Conservation News ~ May 24 2018

• 6 Fishing areas closing after 2 right whales spotted in Gulf of St. Lawrence: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/fisheries-closed-north-atlantic-right-whale-1.4671544
• After erasing all mentions of climate change, National Park Service releases uncensored report: https://thinkprogress.org/national-park-service-releases-uncensored-sea-level-rise-report-33a92e585aa1/
• In Chad, the Elephants are Back: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/travel/chad-elephants-zakouma-park.html
• Rare, recovering cactus species reclassified as threatened: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2018/kuenzler-hedgehog-cactus-05-10-2018.php
• Ancient fish species discovered in Nova Scotia: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/minas-basin-ancient-fish-species-discovery-1.4667718
• Male lion nicknamed ‘Lipstick found dead in Maasai Mara: https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2018/05/20/male-lion-nicknamed-lipstick-found-dead-in-maasai-mara_c1761108
• Cougar attacks two bicyclists in Washington State: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/20/us/cougar-attack-washington-state.html
• France to host 2020 IUCN World Conservation Congress: https://www.iucn.org/news/secretariat/201805/france-host-iucn-world-conservation-congress-2020
• Prehistoric shark with the head of a toothy snake found swimming off coast: https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/frilled-shark-300-teeth-snake-head
• Authorities in Madagascar seized 10k critically endangered tortoises from pet trade: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/04/wildlife-watch-radiated-tortoises-poached-madagascar/
• Interior moves to lift restrictions on hunting bears, wolves: https://apnews.com/b6f958ae02dc4eb19741927a1a56ed85
• Alaska Airlines ends use of non-recyclable plastic straws: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2018/05/21/alaska-airlines-plastic-stirring-straws/627596002/
• Human race just 0.01% of all life but has destroyed over 80% of wild mammals: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/21/human-race-just-001-of-all-life-but-has-destroyed-over-80-of-wild-mammals-study
• Lengthy prison sentence for four poachers: https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/north-west/lengthy-prison-sentences-for-four-rhino-poachers-15053852
• New species of hot pink slug is actually adorable: http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/new-species-of-hot-pink-slug-described-in-australia/
• 1400 tons of contaminated soil hauled from Montana reservation oil spill site: https://www.ecowatch.com/oil-spill-montana-reservation-2569319391.html
• Leonardo DiCaprio becomes major investor for off-grid energy startup: http://www.greenmatters.com/news/2018/04/26/Z1E5spH/leonardo-dicaprio-off-grid-energy-startup
• A plastic bag was found at the deepest point on earth: https://www.sciencealert.com/plastic-bag-found-deepest-point-ocean-we-should-all-be-ashamed-mariana-trench-pollution
• Washington must give public notice before killing wolves: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2018/wolf-05-18-2018.php
• Republican lawmaker says rocks tumbling into ocean case sea level rise: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/05/republican-lawmaker-rocks-tumbling-ocean-causing-sea-level-rise
• The EPA is keeping a troubling new study on drinking water under wraps: https://www.popsci.com/epa-drinking-water-chemical-study
• House Farm Bill fails as conservatives revolt over immigration: https://www.npr.org/2018/05/18/612203191/house-farm-bill-in-jeopardy-as-leaders-court-conservatives
• NASA chief has apparently changed his tune on climate change: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-nasa-jim-bridenstine-climate-change_us_5afe9b49e4b0a046186a4f3b
• Rare large-antlered muntjac recorded by camera trap in Quan Nam, Vietnam: http://vietnamnews.vn/environment/448485/large-antlered-muntjac-recorded-by-camera-trap-in-quang-nam.html
• Despite opposition, Wyoming approves hunt of Grizzlies: https://www.courthousenews.com/despite-opposition-wyoming-approves-hunt-of-grizzlies/
• Dept of Interior heckled as he pitches government, industry cooperation: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/zinke-heckled-pitches-government-industry-cooperation-55384632
• Hunters are wiping out hornbills in Ghana’s forests: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/05/hunters-are-wiping-out-hornbills-in-ghanas-forests/
• Illegal online sales of endangered wildlife rife in Europe: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/23/illegal-online-sales-of-endangered-wildlife-rife-in-europe
• Arizona’s schools chief works to remove evolution references from science standards: http://tucson.com/news/local/arizona-s-schools-chief-works-to-remove-evolution-references-from/article_f0d34421-7bca-5195-a069-829347b33cc8.html
• Nine people killed as Indian police open fire on pollution protestors: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/22/indian-police-open-fire-on-pollution-protesters-thootukudi
• Florida marks milestone in Everglades Python Control Program: https://apnews.com/5ba78afa7ad440328a5aae3c91dd06ec
• EPA bars AP, CNN from summit on contaminants; guards shove reporters from building: https://apnews.com/d799f4e096cc42cf99ae01b02d1e0688
• Wolverine babies heading south, and researchers love it: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/wolverine-babies-heading-south-and-researchers-love-it/
• Interior Department allows Alaskan bear hunting with doughnuts, bacon: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/interior-dept-moves-allow-alaska-bear-hunting-doughnuts-bacon-n876306
• Nearly all of Florida’s loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings are now female: https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2018/05/male-loggerhead-hatchlings-now-rare-in-florida/
• Rangers find 109,217 snares in a single park in Cambodia: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2018/may/22/snares-southeast-asia-cambodia-vietnam-laos-tigers-elephants-saola
• A baby on-horned rhino has been born at Chester Zoo: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/indian-greater-one-horned-unicorn-rhino-calf-born-animals/
• Conservation groups sue to stop logging project north of Hebgen Lake on edge of Yellowstone: http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/conservation-groups-sue-to-stop-logging-project-north-of-hebgen/article_c71f8f3b-2186-5bae-bb38-6020ebc840f0.html
• Federal appeals court nullifies key permit for Atlantic Coast Pipeline; construction could be halted: http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/federal-appeals-court-nullifies-key-permit-for-atlantic-coast-pipeline/article_c3da09e8-df8d-56d5-a9dd-3499737b1a14.html
• Hippo waste causes fish kills in Africa’s Mara River: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180516085640.htm
• Barcelona says no to captive dolphins: https://dolphinproject.com/blog/barcelona-says-no-to-captive-dolphins/
• Mysterious rise in banned ozone-destroying chemical shocks scientists: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/16/mysterious-rise-in-banned-ozone-destroying-chemical-shocks-scientists
• Rainbow chameleon among three new species described in Madagascar: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/05/rainbow-chameleon-among-three-new-species-described-from-madagascar/
• Florida teacher accused of drowning raccoons with students during class: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-teacher-accused-of-drowning-raccoons-during-class/
• EPA prevented a major water pollution study from being published: https://futurism.com/scott-pruitt-epa-prevented-water-pollution-study/
• Marine mammals, sea turtles protected by Endangered Species Act are recovering: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2018/marine-mammals-and-sea-turtles-05-16-2018.php
• UK taken to Europe’s highest court over air pollution: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/17/uk-taken-to-europes-highest-court-over-air-pollution
• Groups sue Forest Service over Tongass logging plan: https://www.fseee.org/2018/05/16/groups-sue-forest-service-over-tongass-logging-plan/
• Sifaka lemurs listed as critically endangered amid mysterious die-off: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/05/sifaka-lemurs-listed-as-critically-endangered-amid-mysterious-die-off/
• Two men charged after bust over illegal wildlife products: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/two-men-charged-after-bust-over-illegal-wildlife-products
• New Alberta park will be largest protected boreal forest in the world: https://www.thestar.com/edmonton/2018/05/15/new-protected-area-in-northern-alberta-will-safeguard-boreal-forests-twice-the-size-of-belgium.html
• Forest loss in one part of the US can harm trees on the opposite coast: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180516085701.htm
• White House, EPA headed off chemical pollution study: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/14/emails-white-house-interfered-with-science-study-536950
• Y2Y Conservationist Juri Peepre dies: https://y2y.net/news/media-releases/conservation-community-mourns-juri-peepre
• Alberta, B.C. caribou need immediate intervention to survive, federal government says: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2018/05/04/alberta-bc-caribou-need-immediate-intervention-to-survive-federal-government-says.html
• Wolf researcher who accused WSU of silencing him gets $300k to settle lawsuit and go away: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/wolf-researcher-gets-300000-to-settle-wsu-lawsuit/
• Higher incomes, not higher carbon dioxide levels, drive forest gains: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/05/higher-incomes-not-higher-carbon-dioxide-levels-drive-forest-gains-study-finds/
• Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo suspends tourism: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/virunga-national-park-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-suspends-tourism
• Canada not fighting Site C dam stoppage pending treaty rights challenge: http://www.vancourier.com/canada-won-t-oppose-site-c-dam-stoppage-pending-treaty-rights-challenge-1.23301922
• Yukon’s ‘big treasure hunt’ turns up 30 new species: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukon-2017-bioblitz-results-1.4661675
• Swaths of native forest near Great Barrier Reef set to be bulldozed: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/swaths-of-native-forest-near-great-barrier-reef-set-to-be-bulldozed-20180512-p4zewb.html
• 9 new reef species found off West Papua: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/05/scientists-highlight-9-new-reef-fish-species-off-west-papua/
• Longest recorded whale shark migration eclipses 20,000 kilometers: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/05/longest-recorded-whale-shark-migration-eclipses-20000-kilometers/
• Atmospheric CO2 concentration at highest level in 800k years: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/05/04/global-warming-carbon-dioxide-levels-continue-soar/581270002/
• Protestors kayak on Pequea Creek in opposition of pipeline: http://fox43.com/2018/05/12/protesters-kayak-on-pequea-creek-in-opposition-of-pipeline/
• The great Indian bustard stands on the brink of extinction: https://india.mongabay.com/2018/05/11/the-great-indian-bustard-stands-on-the-brink-of-extinction/
• Tiger fatally mauls ‘cruel’ zookeeper in China: https://nypost.com/2018/05/11/tiger-fatally-mauls-cruel-zookeeper/​