All articles tagged with #wildlife conservation
The Hollywood Sign, located in Griffith Park, serves as a critical habitat for diverse wildlife, including bobcats and mountain lions, while caretakers implement new AI-based fire detection systems to mitigate risks from brush fires and human activity.
Brown bear 89, nicknamed 'Backpack,' won the 12th annual Fat Bear Week competition at Katmai National Park in Alaska, defeating female bear 910 by approximately 5,091 votes. The event, which celebrates bears gaining weight before hibernation, saw record participation with over 2.5 million votes cast globally. Backpack, a 20-year-old male and son of 2019 champion Holly, is estimated to weigh 1,200 pounds. The competition, run by Katmai National Park and explore.org, highlights the bears' resilience and preparation for winter, with all participants considered winners for their survival readiness.
Brown bear 89, nicknamed 'Backpack,' won the 12th annual Fat Bear Week competition at Alaska’s Katmai National Park, defeating female bear 910 by approximately 5,000 votes. The contest, which celebrates bears gaining weight before hibernation, drew over 2.3 million global votes. Backpack, a 20-year-old male and son of 2019 champion Holly, is estimated to weigh 1,200 pounds. The event highlights the bears' resilience and preparation for winter, with all participants considered winners for their survival readiness.
Brown bear 89, known as Backpack, won the 2026 Fat Bear Week competition at Katmai National Park in Alaska, defeating female bear 910 by approximately 5,000 votes. The event, which celebrates bears gaining weight before hibernation, saw record participation with over 2.3 million votes cast globally. Backpack, a 20-year-old male who previously suffered a severe leg injury, is the son of 2019 champion Holly. The competition, run by Katmai National Park and explore.org, highlights the bears' resilience and preparation for winter, with all participants considered winners for their survival readiness.
Brown bear 89, nicknamed 'Backpack,' won the 2026 Fat Bear Week competition at Katmai National Park in Alaska, defeating female bear 910 by approximately 5,000 votes. The event, which celebrates bears gaining weight before hibernation, saw record participation with over 2.3 million votes cast globally. Backpack, a 20-year-old male who previously suffered a severe leg injury, is the son of 2019 champion Holly. The competition, run by Katmai National Park and explore.org, highlights the bears' resilience and preparation for winter, with all participants considered winners for their survival readiness.
Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang have arrived at Zoo Atlanta, marking the return of the species to the facility after a two-year absence. The pair, born in 2020 in China, will undergo a one-month quarantine before their public debut. This transfer, announced during a recent US-China summit, revives a 25-year partnership between the zoo and China, making Atlanta one of only three US locations housing giant pandas.
Henley Spiers won the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year with 'Sunball Rocket,' a shot of a northern gannet diving through the ocean. The competition received over 24,000 entries and awarded prizes across eight categories, emphasizing authentic wildlife imagery in an era of AI-generated content.
Scientists have officially described Leopardus tilcayo, a tiny wild cat from Bolivia, as a distinct species. This marks the first new living wild cat identified in over 100 years. The discovery, based on genomic analysis, splits the 'tiger cat' group into five separate species, highlighting urgent conservation needs.
Record-low turnout of about 1,811 giant cuttlefish at SA's Cuttlefish Coast this mating season—down 97% from last year—blamed on a prolonged toxic algal bloom. Egg counts fell to around 440 from millions, raising concerns about population recovery and potential endangered status, though researchers say the population could rebound if conditions improve.
Victoria is vaccinating wild little penguins against H5N1 bird flu, with over 1,000 birds receiving their first dose as part of what officials say could be the world’s largest such program; about 5,000 penguins on Phillip Island and nearby areas will receive two doses, administered after trapping and weighing the birds, with a second dose due in three weeks, as biosecurity efforts continue alongside a broader wildlife protection plan.
Victoria is rolling out what officials call the world’s largest wild-bird vaccination program, aiming to vaccinate more than 5,000 little penguins at Phillip Island and St Kilda against H5N1 bird flu with a two-dose vaccine. The effort, plus vaccination of some captive birds in New Zealand and Australian zoos, uses an inactivated vaccine that requires boosters to raise antibody levels. Vaccines reduce disease impact and transmission but aren’t foolproof, and the virus will continue to evolve, necessitating ongoing vaccine development amid climate-change pressures on wildlife.
Jackie, the internet-famous bald eagle from Big Bear Lake who, with her mate Shadow, captivated millions via a long-running nest livestream, died after weeks of illness. Fans worldwide shared memories celebrating her motherhood, resilience, and devotion, turning her into a symbol of hope and unity. The enduring storyline inspired classrooms and individuals facing hardship, and supporters now consider Shadow’s future while pushing habitat protection to honor her legacy.
A globally followed livestream bird, Jackie the bald eagle from Big Bear Valley, died at the Ojai Raptor Center after weeks of treatment for kidney inflammation and severe anemia, closing a pandemic-era wildlife saga and prompting donations to create a sanctuary for eagles and other wildlife.
A study of pumas and deer on Washington's Olympic Peninsula finds higher puma activity correlates with fewer deer-vehicle collisions: deer alter their space and reduce nighttime road use around pumas, lowering crash risk by about 67% and potentially reducing total accidents by up to 76% over five years; the effect comes from scaring deer rather than predation, highlighting a possible ecosystem service of coexistence with large predators and prompting future work to quantify any monetary savings.
Washington man Connor Seifert, 27, is charged in Pierce County with nine counts of unlawful recreational fishing in the second degree and one count of making a false or misleading statement to a public servant after allegedly illegally catching and wrestling protected bluntnose sixgill and broadnose sevengill sharks in Puget Sound. Officers say removing sharks from the water harms pups in pregnant mothers and that Puget Sound acts as a nursery for these species. He faces misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor penalties, with fines up to $1,000 per misdemeanor and up to $5,000 per gross misdemeanor, plus potential jail time if convicted.