Wildlife News Roundup - April 2008
In this issue of Wildlife News Roundup, there's news of a delay in the polar bear listing decision, the possible origin of Borneo's pygmy elephants, and a rapidly evolving lizard on an island off the Croatian coast. There's also headlines about the threat a toxic drug poses to vultures in Asia, the restoration of a military arsenal site in Colorado, and the genetic diversity of captive tigers.
- Vulture Crisis Deepens (BirdLife International) — April 30, 2008. The veterinary drug diclofenac represents a grave threat to Asian vultures despite a ban on the drug's manufacture. Diclofenac is used on livestock and is consumed by vultures that scavenge carcasses that contain traces of the drug. The drug is lethal to vultures and has resulted in a sharp decline in vulture populations.
- Critically Endangered Seabird Losing Its Pulling Power (BirdLife International) — April 23, 2008. As many as 95% of adult Magenta Petrels are male, according to a recent study. The findings are hoped to help shape conservation efforts to save the bird.
- How to Clip Bird Flu's Wings (Scientific American) —April 23, 2008. The health of wildlife, livestock, and people is intertwined. For that reason, the efficient fighting of diseases such as bird flue or ebola should aim to ensure the well being of all organisms, not just people.
- Lizards Rapidly Evolve After Introduction to Island (National Geographic) — April 21, 2008. Lizards introduced to an island off the coast of Croatia show signs of rapid paced evolution. These lizards, originally from Italy, have developed new gut structure, stronger bites, and larger heads in just a few decades.
- Weapons Moving Out, Wildlife Moving In (New York Times) — April 19, 2004. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was once a 27-square-mile chemical weapons complex but now 5,000 acres of the former arsenal has been signed over to the US Fish and Wildlife Service for cleanup and habitat restoration.
- Captive Tigers Harbor Rare Purebred Genes (National Geographic) — April 18, 2008. Genetic tests have revealed that almost half of captive tigers tested are members of an endangered tiger subspecies.
- Polar Bear Decision Delay Meant to Protect Oil Leases? (National Geographic) — April 18, 2008. The Department of the Interior has asked to delay their decision as to whether or not to list polar bears as threatened species, claiming they need the extra time due to the complexity of the legal and scientific issues.
- 'Extinct' Elephant May Have Been Found Again (WWF) —April 17, 2008. Scientists suspect that Borneo pygmy elephants may in fact be the decedents of elephants from the island of Java that were brought to Borneo several centuries ago by the Sultan of Sulu and later abandoned in the jungle.
- Shorebird Staging-sites in Short Supply (BirdLife International) — April 16, 2008. Loss of feeding grounds and staging habitats is causing rapid declines in populations of migratory shorebirds. Conservationists warn that international agreements to protect shorebirds are failing.
- Chimps with Spears Captivate Photographer (NPR) — April 2, 2008. A group of chimpanzees that inhabit the grasslands of Senegal in western Africa has caught the attention of photographer Frans Lanting and anthropologist Jill Pruetz.
About Wildlife News Roundup
Wildlife News Roundup is a monthly digest featuring animals and wildlife headlines from around the web. It includes headlines from well-established sources such as the World Wildlife Fund, BBC News, New York Times, National Public Radio, National Geographic, and Birdlife International. The sources are selected with care and include only those that archive articles for many years, offer top-notch science writing, and follow stories as they develop over time.
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