Wildlife Weekly Wrap-Up

Written by Defenders Communications Team

Killing of Cecil the Lion Highlights Need for Further Lion Conservation: Defenders is outraged by tragic killing of an iconic lion named “Cecil” in Zimbabwe. African lions have declined 42 percent in the last 21 years, making the loss of even one lion tragic and especially Cecil, a breeding male who was such a strong ambassador for the species. Defenders is strongly opposed to the hunting of any endangered or imperiled species for any reason, no matter where they are found. We are pressing law enforcement officers at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to aggressively investigate this tragic incident in collaboration with Zimbabwe and prosecute the perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law.

California State Ban on Shark Fins Upheld in Federal Court: This week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an important decision upholding a California law that bans the possession, trade, sale and distribution of shark fins within the state. In 2011, Defenders, in coalition with 12 other conservation organizations, launched a campaign to enact this critical legislation. On October 7, 2011, Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill into law, but it was later challenged in court. An estimated 100 million sharks are killed each year for their fins, which are used in shark fin soup. We’re pleased to see the federal appellate court reject this challenge and uphold such an important ban to stem the demand for the trade. In addition to California, some states – Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, Delaware, Maryland — have similar laws in place, but more policies are desperately needed to regulate the trade of shark fins around the world. This is certainly a victory we’re celebrating as we continue our work to protect and restore highly imperiled shark species.

Obama’s Crack Down on Illegal Ivory Trafficking: During a visit to Kenya last weekend, President Obama announced a proposal for new and stronger regulations to combat the illegal ivory trade and help protect endangered African elephants. The proposal calls for sweeping bans on the sale of ivory across state lines and further restricts commercial export. In response, Defenders former President and CEO, Jamie Rappaport Clark, said “African elephants are being slaughtered at a stunning rate by poachers feeding a worldwide black market for ivory. Tragically, the United States is the second largest market for this illegal trade. With the publication of these proposed regulations on ivory, the Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have just taken a major step forward in cracking down on the sale of smuggled illegal ivory within this country.” We applaud the Administration for taking this stand and will continue to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service to secure tough new restrictions on the sale of ivory.

Did You Know? Most Polar Bears Don’t Hibernate: In a new study, scientists discovered that polar bears do not, as once believed, go into a hibernation-like state to conserve energy in summer when food is scarce; it is only pregnant females who hibernate in the winter and emerge from their dens in spring with new cubs ready to explore the world. Polar bears are seriously threatened by climate change, and lose more and more of their sea ice hunting grounds every year. Learn more about threats to polar bears here.

The Latest from the Sagebrush Sea: In 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that greater sage-grouse warranted protection under the Endangered Species Act. Federal land management agencies launched an unprecedented planning process the following year with the goal of protecting the grouse, and potentially avoid the need to list it under the ESA. Defenders’ sage-grouse team has been working tirelessly for months on end to protect these charismatic birds and the quintessential western landscape where they live. As Defenders reported, the first drafts of the plans were exceedingly weak and would not have conserved sage-grouse. The proposed final plans have now been released and while they represent a significant improvement in land management on more than 60 million acres of public lands, they still don’t go far enough to truly protect sage-grouse and help the species to recover. But all is not lost for sage-grouse! The administration can still strengthen sage-grouse conservation measures in the proposed final plans. Whether they do will go a long way toward determining whether or not the Fish and Wildlife Service proposes to add the bird to the threatened and endangered species list this fall.

Climate Change Reduces Bee Habitat, Study Shows: Climate change is shrinking the range of bumble bees, a new report shows. Scientists found that as the southern range of the Canadian bumble bee has warmed, the bees have moved north—but they can only go so far. Unlike other species, the bees aren’t colonizing new areas, partly because their preferred habitat is grasslands, not the thick forests of northern Canada. This research shows that it is more vital than ever that we protect habitat for bees and fight climate change before we lose these irreplaceable pollinators and the critical role they play.

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