Positive Wildlife News 2024

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Skywalker gibbons confirmed in Myanmar for the first time
  • Skywalker hoolock gibbons have been confirmed for the first time in the forests of northeastern Myanmar, with researchers using acoustic monitoring and DNA analysis to identify 44 groups of the imperiled primates.
  • The discovery officially extends the range of the endangered species, first described as recently as 2017, beyond the borders of China; the population found in Myanmar is the largest known population of the species on the planet.
  • The researchers also conducted a threat analysis, identifying habitat loss from logging and mining and hunting for the illegal wildlife trade as major pressures.
  • Given the prevailing political conflict and paucity of well-managed protected areas in Myanmar, local communities and experts recommend scaling up grassroots and Indigenous-led conservation efforts to protect the threatened primates and their forest home.
The morning song of gibbons, with its accelerating, bubbling crescendo, is arguably one of the most enthralling sounds of the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. For many, it’s a sound that signifies the vitality of the forest ecosystem — if there are gibbons, there must be fruit, and therefore likely a plethora of other fruit-eating species. But for primatologists, the gibbon’s song contains telltale clues that help them identify which of the world’s 20 species is about.

This acoustic approach was recently adopted by a team of specialists in Myanmar, resulting in the discovery of previously unknown populations of Skywalker hoolock gibbons (Hoolock tianxing), an incredibly rare species of the small apes only described by scientists as recently as 2017.

https://news-mongabay-com.cdn.amppr...-confirmed-in-myanmar-for-the-first-time/amp/
 
Trumpeting victory for swan conservation

Trumpeter swans are returning to southern Manitoba after decades as a disappeared species

Back in 2007, I was fishing at my favourite wild rice lake in the Whiteshell when I spotted some big, white birds in the distance. I didn’t think much of it at first; I assumed they were pelicans.

As I got closer, it became obvious that the size and shape were wrong. I got out the binoculars and, sure enough, they weren’t pelicans. I was looking at my first trumpeter swans.

It was an epic sighting. The species had just started to appear in southeastern Manitoba after an absence of more than a century.

Why it matters: Trumpeter swans are starting to spread east and south, reclaiming areas of Manitoba where they historically nested.

Trumpeters are among the most majestic wild creatures in these parts, and we can enjoy them now because of an outcry for conservation and years of recovery work.

With a wingspan up to three metres and a body length up to two metres, bill to tail — taller than most people — trumpeters are big birds any way you measure them. They are also among the heaviest birds on the planet still capable of flight.

Their distinguishing features include a very long neck, totally white plumage and the unique vocalization that gives them their name.

https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/trumpeting-victory-for-swan-conservation/
 
Bolivian Town Protects 1 Million Acres of Amazon Rainforest–Building a ‘Conservation Mosaic’ of 90% Forests

In some countries, executive government action is what creates big protected areas of wild lands, but in Bolivia, with the announcement of the establishment of a truly gargantuan patch of protected forest, credit must be given to the ordinary people of the country.

In the municipality of Sena (pop. 2,500) a law was just created to protect 452,639 hectares (1.1 million acres) of Amazon rainforest. Called the Gran Manupare Integrated Management Natural Area, the law was overseen by, and passed for the benefit of, “peasants and indigenous communities,” per a statement from the mayor’s office.

Located in the Pando Department in the far northern corner of Bolivia, the new protected area represents almost 8% of its forests and has significantly increased the region’s conservation coverage to 26%.

Bolivian Town Protects 1 Million Acres of Amazon Rainforest–Building a ‘Conservation Mosaic’ of 90% Forests
 
Florida Bans Intentional Balloon Releases

Oceana applauds Florida state legislators for protecting ocean wildlife and coastlines.

Today, Florida House lawmakers passed House Bill 321, which bans the intentional release of balloons and classifies released balloons as litter. Yesterday, the Senate passed the bill, which will go into effect July 1, 2024. The bill passed both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support and will now go to Governor DeSantis’ desk to be signed into law. Sen. Nick DiCeglie (R-St. Petersburg) and Rep. Linda Chaney (R-St. Pete Beach) led this state legislative effort.

Balloons and their plastic ribbons, tie-off disks, clips, and other attachments can be easily ingested and swallowed by endangered sea turtles, seabirds, and other ocean wildlife. In fact, studies show balloons ranked among the deadliest ocean trash for key wildlife and are the deadliest form of plastic debris for seabirds.

“Florida made the right call today in banning intentional balloon releases. Balloons are one of the deadliest forms of plastic pollution for ocean wildlife,” said Oceana Field Campaigns Manager Hunter Miller. “It’s great to see state legislators from both sides of the aisle come together to support a common sense bill and get it passed. We call on Governor DeSantis to quickly sign this into law.”

https://usa.oceana.org/press-releases/florida-bans-intentional-balloon-releases/
 
UngulateNerd92 said:
Florida Bans Intentional Balloon Releases

Oceana applauds Florida state legislators for protecting ocean wildlife and coastlines.

Today, Florida House lawmakers passed House Bill 321, which bans the intentional release of balloons and classifies released balloons as litter. Yesterday, the Senate passed the bill, which will go into effect July 1, 2024. The bill passed both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support and will now go to Governor DeSantis’ desk to be signed into law. Sen. Nick DiCeglie (R-St. Petersburg) and Rep. Linda Chaney (R-St. Pete Beach) led this state legislative effort.

Balloons and their plastic ribbons, tie-off disks, clips, and other attachments can be easily ingested and swallowed by endangered sea turtles, seabirds, and other ocean wildlife. In fact, studies show balloons ranked among the deadliest ocean trash for key wildlife and are the deadliest form of plastic debris for seabirds.

“Florida made the right call today in banning intentional balloon releases. Balloons are one of the deadliest forms of plastic pollution for ocean wildlife,” said Oceana Field Campaigns Manager Hunter Miller. “It’s great to see state legislators from both sides of the aisle come together to support a common sense bill and get it passed. We call on Governor DeSantis to quickly sign this into law.”

https://usa.oceana.org/press-releases/florida-bans-intentional-balloon-releases/
Click to expand...
It's about time that balloons and such things as Chinese Lanterns were banned fullstop
 
Plans To Introduce Significant Enhancements To Marine Protection In The Southern Ocean

Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands announces plans to introduce significant enhancements to marine protection in the Southern Ocean.

The announcement of an additional 166,000km2 of ‘No Take Zones’, covering an area 8 times the size of Wales, will result in 449,000km2 of highly biodiverse marine habitat being closed to all fishing activity.

The Commissioner for South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) has today announced plans to extend the spatial extent of No Take Zones in the SGSSI Marine Protected Area (MPA), increasing their area from 283,000km2 to 449,000km2. These additional measures will result in 36% of the SGSSI Maritime Zone being closed to fishing activity. An additional 17,000km2 will be closed to krill fishing through the introduction of additional pelagic closed areas.

Plans To Introduce Significant Enhancements To Marine Protection In The Southern Ocean
 
Swampy said:
Asiatic lion hasn't been reassessed on the IUCN red list since 2008, and is still showing as Endangered, so I don't know if this is some as-yet unpublished assessment they're quoting, or otherwise what their source is.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Click to expand...
I can't find anything beyond Indian newspapers all doing the same story with no linked sources.

However, the Lion (as a species) was last assessed in February 2023 and I rather suspect that someone has taken that assessment a year later and turned it into Indian Lions are Vulnerable.

There is a particular quote attributed to IUCN used in the articles which reads "The lion population in Africa is estimated to have a 41% probability of declining by one third (33%) within three lion generations (including past, present, and future), while this risk is estimated to be at just 2% in Saurashtra, India"

... which is almost a direct copy of a segment in the 2023 assessment which reads "In summary, using Bayesian modelling, we estimated Lion populations in Africa to have a 41% probability of declining by one third (33%) within three Lion generations (including past, present, and future), while this risk is estimated at 2% in India".

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species


There might be a new assessment out specifically about the Asian Lion but if there is I can't find it.
 
Southern pygmy perch starts coming back from the brink

An endangered fish has returned to Bendigo, Victoria, thanks to the help of Flinders University research in collaboration with local community groups.

"Recently we heard our established population at the Cadella Way wetland has just been used to reintroduce southern pygmy perch to nearby areas where the species has been locally extinct for more than 20 years," says Dr. Buckley, now a lecturer at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia.

Southern pygmy perch starts coming back from the brink
 
Amazon rainforest: Deforestation rate halved in 2023

The rate of deforestation in Brazil's Amazon fell by nearly 50% in 2023 compared to the previous year, space agency data suggests.

Brazil's environment ministry said it was the lowest recorded deforestation rate in the last five years.

Though smaller than in previous years, the deforested area is still more than six times the size of New York City.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pledged to end deforestation by 2030 when he took office a year ago.

Preliminary data from national space agency Inpe showed 5,153 sq km (1,989.6 sq miles) of the Amazon were cleared in 2023, down from 10,278 sq km in 2022.

President Lula promised to restore the Amazon rainforest and chase down climate criminals during his speech at climate summit COP27 in 2022.

Rainforest destruction had surged to a 12-year high under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.

https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-67962297.amp
 
10 Million Hectares Of Amazon Rainforest Has Been Designated As A Protected Area In Bolivia

A new protected area of rainforest in the
El Gran Manupare Integrated Management Natural Area was just designated by the Municipality of Sena, in Pando, Bolivia. This vast rainforest safeguards many threatened and endangered species, as well as 9.2 million tons of irrecoverable carbon. The protected area covers 452,639 hectares, representing almost 8% of Pando’s rainforests and has significantly increased the region’s conservation coverage to 26%.

https://worldanimalnews-com.cdn.amp...esignated-as-a-protected-area-in-bolivia/amp/
 
 
Pew Applauds Bureau of Land Management for Conservation of Public Lands in Southeastern Oregon

New plan will protect 417,000 acres

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today issued the record of decision and final resource management plan covering 4.6 million acres of public lands in southeastern Oregon. The plan includes 417,000 acres of protections for lands with wilderness characteristics.

The protected landscape includes multicolored winding canyons, spectacular high desert rock formations, and rolling sage-brush uplands that are home to the greater sage-grouse and more than 350 other species including the pygmy rabbit, pronghorn antelope, and golden eagle. Equally important, hiking, camping, hunting, angling, and wildlife-watching are popular pastimes in southeastern Oregon and contribute to the state’s thriving $15.6 billion outdoor recreation economy.

Pew Applauds Bureau of Land Management for Conservation of Public Lands in Southeastern Oregon | The Pew Charitable Trusts
 
Resurrecting butterflies: A tale of hope and survival through conservation efforts

Metamorphosis is both a biological process and a metaphor for the lives of the citizen-scientist inmates of Mission Creek.

In short:

  • Incarcerated women at Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women are raising Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies, an endangered species, as part of a conservation effort.
  • The program, a collaboration with The Evergreen State College and Washington State’s Sustainability in Prisons Project, aims to bolster the dwindling populations of this key species.
  • The work provides the women a sense of purpose and connection to the larger environmental restoration effort, highlighting the importance of nurturing and conservation even in unlikely settings.
Resurrecting butterflies: A tale of hope and survival through conservation efforts - EHN
 
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