animals had a population that only numbered around 13,000 animals. It was through some aggressive work by hunters and conservation organizations that the animals came roaring back from the brink of the endangered species list. Today the pronghorn population hovers around 1.1 million animals and they can be found wandering public lands in many states. This is how a group of dedicated conservationists brought this species back from the brink of extinction.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wideopenspaces.com/pronghorn-antelope-conservation/amp/
Click to expand...
Pronghorn are really declining now though, a victim of fences and walls being erected in places they need to get through.
 
Central China nature reserve makes great strides in protecting rare milu deer

The Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve has achieved remarkable results in protecting and reproducing the indigenous milu deer that was once extinct in the wild. Now the wild population of the deer has rebounded to 2,500. To protect the rare species, the rangers in the nature reserve patrol every day to keep them safe and healthy. Advanced technology also plays an important part in the reproduction process of milu deer.

Central China nature reserve makes great strides in protecting rare milu deer
 
Basking sharks get special protected status in Ireland

At a glance
  • The basking shark is now protected under the Wildlife Act in Ireland
  • From Monday, it is an offence to hunt or injure a basking shark (without permission or licence), wilfully interfere with or destroy its breeding or resting places
  • The basking shark is the second biggest fish in the world
Basking sharks are to get special protection under new regulations that have been introduced in the Republic of Ireland.

They are now protected under Ireland's Wildlife Act.

The basking shark is a globally-threatened species, which faces a high risk of extinction.

Basking sharks are one of the largest species of the shark family.

They are the second largest species of any fish, reaching sizes in excess of ten metres and weighing several tonnes.

Basking sharks get special protected status in Ireland
 
Ospreys make triumphant return as breeding pairs spread across UK

Conservationists hail success after first chicks in two centuries hatch in Leicestershire.

“I’m over the moon. We’ve waited a long time for this.” Beth Dunstan, environmental project manager at Belvoir Castle is celebrating the birth of the first osprey chicks in Leicestershire for two centuries this summer, one of a series of recent successes in bringing the osprey back across the UK.

The birds of prey were at one time extinct across the country, which makes the recent hatching of the two osprey chicks cause for celebration. “It’s such a rare thing,” said Dunstan. “There are only around 30 breeding pairs of ospreys in England, so to have a pair on our land breeding and raising chicks is so exciting.”

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...eys-spread-their-wings-again-over-england-aoe
 
Rewilding efforts in the Central Apennines support upward trend in griffon vultures numbers

Griffon vulture numbers are gradually increasing in the Central Apennines. The local rewilding team are now working hard to support the recovery of this iconic and ecologically important species.

Rewilding can create favourable conditions for the comeback of wildlife species – this is by far the most important tool for wildlife recovery in Rewilding Europe’s rewilding landscapes. In the Central Apennines of Italy, the Rewilding Apennines team are currently employing a range of measures to support the area’s recovering griffon vulture population, and have been encouraged by the positive nature of recent results.

As with all vulture species, griffon vultures play a key role in nature by recycling carcasses, and are an iconic and ecologically important part of the Apennine landscape. Having been reintroduced to the Central Apennines 30 years ago, the breeding population of this majestic scavenger is now slowly rising, with around 300 individuals divided between four main sites. This year, 72 breeding pairs of birds were counted across these sites, up from 64 the year before.

“The fact that the number of breeding pairs is increasing is very good news,” says Rewilding Apennines Vulture Field Officer Nicolò Borgianni. “There is plenty of space and food for the population to grow, so hopefully this upward trend will continue. A lot of challenges still remain, so we need to keep working hard to monitor the birds and support their recovery.”

https://rewildingeurope.com/news/re...ort-upward-trend-in-griffon-vultures-numbers/
 
Guatemala’s rainforest is expanding thanks to community efforts

The forests of the Maya Biosphere Reserve are growing rather than shrinking, because of a community-led conservation programme

A community-led conservation programme in Guatemala has halted and started to reverse two decades of deforestation in an area that was severely threatened by the land grabs of cattle ranchers and drug traffickers.

Life is now returning to swathes of the Maya Biosphere Reserve that were illegally cleared 13 years ago. Regeneration of the forest means it was 25 square kilometres larger in 2020 than in 2019 and grew another 3.5 square kilometres in 2021.

https://www.newscientist.com/articl...est-is-expanding-thanks-to-community-efforts/
 
Hugely successful first breeding season at Saving Wildcats conservation breeding for release centre

The Saving Wildcats conservation partnership project is celebrating a successful first breeding season, welcoming a total of 22 wildcat kittens who could be among the first of their species to be released into the wild in Britain.

Led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), Saving Wildcats is working with national and international experts to restore Scotland’s critically endangered wildcat population by breeding and releasing them into carefully selected locations in the Cairngorms National Park.

Planning is underway to release the kittens born this year into the Scottish Highlands in 2023.


Hugely successful first breeding season at Saving Wildcats conservation breeding for release centre
 
North Florida Land Trust has acquired 400 acres for conservation in Clay County

North Florida Land Trust has acquired 400 acres in Clay County located within the Ocala to Osceola (O2O) Wildlife Corridor, a 1.6 million-acre network of public and private lands that connect the Ocala and Osceola National Forests. The 400 acres are adjacent to the newly acquired Clay County Regional Park and Belmore State Forest and will serve as a buffer to the to the Camp Blanding military installation.

North Florida Land Trust has acquired 400 acres for conservation in Clay County - North Florida Land Trust
 
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