For tigers in Nepal, highways are a giant roadblock best avoided
KATHMANDU — It starts off like the premise for a joke: “Why did the tigers cross the road?” But for researchers and conservationists in Nepal, the spread of roads throughout…
To restore large carnivore populations, make people wealthier, study finds
The decline of big carnivore populations like lions, bears and lynx is most closely associated with rapid economic growth, according to a study published this week in Nature Communications. The study…
Protecting canids from planet-wide threats offers ecological opportunities
Wild canids around the world are at risk, though some reintroductions are seeing good results. Conserving canids is not only good for ecosystem health, it can even potentially help curb climate change.
How bears “make” a forest (commentary)
In the Andean region the ageless story of Juan Oso, a half-human and half-bear character, has been heard throughout generations. It is said that Juan lived all sad and alone…
Southeast Asia’s big cats like their prey rare — as in really elusive
Tigers and clouded leopards are two of Southeast Asia’s most threatened and enigmatic big cat species. With the numbers of both in sharp decline across the region, leaving their remaining…
In Nepal, endangered tiger kills critically endangered gharial. What does it mean?
KATHMANDU — On the morning of July 31, a tiger (Panthera tigris) entered the enclosure of the Kasara gharial breeding center in Chitwan National Park unnoticed. It observed the behavior of…
As tiger numbers in Nepal and India grow, their freedom to roam shrinks
KATHMANDU/NEW DELHI — Media outlets in Nepal were abuzz recently with reports that the country’s iconic Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris), on whose protection the government and various NGOs lavish…
Road project threatens to derail Nepal’s conservation gains, study says
KATHMANDU — Nepal entered 2022 with encouraging news related to its tiger population. As a census gathered pace, Bardiya National Park, home to 87 of Nepal’s estimated 235 tigers, received…
‘We scientists engage in soft diplomacy’: Q&A with Christine Wilkinson
As deforestation and subsequent human expansion into natural areas continue, separating people from wildlife is unrealistic. Even in “pristine” landscapes, like national parks, humans and wildlife are always sharing the…
Top 15 species discoveries from 2021 (Photos)
With humans sending probes to Mars and the sun, one might think we’ve already explored the full extent of our own planet. But scientists say we’ve only begun to find…
Meet the fishing jaguars that have made this patch of the Pantanal their own
The abundance of aquatic and semi-aquatic animals in the Taiamã Ecological Station in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands has enabled jaguars here to thrive in surprising ways, a new study shows.
Jaguars in Mexico are growing in number, a promising sign that national conservation strategies are working
The jaguar population in Mexico increased by about 800 animals from 2010 to 2018, according to the first two censuses of the elusive carnivores ever conducted in the country. The…
Carnivores avoid rush hour by taking to roads at night
Bears, wolves, and other carnivores in Michigan adjust their behavior to avoid active roadways, researchers reported recently in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation. The study is part of the…
Hungry like the maned wolf pup: Clips give rare glimpse of elusive canine
A camera trap in Argentina’s Iberá National Park has revealed rare images of one of the world’s most elusive species: the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus). A series of clips shows…
The cat is back: Wild Amur tigers rebound in China, thanks to govt policies
There was a time when tiger expert Dale Miquelle wasn’t sure if there’d ever be a substantial population of Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) in China again. In the 1990s,…
Pepé Le New: Meet the acrobatic spotted skunks of North America
To hear an audio reading of this article listen here: The familiar striped skunk of North America (think of the cartoon Pepé Le Pew) has a lesser-known cousin: the spotted…
Reckoning with elitism and racism in conservation: Q&A with Colleen Begg
In the wake of George Floyd's killing last year, long-running concerns about discrimination, colonial legacy, privilege, and power dynamics in conservation have gained prominence, forcing many organizations in the sector…
Electronic ears listen to poachers in a key Central American jaguar habitat
A gunshot explodes through the rainforest, followed by what sounds like branches falling from a tree. A dog barks. "Tito, did I hit it?” a man asks his companion in…
Southeast Asian wild pigs confront deadly African swine fever epidemic
Since the 2018 emergence of African swine fever in China, the viral disease has torn through Asia, leaving behind a trail of economic devastation. It’s witheringly fatal to pigs but…
Big cat comeback: Jaguars prowl Argentina’s Iberá Wetlands after 70 years
It’s been 70 years since jaguars left their round, four-toed footprints in the ground of the Iberá Wetlands, a 1.3-million-hectare (3.2-million-acre) tract of swamps, waterways and islands in northeastern Argentina’s…
The New Guinea singing dog, once thought extinct, is alive in the wild
An analysis of the DNA of three wild dogs living above 4,300 meters (14,000 feet) on the island of New Guinea matches that of captive New Guinea singing dogs. These…
Crimefighting NGO tracks Brazil wildlife trade on WhatsApp and Facebook
The illegal wildlife trade is out of control in the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado, says the award-winning NGO known as RENCTAS, which tracked 3.5 million wildlife trafficking ads on social networks last year.
Video: Vets hail ‘victory’ as jaguar burned in Pantanal fires returns to wild
Ousado the jaguar could hardly walk. Fires had blown through his territory in the Pantanal region of Brazil, scorching the very ground the animal was running upon as he tried…
Spots of hope: Some good news for South Africa’s cheetahs
DURBAN, South Africa — South Africa is home to around 1,300 of the world’s roughly 7,100 remaining cheetahs. It’s also the only country in the world with significant cheetah population…
Howling in the dark: Shining a light on a newly remembered wolf
IFRANE NATIONAL PARK, Morocco — As he guides his flock of sheep home through stands of oak and endangered Atlas cedar, Umimun Hammou feels something is wrong. Rounding a bend…
Is an African wild dog actually a dog? Candid Animal Cam meets the rare canid
Camera traps bring you closer to the secretive natural world and are an important conservation tool to study wildlife. This week we’re meeting the African wild dog. African wild dogs…
Is Chinese investment driving a sharp increase in jaguar poaching?
A dramatic surge in jaguar poaching and confiscations could be linked to Chinese-led investment in Latin America, poverty and corruption, according to a new study.
Brazilian Amazon drained of millions of wild animals by criminal networks: Report
Well organized global crime networks are pulling millions of tropical birds, fish, turtles and mammals out of the Amazon — a lucrative trade that is destroying ecosystems and putting public health at risk.
What is a brown bear? Candid Animal Cam explores the lives of some of the largest bears in the world
The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is the most widespread species of bear ranging from North America to Europe and Asia. Due to this, they live in all sorts of habitats:…
What is a short-eared dog? Candid Animal Cam meets one of the most elusive mammals of the Amazon
Camera traps bring you closer to the secretive natural world and are an important conservation tool to study wildlife. This week we’re meeting one of the most elusive mammals of…
