Lawmakers: End tax breaks for companies that pull lobster
December 7, 2022 GMTPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Two lawmakers in Maine want to change laws to prevent the state from offering tax breaks or contracts to companies that stop selling lobster after sustainability organizations raised concerns.
Extinctions, shrinking habitat spur ‘rewilding’ in cities
December 7, 2022 GMTDETROIT (AP) — In a bustling metro area of 4.3 million people, Yale University wildlife biologist Nyeema Harris ventures into isolated thickets to study Detroit's most elusive residents — coyotes, foxes, raccoons and skunks among them.
Scientists call for action to help sunflower sea stars
December 3, 2022 GMTASTORIA, Ore. (AP) — Scientists along the West Coast are calling for action to help sunflower sea stars, among the largest sea stars in the world, recover from catastrophic population declines.
Chesapeake Bay watershed getting $33.8 million in grants
December 3, 2022 GMTANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Chesapeake Bay is getting about $33.8 million in conservation grants.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the grants Friday to support the restoration and conservation of the bay watershed.
Nevada toad in geothermal power fight gets endangered status
December 3, 2022 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — A tiny Nevada toad at the center of a legal battle over a geothermal power project has officially been declared an endangered species, after U.S. wildlife officials temporarily listed it on a rarely used emergency basis last spring.
Population increase for endangered red squirrels in Arizona
December 2, 2022 GMTSAFFORD, Ariz. (AP) — The latest survey shows another increase in the population of the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel in the Pinaleno Mountains of southeastern Arizona, according to authorities.
Feral hog control: 8 years, some progress, $2.5B damage/year
December 2, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Eight years into a U.S. program to control damage from feral pigs, the invasive animals with big appetites and snouts that uproot anything that smells good are still a multibillion-dollar plague on farmers, wildlife and the environment.
11 face death over conservationist’s murder in Tanzania
December 2, 2022 GMTNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A high court in Tanzania on Friday sentenced 11 people to death for the murder of a conservationist in the East African country more than five years ago.
Anti-poaching activist Wayne Lotter, a South African national, was shot dead in August 2017 while riding in a taxi in Tanzania's commercial capital of Dar es Salaam.
US agencies sued over fate of rare Rio Grande minnow
November 30, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Environmentalists on Wednesday accused the U.S. government of not doing enough to ensure the survival of the Rio Grande silvery minnow as drought tightens its grip on one of the longest rivers in the West.
Illinois DNR suspects bird flu in deaths of 300 waterfowl
November 30, 2022 GMTBELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) — State wildlife officials suspect that bird flu killed at least 300 waterfowl recently found dead at public hunting sites across southern Illinois.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday the wild birds, mostly snow geese, have been found dead at Baldwin Lake, Pyramid State Recreation Area, Rend Lake and Carlyle Lake.
3 rehabilitated manatees released in Florida Keys
November 30, 2022 GMTKEY COLONY BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Three adult male manatees rescued from waters in the Florida Keys earlier this year have been returned to a Keys canal after being treated and rehabilitated at SeaWorld Orlando.
US bat species devastated by fungus now listed as endangered
November 29, 2022 GMTTRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The Biden administration declared the northern long-eared bat endangered on Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to save a species driven to the brink of extinction by white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease.
Montana judge to decide on wolf hunting limits
November 29, 2022 GMTHELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana judge said he would decide Tuesday whether to continue temporary limits he placed on wolf hunting or to restore quotas and hunting methods pending a trial over changes in the way the state estimates the size of the wolf population, which informs hunting quotas.
Wildlife conference boosts protection for sharks, turtles
November 26, 2022 GMTPANAMA CITY (AP) — An international wildlife conference moved to enact some of the most significant protection for shark species targeted in the fin trade and scores of turtles, lizards and frogs whose numbers are being decimated by the pet trade.
Whole Foods decision to pull lobster divides enviros, pols
November 26, 2022 GMTPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Environmental groups are once again at odds with politicians and fishermen in New England in the wake of a decision by high-end retail giant Whole Foods to stop selling Maine lobster.
Wildlife conference boosts protection for sharks, turtles
November 26, 2022 GMTPANAMA CITY (AP) — An international wildlife conference moved to enact some of the most significant protection for shark species targeted in the fin trade and scores of turtles, lizards and frogs whose numbers are being decimated by the pet trade.
Lawsuit looms over tiny rare fish in drought-stricken West
November 24, 2022 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — Conservationists have notified U.S. wildlife officials that they will sue over delinquent decisions related to protections for two rare fish species that are threatened by groundwater pumping in the drought-stricken West.
Alaska firefighters help rescue a moose trapped in a home
November 23, 2022 GMTANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Firefighters in Alaska got an unusual request for assistance last weekend from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, but it wasn't your mundane cat-stuck-in-a-tree situation.
“They were looking for some help getting a moose out of a basement,” said Capt.
Nevada state wildlife director Wasley retiring next month
November 23, 2022 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — Nevada Department of Wildlife Director Tony Wasley said Tuesday he plans to retire next month after nearly 10 years as the head of the state agency where he began his career as a habitat biologist a quarter century ago.
DNR: Opening weekend deer kill up 14% from 2021
November 22, 2022 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Hunters killed 14% more deer during this year's nine-day gun season's opening weekend than in 2021 largely due to snow cover that made hunting easier, state wildlife officials said Tuesday.
Whales off California coast delay commercial crab season
November 22, 2022 GMTSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — For the fourth year in a row, the start of the commercial Dungeness crab season in California will be delayed to protect humpback whales from becoming entangled in trap and buoy lines, it was announced Monday.
Endangered status sought for manatees as hundreds starve
November 21, 2022 GMTST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Manatees that are dying by the hundreds mainly from pollution-caused starvation in Florida should once again be listed as an endangered species, environmental groups said Monday in a petition seeking the change.
Nigerian teens create fashion from trash to fight pollution
November 20, 2022 GMTLAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Teenage climate activists in Nigeria's largest city are recycling trash into runway outfits for a “Trashion Show.”
Chinedu Mogbo, founder of Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative, a conservation group working with the activists, said the show was designed to raise awareness about environmental pollution.
Bird flu detected in southeast Alaska black bear cub
November 19, 2022 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A black bear cub in southeast Alaska was euthanized after it became ill with avian influenza, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said.
It is believed that the cub, which was located in Bartlett Cove in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve west of Juneau, is the second bear diagnosed with the highly pathogenic bird flu, the Juneau Empire reported.
US gives protections to rare Midwest bird as prairie suffers
November 18, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. government announced protections Thursday for two populations of a rare prairie bird that's found in parts of the Midwest, including one of the country’s most prolific oil and gas fields.
Officials: Florida panther struck and killed by vehicle
November 17, 2022 GMTNAPLES, Fla. (AP) — An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle.
It’s the 23rd panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of 25 total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Cambodia wildlife official jailed in NY for monkey smuggling
November 16, 2022 GMTMIAMI (AP) — Federal prosecutors have charged eight people with smuggling endangered monkeys, including a Cambodian wildlife official who was arrested in the U.S. while traveling to a conference on protecting endangered species.
Judge revives limits on wolf killing near Yellowstone park
November 16, 2022 GMTBILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A Montana judge has temporarily restricted wolf hunting and trapping near Yellowstone and Glacier national parks and imposed tighter statewide limits on killing the predators, over concerns that looser hunting rules adopted last year in the Republican-controlled state could harm their population.
Lettuce again on the Florida menu to slow manatee starvation
November 16, 2022 GMTST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Lettuce will be on the menu again this year for Florida manatees as part of an effort to slow the starvation deaths of the beloved marine mammals, wildlife officials said Wednesday.
U.S. agency sued over hands-off decision on Okefenokee mine
November 15, 2022 GMTSAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Conservation groups filed suit Tuesday against a U.S. government agency challenging its decision to allow a mining project to move forward without federal permits near the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp's vast wildlife refuge.
Forest Service to resume cleanup of abandoned Arizona mines
November 14, 2022 GMTPRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service is getting ready to resume construction work associated with the cleanup of six abandoned mines on the Verde Ranger District of the Prescott National Forest.
Hippos, sharks up for protection at UN wildlife conference
November 14, 2022 GMTHippos poached for their skin and teeth, sharks targeted by the fin trade and a tiny frog with translucent skin are among the hundreds of species that could get greater protection at a United Nations wildlife conference opening Monday.
Mountain lion found dead along Los Angeles interstate
November 11, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — A mountain lion was found dead early Thursday along Interstate 405 on the west side of Los Angeles, the California Highway Patrol said.
The cougar was removed from the southbound lanes near Mulholland Drive around 1 a.m.
Feds resume study of restoring grizzlies to North Cascades
November 10, 2022 GMTSPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Environmental groups on Thursday hailed a decision by the Biden administration to resume studying whether grizzly bears should be restored to the remote North Cascades mountains in Washington state.
New Jersey moves to reinstate controversial black bear hunt
November 10, 2022 GMTTRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey plans to reinstate its controversial annual black bear hunt.
Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who has long opposed the hunt, announced Thursday that the state’s Fish and Game Council will meet next week to consider game code amendments that would allow the hunt's resumption starting next month.
New Wisconsin wolf plan eliminates state population goal
November 10, 2022 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin wildlife officials on Thursday released their first new wolf management plan in almost a quarter-century but the document doesn't establish a new statewide population goal, a number that has become a flashpoint in the fight over hunting quotas.
Turtles in demand as pets, leading to a spike in poaching
November 9, 2022 GMTPROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Swimming in two plastic bins inside a brightly lit and sterile quarantine room at a Rhode Island zoo, 16 quarter-sized turtle hatchlings represent a growing worry for conservationist Lou Perrotti.
Connecticut warns of foraging bears amid acorn crop failure
November 5, 2022 GMTHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Wildlife officials in Connecticut are warning residents to be especially vigilant about feeding bears this fall, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
According to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, a widespread acorn crop failure has reduced the amount of a food bears normally depend on as they try to put on as much weight as possible to prepare for winter hibernation.
Devi the elephant, 45, euthanized at San Diego Zoo
November 4, 2022 GMTSAN DIEGO (AP) — A 45-year-old female Asian elephant was euthanized because of her deteriorating health from age-related problems, the San Diego Zoo announced Friday.
Devi had been undergoing therapy but her mobility had declined and wildlife care specialists “made the difficult decision" on Thursday to euthanize her, the zoo said in a Facebook posting.
Hundreds of elephants, zebras die as Kenya weathers drought
November 4, 2022 GMTNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Hundreds of animals, including elephants and endangered Grevy’s zebras, have died in Kenyan wildlife preserves during East Africa's worst drought in decades, according to a report released Friday.
Vermont game wardens investigating bear attack; victim OK
November 3, 2022 GMTWINHAL, Vt. (AP) — Game wardens are investigating a bear attack in the southern Vermont town of Winhall in which a woman was injured near a condominium complex where a mother bear and cubs had been seen regularly this summer and fall, officials said Thursday.
Natural resources official given award for years of service
November 3, 2022 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The head of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources section has been honored for his years of service by the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
New, unusual court bid in fight over endangered Nevada toad
November 3, 2022 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — In a highly unusual move in a legal battle over a Nevada geothermal power plant and an endangered toad, the project’s developer is now asking a judge to allow it to scale back by 80% the original plan U.S.
2 men from Congo get prison for shipping ivory, rhino horns
November 2, 2022 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — Two foreign nationals from the Democratic Republic of Congo who pleaded guilty in federal court in Seattle to participating in a smuggling ring that brought illegal ivory, rhinoceros horn and pangolin scales into the U.S.
3 cited for illegally netting 133 game fish; 110 go to needy
November 1, 2022 GMTBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Three Louisiana men are accused of illegally using cast nets to catch 133 game fish — 83 crappie, 18 black bass and 32 bream.
Two men from Baton Rouge and one from Denham Springs were cited after agents got a complaint about people using the nets in a canal near Ramah in Iberville Parish, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said in a news release Tuesday.
Officials: Florida panther struck and killed by vehicle
November 1, 2022 GMTLABELLE, Fla. (AP) — An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle.
It’s the 22nd panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of 24 total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Pumpkins can be composted, donated to farms, fed to wildlife
October 31, 2022 GMTHold off before throwing that porch pumpkin into the trash along with Halloween candy wrappers.
Kidnapped French conservationist released in eastern Chad
October 30, 2022 GMTPARIS (AP) — A French citizen working in wildlife conservation has been released after being abducted two days earlier in northeastern Chad, France announced Sunday.
“France thanks Chadian authorities who worked towards the release,” the Foreign Ministry said, adding that French diplomats remain “mobilized” to help Jerome Hugonnot and his family.
Governments: French conservationist abducted in eastern Chad
October 29, 2022 GMTN'DJAMENA, Chad (AP) — A French national working in wildlife conservation was abducted in northeastern Chad by unknown kidnappers, the governments of both countries said Saturday.
Jerome Hugonnot was working for the Sahara Conservation Fund in Wadi Fara province bordering Sudan at the time of his abduction Friday, Chadian government spokesman Aziz Mahamat Saleh said in a statement.
Whales off California coast delay commercial crab season
October 29, 2022 GMTSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The start of the commercial Dungeness crab season in California will be delayed to protect whales from becoming entangled in trap and buoy lines.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Friday it was delaying the start of the commercial season, which traditionally begins Nov.
Conservation groups sue over Montana wolf harvest rules
October 29, 2022 GMTHELENA, Mont. (AP) — Two conservation groups have filed a lawsuit against the state of Montana and its wildlife management agency alleging it illegally set hunting and trapping policies and quotas intended to reduce the gray wolf population by making it easier to kill the predators.
Groups to US: Protect Nevada flower from mine or face court
October 29, 2022 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — Conservationists who won a court order against U.S. wildlife officials say they'll sue them again for failing to protect a Nevada wildflower whose last remaining habitat could be destroyed by a lithium mine.
Wolves shot in Wyoming may be from a Colorado pack
October 28, 2022 GMTDENVER (AP) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials believe that three wolves shot and killed just over the state's border in Wyoming may have belonged to Colorado's closely watched North Park wolf pack.
Springfield mountain lion sedated, taken to Indiana refuge
October 28, 2022 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A mountain lion that roamed residential neighborhoods in Springfield was sedated Friday and taken to an Indiana sanctuary that houses big cats, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said.
Florida teen captures 28 Burmese pythons, gets top prize
October 26, 2022 GMTMIAMI (AP) — A 19-year-old South Florida man captured 28 Burmese pythons during a 10-day competition that was created to increase awareness about the threats the invasive snakes pose to the state's ecology.
US sued over lack of protection plan for rare grouse
October 25, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An environmental group is suing U.S. wildlife managers, saying they have failed to protect a rare grouse found in parts of the Midwest that include one of the country’s most prolific areas for oil and gas development.
Idaho finds another deer with chronic wasting disease
October 24, 2022 GMTBOISE, Idaho (AP) — The first confirmed case this year of chronic wasting disease has been detected in a deer in Idaho County in north-central Idaho, state wildlife officials said.
Idaho Fish and Game on Friday said a white-tailed deer found dead along the side of the road tested positive for the disease.
Washington wildlife agents kill black bear that hurt woman
October 23, 2022 GMTLEAVENWORTH, Wash. (AP) — Wildlife authorities in Washington state killed a black bear Saturday after it charged and injured a woman near a downtown park in the Bavarian-styled town of Leavenworth.
Dogwalker discovers errant alligator roaming rural Idaho
October 22, 2022 GMTBOISE, Idaho (AP) — It's not uncommon for Idaho wildlife officials to be called for help when a moose, mountain lion, black bear or other wild animals wander into one of the state's rural communities.
US forest service worker arrested over planned Oregon burn
October 21, 2022 GMTSALEM, Ore. (AP) — A U.S. Forest Service employee in Oregon was arrested this week by a county sheriff after a planned burn in a national forest spread onto private land.
It was the latest episode that underscores simmering tensions over management of federal lands in rural, conservative eastern Oregon.
230 pythons taken from Florida Everglades in annual contest
October 21, 2022 GMTMIAMI (AP) — More than 230 pythons were removed from the Florida Everglades as part of an annual competition to eliminate the invasive species from the South Florida wetlands preserve.
Florida wildlife officials said Thursday that 1,000 hunters from 32 states and as far away as Canada and Latvia removed 231 Burmese pythons during the 10-day competition known as the Florida Python Challenge.
Another wolf killed in Oregon, $11.5K reward offered
October 19, 2022 GMTDURKEE, Ore. (AP) — A collared wolf in the Lookout Mountain pack was shot and killed earlier this month in northeast Oregon and police are seeking the public’s help to find the person or people responsible.
Wolf known for genetic value found dead in New Mexico
October 19, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Environmentalists are pushing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to do more to protect Mexican gray wolves after one of the endangered predators was found dead in southwestern New Mexico.
Rare toad fight similar to landmark endangered species case
October 19, 2022 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — The unusual circumstances that led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on the Endangered Species Act in 1978 have not surfaced much since then.
DNR: Mountain lion struck, killed along Illinois highway
October 18, 2022 GMTSYCAMORE, Ill. (AP) — A mountain lion that was struck and killed last weekend along a northern Illinois highway will be analyzed by biologists seeking to uncover the rare animal's origins, state wildlife officials said.
Grizzly bear attacks, injures antler hunters in Wyoming
October 17, 2022 GMTCODY, Wyo. (AP) — A grizzly bear attacked and injured two men who apparently surprised the bruin while they were recreating in the Shoshone National Forest in northwestern Wyoming, state wildlife officials said Monday.
Radio collared bobcat in Tucson research project found dead
October 17, 2022 GMTTUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A $1,150 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the killing of a radio collared bobcat that was part of a Tucson research project, according to authorities.
Hunter survives grizzly bear attack in Montana
October 12, 2022 GMTGREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — A nearly 700-pound grizzly bear charged out of thick brush southeast of Glacier National Park, attacking and injuring a bird hunter before the man shot the animal, Montana wildlife officials said Wednesday.
California delays decision to list Joshua tree as threatened
October 12, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California again pushed back its decision on whether to list the western Joshua tree as threatened after a unanimous vote Wednesday by the Fish and Game Commission.
US: Gopher tortoise not threatened over most of its range
October 11, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Gopher tortoises — burrowers whose extensive homes shelter many other animals — are generally doing well and need federal protection only in the small area where they were declared threatened 35 years ago, the government said Tuesday.
6 wolves poisoned in northeast Washington, reward offered
October 10, 2022 GMTCOLVILLE, Wash. (AP) — Six wolves found dead this year in northeast Washington were poisoned and a reward is being offered for tips leading to a conviction in the case, officials said Monday.
Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said the agency has been investigating wolf deaths within the Wedge pack territory in Stevens County since local authorities discovered four dead wolves on Feb.
Boat hits rock jetty; 3 thrown onto rocks; 1 dead, 2 injured
October 10, 2022 GMTEMPIRE, La. (AP) — One man died and two were seriously injured during the weekend when their boat hit a rock jetty and threw all three onto the rocks in southeastern Louisiana, the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said Monday.
Alleged Malaysian wildlife trafficker hit with US sanctions
October 8, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. on Friday targeted an alleged Malaysian wildlife trafficker and what officials called his transnational criminal organization for financial sanctions related to the illegal shipment of rhino horn, ivory and other specimens.
Fish and Wildlife shoots wrong wolf, more attacks confirmed
October 7, 2022 GMTSPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Wolves from two packs in northeast Washington state have attacked more cattle, prompting the Department of Fish and Wildlife to consider whether to again try culling the Smackout pack after a botched attempt last month.
Early data indicates Idaho wolf population is holding steady
October 6, 2022 GMTBOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho's wolf population appears to be holding steady despite recent changes by lawmakers that allow expanded methods and seasons for killing wolves, the state’s top wildlife official said Thursday.
‘Forever chemicals’ in deer, fish challenge hunters, tourism
October 5, 2022 GMTPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Wildlife agencies in the U.S. are finding elevated levels of a class of toxic chemicals in game animals such as deer — and that's prompting health advisories in some places where hunting and fishing are ways of life and key pieces of the economy.
Louisiana adds 8 days to recreational red snapper season
October 5, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Anglers will be able to go after red snapper off Louisiana for eight more days, starting at 12:01 a.m.
In 1st speech as Prince of Wales, William champions wildlife
October 4, 2022 GMTLONDON (AP) — Prince William delivered his first speech as heir to the British throne at a wildlife protection summit Tuesday, signaling that the royal family will continue to champion environmental causes as King Charles III is forced to step back from front-line campaigning.
Interior Dept. to require body cams for law enforcement
October 3, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Interior Department on Monday launched a set of new policies that would require thousands of law enforcement officers to wear body cameras, ensures the release of footage in some critical incidents and restricts the use of so-called no-knock warrants.