Lolita the orca to return to home waters after 50 years in captivity
Lolita, a southern resident orca also known as Tokitae, will be returned to her home waters in Puget Sound after more than 50 years in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium. WTVJ Steve Litz reports.
‘A wake-up call’: total weight of wild mammals less than 10% of humanity’s
The total weight of Earth’s wild land mammals – from elephants to bisons and from deer to tigers—is now less than 10% of the combined tonnage of men, women and children living on the planet. A study by scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science, published this month, concludes that wild land mammals alive today […]
Feds: Vanishing right whale must remain on endangered list
The fading North Atlantic right whale will remain protected under the Endangered Species Act, and the species requires a series of protective steps to stave off extinction, federal authorities said. The whales number only about 340 and they have declined in population in recent years.
By eliminating requirement for animal testing, FDA Modernization Act allows faster, more cost-effective drug development
Congress passed the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 last week removing the requirement to use animal testing in drug development. This will allow drug companies the option to use alternative safety-testing models when making new drug submissions. This is important because the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938, which is still in force, mandates […]
California becomes the first state to ban fur products
California has become the first U.S. state to ban the sale of animal fur products. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation that will make it illegal to sell, donate or manufacture new fur products in the state. The bill, authored by state assemblymaker Laura Friedman, applies to all new clothing, handbags, shoes, and other items made […]
How rehoming wildlife from rhinos to bison can revive threatened species
Classified as “near threatened” by the IUCN, numbers of white rhino are declining across Africa, mainly because of poaching. The recent arrival of numerous babies in Akagera suggests the mission to create a new rhino haven is on track. Wildlife translocations are used to reintroduce a species to a location where they have gone locally […]
Animal populations experience average decline of almost 70% since 1970, report reveals
Earth’s wildlife populations have plunged by an average of 69% in just under 50 years, according to a leading scientific assessment, as humans continue to clear forests, consume beyond the limits of the planet and pollute on an industrial scale. From the open ocean to tropical rainforests, the abundance of birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles […]
Bird populations in decline across U.S., Mass., some species near ‘tipping point’
Bird populations are declining rapidly in the U.S., including 22 species that live in or pass through Massachusetts, according to a report. The U.S. State of the Birds 2022 report introduces a “tipping point list,” identifying 70 species at risk of becoming endangered. These species have already declined by at least 50% and could lose […]
U.S. officials “Red-List” lobsters to help critically endangered whales
Lobster nets and pots have become such a threat to the survival of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales that the crustaceans have been “red-listed” as seafood to avoid by a major fish sustainability guide. Fewer than 340 of these whales exist today, including only 80 breeding females. The population is estimated to have dwindled […]
Dugong functionally extinct in China due to habitat degradation and hunting
The dugong is now functionally extinct in China after widespread degradation of their habitat and historical hunting, scientists have said. Fishing and ship strikes are also among the reasons dugong activity has declined, said Prof Samuel Turvey of ZSL’s Institute of Zoology, who described the findings as a “wake-up call” to prioritize conservation efforts.
