Wildlife

"...Maasailand, Kenya (CNN) -- For tourists visiting Kenya, elephants represent the majesty of nature -- but for those living on the land the animals are often seen as pests.

At the foot of Chyulu Hills in Kenya, an area famous for its wildlife and the Maasai people that call it home, getting the balance right between the two has always been a delicate task. As more people farm in the region the strain on wildlife increases.

Around 80% of Africa's elephants live outside of protected parks in the wild. One conservation group has turned to local communities in an attempt to find solutions to everyday problems so man and beast can live peacefully..."

*Hunting Wolves, Saving Wolves PBS NOW Video February 26, 2010
"...Last year the Obama Administration removed federal protection from some of the wolves that had been restored to the northern Rockies under the Endangered Species Act. The move paved the way for controversial state-regulated wolf hunts. Wolf advocates strongly oppose the administrations decision saying the three states in the region, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming need a cohesive management plan that allows for a much larger wolf population. "It was very disappointing when Secretary Salazar in the Obama Administration, signed off on this rushed-through Bush administration delisting package for wolves," said Doug Honnold, a lawyer with Earthjustice, who is representing conservation groups challenging the government's decision.

The return of the gray wolf to the northern Rockies is considered to be the most successful wildlife reintroduction project in the history of the 27 year old Endangered Species Act. In 1995 and 1996, 66 gray wolves we relocated from Canada to Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho. Today there are more than 1,600 wolves in the region. For its part the federal government says that just 300 wolves are needed for legitimate recovery in the region. "Wolves are back and there's plenty of them in plenty of places. They're never really going anywhere," said Ed Bangs, the Northern Rockies Wolf Recovery Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

More than a dozen conversation groups have sued the Interior Department to return federal protection to the northern Rockies wolves. Some believe the result of this legal debate is a litmus test for the Obama Administration's overall approach to wildlife issues and the Endangered Species Act./ Correction: Our report incorrectly stated Wyoming will manage for a maximum of 150 wolves. The current Wyoming wolf management plan states they will manage for a least 150 wolves./.."

MSNBC News Report - November 10, 2011 (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45236688/ns/world_news-world_environment/#)

GENEVA — The Western Black Rhino of Africa was declared officially extinct Thursday by a leading conservation group.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature said that two other subspecies of rhinoceros were close to meeting the same fate.

The Northern White Rhino of central Africa is now "possibly extinct" in the wild and the Javan Rhino "probably extinct" in Vietnam, after poachers killed the last animal there in 2010. A small but declining population survives on the Indonesian island of Java.

IUCN said Thursday that a quarter of all mammals are at risk of extinction, according to its updated Red List of endangered species.

'Stewards of the Earth'
But the group added that species such as the Southern White Rhino and the Przewalski's Horse have been brought back from the brink with successful conservation programs. "Human beings are stewards of the Earth and we are responsible for protecting the species that share our environment," said Simon Stuart, chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.

"In the case of both the Western Black Rhino and the Northern White Rhino, the situation could have had very different results if the suggested conservation measures had been implemented," he added. "These measures must be strengthened now, specifically managing habitats in order to improve breeding performance, preventing other rhinos from fading into extinction."

Rhinos get upside-down helicopter ride to safety

The WWF environmental campaign group last month said that the Javan Rhino found dead in Vietnam in 2010 was the country's last, rendering the species all but the extinct. Genetic analysis of 22 dung samples collected in Vietnam's Cat Tien National Park from 2009 to 2010 affirmed that the animal, found dead with a bullet in its leg and its horn removed in April 2010, was the final wild rhino in Vietnam.

Rhinoceros horns are a coveted ingredient in traditional Eastern medicine and rumored to cure or fend off cancer, although scientists say there is no evidence to support the claim. WWF said the Javan Rhino was believed to be extinct from mainland Asia until 1988 when one was hunted from the Cat Tien area, leading to the discovery of a small population. The IUCN did note that some species have been brought back from the brink with successful conservation programs.

The Southern White Rhino numbered just 100 animals at the end of the 19th century, but has since flourished and now has a population of over 20,000. The Przewalski's Horse, a type of wild horse from Central Asia, has come back from extinction after a successful breeding program in captivity. The Red List now contains almost 62,000 species of plants and animals, whose status is constantly monitored by conservationists.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

NYTimes March 25, 2012

Mangled Horses, Maimed Jockeys
The new economics of horse racing are making an always-dangerous game even more so, as lax oversight puts animal and rider at risk. New York Times Special Investigative Report

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/us/death-and-disarray-at-americas-racetracks.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120325

MARYSVILLE (CBS13) – May 4, 2012 Sacramento News May 4, 2012 "...Ellis Lake is normally a peaceful setting for the Tarpelle family in the tiny town of Marysville. “I like to watch the lake and feed the ducks,” said Owen Tarpelle. However, since the weekend the ducks they’ve grown to love are dwindling in population at the lake. Their bodies were found floating in the water, washed ashore and disrupting people enjoying the scenery. Fish and Game counts about 30 dead ducks and dead fish. “It’s a mystery so far,” said Sgt. Christian Sachs of the Marysville Police Department...“...There’s just been a lot of dead ducks and actually a lot of dead fish,” said Marysville citizen Alex Gowin. “Just like really big fish, just like floating on top of the water.”

View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

August 14, 2012 – NBC 10 News Article & Video

Dozens of Dead Birds Fall From the Sky in NJ

Officials Say Birds Found by Millville Residents were Killed on Purpose & Legally

By Dan Stamm

| Tuesday, Aug 14, 2012 | Updated 8:34 PM EDT

NBC10 Philadelphia - Ted Greenberg

"...Residents along Peach Drive in Millville, N.J. found at least 80 birds dead on the ground Tuesday morning. Officials told NBC10's Ted Greenberg that they believe the birds were killed on purpose and legally by a nearby farmer.

Residents in a Cumberland County community were left wondering Tuesday morning what caused dozens of birds to drop dead from the sky. Residents along Peach Drive in Millville found at least 80 birds -- mostly red-winged blackbirds -- on the ground dead having fallen from trees and the sky. One neighbor even said he saw the birds falling out of the air..."They’d get up and try and fly and they were out of control so they’d crash and fall again," said resident Jim Sinclair. "It was just strange."

"...The Cumberland County Public Information Officer released a press release on Tuesday claiming it wasn't something environmental that killed the birds but rather something they ate -- a granular pesticide put down legally by nearby Ingraldi Farms.

He stated the following in the release:

The Department of Health reports that Monday evening Ingraldi Farms applied a granular pesticide intended and approved to cull birds, causing an unusually high volume of dead birds in the area of Ingraldi Farms and Whitemarsh Estates in Millville.

The material used; Avitrol Double Strength Corn Chops (EPA reg. # 11649-5) is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and intended to be used for bird control for Blackbirds, Brewer's Blackbirds, Cowbirds, Grackles, Red Winged Black Birds, Rusty Blackbird, Starlings, and Yellow-headed Blackbirds.

In the past, Ingraldi Farms has also used Avian Control (EPA reg. # 33162-1) a ready to use liquid repellent intended to be used for bird control for Geese, Gull, Pigeon, Crows, Starlings, House Sparrows, Blackbirds, Grackles, and House finches.

Ingraldi Farms is licensed through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to apply pesticides on their farms and has been working with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife to alleviate the crop damage done by large flocks of birds. Remedies include auditory shock, hunting, and pesticides. Ingraldi Farms has estimated a crop loss of $15,000 so far, due to the birds eating their crops.

Bird specimens have been collected and are being sent to the NJ-Department of Environmental Protection Laboratory for testing.

"Preliminary investigation gives us the impression that.. he had problems with birds," said county spokesman Troy Ferus. "He applied for and got a permit for a product that kills birds and that’s what it seems to have been effective at doing."

No one at Ingraldi Farms would talk to NBC10's Ted Greenberg when he went there for comment.

Officials say the dead birds are not toxic but that any member of the public that encounters a dead bird should use gloves when picking it up and wash their hands thoroughly after handling and disposing of it in the trash.

But they put out a call to residents Tuesday afternoon that urged residents to remain inside "due to an odor and the death of several birds in the area."

Recently bird kills have happened in various locations around the world -- possibly none more famous than the New Year’s Eve death of hundreds of blackbirds in Arkansas..."

http://nyti.ms/NIVof5

"Elephants Dying in Epic Frenzy as Ivory Fuels Wars and Profits" New York Times - September 3, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/world/africa/africas-elephants-are-being-slaughtered-in-poaching-frenzy.html?ref=science
"...Africa is in the midst of an epic elephant slaughter. Conservation groups say poachers are wiping out tens of thousands of elephants a year, more than at any time in the previous two decades, with the underground ivory trade becoming increasingly militarized. Like blood diamonds from Sierra Leone or plundered minerals from Congo, ivory, it seems, is the latest conflict resource in Africa, dragged out of remote battle zones, easily converted into cash and now fueling conflicts across the continent..."

New York Times News Video on the $50.00 Bounty on Coyote Hunting in Utah. More than 5,000 Coyotes have been Killed and the bounty will decimate more of them. March 22, 2013

Wildlife - The sly Coyote becomes a Bounty Hunter Target in Utah March, 22 2013 - Article and Video, New York Times.pdf

Nature Program: "Owl Power"

Aired on PBS: 02/18/2015

"...For centuries, owls have captured our imaginations. With their haunting calls and charismatic faces, these birds remain popular but mysterious because it’s rare to catch more than a glimpse of one in the wild. Unlike their cousins, the hawks, eagles and falcons, owls are the only bird of prey to hunt effectively at night and they have evolved a range of special abilities that allow them to do so..."

Nature PBS Program: "Leave it to Beavers"

Aired: 05/14/2014

"...The beaver, more than any other animal, is responsible for creating fertile landscapes across North America, but it hasn’t gotten much recognition for that accomplishment until now. A growing number of scientists, conservationists and grass-roots environmentalists have come to regard beavers as overlooked tools in reversing the effects of global warming and world-wide water shortages..."