Wild Animal News

Reintroduction of wolves (Canis lupus) is a hot button issue throughout the United States and much of the world. Oregon may be the state with the least tolerance as killers have slaughtered wolves twice in recent years. This time dead Oregon wolves are prompting not only a search for the killers but a$50,000 reward.

Wolves were common in the United States until the first third of the 20th Century. The predators were reduced to remnant populations. But a change in law and attitudes has resulted in re-introduction in much of the west. California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and now Colorado are among the states with resident populations. But the return has not been without controversy as wolf haters have been active.

According to The Tennessean the reward is 10 times bigger than previous rewards. Three wolves were found dead last December. Two were collared for study and the collars emitted mortality signals. The third wolf was not collared. The wolves were part of the Gearhart Mountain pack. Seven survivors are being monitored.

According to The Tennessean:

“Federal authorities are asking the public for information that could help uncover how three endangered gray wolves died in Oregon.

The three wolves were found dead late last year and are the latest gray wolf deaths to be investigated in the state.

A $50,000 reward will be given to anyone who can provide information that leads to an arrest, or charges or fines over the wolf deaths, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Friday. The reward money is 10 times larger than other rewards for information on previous wolf deaths, according to news releases from Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife.

One of the three dead wolves was the breeding female for the wolves’ pack, authorities said. Gray wolves − which were first labeled an endangered species in the 1970s − typically live in packs where only one male-female pair produces pups, according to the U.S. National Park Service.” (Links in original).

Dead Oregon wolves have been in the news before. Several years ago eight wolves were poisoned. The cause of death for the three killed in December has not been announced, In the last incident a $26,000 reward was offered.

Greenland sharks are large cold-water predators that can live hundreds of years. One century old specimen recently washed up on a beach. The dead Greenland shark is now providing scientists with information about the not-well-known species. A Greenland shark autopsy showed the cause of death.

According to LiveScience the shark died of a brain disease, specifically meningitis. According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) meningitis is a disease caused by the inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.

According to the website the Greenland shark autopsy was revealing:

“Pathologists discovered evidence of meningitis, an inflammation of the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, according to a statement from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). This is the first reported disease-related death in a Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), an elusive, long-lived species that lives in the deep waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic.

“During the post-mortem examination, the brain did look slightly discoloured and congested and the fluid around the brain was cloudy, raising the possibility of infection,” James Barnett, a pathologist with Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, a part of the U.K. Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) and ZSL, said in the statement.” (Linksin original)

Greenland sharks have been in the news recently because they have been found in unexpected places The deep sea cold water sharks have been found in the tropics, puzzling experts. Some now think they may be more common than thought and more widespread. The Greenland shark autopsy, meanwhile, may provide more information about them.

Italy has been in the news and in our posts for a number of wildlife issues. International attention came to the peninsula due to feral pigs. The pigs have come into Rome and other cities and continue to wreak havoc. Government policies have permitted the return of wolves to parts of the nation. But the rise of urban Italian wolves is causing concern in the country. Especially in Siena whose mayor is calling for help.

But according to The Telegraph one city is sounding the alarm about urban Italian wolves. Siena, about 135 miles north of Rome, is suffering some wolf related problems. The animals are brazen. Wolves walk openly in the streets, they kill livestock and pets are disappearing. The mayor has written a letter seeking assistance.

But there isn’t much to be done as the animals are strongly protected by Italian and European law.

According to the Telegraph:

“The situation has caused such concern that the city council this week issued an appeal for help to Tuscany’s regional government and the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, a national body.

The appeal was written by Nicoletta Fabio, the mayor, and Barbara Magi, the councillor (cq) responsible for the environment.

“Day by day, there is increasing alarm among residents,” the mayor said in her letter.

She said she was aware that wolves were a protected species under EU legislation but added that she was concerned for public safety.

One factor contributing to the apex predators’ presence is the fact that much agricultural land on the outskirts of Siena is no longer farmed.”

The wolves are rebounding in Italy for a variety of reasons. Protection has resulted in a large increase in numbers. The increase has resulted in poisonings.

Recently, Italy was celebrating the return of wolves, thought now to number over 1,000. It was even hoped they could put a dent in the population of feral hogs. Hogs wander the streets of several Italian cities. It has been hoped urban Italian wolves would eat enough pork to make a difference anc stay in the woods.

Evolution is usually considered a slow process taking hundreds if not thousands of years. But Siberian horse evolution may be on a fast track due to the extreme conditions of the frigid region.

According to research discussed in Popular Mechanics small and hardy Yakut horses may have evolved quite quickly because of the region and its climate. Researchers say the horses may have developed a form of “standing hibernation.” In that sense they may have taken a leaf from squirrels. Arctic ground squirrels cycle in and out of torpor. Their bodies can reach a low of 32F and then move back to normal temps to perform critical functions. They awaken at the end of winter in good health.

The Yakut horse or Siberian horse (Equus ferus caballus) is the first horse that has been shown to practice this unusual hibernation form.

The magazine said:

“One of the key traits of these horses is their ability to lower their metabolic rate, heart rate, and body temperature in the extreme cold—much like ground squirrels, and roughly a dozen other animals—to mimic hibernation states for hours on any given day. Because the horses remain active during their extended periods of torpor, scientist have dubbed the situation “standing hibernation.” This is the only known example of this ability in horses.”

Moreover, the adaptation appears to have happened extremely quickly in evolutionary terms.

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In the Arctic climate of Northern Siberia, temperatures can drop to -90 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter and stretch to a reasonably balmy average of 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. But, perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s those extreme winters that have scientists fascinated with the Yakut breed.

A study published in Genes shows the Yakut horse is one of the oldest local breeds, formed in the far north of Yakutia several thousand years ago and traditionally used for meat, milk production, and riding. The “most cold-resistant indigenous breed,” it was developed under a “strong influence of natural selection,” the authors wrote in the Genes study.”

“… the genes involved in hair development, body size, and metabolic and hormone signaling pathways that serve a key resource for Yakut horse adaptability all had to develop much more quickly than previously understood. The authors added that the ability of the Yakut horses to adapt to the extreme environments isn’t that unlike what they’ve found in native human populations and woolly mammoths, “suggesting that only a few evolutionary strategies are compatible with survival in extremely cold environments.” ” (link in original)

It is hardly a cuddly infant. The five-foot long pure white California shark is already a fierce predator. According to experts are inclined to believe it is an infant great white shark (Carcaradon carcharias.)

Great whites reproduction is interesting. The sharks are ovovivaparous. That means they carry the litter (2 to 17 pups) internally. They feed off an egg sac and an internally secreted milk like liquid. The pups are born alive and are two to four feet long at birth. Other aspects of their behavior such as courtship and mating are not well understood. The pure white California shark will darken a bit as it grows and will be grayer by maturity.

Great whites are the stuff of legend and nightmares. But they have their enemies, humans and sometimes orcas ( sometimes called killer whales) According to Britannica:

“The white shark has been classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 1996. Its wide distribution throughout many areas of the ocean has made comprehensive population surveys difficult; however, catch-rate data collected by fishery officials worldwide suggest that the species may be undergoing a decline, but the white shark has only been assessed in selected regions, such as the Mediterranean Sea, where it is considered critically endangered.” Links in original.

The sighting of the white California shark reminds us of how little we do know about sharks. Although sharks are quite familiar to humans and most of us fear them they have many secrets yet to reveal. Greenland sharks to take on example, may live up to 500 years and this mechanism is not understood. They have also been studied for their alleged immunity to certain diseases such as cancer that plague humans. In addition, Greenland sharks and other sharks have been confounding our beliefs. Several cold water sharks have been found in far warmer waters than was expected.

Wolves remain a hot button conservation issue as their populations expand in some parts of the United States. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Canis lupus will not receive continued special federal protection. But the National Wildlife Service will develop a national management plan for Rocky Mountain wolves and the rest of the wolves in the United States.

Gray wolves are one of the hot button conservation issues around the world. Wolves have passionate defenders and equally passionate human enemies. The predators were virtually extinct in the United States near the end of the 20th Century. Changing attitudes (at least among city dwelling majorities) have led to a tremendous resurgence in wolf numbers. But it has not been without controversy.

Rocky Mountain Wolves have wandered south from Canada. Others have been re-introduced. Successful reintroduction to Yellowstone National Park has led to reintroduction elsewhere. Wolves now have footholds in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Wyoming. They are currently being reintroduced in Colorado.

Opposition has come from rural areas. Wolf predation is real and hunters, ranchers and others who live off the land often see wolves as a pest or an outright threat. They either support wolf eradication or severely limited numbers.

Biologists and city dwellers take a very different view and strongly support reintroduction.

The battle has been fought at the ballot box and with the poison bottle. Reintroduction of the Rocky Mountain wolf to Colorado has been a controversial issue. Some have been released into the wild as of the end of 2023.

It is not a fight restricted to the United States. Italy has been generally supportive of wolves as their numbers increase. That may be in part due to the sheer number of feral pigs in the country. But Italian wolves have been poisoned. Sweden has recently been fighting a political and legal battle over permitted wolf hunts. Statistics from France indicate that wolves in that country kill 15,000 head of livestock annually. The balance between livestock owners and wolf supporters is precarious. Efforts to pay stakeholders to better protect stock or repay losses are far from perfect.

In a recent American case two wolves terrified and stampeded sheep. A total of 143 died in the encounter. Such losses can be very hard for a livestock owner to bear.

When Russia invaded Ukraine we reported on a number of deadly impacts on animals. The destruction of habitat, sanctuaries, zoos and individual animals caused an international reaction to the disaster. Three Ukrainian lions are the latest to find sanctuary in another country.

The situation is not over. The latest news is about three lions who have had to be pulled from their homes in zoos and brought to France for safety. According to Newsweek the three lions were brought from a combat zone to Parc de L”Auxois in Burgundy. According to Trip Advisor the zoo meets “animal welfare standards.” Visitor comments suggest the facility combines both a standard zoological park and features where visitors can closely interact with animals.

Newsweek said” The three lions have arrived at a French zoo and aquarium named Parc de l’Auxois in Burgundy after traveling 88 hours from the Eastern European country, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) reported Friday.

The lions named Atlas, Luladja and Queen were moved to a Wild Animal Rescue center near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv before animal rescuers were able to arrange transportation to France by crossing the Polish-Ukrainian border.

“Animals, like humans, are in danger of being hit by shelling and missile attacks, or debris thereof – especially when in war zones, but even also outside of active zones,” Annelyn Close, a spokesperson for IFAW, told Newsweek. “The explosions and shock of some of the warfare can have serious repercussions.”

Atlas in particular, was in a dire state when he was found and rescued. After sounds of nearby bombing, the male lion became extremely aggressive, having also been locked in a tiny, concrete enclosure. He was kept by a private owner and found to be extremely overweight with injuries.

“His aggressive behavior is thought to result from all the stress he has experienced from being exposed to long-term warfare. Animals do not know what is happening, can’t run away and have no way to express or vent pent up stress – especially in the case of Atlas being stuck in a small cage,” Close said. “In addition, private owners who are often illegally keeping wild animals will have had to flee the war themselves and where you perhaps can bring a small cat or dog with you during an evacuation, you certainly cannot take a wild animal with you. So, the animal gets left behind and is at risk of starvation, dehydration and hypothermia.”

The other two female lions were rescued from the Eastern front of Ukraine. The war in Ukraine has been raging on ever since Russia invaded in February 2022. Since then, not just humans, but all the animals in Ukraine have suffered.

Animals in zoos are not the only ones at risk from the warfare happening in Ukraine. There are many exotic big cats being kept as pets across the country, a problem that animal welfare charities had been looking to tackle even before the war broke out.” Links in original

Other posts on the dire impact of the war can be found here. For an idea of how Ukrainian wildlife was rebounding pre-war click here.

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The worldwide cheetah population is threatened. There are about 7,000 of the fleet cats in the wild but they face threats as diverse as other felines and human kidnapping of cubs for the pet trade.

According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund the number of cats has dropped 50 percent over the last few decades. That has prompted the first Global Cheetah Summit which has been scheduled for the end of January, 2024.

The cheetah population is threatened for a number of reasons. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are behind the eight ball to begin with. They are very highly specialized hunters. That causes problems for them. Their prey base is limited so they are impacted by what happens to their go-to prey.

The biggest problem is their dependence on speed. Their adaptations to speed including light weight and semi-retractable claws leave them less able to defend themselves. Other fierce predators compete fiercely.

However, humans are trying to save them from extinction in the wild. In Iran, a protection society has been formed to help save the few remaining in that country.

India has begun an ambitious program named Project Cheetah . The plan is to import up to 50 cheetahs from Namibia and release them in suitable Indian habitat. The hope is that they will reestablish themselves in a country from which they were driven in the 1950’s. The ground-breaking program has been under review due to the death of some of the imported cats but appears to be ongoing.

Meanwhile, in Africa there are efforts to save the cats. The African Wildlife Foundation is one of the groups involved. They say poaching and capture are serious issues:

“Live cheetahs are caught and traded illegally to the exotic pet trade and they are also poached for their skin. The East African region is where illegal live trade is most likely to have the greatest negative impact on wild populations. Although the exact origin of the trade is unclear, information from interdictions and interviews with traders suggests that cheetahs are opportunistically collected from Somali regions, including parts of Ethiopia and Kenya, and occasionally beyond.”

The Cheetah summit convened January 24 at the Addis Ababa Hilton i Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Participants from around the world gathered to discuss a wide variety of topics. The agenda included discussions of cheetah numbers, genetics and ways to protect them in the regions they inhabit. The clear message is that although the cheetah population is threatened the cats are not without worldwide support.

We have talked a lot about invasive species here. Many of the impacts are obvious. Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) have drastically altered Florida’s ecosystem. They have killed up to 90 percent of some species of mammals in the Everglades. Big headed ants haven’t killed a single lion (Panthera leo) but they are changing the African landscape and forcing lions to adapt by hunting other prey.

The big headed ants (Pheidole megacephala) are not native to east Africa and the impact of their arrival is now being felt. They are believed to have originated along the shores of the Indian Ocean and have spread widely around the world, including the United States.

According to the Terminix pest control website:

• “:Size: This type of ant has two distinct sizes of workers. The larger ones, called major workers, typically range in size from one-eighth of an inch to one-fourth of an inch in length, depending on the species. The major worker is easily identified by the extremely large size of its head in comparison to its body. The head of the minor worker is in proportion to its body.

• Color: Most are reddish-brown in color.
• Behavior: Big-headed ants, like all ants, establish well-defined trails between the nest and food and water sources. They feed on a wide variety of foods including dead insects, plant materials and garbage. The workers are partial to the sweet honeydew produced by aphids, scales and mealybugs found feeding on many trees and plants. Fruit trees, roses and many shrubs serve as hosts for aphids and may contribute to ant infestations in homes and other buildings. One species, Pheidole megacephala, establishes large “supercolonies” consisting of dozens, if not hundreds, of subcolonies connected by interlocking trails. These supercolonies have been found to extend over large portions of a city block, making control efforts on a single property quite difficult to achieve. This species is more common in Florida and Hawaii but can be encountered all along the southeast Gulf Coast. They have been known to construct mud tubes that can resemble those made by subterranean termites, although this behavior is not common.”

According to Scientifc American the changes begin at the micro level. Big headed ants out compete the native acacia ants (genus Crematogaster). Those ants have a relationship with acacia thorn trees. The ants protect the trees from predators by attacking them. Elephants and other animals try to eat or uproot the trees. The acacia ants live in and protect the trees. The big headed ants kill and eat the acacia ants.

The ants live underground and make no effort to protect the trees. Studies show that the acacia thorn trees provide cover for lions stalking zebras (Equus quagga). Fewer acacia trees mean lions have less success hunting zebras. So research now shows lions in Kenya are switching to African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) for food. The buffalo are more difficult to hunt. But research shows the cats are adapting well. Lion populations have not declined as a direct result of the ant invasion.

Ants, meanwhile, are iportant wildlife. There are at least 10,000 species and some have direct benefit to humans. Recent research says they may have a benefit in the war on cancer. These ants may be able to detect cancer early.

Those goldfish swimming around in your tank can get very big under the right circumstances and encounters with giant goldfish are becoming more common every day.

The Great Lakes of the United States appear to host millions of the small carp.

Goldfish (family cyprinidae) are one of the most common fish kept as pets in home aquariums. Poor water quality and inappropriate temperature can stunt growth.

Giant goldfish are nothing more than pets released by careless owners. They quickly grow well past their normal small size and often reach several pounds.

The upper size limit is unknown, but reports are that a fisherman caught a 67 pounder.

According to CNN the fish was caught in France by a British angler. CNN referred to the fish ,named Goldy for her color, both as a goldfish and a carp closely related to a goldfish.

Most giant giant goldfish weigh in around 3 pounds. The big fish cause problems in lakes. The obvious solution, goldfish filets, is out of the question. They have too many bones, they taste and smell awful and can carry disease or toxins.

According to Brittanica goldfish are a member of the carp family. These fish are native to east Asia and were domesticated centuries ago. As far as size goes the encyclopedia says they do revert from their aquarium size to a “normal” size.

“Escaping from park and garden pools, the goldfish has become naturalized in many areas of the eastern United States. Upon resuming wild life, it reverts to its original colour and may grow from an aquarium size of about 5–10 centimetres (2–4 inches) to a length of up to 30 centimetres.” A weight of 67 pounds would certainly qualify as a giant goldfish. (Links in original)

Goldfish are omnivorous bottom feeders so they have a range of feeding options and seem to survive well.

Human intervention has created many dozens of different goldfish, Britannica says.

“The goldfish is naturally greenish-brown or gray. The species, however, is variable, and numerous abnormalities occur. A deviant fish may be black, spotted, golden, white, or white with silver; it may have a trilobed tail fin or protruding eyes; or it may lack the normally long dorsal fin. Centuries of selecting out and breeding such abnormal specimens have produced over 125 breeds of goldfish, including the common, pet-shop comet; the veiltail, with a three-lobed, flowing tail; the lionhead, with a swollen “hood” on the head; and the celestial, with protruding, upward-directed eyes.” (Link in original)

Invasive snakeheads are another troubling fish species. But they are apparently good on the grill.