Conservation News ~ June 14 2019

• Invasive species moth species rising in MI, DNR: https://www.wxyz.com/news/invasive-gypsy-moth-species-rising-in-michigan-dnr-officials-warn
• New Pinocchio frog species has a strange, pointy nose: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/06/pinocchio-frog-new-species-new-guinea/
• Rich American businessman proudly kills 2 elephants and receives major backlash: http://achnews.org/2019/06/09/rich-american-businessman-proudly-kills-2-elephants-and-receives-major-backlash/
• Woman in Mexico creates plastic from cactus that biodegrades in a month and is safe to ingest: https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/3354/Mexican-Researcher-Creates-Plastic-From-Cactus-That-Is-Biodegradable-And-Safe-To-Ingest
• Rare sea life, including possibly new species discovered by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/NOAA-Okeanos-Explorer-finds-rare-animal-new-specie-13963952.php
• Dig unearths new species of crocodile: https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/dig-unearths-new-species-of-crocodile/article_3eaa36a4-1a0b-508c-81b4-72003afc13e2.html
• Indigo Ag announces new initiative to remove carbon from the environment: https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2019/06/12/indigo-ag-announces-new-initiative-remove-carbon-environment/
• Baby elephant’s incredible recovery from deadly virus gives hope for endangered species: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/baby-elephants-incredible-recovery-deadly-16508454
• Lawsuit seeks endangered species protections for Lesser Prairie Chickens: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/lawsuit-seeks-endangered-species-protections-lesser-prairie-chickens-2019-06-12/
• Elephant riding to be banned at Cambodia’s largest tourist attraction, Angkor Wat: https://vegnews.com/2019/6/elephant-riding-to-be-banned-at-cambodias-largest-tourist-attraction-angkor-wat
• First Nations push for massive conservation area in northern British Columbia: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/first-nations-push-for-massive-conservation-area-in-northern-british-columbia
• NOAA investigating ‘unusually large numbers’ of dead ice seals along Alaska coast: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/wildlife/2019/06/12/noaa-investigating-unusually-large-numbers-of-dead-ice-seals-along-alaskas-coast/
• New rainforest gecko joins growing list of reptiles unique to Sri Lanka: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/06/new-rainforest-gecko-joins-growing-list-of-reptiles-unique-to-sri-lanka/
• Darwin’s finches sing out of tune call after parasites deform beaks: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/12/darwins-finches-sing-out-of-tune-mating-call-parasites-deform-beaks
• Tanzania trophy hunting imports once again authorized by the US: https://www.afrik21.africa/en/tanzania-trophy-hunting-imports-once-again-authorised-by-the-us/
• Study says warming may reduce sea life by 17%: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/hot-water-study-warming-reduce-sea-life-17-63635306
• Caribbean nations boost protection for extremely rare largetooth sawfish: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/06/caribbean-nations-boost-protection-for-extremely-rare-largetooth-sawfish/
• United Airlines makes history flying the most eco-friendly commercial flight: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-airlines-makes-history-flying-the-most-eco-friendly-commercial-flight-of-its-kind-300862594.html
• Free ‘Shazam for Nature’ app identifies plants and animals in your photos: https://petapixel.com/2019/06/06/this-free-shazam-for-nature-app-can-identify-plants-and-animals-in-photos/
• Two new species of T. rex discovered: Phuwiangvenator yaemniyomi and Vayuraptor nongbualamphuensis: http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/megaraptoran-dinosaurs-thailand-07232.html
• Red states are criminalizing speech to wage war on environmental activists: https://www.gq.com/story/criminalizing-pipeline-protests
• Brazil guts environmental agencies, clears way for unchecked deforestation: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/06/brazil-guts-environmental-agencies-clears-way-for-unchecked-deforestation/
• Man caught trying to smuggle 17 rare animals, including possible new species into Japan: https://www.khq.com/top_video/man-caught-trying-to-smuggle-rare-animals-including-possible-new/video_fc6afb1e-8c89-11e9-83ac-5f5a42cd5c8a.html
• New to science New Zealand moths link mythological deities to James Cameron’s films: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190611092437.htm
• Scientists film lice having sex for the first time: https://www.thedailybeast.com/scientists-film-lice-having-sex-for-the-first-time
• UK commits to ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2206302-uk-commits-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-to-net-zero-by-2050/
• Oregon passes controversial plan to set the stage for trophy hunting of wolves: https://blog.humanesociety.org/2019/06/oregon-passes-controversial-plan-to-set-the-stage-for-trophy-hunting-of-wolves.html
• Radiohead donates money to climate change group instead of paying ransom to hackers: https://www.gq.com/story/radiohead-ransom-extinction-rebellion
• IUCN advises “in danger” status for three World Heritage sites: https://www.iucn.org/news/iucn-43whc/201906/iucn-advises-danger-status-three-world-heritage-sites
• Indonesian ban on clearing new swaths of forest to made permanent: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/06/indonesian-ban-on-clearing-new-swaths-of-forest-to-be-made-permanent/
• Nestle gears up to launch the plant-based Awesome Burger under the Sweet Earth brand: https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2019/06/10/Nestle-gears-up-to-launch-the-plant-based-Awesome-Burger-under-the-Sweet-Earth-brand
• First ever high-seas conservation treaty would protect life in international waters: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/04/first-ever-high-seas-conservation-treaty-would-protect-life-international-waters
• Energy industry’s carbon emissions rise at fastest rate in nearly a decade: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jun/11/energy-industry-carbon-emissions-bp-report-fossil-fuels
• Insects are disappearing in India, and we don’t even have data: https://india.mongabay.com/2019/06/insects-are-disappearing-in-india-and-we-dont-even-have-data/
• Complaint claims abusive conditions for dolphins at Madrid Zoo: https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/06/10/inenglish/1560181525_095173.html
• Pregnant Orangutan photographed clinging to last tree in rainforest destroyed for palm oil: https://thewildchild.co.za/pregnant-orangutan-pictured-clinging-to-final-tree-as-bulldozers-destroy-rain-forest-around-her/
• Seahorses decline due to rampant export: https://z6mag.com/2019/06/10/seahorses-decline-due-to-rampant-export/
• Rare white bear cub spotted by Alberta wildlife photographers: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/white-bear-cub-kananaskis-1.5159547
• US, Brazil and Australia lead the world in weakening national parks: https://cosmosmagazine.com/society/us-brazil-and-australia-lead-the-world-in-weakening-national-parks
• Chile just became the first country in the Americas to ban plastic bags: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-45066268
• $180 million DNA barcode project aims to discover 2 million new species: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/06/180-million-dna-barcode-project-aims-discover-2-million-new-species
• Texas reforms feral pig law – no state licenses required to hunt: https://www.ammoland.com/2019/06/texas-reforms-feral-pig-law-no-state-license-required-to-hunt/
• A new strategy s saving endangered California Sea Turtles from deadly fishing nets: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-welch-sea-turtles-swordfish-climate-change-20190610-story.html
• New insect species discovered on the slopes of the Maungatua Range: https://phys.org/news/2019-06-insect-species-slopes-maungatua-range.html
• WA’s endangered pygmy rabbits bounce back from the brink: https://crosscut.com/2019/06/was-endangered-pygmy-rabbits-bounce-back-brink
• Rights to water stored by Willamette dams up for grabs: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2019/05/29/water-behind-willamette-river-dams-cities-farmers-fish-compete-salem-oregon/1198208001/
• Ottawa passes legislation that bans whale and dolphin captivity in Canada: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/ottawa-passes-legislation-that-bans-whale-and-dolphin-captivity-in-canada-1.4459753
• Young Quebecers take Ottawa to court in class action over climate change: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/young-quebecers-class-action-climate-change-environment-1.5164929
• Canada poised to pass two historic animal rights bills: http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2019/06/05/canada-poised-to-pass-two-historic-animal-rights-bills/
• Arctic death spiral speeds up sixfold, driving coastal permafrost collapse: https://thinkprogress.org/arctic-death-spiral-coastal-permafrost-collapse-23d650acea99/
• World’s largest plant survey reveals alarming extinction rate: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01810-6
• Tigers are orange to confuse their prey who see them as green: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7078823/Tigers-orange-confuse-prey-green-experts-say.html
• Fossil ‘sea monster’ found in Antarctica was the heaviest of its kind: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/06/fossil-sea-monster-found-antarctica-heaviest-of-its-kind-elasmosaurs/
• A court ruling declared animals a legal person or entity in Indian State: https://www.plantbasednews.org/post/high-court-india-animals-same-rights-humans
• NOAA forecasts very large ‘dead zone’ for Gulf of Mexico: https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/noaa-forecasts-very-large-dead-zone-for-gulf-of-mexico
• Feds declare emergency as Gray Whale deaths reach highest level in nearly 20 years: https://phys.org/news/2019-06-feds-declare-emergency-gray-whale.html
• Whale Jail firm fined after outcry: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48557320
• Canada will ban harmful single-use plastics as early as 2021: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48477087
• Destructive super termites are swarming in South Florida: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/fl-fea-super-termites-damage-worse-2019-20190610-bherqxf66vgz7huiavwbvcvdja-story.html
• EPA moves to streamline process for evaluating pesticide impacts on endangered species: https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2019/06/10/epa-moves-to-streamline-process-for-evaluating-pesticide-impacts-on-endangered-species/
• Endangered species discovered clinging on in Great Sandy Desert ‘island refuge’: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-10/endangered-species-discovered-clinging-on-in-island-refuge/11190590
• Japan will resume commercial whaling in July after a 30-year-break: https://qz.com/1639171/japan-to-resume-commercial-whaling-july-1-after-30-year-break/
• Scottish coastal protection zones proposed for dolphins, whales, and sharks: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/scottish-coastal-protection-zones-proposed-for-dolphins-whales-and-sharks-38191996.html
• New research finds wolves limit spread of animal disease: https://envirotecmagazine.com/2019/05/30/new-research-finds-wolves-limit-spread-of-animal-disease/
• Millions of Salmon in Norway killed by algae bloom: https://envirotecmagazine.com/2019/05/30/new-research-finds-wolves-limit-spread-of-animal-disease/
• Four species of plume moths discovered in Bahamas: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-06/fmon-fns060719.php
• WHO’s recognition of Chinese medicines threatens Indian wildlife: https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/06/article/whos-recognition-of-chinese-medicines-threatens-indian-wildlife/
• A giant Pleistocene wolf discovered in Yakutia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05gqt-WY8ro
• Dallas Zoo debuts hippo calf: https://www.dallaszoo.com/news/dallas-zoos-baby-hippo-to-make-its-public-debut-saturday-june-1/
• Wyoming tells 9th circuit Yellowstone Grizzly not endangered: https://www.law360.com/articles/1167104/wyo-tells-9th-circ-yellowstone-grizzly-not-endangered
• White House plans to reclassify high-level radioactive waste as low-risk: https://www.democracynow.org/2019/6/7/headlines/trump_administration_plans_to_reclassify_high_level_radioactive_waste_as_low_risk
• Cost plunges for capturing carbon dioxide from the air: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/06/cost-plunges-capturing-carbon-dioxide-air
• Wildlife activists outraged as Zimbabwe’s president offers land in national parks to China: https://www.theepochtimes.com/wildlife-activists-outraged-as-zimbabwes-president-offers-land-in-national-parks-to-chinese-investors_2950772.html
• Lake Tahoe clarity level bounces back: https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/lake-tahoe-clarity-level-bounces-back/
• Fossil of giant sea creature discovered in South Australia: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190613095148.htm
• Once threatened, sea turtle nests thrive along the Georgia coast: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/science/sea-turtles-georgia.html​