Almost 4,000 hectares of koala habitat in the Hunter region of New South Wales will be protected after the land was privately acquired for conservation. Sydney philanthropists Andrew and Jane Clifford bought the property north of Newcastle, which scientists from the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) estimate is habitat for more than 100 vertebrate species, including … Read more
Your article (Conflict between activists and zoos shows no sign of going away, October 17) does a disservice to the work of zoos and aquariums. The science shows that conservation and education are effective at good zoos and aquariums. UK zoos lead the world on animal welfare. The British and Irish Association of Zoos and … Read more
The government’s plan to halt the extinction crisis will begin with the targeting of 110 priority species, including many of Australia’s best-known native animals. Independent scientists have compiled a collection of threatened animals and plants, as well as 20 “priority places” such as Kangaroo Island and Kakadu. It is hoped that by boosting the prospects … Read more
Nearly 120 rare hen harrier chicks have fledged in England this year, the highest number for more than a century, England’s conservation agency has said. Natural England and its partners recorded 119 hen harrier chicks successfully fledging from nests across uplands in County Durham, Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland and Yorkshire. A fledgling is a young bird … Read more
Conservation officers in Canada are hunting for a runaway wolf three days after a mysterious break-in freed a pack of the predators from a popular zoo. The Greater Vancouver Zoo announced on Tuesday morning that it would not open to crowds that day, and later acknowledged that a pack of gray wolves had escaped after … Read more
Hippos could be added to the list of the world’s most endangered animals because of dwindling populations caused by the climate crisis, poaching and the ivory trade. The semi-aquatic mammals are found in lakes and rivers across sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated population of 115,000-130,000. As well as the trade in ivory – found in … Read more
There are 40% more tigers in the wild than previously thought, with as many as 5,578 around, although they remain an endangered species, according to a leading conservationist group. The jump in numbers was due to improved monitoring, with the population thought to be stable or increasing, said the International Union for Conservation of Nature … Read more
African leaders will gather in the Rwandan capital this week for the first continent-wide meeting to set out plans for the conservation of nature across Africa. The IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress (Apac) in Kigali will attract close to 3,000 delegates, including protected area directors from the continent’s 54 countries, youth leaders and Indigenous and … Read more
Huge numbers of octopus have been seen along Cornwall’s coastline this month in what experts are describing as a ‘bumper year’ for sightings. Conservation officers now believe this could be evidence of an octopus population boom – an event last recorded along England’s south coast more than 70 years ago. Divers and snorkellers have reported … Read more
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has agreed to update critical habitat protections for manatees after legal pressure from environmental groups, as the animals continue to die in record numbers. More than 1,000 manatees died in Florida last year, wiping out more than 10% of the state’s population, the deadliest year on record. The … Read more