Scientists discover new species of blue whale in the west Indian Ocean
2020 was a busy year for scientists, with some 503 new animal species being discovered. Now it seems the New Year is following up right where 2020 left off as scientists have announced the discovery of a new species of the blue whale. Each species of whale can be identified by its unique song, so Read More...
Population of endangered leopard species rebounds in China
As a result of poaching and increasing loss of habitat, leopard populations have experienced a global decline in recent years. But that’s not the case for the big cats in the Loess Plateau, northern China, where numbers of the North Chinese leopard subspecies have increased, according to recent Read More...
Scientists are turning to stem cells to revive Malaysia’s extinct rhinos
Last year marked a tragedy for the world’s rhino populations as Malaysia’s last Sumatran rhino Iman died after years of failed breeding attempts, bringing the endangered species one step closer to extinction. But not all hope is lost as scientists are now trying to use tissues and cells from Read More...
Rare butterfly species experiences successful reintroduction into the wild
Declared extinct in Britain in 1979 before being reintroduced from European populations nearly 40 years ago, the large blue butterfly has recently experienced the most substantial reintroduction into the wild. After five years of preparing the landscape for the species, 1,100 larvae of the large Read More...
Rhino poaching drops by 50 percent in South Africa thanks to lockdown
Other than sea turtles with threatened conservation status, other endangered species around the world have also benefitted from diminished human activity during the pandemic. The number of South African rhinos killed by poachers fell by half in the first half of the year as the coronavirus outbreak Read More...
Key population of loggerhead turtles in Greece thrives during pandemic
This year’s pandemic-induced quietness and lack of tourists on many of the world’s beaches has been a true blessing for endangered turtles. Record numbers of turtle nests and high hatching success rates have been recorded in a number of places with important nesting sites, from Thailand and the Read More...
NSW buys large piece of land to protect over 25 threatened animal species
In a major win for threatened species and habitats, the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has recently taken under refuge a massive piece of the country’s outback by purchasing it from a private owner. Called the Narriearra, the new national park covers an area of 1,534 sq km (392 sq Read More...
Rare heath butterfly reintroduced back into the wild after 150 years
Here at the Optimist Daily, we love inspiring conservation stories involving species that return back to the places they once belonged to. Today, we have the heath butterfly as the protagonist of the latest of such comeback stories. The heath butterfly — known as the “Manchester argus” — Read More...
A previously extinct bird species has re-evolved itself back from the dead
A once-extinct species of bird has re-evolved back into existence and returned to the island it once colonized thousands of years ago. The Aldabra white-throated rail was reportedly wiped out around 136,000 years ago when the island it called home submerged under the ocean due to rising sea Read More...
Critically endangered turtles hatch in record numbers in Philippine village
Hawksbill sea turtles are a critically endangered species of sea turtle, with its population declining by as much as 80 percent in the past decade. In the Philippines, this turtle species is among the most trafficked on the black market due to its sought-after shells. Recently, however, Read More...