Positive Wildlife News 2023

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Return of the lions: Large protected areas in Africa attract apex predator
  • It’s a critical time for lion conservation as the species declines across Africa. Globally, the lion population has dropped by 43% over the past 21 years.
  • Lions are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN, with the species facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. In many of the lion’s core ranges across Africa, populations have plummeted due to, among other reasons, habitat fragmentation and poaching.
  • But some African lion populations are increasing, with the big cats spotted after years of absence in parks in Mozambique and Chad. The reason: the creation of vast protected landscape mosaics, with natural corridors stretching far beyond core protected lands, which consider the large areas lions need to roam seasonally.
  • This strategy entails collaboration between multiple stakeholders and across varied land uses, including state lands and private property not formally protected. These examples are showing that conservation across landscape mosaics is possible in Africa, and offer the promise of wider benefits to ecosystems and people.
When Bernard van Lente, the Peace Parks Foundation project manager for Zinave National Park, first arrived at the Mozambican conservation area in 2015, he was struck by the silence. Zinave was stunningly beautiful, he recalls, with huge trees and tall grasses, but it was deathly quiet — like a graveyard.

Return of the lions: Large protected areas in Africa attract apex predator
 
Gorongosa National Park’s Astonishing Comeback

How the native flora and fauna work together to make the landscape whole.

Marc Stalmans, the director of science at Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, has been walking the vast Gorongosa National Park for 17 years. However, he still gets a kick out of the potato bush, Phyllanthus reticulatus. Every time he walks by the plant in the early evenings and gets a whiff of the plant’s uncanny smell, which is very close to the actual smell of mashed potatoes, it makes him smile—and he gets a little hungry. He says this smell is not pervasive in the environment, but it is a characteristic scent of Gorongosa.

He’s out in the bush to ensure the continuous recovery of its wildlife and infrastructure. The park had been devastated during the country’s civil war (1977-1992), when soldiers lived there and killed most of the animals. In 2004, Greg Carr and the Carr Foundation formed the Gorongosa Restoration Project non-profit organization in a public-private partnership with the Mozambican government to rehabilitate, expand, and co-manage the park. It was two years later that Stalmans, who earned a master’s in botany and a Ph.D. in landscape ecology from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, began consulting with them, until he joined full time in 2012. These years of critical and spectacular restoration in one of the largest parks in Africa have worked, and the species have rebounded into a coherent ecological matrix.

Gorongosa National Park’s Astonishing Comeback
 
Mote Establishes Voluntary Sea Turtle Protection Zone in Sarasota County, Florida

Mote Marine Laboratory has announced the establishment of a voluntary Sea Turtle Protection Zone (STPZ) in Sarasota County. Its main focus is to protect sea turtles from unintended boat strikes. The Sea Turtle Protection Zone initiative was created in 2021 through a partnership between the Loggerhead Marinelife Center and the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research at the University of Florida. Mote scientists documented boat-strike hotspots in local waters and mapped the voluntary Sea Turtle Protection Zone for this area. The zone stretches from Longboat Key to Siesta Key, including Sarasota Bay, and extends from shore to 1.5 miles offshore.

Mote Establishes Voluntary Sea Turtle Protection Zone in Sarasota County
 
Neom nature reserve welcomes five newborn oryx calves

The births mark a successful start to the Saudi park's rewilding programme, which officials say is being conducted 'on a scale never attempted

Five oryx have been born at north-western Saudi Arabia's Neom nature reserve – the first to be delivered in this part of the kingdom in more than 100 years.

“Here in Neom, we are rebuilding the native ecosystem on a scale never attempted,” Neom nature reserve head Dr Paul Marshall, told The National.

In recent months, Neom locals have witnessed a baby boom in the reserve, a successful start to a rewilding programme that is still in its first breeding season.

The reserve has also witnessed births of 25 Arabian sand gazelle fawns and eight Nubian ibex offspring.

Neom nature reserve welcomes five newborn oryx calves
 
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Treshnish Isles given protection of National Trust for Scotland

The Treshnish Isles off Scotland's west coast have come under the protection of the National Trust for Scotland.

The remote archipelago of eight small uninhabited islands is located in the Inner Hebrides west of Mull.

It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its unique landscape, which provides nesting sites for guillemots, razorbills and puffins.

The islands also hold archaeological remains of two medieval chapels, a castle and an 18th century barracks.

The marine environment around the Treshnish Isles is also part of the Sea of the Hebrides Marine Protected Area due to the presence of basking sharks and minke whales.

https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-66152015.amp
 
"Life for the Bearded Vulture”: new project to bring the species back from extinction in Bulgaria

A new LIFE project will bring the Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) back from extinction in Bulgaria and strengthen the reintroduced populations of Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus). By improving food and habitat conditions, releasing individuals and mitigating the main threats affecting their survival, the “Life for the Bearded Vulture” project will restore the former range of Bearded and Cinereous Vulture populations in the Balkans and help the genetic flow between Western Europe, Africa and Asia.

The €5,17 million EU-funded project kicks off today and runs until 2030 to upscale the impressive conservation results of the previous project Vultures Back to Life. The Green Balkans coordinates the project with the involvement of five partner organisations in Bulgaria; us at the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), responsible for translocating and securing the captive-bred birds that will be released; and the Romanian partner Milvus group, responsible for implementing conservation actions in Romania.

Source

I have been waiting for reintroduction of bearded vulture to Balkan for many years and it finally happens!
 
UngulateNerd92 said:
York groundsel blooms again in Britain’s first-ever de-extinction event

Yellow flower that only grows in York went extinct in 1991 brought back to life by Natural England experts.

York groundsel was a cheerful yellow flower that slipped into global extinction in 1991, thanks to overzealous application of weedkiller in the city of its name.

But now the urban plant has been bought back to life in the first ever de-extinction in Britain, and is flowering again in York.

The species of groundsel was only ever found around the city and only evolved into its own species in the past century after non-native Oxford ragwort hybridised with native groundsel.

York groundsel, Senecio eboracensis, was discovered growing in the car park of York railway station in 1979 and was the first new species to have evolved in Britain for 50 years, thriving on railway sidings and derelict land.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...irst-ever-de-extinction-event-natural-england
Click to expand...
Not exactly a conservation success story? Does saving a hybrid species who were only able to become species thanks to human change in their habitat within the past century count?
 
In Papua New Guinea, Inaugl Tribe Members Commit to Legally Protect More Than 12,000 ha (46 square miles) of High Biodiversity Forest

Today, in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG), Indigenous landowners of the Inaugl tribe have joined their neighbours in the Bismarck Forest Corridor to commit to legally protecting 12,241 hectares (46.3 square miles) of forest under a conservation deed. The deed protects this high integrity forest from logging, while allowing for sustainable use of natural resources within marked zones.

“This conservation deed, which is agreed by all five clans of the Inaugl tribe, meant that the people put aside their differences and are united to work together for common good,” said clan leader, John Kamb Sande.

In Papua New Guinea, Inaugl Tribe Members Commit to Legally Protect More Than 12,000 ha (46 square miles) of High Biodiversity Forest
 
Key Private Property in Bears Ears National Monument to Be Protected Forever

Conservancy Acquisition Could Set New Standard for Private Lands Conservation in Utah

After a 16-month effort, the most important parcel of private land surrounded by Bears Ears National Monument has been permanently protected by The Wildlands Conservancy. The conservancy owns and manages the largest nonprofit nature preserve system on the West Coast.

The 320-acre Cottonwood Wash property controls access to thousands of acres of the surrounding public lands inside Bears Ears National Monument. The property is critically important to the management of those lands, including access for cultural site stewardship and ceremony, research, restoration, education, hiking and nature enjoyment. It also has enormous biological significance: A spring-fed pond, hanging gardens, and riparian forest along Cottonwood Wash support endemic plants and a variety of resident and migratory birds.

Key Private Property in Bears Ears National Monument to Be Protected Forever
 
Ireland’s largest protected area for bird species to be created in Irish Sea

North-West Irish Sea SPA to stretch along coasts of counties Dublin, Meath and Louth

A vast expanse of more than 230,000 hectares of marine waters in the Irish Sea is to become Ireland’s largest protected area for bird species.

The North-West Irish Sea Special Protection Area (SPA) increases the percentage of Ireland’s marine waters which are protected under the EU Birds and Habitats directives to more than 9 per cent – and will have implications for any offshore wind farms proposed for the area.

The new SPA adjoins 12 existing SPAs already designated along the east coast. Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan said his publication of detailed information and maps for the site “brings certainty and clarity to a long-mooted proposal for protections for marine birds in this area”.

National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) director general Niall Ó Donnchú said: “This is a milestone day for the protection of Ireland’s marine biodiversity. The estuaries and bays that open into the northwest Irish Sea, along with connecting coastal stretches of intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats, and the more pelagic waters further out to sea, provide safe feeding and roosting habitats for a range of bird species including the seabirds that breed at colonies along our islands and coastal headlands.”

Ireland’s largest protected area for bird species to be created in Irish Sea
 
KwaZulu-Natal’s Babanango Game Reserve achieves Big 5 status

The 20,000 hectare Babanango Game Reserve in Zululand has officially achieved Big 5 status, home to South Africa’s big five game animals.

After many years of rewilding and significant efforts, KwaZulu-Natal’s Babanango Game Reserve has attained full Big 5 status, and is now home to lion, rhino, buffalo, leopard and elephant, among many other species.

https://www-thesouthafrican-com.cdn...-elephants-rewilding-animals-24-july-2023/amp
 
President Biden Designates Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument

President Biden used the Antiquities Act today to designate the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in northern Arizona, permanently protecting nearly 1 million acres of public land surrounding the iconic national park. Proposed to the Biden administration by the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition,

Baaj Nwaavjo means “where tribes roam” for the Havasupai Tribe, and I’tah Kukveni means “our ancestral footprints” in Hopi.

“With this historic designation, President Biden is permanently safeguarding the magnificent rimlands that flank the Grand Canyon, their rich biodiversity, and life-giving springs and aquifers,” said Taylor McKinnon, Southwest director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “On behalf of our members and supporters, the Center for Biological Diversity extends our deepest gratitude to Havasupai, Hopi, Navajo and other Tribal leaders who have sought land protections for generations, and to the president for heeding their wisdom and leadership.”

Biden Designates Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument
 
To safeguard a rare Brazilian woodpecker, an NGO bought out its habitat

  • Not seen by scientists since the first specimen was described nearly a century ago, Kaempfer’s woodpecker (Celeus obrieni) was “rediscovered” in the mid-2000s.
  • Listed as a vulnerable species, this Brazil-endemic bird is threatened by the widespread agricultural conversion of the Cerrado savanna, its habitat, and by wildfires.
  • In the Brazilian state of Tocantins, the Araguaia Institute, a conservation NGO, created the first protected area for the woodpecker after it managed to purchase the land — an increasingly popular strategy for preserving what remains of the Cerrado biome and its biodiversity.

Conservationist George Georgiadis vividly remembers the first time he saw Kaempfer’s woodpecker, a species once thought to be on the brink of extinction. He heard its drumming, then the bird flew out from the bush, filling the forest with its dramatic cackle. The encounter inspired Georgiadis, co-founder of the Araguaia Institute, a conservation NGO, to dedicate himself to the protection of the rare bird and its habitat, the Cerrado savanna in Brazil.

It’s been five years since several hundred hectares of Cerrado landscape in the state of Tocantins became the first sanctuary for Kaempfer’s woodpecker (Celeus obrieni). The area that once faced an ever-expanding agricultural frontier and the danger of wildfires became a reserve after the land was acquired privately. Although still facing risks, this area is now part of a growing network of protected lands safeguarding the woodpecker and other threatened species of the Cerrado.

To safeguard a rare Brazilian woodpecker, an NGO bought out its habitat
 
Historic Settlement Secures Conservation of Endangered Red Wolves in the Wild

"This settlement marks a new era for the Red Wolf Recovery Program and guarantees action in the near-term to give this species the best chance for long-term survival and recovery."

- Ben Prater, Southeast Program Director at Defenders of Wildlife

Historic Settlement Secures Conservation of Endangered Red Wolves in the Wild
 
India’s tiger population rises, Madhya Pradesh has most big cats

Tiger populations increased in Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra; localised declines in Western Ghats; disquieting trends in Mizoram, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Goa, Chhattisgarh, and Arunachal Pradesh.

India’s tiger population increased to 3,682 in 2022, up from 2,967 in 2018, according to an estimate released on Saturday. This is an upward revision from April this year, when a minimum of 3,167 animals were estimated by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), which coordinates the quadrennial tiger census.

This also indicates significant growth over the last decade; there were 2,226 tigers reported in 2014, up from 1,706 in 2010.

In 2022, the maximum number of tigers, 785, were reported to be in Madhya Pradesh, followed by Karnataka (563), Uttarakhand (560), and Maharashtra (444). Nearly a quarter of the tigers were reportedly outside protected areas.

https://www-thehindu-com.cdn.amppro...sh-has-most-big-cats/article67136263.ece/amp/
 
New conservation reserve established in Prince Edward County

Ontario’s first new conservation reserve in over 10 years is coming to Prince Edward County.

The announcement of the creation of the Monarch Point Conservation Reserve was made at a press event in Point Petre in the County.

In a release, Ontario says the new conservation reserve will protect nearly 4,000 acres along the south shores of Prince Edward County, nearly five times the size of the Toronto Islands.

“We’re facing global challenge but local action. The likes of what we are witnessing today can and will make a difference,” said Ontario’s Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and Northumberland–Peterborough South MPP David Piccini in a speech.

“The creation of this conservation reserve is a tremendous achievement for the South Shore Joint Initiative and the many partners, most of whom are gathered here today. On behalf of the County of Prince Edward and our municipal council, congratulations to all of volunteers who worked so hard to make this day a reality.”

New conservation reserve established in Prince Edward County
 
American bison reintroduced to northern Mexico helping to fight climate change

The largest land mammal in America is rehabilitating a vast grassland in Coahuila, benefiting hundreds of species in a reserve that can theoretically store 6.3 million tons of carbon in its soil.

Dozens of American bison graze in the wide-open fields of El Carmen (Coahuila), a reserve of 140,000 hectares, roughly the same size as Mexico City. The country’s northern plains had not played host to the bison in 100 years, after decades of indiscriminate hunting and habitat destruction eradicated the animals. In 2021, following an initiative led by the Mexican multinational cement company Cemex, bison returned to the grasslands, where the soil stores huge amounts of carbon, making the region key to the fight against climate change. Initially, 19 bison were introduced at the reserve; today there are almost 100. The mammal’s daily routine makes it a perfect vehicle for regenerating grassland vegetation and sustaining hundreds of species that coexist with it.

https://english-elpais-com.cdn.ampp...g-to-fight-climate-change.html?outputType=amp
 
Beavers to make Nene Wetlands return after 400 years

Beavers are set to return to a wetland for the first time in 400 years, conservationists said.

The "charismatic" dam-builders will be reintroduced to the Nene Wetlands nature reserve, near Rushden in Northamptonshire.

The Wildlife Trust said it had secured a licence from Natural England to release the native animals next winter.

Conservation manager Matt Johnson said it was a "unique opportunity to see this iconic species return".

https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-66114079.amp
 
Western Europe’s first free-roaming herd of Przewalski’s horses to enhance Iberian Highland rewilding

A herd of 10 Przewalski’s horses – the last truly wild horse – has been released in the Iberian Highlands rewilding landscape in Spain. They arrived last May and will soon roam free across an extensive area, where the animals will help to reduce the risk of wildfire, enhance biodiversity, boost nature-based tourism and environmental education, and improve the conservation status of this endangered subspecies.

Western Europe’s first free-roaming herd of Przewalski’s horses to enhance Iberian Highland rewilding | Rewilding Europe
 
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