Author: Andrew Rogers

The Trump administration has unveiled a plan to weaken key protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), prompting strong concern from conservation experts who warn the changes could accelerate the extinction crisis. The proposal would give the federal government more flexibility to weigh economic impacts when designating critical habitats, remove safeguards that account for future threats such as climate change, and end the long-standing rule that automatically gives threatened species the same protections as endangered ones. Newly listed species could also face delays in receiving protections while tailored rules are developed. The plan would narrow the definition of “critical habitat,”…

A rare pink grasshopper has been spotted sunbathing near a river in New Zealand’s South Island. Researchers from the Department of Conservation were carrying out their annual grasshopper survey near Lake Tekapo in the MacKenzie Basin when they found the dark pink female. The insect belongs to the robust grasshopper species, New Zealand’s largest lowland grasshopper, which is usually grey or brown to blend in with river stones in its limited habitat. Jen Schori, a conservation ranger involved in the survey, said she had heard rumours of pink individuals but had never seen one. The colour is believed to result…

Mountain lions may one day roam the forests of New England again if a growing rewilding movement succeeds in bringing the long-missing predator back to the region. The big cats, also known as cougars or catamounts, were wiped out in northern New England by 1881. Today, the nearest confirmed breeding population lives over 2,000 miles away in North Dakota. But occasional sightings in Vermont, New York, Kansas and other states suggest the species is slowly expanding its range eastward. In Vermont, the organization Mighty Earth is actively campaigning to support the catamount’s return. According to polling by its affiliate Bring…

Insect-eating bird species in France are showing the first subtle signs of recovery following the EU’s 2018 ban on neonicotinoid pesticides, according to a new nationwide analysis. By 2022—four years after the ban—populations of species such as blackbirds, blackcaps and chaffinches had increased by an estimated 2–3%. The study, published in Environmental Pollution, examined long-term monitoring data collected at more than 1,900 sites across France. Researchers compared bird populations before the ban (2013–2018) and after (2019–2022), analysing 57 species. They found insectivorous bird numbers were 12% lower in areas previously treated with neonicotinoids compared with untreated sites, reflecting the long-lasting…

Los Angeles is home to thousands of loud, bright green parrots — many of them red-crowned parrots — that now flourish across the city after escaping the pet trade decades ago. Originally imported from Mexico and South America, some were freed accidentally, such as during a pet-store fire. Adaptable and intelligent, they spread across the LA basin, feeding on ornamental plants and facing few predators. Because they don’t compete with native birds, they aren’t considered invasive. Scientists at Occidental College, led by John McCormack and research assistant Diego Blanco, are now studying these parrots to understand how they’ve adapted, evolved…

Baby sea otter “Caterpillar” was rescued off the central California coast after being separated from its mother. The roughly two-week-old pup was heard crying in Morro Bay, and staff from the Marine Mammal Center, together with the local harbor patrol, located it and placed it safely on their boat. To find the mother, they played recordings of the pup’s cries over a speaker while searching the bay. After about two hours, a female otter appeared and persistently followed the boat, indicating she was looking for her baby. The rescuers then placed the pup back into the water, where the mother…

UK experts have warned Members of Parliament that children’s programming on YouTube is increasingly promoting “sedation” rather than entertainment. The concern highlights how digital platforms shape young audiences’ attention and behavior. During a parliamentary session, specialists said algorithm-driven content often encourages passive viewing. Videos are designed to hold children’s attention for long periods, which may reduce active engagement and imaginative play. The experts emphasized that these trends are not limited to the UK. Similar patterns appear on U.S. digital platforms, raising international concerns about the impact of algorithmic recommendations on children. Many of the videos analyzed relied on repetitive visuals,…

Scientists have identified a new bee species in Western Australia — the Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer, nicknamed the “Lucifer bee” for its horned, devilish appearance. Curtin University researcher Kit Prendergast discovered the bee in 2019 while surveying a critically endangered wildflower and was immediately struck by the female’s distinctive facial horns. Named after the TV show Lucifer, the species is the first new member of its group to be described in over 20 years, highlighting how much biodiversity remains undiscovered. Prendergast hopes the find will encourage greater surveying of native bees, especially in mining areas where habitats are under threat. “Without…

An investigation is under way after millions of tiny plastic beads washed up on Camber Sands in East Sussex, prompting fears of an “environmental catastrophe”. The biobeads, which are used in water treatment, are thought to have spilled from a local wastewater plant. Local MP Helena Dollimore has demanded answers from Southern Water, warning that the contamination poses a grave threat to seabirds, porpoises, seals, and fish that could ingest the pellets. “These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife,” Dollimore said. “Local residents are working tirelessly to remove them, but it’s a race against time.” Volunteers have spent…

Amazon lakes have hit dangerously high temperatures amid record drought and heatwaves, turning once-vital ecosystems into deadly hot tubs. Researchers from Brazil’s Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development recorded water temperatures of up to 41°C (106°F) in Lake Tefé, where the shallow, two-metre-deep waters grew so hot that “you couldn’t even put your fingers in the water,” said lead scientist Ayan Fleischmann. The extreme heat led to mass die-offs of fish and endangered pink river dolphins, with around 200 dolphin carcasses found floating in the lake over six weeks in late 2023. Half of the 10 lakes studied across the central…