According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) the general purpose of the plan is to:
To conserve and manage black bear populations that are ecologically functional, disease-resilient, genetically diverse statewide and regionally, and conserve and enhance their habitats; and
To provide opportunities for black bear hunting, viewing, and public education; minimize human-black bear conflict; consider animal welfare in black bear conservation and management; and be inclusive of all Californians in black bear conservation and management decisions
Human-black bear conflict is of particular concern. Bears may number 1million in North America although estimates vary. About 300,000 are thought to be in the United States. Weighing in around 300 pounds they are roughly half the size of Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horibilis). As the name implies grizzly bears are more aggressive although both can be dangerous. Both bears are omnivores eating nuts, berries, insects, carrion and some animals including fish.
Presence of human food and food waste is drawing black bears into semi urban areas nationwide. This is leading to increased conflict. Solving conflict is a major part of the plan.
Like humans both bears are partial to fish such as salmon. Black bears often eat less fish than brown bears.
Worldwide bears are doing fairly well. Brown bears are widely distributed in Alaska, Canada and Eurasia. Grizzly bears are a subspecies of brown bears. About 1,500 live in the United States. There are efforts ongoing to reintroduce them into California and other parts of their former range.
Drugs,animals, weapons and people are among the most heavily trafficked beings and things in the world.
According to People Magazine a month long seizure has rescued thousands of animals, recovered many animal body cparts plus illegally trafficked plants and wood.
Photo by Dave Adams on Pexels.com elephants have long been targets of wildlife poachers. Their ivory is highly prized.
People magazine reported:
“According to a release from Interpol, the mission, which took place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, saw authorities across 134 countries carry out Operation Thunder 2025, a joint initiative led by Interpol and the World Customs Organization (WCO), with the support of partners from the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime. The operation resulted in 4,640 seizures worldwide, the identification of approximately 1,100 suspects, and the interception of massive quantities of protected wildlife, plants, animal parts and illegally logged timber.”
Some of the rarer tarantula species like the Mexican red -kneed tarantula are now threatened by the illegal trade.
Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, was founded in Austria in 1923. Today it serves as a clearinghouse and support agency against major worldwide crime. A total of 134 nations participated in the recent raids. In the United States the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) ,operating through its Office of Law Enforcement , is tasked with stemming wildlife crime.
Photo by Vishva Patel on Pexels.contest Theft of cheetah cubs for the pet trade is of major concern as the cats are threatened.
According to People authorities fear the crime triangle – guns, drugs and human trafficking is increasingly interrelated and is adding wildlife and plant life among its victims. Creatures as small as tarantulas are being trafficked. This is placing strains on the survival of some of the arachnids. Drug lords such as the late Pablo Escobar have worked in all aspects of the illegal triangle. Escobar was notorious for bringing hippos to Colombia. His four “pets” were released after his death and the number steadily grew. Close to 200 are present now causing considerable damage to the local ecosystem. The Colombian government is faced with expensive or unpopular control measures. The fear is that left unchecked the number could balloon to around 1,000 in 10 years.
Conservationists say efforts to reintroduce species face a bumpy road and Project Cheetah is no exception.
The ambitious plan to reintroduce cheetahs to India recently marked a major success. A cheetah born in India gave birth to five cubs. Unfortunately in the recent time frame a cub was killed by a speeding vehicle. The project has been active since 2022. It is trying to mirror the success of Project Tiger which has revitalized tiger populations in India
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com A pair of cheetah cubs. Five were recently born in Kuno National Park
According to newsonair.gov.in:
“The world’s first intercontinental translocation of a large carnivore has helped revive cheetah populations in the country. As of this month, Kuno National Park is home to 30 cheetahs, including 12 adults, 9 sub-adults, and 9 cubs, with 19 of them born on Indian soil. A major breakthrough came this year when Mukhi, India’s first cheetah cub born, gave birth to five healthy cubs, marking the arrival of a new generation. “
The reintroduction has not been without problems, however. A number of cheetahs have died during the project. A cub was reportedly killed by a speeding vehicle recently. Indian officials say the survival rates are good for cheetahs in the project. More transfers from Africa are being considered, including 8 African cheetahs recently arrived. Namibia, Botswana and South Africa are three countries that have sent cheetahs or are condidering it.
The program has been heavily criticized. Some experts question the methodology and alleged lack of proper preparation. But defenders are stepping forward.
In a long piece the website frontiersin rebuts many of the criticisms
“While the unfounded negative narratives surrounding Project Cheetah are unlikely to diminish the Government of India’s steadfast commitment to the initiative, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), as the lead implementing agency, recognizes the critical importance of transparency and public accountability. Efforts to disseminate information regarding the project, including mortality details, cheetah movements, prey abundance and research efforts are regularly being carried out in the form of annual reports in NTCA’s official website (https://ntca.gov.in/reports/#reports2) and through formal press briefings (National Tiger Conservation Authority et al., 2023; Qureshi et al., 2024a; National Tiger Conservation Authority, 2025; Press Trust of India, 2024a, b). However, it is imperative to further counter misinformation and promote evidence-based discourse by publicizing factual data and providing an accurate assessment of the project’s current status. This is essential not only for rectifying misconceptions but also for advancing the broader objectives of conservation science and practice.”
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com interestingly, mountains (Puma Concolor) and jaguarundis (Puma yagouaroundi) are the closer relatives to cheetahs. Both cats originated in the New Wotld
JThe project involves importing cheetahs from Africa and placing them in enclosures to acclimate. The cheetahs are then expected to be released into the wild. Release into the wild has been slow and not always successful. About 7000 cheetahs are thought to remain in Africa. Perhaps 100 in Iran. The cats were exterminated in India during the 1950s.
Of the nearly 40 species of wild cats the African Golden Cat (Caracal aurata) is one of the least known. But according to the Marshall University website that is changing:
“College of Science graduate student Mary Zarilla has documented the first recorded occurrence of the African golden cat (Caracal aurata) in the Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve—marking the first sighting of the species in northwestern Uganda
AN African Golden Cat photo Great Cats World Park
Zarilla captured a daytime image of the endangered cat using a camera trap she deployed in the park in July 2025. The African golden cat is often described as the least known wild cat in Africa, with few studies conducted on the elusive species. Zarilla is co-advised by Dr. Anne Axel and Dr. Kimberly Dingess.”
Meanwhile, as CNN reports:
“Mwezi Mugerwa, who is passionate about the species, has embarked on work to survey the breed.
Thanks to a partnership with the African Golden Cat Conservation Alliance, which brings together 46 conservationists across 19 countries, Mwezi Mugerwa was able to launch his survey.”
Mugerwa used artificial intelligence.
“This is really important, because we are now able to talk about numbers and density,” the researcher told CNN as reported on the website Wamiz.
He explains that thanks to AI, it is now possible for “the cats to be differentiated individually, which would be almost impossible due to their small size and their distinctive features”
Along similar lines a researcher in Sumatra is helping research endangered tigers there by collecting DNA from paw prints to differentiate individuals.
Photo by Jiří Mikoláš on Pexels.com the golden cat is closely related to the caracal. The two inhabit different regions.
The golden cat is closely related to the Caracal (Caracal caracal) and the serval (Leptailurus serval). Golden cat numbers are essentially unknown. Their range may be expanding but numbers may be declining.
Duiker (Sylvacapra Grimmia) Are very small antelope at the upper end of the golden cat’s prey range.
The cats are medium sized, up to about 30 pounds. They are good climbers usually found in rainforest or other dense forest. They live up to about 10,000 feet in elevation. Little is known about their behavior. They are elusive and it appears kittens mature quickly. They eat animals as large as small antelope but most often consume smaller prey. Their main threats are habitat destruction and hunting. Hunting is officially prohibited in much of their range.
Scientists think there is one on every block, perhaps 20 million in the United States. Now the ever present urban raccoon (P.i.lotor) may be showing signs of splitting from its wild cousin. Or perhaps not.
Wild raccoons and urban raccoons appear to be diverging. A new study says the urban dwellers are starting to show signs they are on the road to self domestication. It’s not expected to be a fast process.
Raccoons climb well and are also at home in and around water.
Cats (Felis catus) and dogs (Canis familiaris) both self domesticated over millennia. Their wild ancestors detected benefits from human association and subtle changes in appearance, diet and temperament resulted. They led to closer association and eventual pet status.
A recent study says urban raccoons may be taking first steps along that path.
Like humans raccoons have a varied diet. Fruits, nuts, insects, fish,frogs and animals as large as rabbits are on the menu
University of Arkansas biologist Raffaela Lesch co-authored the study which involved studying 20,000 photos of raccoons from across the country. According to their findings urban raccoons have snouts 3.5 percent shorter than wild relatives. No one seems to be sure exactly how self-domestication occurs. There is a neurological theory under debate. It is a theory about changes in neural development leading to domestication. But it could be as simple as proximity. An animal habituated to humans and their food waste may need less space for a sensory array. Urban raccoons have less need to hunt. Once humans are used to them there is less fear and the two animals may begin to bond. In the meantime don’t try to hug them. They are still wild.
Raccoons are already comfortable close to people
On the other hand the changes may be illusory. The study may be flawed and not taking account of variations in subspecies. Subspecies may have significant variation in snouts. It may also depend too heavily on photos not real life studies of actual raccoons. that is least one opinion being floated on Instagram.
Speaking of Instagram if AI is not the culprit one could suspect domestication is well underway. Even a casual visit yields many videos of raccoons in close and apparently friendly interaction with people.
It appears raccoons are likely candidates for eventual self domestication. They are eating leftovers we give them. They are eating pet food. Perhaps it is important that they observe our interactions with pets. They are in very close proximity. Often living in or under our houses. If domestication is occurring it will not be soon.
As has been noted here wolves are a hot button conservation issue. Wolf defenders and wolf hunters square off regularly in courtrooms and legislative halls.
As the state’s hunting season opens Montana conservationists and hunting interests are squaring off over changes in Montana hunting laws.
According to the Daily Montanan a central issue is a decision to permit the killing of 558 wolves in this hunting season. The dispute is whether that is too high a number. Conservationists believe the population estimates over state the number of Montana wolves.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com there is still debate whether wolves kill too many trophy quality game animals. Or whether they simply eat old and infirm animals and some calves.
According to the newspaper the court battle is long standing.
“The conservation groups, WildEarth Guardians, the Earth and Land Institute, Footloose Montana, and the Gallatin Wildlife Association are asking First Judicial District Court Judge Christopher Abbott for a preliminary injunction to stop the 2025-2026 wolf hunting regulations from going into effect.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, which sets policy and regulations for the department, are the defendants in the suit, which is attached to a legal battle stretching back to 2022 over state wolf laws. The Outdoor Heritage Coalition and Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife are intervenors due to a similar lawsuit they brought against the state, but arguing wolf hunting regulations are too lenient.”
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Pexels.com France estimates 12000 head of livestock fall prey to the nations’s 500 plus wolves annually. Most of the victims are thought to be sheep.
Wolves are an apex predator and there is little question they kill livestock. Defenders say the numbers of livestock killed are not particularly great. Opponents say , in effect “That is easy for you to say” and point to costs in time and effort to protect stock and navigate state rules for remediation. Of course there are hunters who want a trophy. France estimates its wolf population at 580. They estimate depredations at 12000, which is quite possibly low, wolves often leave little behind. At 21 kills per capita potential losses are significant.
Wolves (Canis lupus) were once abundant in the contiguous United States. They were also abundant in much of Eurasia. Centuries of persecution eliminated them in the United States with a few exceptions including Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. In the late 20th Century attitudes started to change. Wolves were introduced into Yellowstone National Park. Others came down from Canada. Intense court battles have resulted from the reintroduction efforts. Wolves are now found in an increasing number of states. Some wolf defenders want to increase their range further. Colorado recently introduced wolves into the state. Authorities track them closely as the reintroduction was hotly contested.
India is home to many of the world’s wildcats and how to preserve them in a challenging world is a key issue. India has 15 of the approximately 37 cat species. More than any other single country. The country has mounted strong conservation efforts. Recently the focus has been on Indian leopards (Panthera pardus fusca).
Photo by Phillip Visser on Pexels.com leopards are extraordinary climbers and very strong.
India has about 14,000 leopards but the big cats face enormous challenges as India modernizes and urbanizes. According to The Times of India the problem is reaching Prime Minister Marendra Modi’s desk.
According to the paper:
“After multiple incidents of leopard attacks across the state, including the recent killing of a leopard that caused the death of three in Pune, conservationist group NatConnect Foundation appealed to the Prime Minister by launching an online petition that drew support from more than 630 citizens, including ecologists, educators, and biodiversity volunteers, reflecting rising public anxiety around frequent leopard encounters.”
NatConnect director B N Kumar said the root issue lay in the fragmentation of forests and disruption of traditional wildlife corridors. Expanding settlements, highways, quarrying zones, and tourism projects steadily encroached on leopard habitat, forcing the animals to move across farms, village peripheries, and even highways. “Leopards are not straying into human spaces by choice. Their landscape is shrinking around them,” Kumar said. He added that reactionary measures such as capturing or relocating leopards often worsened the situation. “
Trans planted cheetahs will have to eat different prey such as the blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra)
Prime Minister Modi has taken serious interest in Indian wildlife. India is home to about 70 percent of the world’s wild tigers. Leopards and other wild cats are receiving increased protection. The country has also embarked on a controversial project to reintroduce cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) into the country.
According to the paper that had an unexpected result when a leopard died after what was called an “encounter” with a cheetah. But balancing the needs of different animals is difficult. For example, India’s extraordinary success in increasing tiger numbers has had mixed impacts. Efforts to landscape wildlands to make the land more attractive to tigers backfired. The efforts made the land less favorable for leopards. Whatever policy changes the prime minister implements will be controversial.
Leopards are probably fifth among the big cats in size. Tigers (Panthera tigris ) are the largest cats followed by lions (Panthera leo). Jaguars (Panthera onca) leopards and mountain lions are the next three. Leopards and mountain lions (Puma concolor) are smaller than all but the smallest jaguars. Leopards and mountain lions overlap in size. The biggest mountain lions (puma councolor) are larger than the biggest leopard.
India has been determined to solve habitat problems even to the point of moving villages to accommodate tigers. But issues of human leopard interaction are not easily solved. Many conservationists are now questioning top Down conservation. That is where a government imposes rules. The newer style is more bottom up. It focuses on the benefits people and leopards can get from each other and builds a partnership. Partnerships between wild animals and people are most successful. One key example is eco tourism. The more tourists come to see leopards the more the local community benefits.
Another example is retraining people to hold jobs that benefit humans and animals. Snow leopards (Panthera Uncia) are benefitting in some parts of their range by a unique program. Encouraging herders to switch to raising honey is a powerful tool. The herders get a new lucrative business. Losses of domestic animals drop. Both sides benefit.
Norway’s arctic fox rebound appears to be pulling the predator back from the verge f extinction. It is also proving the value of innovative conservation efforts, according to recent reports.
Vulpes lagopus was almost extinct 20 years ago. Numbers were under 100 and falling. Today there are an estimated 300 of the foxes. An exciting increase but about 10 percent of what conservationists hope for.
The arctic fox is smaller than its red fox cousin which outcompetes it.
Norwegian conservationists began a captive breeding program. Reared arctic foxes are released into the wild. So far the plan is working. Feeding stations also help. Dog food can tide the foxes over in times of scarcity and when lemming populations are low.
The larger European red fox outcompetes its arctic cousin and sometimes kills it.
Vulpes Vulpes crucigera or the European red fox is the principal enemy. An arctic fox is about the size of a cat and not a match for its aggressive cousin.
Lemmings are a chief food source for foxes
Lemmings, Lemmus lemmus are small highly social rodents found in the Arctic. Many people believe they commit mass suicides by jumping off cliffs.. That is a myth propagated by a Walt Disney documentary titled white wilderness.
The octopus is an amazing animal and under a good deal of scientific scrutiny. Recently a possible example of octopus teamwork has emerged as researchers believe the cephalopods team up with fish to hunt.
According to an article on ChipChick on MSN the discovery was made in the Red Sea and researchers believe that the eight legged creatures use fish to help them find prey. They also apparently shoo away fish that will not participate in the hunt.
The octopus is a staple in art because of its fascinating characteristics
Evidently the fish can find potential prey hiding in areas they can’t reach and they can signal the octopus which can reach the prey. According to Smithsonian magazine:
“With the octopus leading the charge, fish scout for hidden prey and signal where to capture a smaller fish or mollusk. But if freeloading fish are hovering around, looking to benefit from the hunt without contributing, the octopus punches them away, according to new research.
“The octopus basically works as the decider of the group,” Eduardo Sampaio, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and lead author of the study, told Nature News’ Helena Kudiabor.
The study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, brought a new type of collective behavior to light. Octopuses, often thought of as solitary creatures, led a group of various species of fish and discerned which ones were and weren’t helping.”
And of course they provide food for humankind
The octopus is a far more complex animal than has been thought. There is evidence that they have an active dream state, which surprises neurologists.
Every 60 minutes or so, the animals underwent rapid changes of skin colour lasting about one minute, together with changes in breathing rate, as well as body and eye movements.
When the team tapped on the tanks and watched how the animals responded, they found the octopuses showed different reactions depending on whether they were awake, in the quiet stage of sleep, or in the active stage.”
It is still impossible to know exactly what is going on. There are other explanations, such as fine-tuning their coloration. But the parallels with human sleep are interesting. As with the researchers who thought octopus dreams may be night mares, the researchers feel no certain answers have been found.
In the previous research an octopus showed behavior that could be consistent coming out of a bad dream.
Photo by Pia on Pexels.com. The octopus is an extremely successful predator. They range from tiny up to several feet in diameter
Pallas” Cat, sometimes dubbed the “original grumpy cat” due to its unusual appearance, appears to be alive and well in Iran. Pallas cat kittens have recently been photographed, a hopeful sign, according to Iran Front Page.
Pallas’ cat is a feisty predator of Central Asian rodents. it can live from near sea level to 16,000 feet. Many of its unusual adaptations are for high elevation living
According to Iran Front page:
“According to the head of Kerman’s Department of Environment, one of the local environmental volunteers succeeded in observing two Pallas’s cat cubs in the mountainous area of Rabor County, capturing an image of one of them.
Due to the considerable distance between the two cubs, photographing the second one was not possible.
“Officials sa”y this rare sighting suggests a potential increase in the local population of this vulnerable species, which is known for its reclusive nature and declining numbers across its native range in Central Asia and parts of the Iranian plateau.”
“The Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul), also known as the manul, is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN due to habitat loss, prey depletion, and other environmental pressures. The species is extremely difficult to monitor due to its solitary behavior and elusive presence.
a trio of kittens. The cats are rarely kept in captivity as unlike many cats they do not reproduce well in captivity and are hard to keep healthy.
Conservation experts in Iran consider repeated sightings of the animal in Kerman a positive indicator and are calling for heightened protection measures to safeguard its habitat and support possible population recovery in the region.”
Pallas cats (Otocolobus manul) are native to Central Asia. They live in fragmented populations in, Russia, China, Iran and Mongolia. The Indian subcontinent and several other central and South Asian countries have populations as well, The cats are about two feet long and under 10 pounds in weight.
Photo by Steve Burcham on Pexels.com Rodents can be found in the diet of many if not all cats. Pikas such as these and gerbils ae common items on the anu menu
Since the cats are reclusive and thought to be rare, numbers and exact habitat are conjectural. Recent discovery of the cats on the slopes of Mt. Everest were of great interest to scientists.
The cat was named after naturalist Peter Simon Pallas who first described it. It is frequently known as a manul. This cat has attracted considerable public and scientific attention. Much conservation effort has been awarded to it. The recent completion of the cat’s genome is expected to greatly improve conservation success. About 60 zoos worldwide are involved in breeding and conservation efforts
