Wildlife Weekly Wrap-up

Your weekly roundup of wildlife news from across the country

Rhode Island Does Right by Sharks
Great news for sharks came out of the Ocean State this week, when Governor Gina Raimondo signed into law a bill that puts a ban on all shark fin sales within the state! Rhode Island is now the 11th state to put such a ban in place, and we hope to see more enacted soon. Steps like this continue to bring us closer to putting an end to the horrible practice of shark finning, and better protecting our oceans’ sharks.
Read about the valuable role sharks play in our oceans > 

Going to Bat….for a Bat!
Tricolored bats have it tough. Biologists report that the tricolored bat has one of the highest documented mortality rates of all bats affected by the deadly white-nose syndrome: up to 98 percent in the northeastern United States! And together with white-nose syndrome, habitat loss, pesticides, climate change and other threats are pushing tricolored bats to the brink of extinction. So this week we officially petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the bat under the Endangered Species Act – before it’s too late.
Learn more about the tricolored bat >

Court Decision Puts Lobos One Step Closer to Extinction
With so few Mexican gray wolves on the ground, we need more lobos in the wild! But late last week, a federal judge handed down a decision that puts all releases of these wolves into the wilds of New Mexico are on hold. This is especially devastating because the ruling comes right in the middle of the best time of year for wolf releases. In fact, the ruling effectively blocks a wolf release planned for July! We’re working to intervene in this case, and prevent the state from further sabotaging Mexican gray wolf recovery. It’s clear that these wolves are running out of time – but this is one extinction we can prevent if we act now.
Help us fight for Mexican gray wolves >

Celebrating our Southern Resident Orcas
Did you know that June is Orca Month? And our offices in the Pacific Northwest are celebrating the Southern Resident orca – the most endangered community of resident killer whales in the world. There’s a lot that makes this group of orcas unique, including, sadly, the combination of threats they face.
Learn about Southern Resident orcas >

Seeing Sea Turtles
As you travel this summer to beaches across the country or even around the world, you might be lucky enough to see some creatures that have been around since the time of the dinosaurs: sea turtles! Yesterday we celebrated World Sea Turtle Day – but really, you can keep an eye out for these remarkable reptiles all summer. Just be sure that you know what to do if you come them on the beach, whether it’s a nesting mother or an adorable group of hatchlings. Survival is tough enough for sea turtles; in fact, six of the seven species are listed under the Endangered Species Act. So take note of the simple things you can do to help keep sea turtles safe.
See how you can help >

Citizen Science Superheroes find Wolverine(s)
Earlier this year, we wrapped up the second season of our Wolverine Watchers project. And what a season it was! With more than 140 volunteers tallying well over 2,000 volunteer hours, we gathered more than 12,000 photos of wildlife in the mountains and creek bottoms of the Bitterroot National Forest, south of Missoula. We found 20 different species, including some of the ones we were most eager to see!
Learn about the project and check out some great photos from our remote cameras >