The Mexican gray wolf population in the US rose sharply in 2019
Exciting news from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. In a recent census, researchers discovered that the US population of endangered Mexican gray wolves jumped by 24 percent last year. That’s especially exciting for conservationists who haven’t seen a leap in numbers that high since 2014. The Read More...
A newly proven Darwinian evolution theory shines new light on conservation
An anthropology doctoral student at the University of Cambridge has analyzed centuries of naturalist data to prove a longstanding theory from Charles Darwin’s work. The crux of the work is in the relationship between how species evolve into subspecies and whether that presages new species. Read More...
Scientists discover two rare new species of sharks with chainsaw-like snouts
If you like teeth, underwater predators, and strange things, then we have some good news for you: Researchers have identified two new rare species of six-gilled sawsharks in the waters off Eastern Africa. What makes these unusual sharks particularly extraordinary is the fact that they have six Read More...
Successful conservation efforts offer glimmer of hope for the African black rhino
Wildlife in Africa is celebrating an important win as the numbers of African back rhinos in the wild have risen by several hundred, which is a rare boost for a species driven to near extinction by poaching. While challenges remain to protect these majestic creatures, the small increase – an Read More...
A wild tapir gave birth in Brazil for the first time in more than a century
The Atlantic Forest, which once covered more than a million square kilometers along the eastern coast of Brazil and Argentina, has been steadily sliced and diced by loggers, plantation owners, and economic development. Trees now cover just 7% to 15% of the forest’s former area, mostly in Read More...
How volunteer vets are saving the world’s fattest parrots from extinction
While the Optimist Daily may not have a favorite bird per se, the kākāpō is definitely one of our favorites. The kākāpō is a colorful parrot with intricate patterns, and it so happens to be the world’s fattest parrot. Endangered parrot Unfortunately for our feathered friends in New Read More...
How conservationists brought this tiny bird back from extinction
The Guam rail is a tiny, virtually flightless bird that once thrived on the Micronesian island of Guam. But that all changed sometime in the mid-1900s when brown tree snakes made their way onto the island, likely stowed away in cargo delivered by a U.S. Navy supply ship. And once these lithe, Read More...
Judge tosses oil and gas leases on almost 1 million acres of public land
For everyone who cares about our public lands, we have good news: A federal judge banned oil and gas leases on nearly one million acres of public lands that are important habitat for the greater sage grouse, the largest type of grouse (type of bird) in the US. The ruling goes against a White Read More...
Two cheetah cubs have been born to surrogate mother for the first time ever
Last week, two cheetah cubs were born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio. But this was no typical birthing. Rather, it was a historic moment as it marked the first time ever that cheetahs were born through in vitro fertilization (IVF) to a surrogate mom. IVF has been difficult to achieve Read More...
Researchers celebrate sudden uptick in Antarctic blue whale sightings
South Georgia, a sub-Antarctic island, was at the epicenter for whale hunting in the early 20th century. The territory's boats with their steam-powered harpoons caused populations of the Antarctic blue whale to drop so badly that there had only been a few isolated sightings of the whale around the Read More...