Wolverine killed in North Dakota
As soon as the sighting of a rare wolverine was reported in North Dakota in late April, it was killed by a rancher who didn’t recognize what it was and thought it could threaten livestock. The last time a wolverine was seen in North Dakota was in the 1800s. Scientists estimate there are only 300 remaining wolverines in the Lower-48 states today. They are found primarily in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and north-central Washington. Individuals have been photographed in Utah, Colorado and California – and now North Dakota. It is thought that the North Dakota wolverine may have traveled in from Montana. . Wolverines sometimes fall victim to traps intended for other animals, such as martens and bobcats and can also be mistaken for other critters such as small black bears or cubs. This sad news is yet another reason why we continue to fight for their federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. Wolverines can’t afford to wait any longer for the protections they’ve needed for years.
Bison on chopping clock?
Just one week after the U.S. House of Representatives designated bison as America’s national mammal, the fate of 53 wild bison hangs in the balance. This week members of the Montana Legislature heard from several groups with different opinions on a plan to send 53 wild Yellowstone bison, currently being held in captivity outside of Yellowstone National Park, to tribal lands in Montana for conservation. Failure to reach an agreement could doom these bison to slaughter. You can help us by telling Yellowstone National Park to save the 53 bison held in captivity. We need to send these bison to Fort Peck Indian Reservation for conservation instead of needlessly slaughtering them! Please take a minute today to contact Sue Masica, Regional Director of the National Park Service, and ask her not to have these bison needlessly killed! You can reach her at (303) 969-2500 or sue_masica@nps.gov
Kenya burns ivory and stands up for elephants
Last Saturday, Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta set fire to 175 million dollars’ worth of elephant tusks and rhinoceros horn. It was the largest burn of illegal wildlife products in history. Back in April, Cameroon also burned some 2,000 illegal ivory tusks and ivory carvings. Burning ivory sends a powerful message to poachers and every 15 minutes an elephant is killed for its tusks. Defenders of Wildlife is working on anti-trafficking efforts for wildlife in the United States and abroad – we are focused on educating consumers to not buy wildlife products. Learn more about what you can do to help stop the ivory trade here.
A Congressional attack on Mexican gray wolf recovery
As you may remember, last week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to complete a full recovery plan for the Mexican gray wolf, or lobo, by November 2017. Congress wasted no time in attacking such an important step in Mexican gray wolf recovery. Last Friday, Senators Jeff Flake (R-Ariz) and John McCain (R-Ariz) introduced “The Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Plan Act of 2016.” Don’t let the name fool you. While our experts are still analyzing the bill, it’s already safe to say that this is an egregious attack on Mexican gray wolf recovery that puts the states first, the Service second and the lobos last. The lobos are facing dwindling numbers, smaller litters and lower pup survival – a recipe for extinction. Defenders will be taking action next week when Congress is back in session. Keep an eye out for an email from us asking you to take action on this bill soon!
New lobos in the New Mexico
Last week, two Mexican gray wolf pups were introduced into the New Mexican wild. These wolves were the result of cross-fostering, an experimental technique where pups born in captivity are placed into the dens of wild wolf mothers. Although cross-fostering is intended to move genes from the captive to the wild population, which the lobos need so desperately as they face an intense genetic diversity crisis, it is very difficult to pull off. A wild den with pups must be found, the captive and wild litters must be born within five days of one another and the captive pups must be moved within about ten days of birth. Given these logistical hurdles, scientists caution that cross-fostering is unlikely to address the problem of species recovery. As our Southwest Director Bryan Bird said in this article, “Unfortunately, the cross-fostering is not going to be enough to save the wolves in the wild. [The Service] needs to introduce adult wolves.”
Fighting to the very end for our public lands
Even though Congress was in recess this week, that didn’t stop some legislative leaders to continue moving on the Puerto Rico debt restructuring bill. Unfortunately, some in Congress are using this bill for their own harmful political agenda. Representative Bishop (R-UT) is insisting on including a provision that would give away 3,100 acres of Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most popular refuges in our national wildlife refuge system, a safe haven for endangered green sea turtles and a stable economic engine for La Isla del Encanto (The Island of Enchantment). Tell the White House you do not want this damaging provision passed!
Proposed new changes to the eagle permit rule
On Wednesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the Service) proposed new changes to the eagle permitting rule. While our experts are still working on analyzing the rule and all the supporting documents, we wanted to share with you that we enthusiastically support the need for credible and defensible permitting programs based on best available science. It is our hope that this permitting program will facilitate responsible and smart wind in the right places so that we can share the air and conserve eagles. We will be able to share our full position with you and our partners once we have reviewed the Service’s proposed changes.
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