Author: Andrew Rogers

Mexico’s jaguar population has increased by 30% over the past 14 years, according to a new census, offering a rare success story in wildlife conservation. In 2010, researchers from the National Alliance for Jaguar Conservation (ANCJ) estimated there were roughly 1,000 jaguars in Mexico. A country-wide census that year revealed a far more optimistic number: 4,100. Now, the latest 2024 survey has recorded 5,326 jaguars, marking a significant rebound. “This is extraordinary,” said Gerardo Ceballos, one of the lead researchers. “Mexico and the world need good news.” The census, the largest ever conducted for any mammal in Mexico, covered 414,000…

Conservationists have issued new guidance urging people to behave responsibly while observing marine wildlife around the Isle of Man. The leaflet, A User’s Guide to Manx Marine Wildlife, consolidates existing codes of conduct for whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, basking sharks, and seabirds. It has been produced by Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch (MWDW), Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT), and the Department for Environment, Food and Agriculture, and is available both online and as printed copies distributed across the island. MWT marine conservation officer Lara Howe emphasized the importance of enjoying wildlife safely: “We are really fortunate that it is right on…

Efforts to reintroduce wild white storks to Britain have taken a major step forward after Cotswold Wildlife Park in Oxfordshire reported its most successful breeding season yet. The park reared 48 chicks this year, the highest number since the programme began eight years ago. The initiative is part of the White Stork Project, which aims to restore a wild, breeding population of white storks across southern England. Once a common sight in British skies, white storks disappeared as a breeding species in the 1400s due to habitat loss and hunting. Cotswold Wildlife Park established a breeding group in 2016 after…

A new study has found that the collapse of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (Amoc), a critical component of the global climate system, can no longer be considered unlikely. The Amoc, which transports warm tropical water northward and helps regulate global climate, is at its weakest in 1,600 years due to the climate crisis. The research, which examined climate models extending to 2300 and 2500, shows that the tipping point leading to a shutdown could be reached within the next 10 to 20 years. If carbon emissions continue to rise, 70% of model runs predicted a collapse, with intermediate emissions…

A new study suggests that ocean acidification could severely damage shark teeth, leaving the apex predators less able to feed effectively and potentially disrupting marine ecosystems. Sharks rely on multiple rows of rapidly replacing teeth, but increasing ocean acidity may erode their teeth faster than they can be renewed, compromising their hunting efficiency. The research, led by Maximilian Baum at Germany’s Heinrich Heine University, tested 60 naturally shed blacktip reef shark teeth in artificial seawater tanks set to today’s average ocean pH of 8.1 and a projected future pH of 7.3. After eight weeks, teeth in the more acidic conditions…

A new study in the Colorado Rockies shows that wild bumblebees actively select flowers to balance their intake of protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Over eight years, researchers tracked eight bee species and analyzed the pollen they collected, revealing wide variation in nutrient content and seasonal shifts. Spring flowers tended to provide protein-rich pollen, while late-summer blooms were higher in fats and carbohydrates. Individual bees adjusted their foraging based on colony needs, demonstrating that bees do not forage randomly but strategically. Larger bees with longer tongues favored high-protein pollen, while smaller bees with shorter tongues sought pollen richer in carbohydrates and…

Surgeons in China have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig lung into a brain-dead human recipient, where it functioned for nine days. The study, published in Nature Medicine, represents a milestone in xenotransplantation—a field aiming to address the global shortage of donor organs. According to the World Health Organization, only about 10% of the demand for organ transplants is currently met. The lung, from a Chinese Bama Xiang pig with six genetic modifications, was implanted into a 39-year-old brain-dead male. Researchers reported that the organ remained functional for 216 hours, avoided hyperacute rejection, and showed no signs of infection. However,…

Romeo and Juliet, a pair of coyotes, have become the stars of Central Park, highlighting how wildlife is adapting to urban life across the United States. Chris St Lawrence, a naturalist and photographer, spends evenings in the park tracking the animals, capturing their movements while emphasizing safety and awareness. Alongside local photographers like David Lei and Jacqueline Emery, he aims to educate the public about coyotes, showing that the animals are not a threat when observed responsibly. Coyotes, once limited to North America’s western regions, have expanded eastward over the last century. With fewer natural predators and more urban spaces…

Antarctica, long considered Earth’s last untouched wilderness, is facing growing pressures from tourism and scientific activity. Visitor numbers have jumped from fewer than 8,000 annually in the 1990s to over 124,000 in 2023–24, with projections suggesting up to 450,000 by 2034. In one season, 55 tour operators carried out nearly 570 voyages, with more than 80,000 people setting foot on the continent. Despite IAATO guidelines limiting shore landings and enforcing biosecurity checks, each tourist trip generates an average of 5.44 tonnes of CO₂, and the cumulative effect of visitors is leaving a tangible mark on the environment. Pollution, Melting Snow,…

After more than a decade of devastation, scientists have finally identified the culprit behind sea star wasting disease (SSWD), the epidemic that has killed an estimated five billion sunflower sea stars along the west coast of North America. The responsible agent is the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida, researchers confirmed in a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. A Disease That Ravaged Oceans First detected in 2013, SSWD spreads quickly and causes sea stars to develop lesions before their tissues disintegrate entirely. More than 20 species have been affected, but sunflower sea stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides) — predators the size of bicycle…