Wildlife News Roundup (Feb 23-March 1, 2013) | The Wildlife ...

An aerial view of Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park. (Credit: Jim Peaco/National Park Service)

6 Ways Sequestration will Hurt Parks, Wildlife
(National Geographic)
Lovers of the United States? landscape, wildlife and parks will feel the pain of mandatory spending cuts set to take effect today, warn leaders of the nation?s land agency. At a press conference just days short of the Friday deadline, Jonathan Jarvis, director of the National Park Service, and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, outlined how so-called ?sequestration? will hurt the country in general and national parks in particular. More

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NEWS FROM NORTH AMERICA

Deadly Bat Disease Spreads to Illinois
(The Associated Press via Chicago Sun-Times)
A disease that decimated bat populations in the eastern United States has been detected in Illinois, raising concerns for the environment and the agricultural industry. Two laboratories confirmed the presence of the fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced. The disease, fatal to several bat species, was found in bats from four Illinois counties. More

Montana Hunters, Trappers Kill at Least 223 Wolves
(The Associated Press via Billings Gazette)
With at least 223 gray wolves killed by Montana hunters and trappers during a season that ended Thursday, Gov. Steve Bullock and wildlife officials said they now have the right rules in place as the state seeks to reduce the predator?s population. Montana?s wolf harvest numbers are up roughly 25 percent from last winter. That?s on top of 104 wolves that were killed by government wildlife agents and ranchers last year due to livestock attacks or other conflicts. More

Sea Lamprey Public Enemy No. 1 Among Invasive Species
(Northumberland Today)
Of all the invasive species threatening the Great Lakes, public enemy No. 1 remains the sea lamprey. No other species has caused more damage to the lakes and the lakes? tributaries, explained Terry Quinney, the provincial manager of fish and wildlife services for the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. In the past 50 years, the U.S. and Canada have shelled out a combined $1 billion trying to combat and control the sea lamprey. More

Warmer Winters Bedevil Moose in Minnesota
(USA Today)
Minnesota?s decision last month to end its moose-hunting season because of the animal?s rapidly declining numbers in the state has made the gangly, iconic symbol of cold northlands a new player in the debate over climate change. Some scientists attribute the threats to climate change; others say more study is needed. Doug Inkley, a senior scientist at the National Wildlife Federation, says moose are ?the canary in the coal mine.? More

Oilsands Tailings Leaking into Groundwater, Joe Oliver Told in Memo
(Canada.com)
Tailings ponds from oilsands production are leaking and contaminating Alberta?s groundwater, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver was told in an internal memo obtained by Postmedia News. The memo said that federal government scientists had discovered evidence of the contamination in new research that rejected longstanding claims that toxins in the region of the Athabasca River were coming from natural sources. More

Huge ?Ghost Net? Kills Wildlife on South Florida Reef
(Sun-Sentinel)
A commercial fishing net at least 200 feet long has wrapped itself around an artificial reef about two miles off southern Broward County, where it has killed fish and a sea turtle. The net, which weighs an estimated 1,000 pounds, is the latest and most spectacular South Florida example of what?s called ghost fishing gear ? lost or discarded nets, long lines and monofilament that continue to roam the ocean and catch fish, turtles, seabirds and other wildlife. More

Drought-Starved Habitat, Snow Hit Kansas Wildlife Hard
(Wichita Eagle via Miami Herald)
Robert Penner?s rural Ellinwood bird feeders have been busy for the past 10 days. The normal crowd of scarlet-colored cardinals, lemony goldfinches, bouncy juncos and other regulars have kept him entertained. But the building numbers of meadowlarks, tree sparrows, pheasants, quail and red-winged blackbirds have him concerned. ?Those are stuff that don?t normally come to feeders,? said Penner, Nature Conservancy of Kansas avian program manager. More

Guts and Heavy Metal ? How the California Condor is Still Holding On
(The Guardian)
The rescue of the California Condor from extinction is a famous victory in U.S. wildlife conservation lore. This spectacular scavenging bird with a three-meter wingspan was down to just 22 individuals in the early 1980s, but a last-gasp captive breeding effort plus rigorous field conservation has boosted its numbers almost 20-fold. Over 230 California Condors now fly free over California, northern Arizona and Mexico, with another 160-plus in captivity. More

WILDLIFE HEALTH AND DISEASE NEWS

Hoof Rot Strikes Elk in Washington
(SnoValley Star)
Elk hoof rot, a disease seen predominantly among elk in Southwest Washington, has found its way to the Snoqualmie Valley herds. Harold Erland, a wildlife biologist with the local Elk Management Group, said that three elk have been found dead with the disease. There are currently 430 elk in the Snoqualmie Valley, with 150 of those living in and around North Bend, he said. More

Lingering Red Tide Creating Confusion, Cancellations
(WBBH-TV)
After days of sustained and worsened affects from toxic red tide algae, blooming off the coast of Southwest Florida, members of Lee County?s tourism industry say they?re starting to see an impact on business. Hotel and resorts on Captiva and Sanibel, where fish kills littered beaches with thousands of decomposing marine life, and in at least one case, the carcass of a dolphin, hotel concierges and managers say they?ve been inundated with phone calls from concerned guests. More

Biologists Explore Link Between Amphibian Behavior and Deadly Disease
(EurekAlert)
In a new study, biologists will investigate the connection between amphibians? social habits and a disease that has killed a record number of frogs, toads and salamanders worldwide. This week, San Francisco State University biologists received a $595,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to explore the relationship between amphibian social behavior and a fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. More

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

New Zealand?s War on 30 Million Possums
(The Atlantic)
It sucks to be a possum in New Zealand. Cars swerve to hit you. Guns point toward you. People feed you little green pellets that taste like cinnamon, only afterward they taste like poison death. Plus, no one ever gets your name right. But if you are a possum, brace yourself: it?s about to suck more. New Zealanders are rallying to launch an all-out war against their furry foes, following a scientist?s dying vision for a ?Pest-Free New Zealand.? More

Killing Elephants Threatens Kenya?s Economic Security
(World Wildlife Fund)
Kenya?s tourism industry faces a gloomy future if the current killing of elephants is not contained. This scale of illegal ivory trade was demonstrated early this year when a gang of heavily armed poachers entered Tsavo National Park and slaughtered 11 elephants. This event, and others like it, constitutes an invasion and a threat not only to wildlife but people, territorial integrity and stability. More

Regional Treaty on Wildlife Conservation in Pipeline
(All Africa)
A partnership treaty between the three countries sharing the Virunga Massif, the home of rare Mountain Gorillas, will soon be signed by respective authorities. Officials said the agreement that will be signed between Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo would foster coordination and collaboration in conserving wildlife. This is one of the priorities in line with an action plan under a grant worth $5 million from the Dutch government. More

Source: http://news.wildlife.org/featured/wildlife-news-roundup-feb-23-march-1-2013/

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