Bringing you the latest articles, opinion and analysis in the conservation world
It is not uncommon to see animals being exploited for tourist’s photo opportunity. Encouraging new research shows that, in Morocco, 88% of people who were surveyed object to the use of barbary macaques as photo props for ethical or animal welfare reasons.
The eradication of invasive rats on the remote Pacific island Palmyra Atoll has led to positive benefits for native trees and the many other species who live in this habitat.
New research in The Bahamas has proved that drones are effective tools for monitoring marine megafauna such as sharks and rays. They are effective even in shallow and murky water, and are much less invasive than alternatives.
46 years worth of satellite imagery has shown that Canada’s Peace-Athabasca Delta has been slowly drying. This has driven the decline of the muskrat, and may have repercussions for the many species that prey on it.
In response to climate change, tropical trees are migrating upslope. However, research has found that their movement is not fast enough to avoid a loss of biodiversity and even extinction.
A major cull of the endangered Mauritius flying fox has been announced to prevent fruit crop damage, however new research has found the bat is responsible for only some damage, and could be managed effectively without the need to cull.
A study in Finland looking at changes in bird populations has revealed that protected areas help to slow down the north-bound retreat of species as the planet warms due to climate change.
New genetic analysis has discovered that northern and southern white rhino populations have had contact throughout history. This means that genes from southern white rhinos could be used to successfully rescue their critically endangered northern cousins.
The damming of the Yangtze River has been shown to have caused declines in population size and spawning ground capacity of the critically endangered Chinese sturgeon.
Nature’s defence mechanism, evolution, cannot keep up with the extermination of species by humans. If conservation efforts are not improved, so many mammal species will go extinct in the next five decades that nature will need 3-5 million years to recover.