Author: Rachel Maddow

Fifteen young New England cottontail rabbits from a New York City zoo entered the wild in Maine.Conservationists released six at Fort Foster Park in Kittery and four at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge.They introduced another five on Thacher Island near Rockport.Handlers treated each rabbit with flea and tick medication before implanting a microchip for tracking.“This release marks another vital step in restoring the New England cottontail,” said Donna-Mae Butcher, assistant curator at the Queens Zoo.She added that joint conservation work ensures a future for this native rabbit species. Behind-the-Scenes Breeding to Protect a Native Species Zoo staff bred the rabbits…

Cotswold Wildlife Park successfully bred greater bamboo lemurs, becoming the only UK zoo to achieve this in 2025.The park introduced four newborn lemurs, still unsexed and unnamed, ahead of World Lemur Day on 31 October.Bijou and Veloma, the adult lemurs, produced the offspring in the Madagascar exhibit for visitors to see. Record-Breaking Season Across Species The park also welcomed the first brood of Great Grey Owls and four Humboldt Penguin chicks this year.Humboldt Penguins experienced their most successful breeding season in a decade, adding excitement for visitors and staff.Cotswold Wildlife Park has recorded over 520 animal births in 2025, including…

Wildlife numbers continue to shrink across Canada as governments weaken protections to speed up massive developments.WWF-Canada’s Living Planet Report tracked 910 vertebrate species between 1970 and 2022, with over half showing decline.Populations overall dropped by 10 per cent in five decades, while birds, fish, mammals, reptiles and amphibians all trended downward.James Snider of WWF-Canada said human activities such as farming, infrastructure, and pollution increasingly harm ecosystems.Marine life faces noise, overfishing, contaminants, and shipping threats, while climate extremes intensify biodiversity loss nationwide.Despite clear warning signs, federal and provincial authorities still roll back protections to advance economic projects.First Nations and conservation groups…

Rescuers freed a Steller’s sea lion entangled in a plastic strap in the Salish Sea.Drone footage revealed the strap cutting deeply into the animal’s neck, alerting conservation teams quickly.Scientists from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance helped coordinate the multi-agency effort to save the near-threatened mammal. Teamwork Powers Swift Intervention Marine experts from SeaDoc Society, The Whale Museum, and Vancouver Aquarium veterinarians joined the rescue operation.They sedated the sea lion, removed the plastic strap carefully, and monitored its recovery after the procedure.The animal swam and fed normally soon after, showing the success of coordinated wildlife intervention. Technology Combats Ocean Plastic…

Colorado prepares to open the Greenland Wildlife Overpass on I-25, a major project to protect animals from highways.The state faces budget pressures as federal grants remain frozen and state funding has run out.Other completed, ongoing, or planned crossings include Colo. 9 near Kremmling, U.S. 160 west of Pagosa Springs, and I-70 near Vail Pass.Colorado and New Mexico collaborate on a crossing at Raton Pass along the I-25 border. Greenland Overpass and Road Safety Benefits The Greenland Wildlife Overpass spans six lanes, more than 200 feet long and wide, linking critical wildlife corridors.CDOT installed fencing and underpasses to guide elk, pronghorn,…

S. Balachandran, 47, pleaded not guilty to four counts of possessing and exporting protected wildlife.He appeared before Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman at the Sessions Court in Sepang on Tuesday.Authorities accused him of holding one agile gibbon and two cuscuses, protected under Schedules One and Two of Act 716. Potential Penalties Explained Balachandran risks fines between RM50,000 and RM100,000, or up to three years in prison, for illegal possession.He also faces charges for exporting the gibbon without a permit, punishable by fines up to RM1 million and 15 years imprisonment.Authorities charged him for exporting the cuscuses without a license, with penalties…

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and USDA will distribute oral rabies vaccines to wild raccoons. Officials plan aerial drops starting October 16 across Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey counties. Workers will hand-distribute additional baits in Asheville from October 14-16. Baits contain vaccines inside fishmeal-coated sachets or hard polymer blocks, about the size of a matchbox. Raccoons bite the bait, puncturing the vaccine packet and absorbing it orally, which prevents rabies infection. Safety Measures for Residents and Pets Public Health Veterinarian Emily Herring urged pet…

Drusillas Park in East Sussex welcomed its first binturong birth in over 100 years. Keepers named the female cub Boots after discovering her with parents Niffler and Dora. The zoo called the event a landmark moment for conservation and the wider zoological community. Rare Success in Breeding Programme Boots represents a major achievement for the European effort to protect vulnerable binturongs. The species, native to Southeast Asian rainforests, faces threats from habitat loss and human activity. Despite their nickname “bearcats,” binturongs belong to the viverridae family alongside civets and fossas. Keepers Celebrate New Arrival Dora, who arrived from Germany in…

Experts say Dunston Staiths, a former coal-loading site on the River Tyne, attracts an annual surge of wildlife. Birds such as curlews and lapwing migrate to the mudflats for the winter, while crustaceans and otters inhabit the area. Heather Devey from Wild Intrigue calls the site an under-rated oasis supporting diverse species in a bustling urban environment. The Grade II-listed timber structure, built in the 1890s, spans over 500 meters and ranks as Europe’s largest timber construction. Devey explains that the Staiths framework traps mud and silt, creating rich feeding grounds for marine invertebrates like lugworms, crabs, and shellfish. Migratory…

Wildlife experts warn the UK lacks preparation for extreme weather caused by climate change. The country recorded its warmest summer ever, with average temperatures of 16.1C from June to August. Experts stress that alternating droughts, heatwaves, floods, and storms cause severe damage to wildlife and humans. The Wildlife Trusts’ report, Resilient Nature, reviewed 2,600 reserves across the UK and highlighted rapid climate acceleration. Kathryn Brown, climate change director at the trust, said government action lags behind urgent adaptation needs. She urged a major overhaul of UK climate policy, with increased funding and coordination to protect people and wildlife. Nature Reserves…