Cambodia rescues half a tonne of smuggled tortoises, pythons
“The animals—102 elongated tortoises and 17 pythons—weighed a total of 570 kilos.
They were confiscated Monday afternoon from a cargo truck in Cambodia’s Kandal province, forestry official Y Sophy told AFP.
“They were being transported to Phnom Penh where they would then be smuggled to Vietnam,” he said, adding the creatures were scooped up from Cambodia’s Battambang province.
No arrests were made as the truck’s driver fled after being pulled over, the official said.”
Jon Stewart rescues runaway bull in NYC
“A bull escaped from a slaughterhouse in NYC and sought refuge on the campus green at York College in Queens. For some bulls, this might have just been a brief reprieve before heading back on the road to the slaughterhouse, but this lucky bull was rescued by Stewart and his wife and taken to their New Jersey animal sanctuary to live out the rest of his days.”
American bat epidemic jumps the Rockies
“White-nose syndrome (WNS) first appeared at a New York cave in February 2006, kicking off a historic epidemic that has stubbornly pushed west through the U.S. and Canada. It has obliterated bat populations along the way, with a nearly 100 percent mortality rate in some colonies. By February 2016, the disease had been confirmed at bat hibernacula in 27 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces.
But on March 11, hikers found a sick bat near North Bend in Washington state, about 30 miles east of Seattle. They took it to Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in hopes it could recover, but the bat died two days later. It had visible symptoms of a skin infection common in bats with WNS, so PAWS submitted it for testing to the U.S. National Wildlife Health Center, which confirmed those suspicions.
“We are extremely concerned about the confirmation of WNS in Washington state, about 1,300 miles from the previous westernmost detection of the fungus that causes the disease,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Dan Ashe says in a statement. Until now, the fungus’s western frontier had been in Nebraska.”
Green sea turtles are no longer endangered in Florida and Mexico
“Decades of conservation efforts have paid off for green sea turtles in Florida and Mexico. In the late 1970s, populations dwindled due to heavy commercial harvesting of turtle eggs and meat – but protection programs have helped numbers increase to the thousands. As a result of the population growth, the species has been elevated from ‘endangered’ to ‘threatened’ under the Endangered Species Act. Although the turtles will continue to be protected, they are no longer on the brink of extinction.”
Costa Rica’s ‘Land of the Strays’ is a canine paradise where nearly 1,000 dogs roam free
“Costa Rica offers more than just pristine beaches and stunning surf—the tropical country is also home to a dog and dog lovers’ paradise filled with nearly 1,000 happy and healthy dogs. Founded as a no-kill shelter and haven for strays, the volunteer-run Territorio de Zaguatas—the Land of the Strays—is located on the green pastures of Santa Bárbara in Costa Rica’s Heredia province. The sprawling free-range doggy heaven runs an active adoption program, but also invites curious visitors and dog lovers to come for a free hike and to play with the dogs.”
Tigers declared extinct in Cambodia
“Wild tigers have not been found in Cambodia since 2007, leading conservationists to declare the animals “functionally extinct.” The Cambodian government recently approved a $20 to $50 million Tiger Action Plan to try and save the majestic wild cats.”
Report reveals 11 million people and half of World Heritage sites are threatened by industry
“The World Wildlife Fund issued a new report that warns nearly half of all World Heritage sites are being threatened by industrial activity. Oil and gas exploration, mining, and logging (legal and otherwise) all endanger some of the world’s most beloved and natural locations, many of which are home to biodiverse animal kingdoms. WWF is calling on world leaders to respond by taking more aggressive action to protect natural sites from commercial development and corporate interests.”
Kismets' Oubliette 