Wildlife Weekly Wrap-Up

Big win for wolverines!
Wolverines are one huge step closer to getting the federal protections they’ve needed for decades. Defenders and other conservation partners took the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to court after its 2014 ruling that wolverines would not be listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). And this week, a district court in Montana ruled in our favor. In fact, the judge said “It is [my] view that if there is one thing required of the Service under the ESA, it is to take action at the earliest possible, defensible point in time to protect against the loss of biodiversity within our reach as a nation. For the wolverine, that time is now.” The Service must now start the process of reevaluating protections for the rare wolverine, withdrawing its 2014 decision not to list the species. Science shows that the wolverine faces immense threats from its small population size, low genetic diversity, and habitat loss due to climate change, and is negatively impacted by trapping and winter recreation. Wolverines require snow for birthing dens, and the court ruled that the Service cannot ignore that climate change is threatening the species. Defenders has been involved in the fight to list wolverines for more than a decade; we’re telling the Service to move forward with a rule to list the species under the Endangered Species Act now!

Florida panthers on the path and on the porch
Last week, two Florida panther sightings went viral and brought new attention to these rare big cats. Phil Hendra spotted a Florida panther on the porch of his father’s house in East Fort Meyers, and Tina Dorschel had a face-to-face encounter with one on an elevated walkway at the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples. Two close encounters between people and Florida panthers in the same week is exceedingly rare, especially with less than 180 panthers left in the wild.

These recent encounters have certainly captured people’s attention. But the reality behind the engaging video and the close-up photo is that they provide a somber view of the challenges young male panthers face in their search for territories, food and mates. Young males must navigate residential developments, avoid dominant male panthers, and cross dangerous roads as they travel widely to establish a territory. 2015 ushered in a new record of 30 panthers killed by vehicles. Unfortunately, the panther seen visiting the back porch was killed on I-75 in Ft. Myers just yesterday.

For people wanting to influence the future of Collier County, a large landscape planning initiative in eastern Collier County is about to get underway. There will be an opportunity for the public to weigh in on Tuesday, April 12, from 5-7 p.m. at the University of Florida IFAS/County Extension Auditorium next to the Fairgrounds. More information is online: www.easterncollierHCPEIS.com.

To list or not to list?
That is the question we are all waiting for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to answer when it comes to the Pacific fisher this week. As we write this, we are expecting the Service to determine whether or not it will grant fishers in California, Oregon and Washington state protections under the Endangered Species Act. There are multiple scenarios at play here. The Service can decide to list the fisher in all three states, just in California and Oregon, but not Washington, or in none of those states. The listing would greatly benefit the fragile Southern Sierra Nevada population in California and the fishers in Oregon. Six years ago, Washington state started to reintroduce fishers in national parks, and the state’s recovery efforts have been going well so far. We’ll let you know what the Service decides as soon as we know!

Bison get more room to roam
A group of state, federal and tribal agencies agreed to a proposal this week, giving iconic, wild Yellowstone bison more room to roam outside the confines of Yellowstone National Park. This is a huge step forward for bison in Montana, and will mean the difference between life and death for hundreds of animals. Montana’s previous policies allowed little tolerance for Yellowstone bison wandering outside park boundaries in search of grazing grounds. We’ve long advocated for reform of this broken management system, and this week’s news is a big break for bison. Defenders and our partners are now working with local landowners to prevent conflicts with roaming bison in the communities most affected by the expanded year-round habitat. We’re offering up to $1,000 to help pay for fencing to protect gardens, landscaping, yards and livestock pastures.

Hello world! Condor’s birth caught on camera
It’s another great week for condors in California. On Monday, a condor was born at Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in Ventura County. Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge has served as one of the main areas for condor recovery efforts since it was established in 1975. Since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service installed a video camera in a cliff side nest at the refuge, viewers had the opportunity to witness a condor hatching and hear the chick’s very first sounds! Click here to see how mother and baby condor are doing.

Gray whales can go with the flow when it comes to climate change
Scientists have found that gray whales take an opportunistic approach when it comes to feeding and migrating. Unlike most whales, gray whales feed close to the ocean floor, picking up plankton, krill and crustaceans. But if there’s better pickings higher in the water column? They’ll switch things up and feed there instead. Gray whales also vary in their migration habits: some swim all the way from Alaska to Baja, but some stay put. Scientists are wondering if this flexible lifestyle has helped them survive fluctuating ocean temperatures during their 2.5 million years on this planet. Scientists are keeping any eye on Alaska’s gray whales to determine how they respond to warming Arctic waters. Every species reacts differently to climate change; the more we learn, the more we can do to protect wildlife and habitat around the world.