If you’d asked me which rare bird I might see in Somerset in early January, the least sandpiper would have been very low on my list. Yet on a fine, bright, chilly morning here it was: running along the edge of the water like a clockwork toy, probing the mud for food with its stubby […]
Near-extinct Siberian crane is recovering thanks to habitat protection
Over the past decade, the population of the critically endangered Siberian crane has increased by nearly 50%, according to the International Crane Foundation. The foundation said the boost in the snowy-white Siberian crane’s (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) numbers is the result of efforts to secure the migratory bird‘s stopover sites along its eastern flyway, or migratory route, […]
Bonobo numbers in DRC park stable, but signs of decline appear
Bonobo populations in the Democratic Republic of Congo‘s Salonga National Park remained steady between 2002 and 2018, but there are worrying signals of decline, a recent study has found. For decades, Salonga has been known to host the largest known population of bonobos (Pan paniscus), an endangered great ape found only in the DRC. However, […]
RSPB stops selling flat bird feeders owing to deadly finch disease
The RSPB has withdrawn flat bird feeders from sale on its website amid warnings they could be spreading deadly diseases to finches. The charity has said feeding birds from flat surfaces such as tables could be contributing to the spread of illnesses such as finch trichomonosis, which has been blamed for the plummeting greenfinch population. […]
Two lynx caught after illegal release in Scotland – here’s what happened
Two Eurasian lynx were spotted just after 4pm on Wednesday 8 January in the Drumguish area of the Highlands in Scotland. Wildlife conservationists from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) worked overnight with the police to capture the big cats, and condemned the illegal release “in the strongest possible terms”. “We set live trail […]
We need a North Pole Marine Reserve to secure a healthy future for Arctic waters (commentary)
In the 1990s, a single moratorium announcement wiped out an entire industry, leaving 37,000 people unemployed overnight. The ecological collapse of the Canadian Grand Banks Cod Fisheries is the most famous historical example of a collapse in fish stocks due to overfishing. Not only were cod stocks severely depleted, it was the largest layoff of […]
Elk Attack in Arizona: A Tragic Incident Sparks Urgent Wildlife Warnings
In a shocking and unprecedented event, an Arizona woman lost her life after being attacked by an elk she was suspected of feeding. This tragic incident, the first of its kind in the state’s history, occurred in Pine Lake, nestled in the scenic Hualapai Mountains. The repercussions of this unfortunate event have prompted local wildlife […]
“Ad-Free” Reading – Does It Have a Value?
If you are a regular reader of Focusing on Wildlife, you can’t help but have noticed that advertisements feature quite prominently throughout the pages. Most of the revenue from advertisements is donated to wildlife charities whilst the website running costs can also be covered. Bearing in mind that advertisements can sometimes be annoying, we’ve decided […]