Endangered Species

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Wolves that nearly died out from inbreeding recovered, now helping a remote island’s ecosystem

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Gray wolves are thriving at Isle Royale National Park five years after authorities began a last-ditch attempt to prevent the species from dying out on the Lake Superior island chain, scientists said Wednesday.

https://apnews.com/article/isle-royale-wolves-moose-wilderness-climate-change-c81f056c9300cc3e7abb13d29b5362d7?

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After helping prevent extinctions for 50 years, the Endangered Species Act itself may be in peril

SHARON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Biologist Ashley Wilson carefully disentangled a bat from netting above a tree-lined river and examined the wriggling, furry mammal in her headlamp’s glow. “Another big brown,” she said with a sigh.

https://apnews.com/article/endangered-species-eagle-wolf-biden-trump-12d1a8ef6d453ad8f6d4c2b6edb567e8?

Why this matters: Enacted in 1973 amid fear for iconic creatures such as the bald eagle, grizzly bear and gray wolf, it extends legal protection to 1,683 domestic species. More than 99% of those listed as “endangered” — on the verge of extinction — or the less severe “threatened” have survived. Environmental advocates and scientists say the protections are as essential as ever because habitat loss, pollution, climate change and disease are putting an estimated 1 million species worldwide at risk. The law has become so controversial that Congress hasn’t updated it since 1992.

Related coverage ➤  Oregon crabbers and environmentalists are at odds as a commission votes on rules to protect whales Vanishing whale’s decline worse than previously thought, feds say GOP measures would undo protections for endangered lesser prairie chicken, northern bat

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Endangered sperm whales now have their first protected area in the Caribbean island of Dominica

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The tiny Caribbean island of Dominica is creating the world’s first marine protected area for one of earth’s largest animals: the endangered sperm whale.

https://apnews.com/article/dominica-sperm-whales-reserve-c1a1c8fa801c36d53192355e34331649?

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As the Endangered Species Act turns 50, those who first enforced it reflect on its mixed legacy

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — On Dec. 28, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act. “Nothing,” he said, “is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed.” The powerful new law charged the federal government with saving every endangered plant and animal in America and enjoyed nearly unanimous bipartisan support.

https://apnews.com/article/endangered-species-act-50-years-government-8274b017d3ca4c61eb571d610aa86d21?

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Biden administration restores threatened species protections dropped by Trump

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Biden administration on Thursday restored rules to protect imperiled species and shield their habitat from destruction after the measures were rolled back under former President Donald Trump.

https://apnews.com/article/biden-threatened-species-protections-9f5a2c12e51a857ae32b85997b54dcc7?

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Endangered Species May Have Just Been Spotted After 100 Years

Three animals resembling gray wolves were recently spotted in Nevada, and if suspicions are confirmed, this would be the first time in more than a century that the endangered species has been seen moving as a group within the state.

https://www.newsweek.com/endangered-species-may-have-just-been-spotted-after-100-years-1885031

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Animal groups are urging tourists not to visit Wyoming after a man hit a wolf then took it to a bar

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — As Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming opens for the busy summer season, wildlife advocates are leading a call for a boycott of the conservative ranching state over laws that give people wide leeway to kill gray wolves with little oversight.

https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-wolf-abuse-killed-boycott-396a15634d7b759d6bab2151ad6fd9d2?

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Awwww! Four endangered American red wolf pups ‘thriving’ since birth at Missouri wildlife reserve

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The world’s most endangered wolf species got a big boost at a Missouri wildlife reserve — four little puppies born this spring.

https://apnews.com/article/endangered-wolf-pups-born-st-louis-zoo-40b682f60e186e31eb02a0874c0b7dd5?

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Trapped, then bred in captivity, Florida’s grasshopper sparrow is coming back

A decade ago, critically endangered Florida grasshopper sparrows, three male and four female chicks, were spirited away from prairie wilderness of south-Central Florida.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/07/18/trapped-then-bred-in-captivity-floridas-grasshopper-sparrow-is-coming-back/?

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Revival of the Florida grasshopper sparrow shows hope for future of endangered species

Bird bird bird, bird is the word. … Everybody knows that bird is the word!

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/08/01/revival-of-the-florida-grasshopper-sparrow-shows-hope-for-future-of-endangered-species/?