Chinese customs officials have seized over 23 metric tons (23,000 kilograms or 50,000 pounds) of pangolin scales after a year-long investigation, local Chinese media reported last week. The massive amount of scales, the officials say, would have been extracted from around 50,000 pangolins, and represent the largest seizure of wildlife products in the country this

Innu encampment at a traditional caribou crossing site known in the Innu language as Mushuanipi along the George River in northern Quebec. Indigenous people bring a knowledge of the land, culture, and history that makes them uniquely suited to be Guardians—managers and stewards of their traditional territories. Photo: Jeff Wells Land Needs Guardians. It’s a

On December 24, 1991, a male orca named Kyuquot was born at the rundown Sealand of the Pacific aquarium in British Columbia, Canada. Decades later, he remains captive—his prison now is SeaWorld San Antonio. Killer whale …|Loadmaster|CC BY-SA 3.0 The Early Years Kyuquot was born to mother Haida II and father Tilikum, whose own tragic

Every autumn the largest congregation of Bald Eagles on the planet flocks to the northern Alaskan panhandle to feast on spawning salmon in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. As many as 4,000 of the imposing raptors hunch in frosty trees, dropping grandly onto gravel bars where they screech and squabble over fish carcasses alongside gorging

Reindeer and caribou populations have been declining dramatically over the past few decades. But one subspecies of reindeer seems to be doing better, anew study has found. The wild Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), which lives in the harsh archipelago of Svalbard off Norway in the Arctic Ocean, was nearly hunted to extinction in the

After being adopted and returned four different times, it seemed as though Bandit would be at the Gwinnett Jail Dogs Program in Georgia for the rest of his life. The wheelchair-bound dog is so sweet and friendly, but his special needs require a lot of care and have scared off many potential adopters over the

There is currently a lot of political tension in the United Kingdom, with Brexit hanging over the heads of everyone. The conservative party winning the general election means that party leader and Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to move ahead with his plan for the UK to withdraw from the European Union by January 31st,

When a passerby spotted a damp little owl lying in a ditch near Saxmundham, England, they assumed she must be injured. When she didn’t fly away, they were certain of it. But there was something else keeping her on the ground. The Good Samaritan called the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary for help. During an examination, staffers were

When Hayes first arrived at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Tasmania, her rescuers couldn’t believe their eyes. The echidna had been brought in after she was clipped by a car so she could be checked over for any injuries, but it wasn’t her story that was captivating everyone.  It was her size.  A typical echidna of

WASHINGTON — As the state of Virginia prepared for a major bridge and tunnel expansion in the tidewaters of the Chesapeake Bay last year, engineers understood that the nesting grounds of 25,000 gulls, black skimmers, royal terns and other seabirds were about to be plowed under. To compensate, they considered developing an artificial island as

Swamp Sparrow. Photo: Peter Wilton/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) In most species, old age brings an unwelcome litany of physical changes. For humans, that might mean more wrinkles, more trips to the bathroom, and more frequently asking, “Why does that hurt?” For birds, feathers may lose their luster and even start breaking down from years of wear

Brushing aside decades of legal precedent and growing alarm over dwindling bird populations, the Trump administration today moved to make official a policy dramatically limiting the federal government’s authority to hold industry accountable for killing birds under one of the nation’s oldest conservation laws. The century-old Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) makes it illegal to

As delegates from 197 member states convened in Madrid, Spain, last month for the twenty-fifth annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 25) the world’s polar scientists sounded the alarm in a new report over the rapidly changing Arctic and Antarctic regions. In the last decade alone, the Arctic warmed 0.75 degrees Celsius (1.35 degrees

Snowy Egret. Photo: Peter Brannon/Audubon Photography Awards WASHINGTON (January 30, 2020) – “The Trump Administration’s Bird Killer Department, formerly known as the Department of the Interior, just gets crueler and more craven every day,” said David Yarnold, president and CEO of Audubon (@david_yarnold).  “And today they are doubling down despite the fact that America did

Lying on the side of the road in Muscoy, California, a German shepherd named Marley waited for help. By her side, a fluffy red dog sat patiently — guarding his injured friend. Hours passed, and cars continued to fly by but not a single one stopped to check on the two animals. Until, finally, one

Killing contests are cruel events that encourage children to kill innocent animals and teach them that animals’ lives are theirs to take. People who kill animals for fun or prizes do not respect animals. In South Dakota, the Nest Predator Bounty Program pays children 10 dollars for every tail of a raccoon, striped skunk, opossum,

Black Skimmer. Photo: Melissa James/Audubon Photography Awards WASHINGTON (January 29, 2020) — The “Moving Forward Framework” released today by the House of Representatives contains important measures for increasing investments in infrastructure that would reduce carbon pollution from transportation and energy systems, and build up natural infrastructure to combat the effects of flooding, sea level rise,

Killdeer. Photo: Donald Metzner/Great Backyard Bird Count Audubon’s Western Water team is thrilled to announce the first round of small grants awarded to chapters. Last fall the Western Water Initiative launched a grant program for chapters to support and elevate local work on western water issues. The West is a vast and complex geography that

The awesome and intricate tapestry of humanity is made up of variable thread types. Those threads represent a myriad of personal and worldwide outlooks and approaches to our interaction with others. There are multiple shades of colors and thicknesses that showcase just how variable humanity is in its dealings in a big world. These things

“Nothing,” says Mark Hedden, as he stares intently at a brackish pond surrounded by buttonwoods. “I’m not even seeing an iguana.”  Hedden, a big guy with a ponytail and a booming laugh, is the executive director of Florida Keys Audubon. Today he is leading about two dozen birders on the chapter’s Christmas Bird Count, or CBC.

A final effort to find Miss Waldron’s red colobus is under way in the forests of southeastern Côte d’Ivoire. Should it fail, this monkey will next year become the first primate to be formally declared extinct in over 100 years. Hope of avoiding this tragic landmark is faint. The last recorded sighting of Miss Waldron’s

The other day, Anabela Cohen was visiting a local park with her son near their home in Argentina when they spotted something adorably unusual. There, casually hanging out with a group of kids at the park’s playground, was a dog who clearly knows how to have a good time. As the pup’s young friends looked

MISSOULA, Mont.— A federal judge in Montana signed an order today requiring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to review the status of grizzly bears by March 2021 — a step that could prompt the agency to look at a broader plan for recovering bears in the lower 48 states. This agreement resolves one claim

Last year, an undercover investigation by Humane Society International and Humane Society of the United States found that “nearly 4,000 giraffes killed by trophy hunters were imported into the United States over the last decade.” At least 51 dealers in the United States sell giraffe parts online and in stores, from knife handles to giraffe

In parts of Florida, a recent cold snap caused temperatures to fall well below norm — leading some animals to do more than merely shiver. Being cold-blooded, local iguanas especially found the chilly weather disruptive. Shocked by the unusual cold, they began to fall from trees in a stupor. Jan 21 – This isn’t something we

Maxx Chewning knew he wanted to do something big for his dog Dood’s first birthday.  Not only did he want to show his pup an amazing time — he wanted his entire Texas town to know about it. Instagram/maxxchewning The best way to get his message out? Rent an electronic billboard for the day and

Humans have sought to build bird-like flying machines for centuries. With modern materials, engineers have come a long way since Leonardo Da Vinci drew a glider with flapping wings. And yet, even today’s most advanced drones struggle to navigate through turbulent air and gusty winds. Most birds, on the other hand, soar through rough skies

Seabirds are often the first thing we see—and hear—on the coast. Flying above the waves, they make up the soundtrack of life on the water. These majestic creatures rely on tiny fish called forage fish for their survival, but they face stiff competition with the large, industrial fishing operators that also harvest these fish. Two

NEW ORLEANS, La. (December 9, 2019)–The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council announced a new $158 million investment to restore the Gulf Coast as part of the recovery effort nearly 10 years after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. A $130 million project in Louisiana will restore 45,000 acres of wetlands and swamps around Lake Maurepas,

When shelter staffers first saw Bazooka Joe, they had to do a double take. Pictures of the gentle giant just didn’t do him justice. Tipping the scales at over 36 pounds, Bazooka Joe couldn’t even fit in a normal cat carrier. In fact, when he tried to squeeze into one, he got stuck.  He can