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wildlife

05/19/2018 / By Vicki Batts

SLAUGHTER: The USDA killed more than 1.3 million native animals last year

A branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has come under fire for the ruthless killing of wild animals. Known as the Wildlife Services, the department is responsible for millions of wildlife deaths every year — a fact that is rather ironic, given that the USDA is charged with animal welfare. The death toll […]

05/17/2018 / By Isabelle Z.

Better than insecticides: Animal grazing more effective at controlling invasive weeds

Reed canary grass is taking over land around the country. It grows surprisingly quickly, choking out the other plants in the areas where it crops up and reducing the biodiversity of area insects and birds. The invasive species is so dense that deer and pheasants won’t eat it, and it clogs up open water patches […]

05/10/2018 / By Janine Acero

Protecting eagles: Researchers develop detection and deterrent system to reduce wildlife casualties from wind turbines

Wind turbines have been used to generate wind power, which is generally regarded as clean energy. However, wind turbines have killed numerous bats and birds, including golden eagles and bald eagles, which are federally protected species. Researchers have come up with a solution to minimize these deaths in a study published in Wind Energy. The researchers have set up […]

05/09/2018 / By Tracey Watson

Experts warn that the amount of drugs flushed into our rivers and lakes will increase 65% by 2050

There is no doubt that pharmaceutical drug use is on the increase globally. In addition to the detrimental effects the use of such drugs have on our health, their distribution also causes widespread harm to the environment. A study presented recently at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly, found that if urgent and drastic measures […]

05/06/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Unique study concludes that migratory birds move away from diseases to raise their young

Swedish researchers have found that European migratory songbirds leave their warm but disease-laden homes in the tropics to raise their vulnerable young in the healthier environs of Europe. This way, according to an article on ScienceDaily, their species could make do with less robust but also less costly immune systems. The University of Lund researchers came across this discovery […]

05/05/2018 / By Edsel Cook

The Great Lakes’ biggest problem: Decades’ worth of pollution has altered the fish

In the 1960s, the Cuyahoga River became infamous for becoming so polluted that it regularly caught fire. Now it suffers a different, subtler kind of water pollution. Decades of discharging chemicals into the waters of the Great Lakes have altered the hormones and metabolism of fish found in the Cuyahoga and two other rivers, according […]

04/10/2018 / By Michelle Simmons

Feeding the wildlife may not be such a good idea: Study shows it influences migration, rates of disease

Feeding the wildlife may do more harm than good as it affects migration and rates of disease. The study, published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, indicated that the migration patterns of animals are changing because of human interventions, such as ornamental plantings of berry-bearing bushes and bird feeders. […]

04/01/2018 / By Janine Acero

Bald eagles dying of lead poisoning in Iowa

The majestic bald eagle faces a growing threat from hunters – not from bullet wounds, but from lead poisoning. The eagles reportedly have been eating dead animals whose carcasses were not properly disposed off by the hunters that shot them, according to WQAD.com. One eagle, which was rescued and brought to a SOAR (Saving Our Avian […]

03/28/2018 / By Zoey Sky

The once pristine European Arctic is now covered in plastic despite low human population; researchers concerned for wildlife, ecosystems

The Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) reports that a worrisome amount of plastic waste is accumulating in the “once-pristine European Arctic.” An NPI study revealed that “plastic in all sizes” is now scattered all over the Norwegian Arctic and in the Svalbard islands, an archipelago situated between Norway’s mainland and the North Pole, one of the planet’s northernmost inhabited regions. […]

03/13/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Quebec is restricting use of pesticides that harm fish, bird and bee populations

While it hasn’t gone as far as adopting a total ban, Quebec has imposed significant restrictions on the use of Atrazine, bee-killing neonicotinoids, and other dangerous pesticides, reported a Global News article. “It’s with a lot of pride that I’m going to proceed with the announcement about these important rules,” declared Isabelle Melançon, Environment Minister […]

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