Category Archives: Wildlife

How Australian conservationists’ tunnel vision lets turtles swim to freedom

Posted on by

Creating a fox-proof haven for endangered eastern quolls required a high, encircling fence. But what about the other wildlife?

Eastern long-necked turtles are known for their “ridiculously cute grin”, says Nick Dexter, and a much less charming ability to release a pungent stink to ward of predators.

But what they’re not good at, unsurprisingly, is climbing fences.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Beluga whale alleged to be Russian ‘spy’ was shot, animal rights groups say

Posted on by

Hvaldimir rose to fame in Norway after his harness sparked suspicions he was Russian spy

Animal rights groups have said that gunfire killed a beluga whale that rose to fame in Norway after its unusual harness sparked suspicions the creature was trained by Russia as a spy.

The organisations Noah and One Whale said they had filed a complaint with Norwegian police asking them to open a criminal investigation.

Continue reading...

‘A symbol of our nation’: waratah among 20 more species added to Australia’s threatened wildlife list

Posted on by

The fresh listings bring the total number of endangered plants, animals and ecosystems to almost 2,250

Twenty more plants and animals, including a type of waratah, have been added to Australia’s list of threatened wildlife, bringing the total number of endangered species and ecosystems to almost 2,250.

The fresh listings come as the government faces a battle to pass legislation for a new national environment watchdog in the Senate, while Labor has also been under pressure from the Greens and Coalition about delays to a broader package of reforms to the country’s environment laws.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Arctic tern and common gull join red list of UK species in crisis

Posted on by

Seabirds are in a precarious position as their breeding areas are threatened by climate breakdown and overfishing

Five seabirds have been added to the UK’s conservation red list, meaning they are at dire risk of local extinction.

The government has been urged to act as the arctic tern, Leach’s storm petrel, common gull, great skua and great black-backed gull join other seabird species such as the puffin on the list after severe population declines.

Continue reading...

Thrush hour: study suggests birdsong can ease commuter stress

Posted on by

Research for South Western Railway finds passengers who listened to natural soundscapes reported 35% reduction in stress levels

At the end of summer even adults suffer that “back to school” feeling as they resume stressful commutes on packed trains. But instead of listening to a podcast or music, opting for a nature soundtrack of birdsong or waterfalls could be the key to a “zen” commute, according to a study.

The research, undertaken by South Western Railway (SWR) on one of its trains and analysed by Charles Spence, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, measured the impact of listening to nature soundscapes on passengers’ stress levels and relaxation.

Continue reading...

This bird came back from extinction – now scientists in a glider are teaching it to migrate

Posted on by

Extinct in central Europe for 300 years, 36 northern bald ibis are following an ultralight aircraft on their long-forgotten migration route from Austria to Spain

The northern bald ibis was extinct in central Europe for 300 years. Now, it has returned – and scientist “foster parents” aboard a tiny plane are teaching the birds to fly their long-forgotten migration routes.

Thirty-six of these endangered birds are now following an ultralight aircraft 1,740 miles (2,800km ) from Austria to Spain, on a trip that could take up to 50 days to complete.

Continue reading...

New peregrine in town: female falcon becomes latest to nest atop Melbourne skyscraper

Posted on by

The cameras that made the falcons a social media phenomenon are rolling again for a new breeding season

For more than three decades, Melbourne’s famed Collins Street peregrine falcons have treated a CBD skyscraper ledge as home.

Now, the cameras that made them a social media phenomenon are again rolling for a new breeding season, with the first egg laid this week.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Resorts on Spain’s Costa Brava struggle with invasion of jellyfish as seas warm

Posted on by

Stings needing medical attention surge by 41% as rising sea temperatures due to the climate crisis boost reproduction

Costa Brava resorts in Spain’s north-east are struggling to cope with an influx of jellyfish as rising sea temperatures facilitate reproduction and drive species farther north.

Between May and August almost 7,500 people on the Catalan coast sought medical attention for jellyfish stings – a 41% increase on last year. The stings are painful and can have unpleasant consequences for anyone with compromised immunity.

Continue reading...

Melbourne zoo welcomes rare southern white rhino calf to the world

Posted on by

New male baby of near-threatened species born at Werribee open range zoo to be named in public competition in coming weeks

A very large bundle of joy was quietly delivered to a Melbourne zoo last Sunday as a southern white rhino gave birth to a male calf.

Mother Kipenzi, 11, and father Kifaru, 15, welcomed their 60kg baby into the world in the early hours of 18 August, Werribee open range zoo announced.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Swedish hunters kill more than 150 brown bears in first days of annual cull

Posted on by

Campaigners denounce ‘pure slaughter’, which could threaten survival of entire Scandinavian population

More than 150 brown bears have been killed in the opening days of Sweden’s annual bear hunt, as controversy mounts over what conservationists have called “pure slaughter”.

The Swedish government issued 486 licences to shoot bears in this year’s hunt, equivalent to about 20% of the remaining brown bear population. This follows a record-breaking cull of 722 bears last year. By Thursday afternoon – the second day of the hunt – 152 bears had already been shot, according to Sweden’s Environmental Protection Agency.

Continue reading...

Humpback whale in Sydney Harbour freed from rope entanglement in hours-long rescue

Posted on by

Operation to free young animal from ropes and buoys conducted ‘very carefully’

A humpback whale has been freed after being entangled in ropes in Sydney Harbour.

Jessica Fox, the second vice-president of volunteer organisation Orrca, confirmed the rescue late on Friday morning.

Continue reading...

‘Ingrained in our heritage’: UK’s ancient oaks showcased in Tree of the Year contest

Posted on by

Woodland Trust’s competition comes as charity campaigns for more robust legal protection for precious trees

An oak tree shaped like an elephant and the oak with the widest girth in the UK have been shortlisted for the annual Tree of the Year competition.

The Woodland Trust runs the annual competition to raise awareness of the UK’s ancient and at-risk trees.

Marton oak, Cheshire
Sessile oak (quercus petraea) / Approximate age: 1,200 years / Girth: 14.02 metres.

Bowthorpe oak, Lincolnshire
English oak (quercus robur) / Estimated age: 1000 years / Girth: 13.38 metres.

Continue reading...

Badger cull may have increased bovine TB risk in neighbouring herds – study

Posted on by

England’s controversial eradication scheme may have caused higher rates of disease in surrounding areas, research shows

England’s controversial badger cull may have increased the risk of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) among herds in neighbouring areas, according to new research.

Researchers at the University of Oxford found that although badger culling reduced incidences of tuberculosis in the areas where it took place, in neighbouring areas the risk of the disease in cattle increased by almost a third.

Continue reading...

Australia could save thousands of bats a year with simple tweak to wind turbines, study says

Posted on by

Raising the wind speed at which turbines start spinning could prevent tens of thousands of bat deaths each year, researchers find

Australian windfarm operators are being urged to embrace a simple measure used overseas that scientists say could dramatically reduce the number of bats killed by turbines.

Curtailment – lifting the wind speed at which turbines start spinning – is used in some European countries and parts of the US and Canada, but rarely in Australia. A global study published in the journal BioScience found it was an effective way to limit bat deaths.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Rare moth found in Cambridgeshire orchard threatened by busway plan

Posted on by

Appearance of dark crimson underwing causes excitement on land that would be bisected by road scheme

Beneath oak canopies, in an orchard full of hundred-year-old apple trees, excited exclamations rose from a group of moth enthusiasts last week.

The Cambridgeshire Moth Group had just trapped a dark crimson underwing, a species so rare that none of them had ever seen it before. Indeed, the colourful invertebrate is only usually ever found in the New Forest and is considered nationally scarce.

Continue reading...

‘It’s a proper jungle’: Rome’s rat and snake infestation blamed on waste problems

Posted on by

Pest control expert says warmer winters help creatures such as oriental hornets, snakes and rats thrive in the city

A Rome zoologist says the Italian capital has become “a proper jungle” amid a surge in the presence of snakes, oriental hornets, seagulls and rats owing to a combination of high temperatures and the city’s persistent problem with rubbish.

Andrea Lunerti, who is well known in Rome for capturing dangerous animals, said he had been inundated with calls this summer, especially about snake sightings.

Continue reading...

Why do whales beach themselves? A vial of parasites in a Tasmanian museum may hold the answer

Posted on by

Pilot whale that beached itself in 1973 was infested with thousands of parasitic nematodes that may have eaten away at its blowhole

A vial of white parasitic worms left for decades in a Tasmanian museum may help solve a timeless mystery: why do whales strand themselves on beaches?

The worms were collected from the blowhole of a pilot whale that beached itself in 1973 and then stored in Launceston’s Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Startling genome discovery in butterfly project reveals impact of climate change in Europe

Posted on by

Project to study all 11,000 species of butterflies and moths finds ‘two species in the act of being created from one’

The chalkhill blue has some surprising claims to fame. For a start, it is one of the UK’s most beautiful butterflies, as can be seen as they flutter above the grasslands of southern England in summer.

Then there is their close and unusual relationship with ants. Caterpillars of Lysandra coridon – found across Europe – exude a type of honeydew that is milked by ants and provides them with energy. In return, they are given protection in cells below ground especially created for them by the ants. Chalkhill blues thrive as a result, though their numbers are now coming under threat.

Continue reading...

Snake hunters descend on the Everglades for the Florida Python Challenge

Posted on by

More than 600 python hunters registered for the event that aims to reduce the population of the invasive species

Friday marked the start of the annual Florida Python Challenge, during which hunters head into the Everglades to track down invasive Burmese pythons in hopes of grabbing a share of $30,000 in prizes.

The annual 10-day hunt, which started more than a decade ago, promotes public awareness of issues with invasive species in Florida while engaging the public in Everglades conversation, said Sarah Funck, the wildlife impact management section leader with Florida’s fish and wildlife conservation commission.

Continue reading...

It looks like a cross between a koala and a possum – and it’s in big trouble, Australian conservationists say

Posted on by

Queensland Conservation Council is urging the state government to protect the endangered greater glider population as logging continues

There is “damning evidence” of logging occurring close to endangered greater glider populations, conservationists say as they call on the Queensland government to urgently act on a promise to create a park to protect the species.

Volunteers used drones in July to film logging in St Mary state forest near Maryborough, about three kilometres from where gliders had been seen.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...