News and Meetings > News Archives

2005

MARCH

30/03/05 Hare endangered by speedy drivers (UK)
The Guardian - Mountain hares are not fast enough to escape cars speeding along a busy road through unfenced moorland in the Peak District in Derbyshire. Conservationists are now appealing to motorists to slow down, especially at night, and hope to put up signs saying "Slow - hares crossing". more

29/03/05 India to ban vulture death drug (India)
Bird Life International - The Indian government intents to phase out a veterinary drug responsible for the massive decline in vultures. The drug, used as a livestock treatment, it is toxic to vultures when they feed on contaminated carcasses, causing kidney failure and death. more

28/03/05 Call for wildlife damages policy (Kenya)
The Nation - The Government has been told to come up with a clear policy on how to pay residents near national parks for losses incurred by wild animals. more

24/03/05 Government asked to help fence the Aberdares (Kenya)
AllAfrica.com - The Aberdares fence, to be completed by 2007, is meant to reduce conflict between humans and animals. more

24/03/05 Feds earmark funds for wildlife and rancher conflicts (USA)
Bozeman daily Chronicle - The federal government announced it is earmarking $250,000 to help 16 ranchers in six Montana counties avoid problems with grizzly bears, wolves and eagles. more

23/03/05 Find lasting solution to human, animal conflict (Botswana)
Botswana Press Agency - It is important that government finds a lasting solution to conflict between humans and wildlife, Kitso Mokaila, environment, wildlife and tourism minister told Parliament more

21/03/05 Pesky monkeys pit animal lovers against farmers in Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico)
Sun-Sentinel.com – An army of marauding monkeys is plundering Puerto Rico, skulking the island in packs of 20 to 30, tormenting farmers and homeowners, endangering rare birds and attacking household pets more

20/03/05 Elephants force villagers in Chief Nyalugwe's area to flee (Zambia)
The Post - Elephants destroyed both the maize fields and storages in the villages. Chief Nyalugwe said the affected people had left their villages for fear of being attacked by the elephants. He complained that Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) had not responded despite his continued reports about the elephants. more

17/03/05 Assam to set up 5 elephant reserves (India)
Indian Express - With increased depredation by wild elephants taking a dangerous turn, the Assam government has mooted the creation of five special elephant reserves. In recent years and more and more human lives were being lost every year due to trampling by wild elephants more

16/03/05 Kaziranga centenary: Focus on conservation efforts  (India)
India NTDV.com - Celebrations to mark the park's 100 years are being dominated by serious issues like ways to prevent the man-elephant conflict and putting an end to rhino poaching. more

10/03/05 Cites boosts Kenya's elephants  (Kenya)
News24.com - Kenya's elephant population has jumped by about 10% in the past three years due to a strict clampdown on poaching. However, elephants are not entirely out of danger. Tsavo National Park, a 21,000 sq km reserve with around 10,000 elephants, is a melting pot for human-wildlife conflict. more

09/03/05 Donna's death highlights power line dangers (UK)
Bird Life International - The longest continuous satellite tracking of an individual bird came to an end on March 5, when a White Stork known as Donna was electrocuted by power lines. "Bird-friendly" alterations to power lines can reduce mortality among storks, eagles and other large birds. more

08/03/05 Giant killer crocodile snared in Uganda (Uganda)
Reuter - A 5-meter-long crocodile said to have eaten more than 80 people has been caught alive in Uganda and transferred to a sanctuary more

07/03/05 Botswana elephants raid Namibia (Botswana)
Reuters - Botswana's burgeoning elephant population is increasingly thundering across the border into neighboring Namibia and causing havoc more

06/03/05 Dog packs threat to wildlife (USA)
Dailynews - Wild or free-roaming dogs in the California desert are raising concerns about the safety of people and wildlife. The Desert Managers Group would work with the affected counties and humane society groups to come up with possible solutions. more

06/03/05 Gulls behaving badly targeted in purge on UK's 'flying yobs'
The Independent - Urban gulls who dive-bomb humans are to be tagged. A Bristol-based ornithologist wants to put together a team to tag and track the birds in an attempt to control the population explosion and the problems it brings. more

01/03/05 Waking up to elephant menace (India)
The Telegraph - In the recent past, Jharkhand and several other eastern states have recorded a large number of elephant intrusions in villages. With elephant-related deaths and crop destruction rising, wildlife experts from affected states are working on a project which would involve radio-collaring wild elephants to help detect their precise movement more

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FEBRUARY
28/02/05 Why long lost beaver will soon give a dam about the Highlands (Scotland)
Scotman.com - Electronically-tagged beavers are to be set free into the wild as part of an ambitious programme to reintroduce extinct species back into the country. There is now has overwhelming evidence, based on experience in other countries, that the beavers will cause minimal environmental damage and will increase tourism in the area. more

28/02/05 Ferret recovery still a fight (USA)
Rapid City Journal - Black-footed ferrets have made an amazing comeback in South Dakota, but their recovery still faces an uphill battle nationwide. Their need for large prairie dog complexes conflicts with the interest of ranchers on national grasslands with livestock grazing permits more
28/02/05 Feeding monkeys could soon be an offence (India)
India News - It's not monkey business anymore - feeding primates in Himachal Pradesh could soon become a punishable crime as the hill state battles a severe menace from the apes. more
27/02/05 Preparing for predators (USA)
Vail Daily News - Although it's improbable anyone will spot a wolf running through the forests in the immediate future, the Colorado Division of Wildlife wants to be ready when they do arrive. A wolf management plan is evolving from the unlikely coalition of four wildlife advocates, four livestock producers, two sportsmen, two government officials and two biologists more
25/02/05 Otterly successful (USA)
The Tribune - The otter's story is familiar. Overtrapping drove the native species from Ohio by the early 1900s, but their reintroduction - starting in 1986 and lasting seven years - has been so successful that farmers are starting to complain. more
25/02/05 Collies take on winged enemy at air base (USA)
Associated Press - Cole and Babe are a new breed of special forces -border collies deployed along the flight line of the Charleston Air Force Base to scare off the herons, egrets and gulls that can cause costly damage to military airplanes. more
25/02/05 Vets want badger cull to halt TB (UK)
BBC News - More than 300 vets are calling for a "strategic cull" of badgers to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB). They say badgers are mainly responsible for passing the disease on to cattle, and they express their "despair" with the government's "inadequate approach" more
02/02/05 AWF trains scouts to monitor African wild dogs (Kenya)
African Wildlife Foundation - African Wildlife Foundation believes that applied research and community outreach is crucial to understanding human-wildlife conflict and methods to alleviate persecution of this endangered predator more
02/02/05 Rats with wings win battle of Goat Island (Australia)
The Sydney Morning Herald - Seagulls and humans have been living side by side in seaside towns for centuries.But when a large breeding colony decided to set up nests on Goat Island in Sydney Harbour, human visitors to the historic island had to take second place and cancel their tours. more
01/02/05 Texas rice growers cited for stewards of economy and environment (USA)
Southwest Farm Press - How do rice farmers preserve and enhance the environment while ensuring their crop will bring in a profit? A method of pest control focuses prevention and damage control through a combination of techniques that rely on diligent crop monitoring, these include biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties. more

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JANUARY

31/01/05 Tunnel plan to curb otter deaths (UK)
BBC - Telecommunications firm BT is to build a £20,000 underpass to help otters cross a busy road in Cornwall. more
29/01/05 One small step to save tigers (Malaysia)
New Straits Times - Some 50 scientists and park rangers gathered at the Krau Wildlife Sanctuary in Bukit Rempit, Pahang, for the inaugural "Teachers for Tigers" programme, aimed to build knowledge and commitment for the conservation of tigers; particularly where there is direct conflict between tigers and humans. more
28/01/05 Fair or foul? Cormorants may be threat to fishery (USA)
The Journal Times Online - To some double-crested cormorants are graceful predators and symbols of a successful wildlife restoration effort. To others they are a plague to an already fragile Great Lakes fishery. more
27/01/05 Hungry crocs terrorise poor Malawian villagers (Malawi)
Reuters - There are concerns that crocodile attacks are on the rise as swelling rural populations encroach on the reptile's habitat. Depleted stocks of wild fish - a crocodile's first choice of food - is seen as one factor behind attacks more
27/01/05 Concern for wildlife in Barn Elms plan (USA)
Richmond and Twickenham Times - The possible use of floodlights for a proposed development at sports fields would have a detrimental effect on wildlife more
23/01/05 Karume pledges to help end jumbo menace (Kenya)
The East African Standard - A concrete wall will be constructed around the Mwaluganje Sanctuary in Kwale District to end the human-wildlife conflict. more
22/01/05 Rare leopard 'faces extinction' (Russia)
BBC News - It is estimated that only about 30 of the animals survive in the wild. A pipeline, bringing oil from Siberia to a new terminal on the coast, will pass through the Amur leopards' only remaining range more
22/01/05 Norway to kill 25% of its wolves (Norway)
BBC News - The Norwegian government has decided to kill five of the country's grey wolves - a quarter of the entire population. It says the decision is necessary to protect domestic livestock, but one campaign group has condemned the cull more
22/01/05 Grizzly deaths on rise in Montana (USA)
Associated Press - Demise of 31 bears at park tied to encounters with humans. Seven were hit by trains or cars. Ten were killed illegally, often shot and left to die. Thirteen were killed by wildlife officials because they had menaced humans or had otherwise become a nuisance. One was killed in self-defense. more
10/01/05 We will make KWS shine again, assures Kipng'etich (Kenya)
The Nation - The new head of the Kenya Wildlife Service, Mr Julius Kipng'etich, said KWS will focus on the human-wildlife conflict by engaging communities in the management of wildlife outside national parks more
07/01/05 Gnawing hunger drives raiding squirrels (USA)
North Jersey - Apparently squirrels are so numerous and acorns so scarce this year that suburban homeowners in North Jersey are reporting a rash of gnawing incidents. The furry vandals are eating their way through plastic garbage can lids, window screens and even, in one case, a rooftop skylight. more
05/01/05 A scarecrow with brains (Australia)
Graduateengineer.com - Two University of South Australia researchers have developed software that has the potential to save the fruit industry millions of dollars each year by limiting the damage birds cause to fruit crops more
01/01/05 Dam beavers (USA)
The Boston Globe - When beavers and the ponds they create get too close to wells, septic systems, roads, and building foundations, they are a problem. Victims of beaver damage now have several options. With the approval of their local board of health, they can arrange for Conibear or live trapping, breach dams (subject to conditions set by the local conservation commission), or install the water flow devices that keep ponds from expanding. more

2004
OCTOBER

17/10/04 Cull 'will wipe out cormorants' (UK)
The Guardian - Thousands of cormorants are to be shot because anglers complained that they were eating the fish they wanted to catch. This has enraged the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which says the species is protected and it will take court action to save them more

16/10/04 In suburbia, it's a wild, wild life (USA)
The Christian Science Monitor - A record share of man-beast conflicts now happen in urban areas. Damage to property is far more frequent than a scary encounter, let alone an attack. Although coyotes rank only fifth among 15 species most frequently reported to Wildlife Services - well behind raccoons, skunks, Canada geese, and beaver - they're regarded as more dangerous more

16/10/04 Deer forum attracts big crowd (USA)
The Kennett Paper - More than 200 Kennett Township residents and some of their neighbors filled the Red Clay room in Kennett Square last Thursday to begin a search for common ground on how to better manage what is perceived as a growing deer problem more
15/10/04 Keep your distance from elk this time of year (Canada)
Jasper Booster - The transition into the fall season also marks a potentially dangerous time for visitors and residents who might be in search of that one great photo of an elk in the park more
15/10/04Parties reach accord on bighorn sheep (USA)
Associated Press - Ranchers and wildlife advocates have found some common ground on retaining bighorn sheep on public lands without adversely affecting state sheep producers. A draft document contains recommendations on management practices for disease transmission control, habitat improvement, vaccine and predation more
13/10/04 International tiger conference in Paro (Buthan)
Kuensel Online - Conservation scientists gathered to prepare the Tiger Action Plan of Bhutan 2005 –2015 and to hold group discussions on topics like habitat and landscape assessment, management and planning; tiger and prey species assessment, monitoring, management and protection and human wildlife conflict and the human dimension more
12/10/04 Deer and otters move in on the foxes' lairs in the urban jungle (UK)
Independent - Britain's woodland wildlife is migrating to cities and suburbs, dividing householders more
12/10/04 Bozeman's growth increases conflict between people, wildlife (UK)
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle - Bozeman is growing fast, paving over more wildlife habitat every year. Yet some wild animals manage to adjust, to make a living among the cars and big-box stores. Traditional wildlife management, often focused on hunting or other methods of removing animals, is frequently stymied by urban or suburban situations more
10/10/04 Waging war on the super rats (UK)
BBC News -  Good housekeeping by farmers pays dividends in keeping rats down. For example wide, grassy field margins is a habitat less attractive for rats and attract rat predators such as the barn owl more
7/10/04 South Africa: To cull, or not to cull? (South Africa)
Inter Press Service - In recent years, much attention has been given to elephant poaching - and the catastrophic effects of this on herds throughout Africa. Successful conservation of elephants presents its own challenge, however, in the form of overpopulation more
7/10/04 Asian experts to study Kenya's human-elephant conflict experience (Kenya)
TerraWire - A team of Asian elephant experts plans to visit Kenya this week to learn from Africa's experience in dealing with problems stemming from people encroaching on the animals' habitat. Hundreds of elephants meet violent deaths at the hands of rural farmers in Asia as they compete for land. Thirteen researchers and conservationists from Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal and Sri Lanka will make the trip to Kenya. more
07/10/04 Lions invade village hit by famine (Kenya)
The Nation - Lions and buffaloes have invaded a Kilifi village, terrorising people and destroying crops. More than 8,000 famine-stricken villagers are now living in fear as the five lions and six buffaloes roam in search of food. more
6/10/04 'Cheetah friendly' beef to make its way to EU (Namibia)
Reuters - Namibian beef certified as 'cheetah-friendly' will soon make its way to the European Union as part of a new strategy to reduce conflict between ranchers and the graceful cats more
05/10/04 Cougar management debated as mountain lions advance into Napa's rural neighborhoods (USA)
NapaNews - Animal rights advocates, state wildlife officials, scientists and local ranchers may agree on just one thing when it comes to cougars: As new homes are built in Napa County's prime cougar territory each year, human encounters with the solitary, cunning cats will increase. more
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SEPTEMBER

20/09/04 Animal lovers question monkey shifting to wild (India)
India News - The shifting of hundreds of monkeys from this popular resort town in Himachal Pradesh to the countryside has left animal lovers and farmers anxious. more
19/09/04 Animal management projects see funding (USA)
The Casper Star-Tribune - Can a single dose of a birth control drug be developed to prevent pregnancy in free-ranging coyotes and reduce predation on livestock? Or perhaps some sort of computerized fear-provoking device would work better? The two proposals were among a handful of predator-related research projects that will be funded this year by a statewide predator management board. more
17/09/04 Naturalists struggle to save Iran cheetahs (Iran)
Reuters - Only 60 cheetahs are believed to remain in Iran, their numbers bludgeoned by hunting, road-building and drought, say environmentalists battling to save them from extinction. Hunters mainly threaten the cheetah by killing its prey, nomadic livestock herders roaring round the desert on motorbikes also posed a huge risk. more
16/09/04 Government sanctions cormorant cull to appease anglers (UK)
RSPB - Royal Society for the Protection of Birds - More cormorants are to be killed in England after the government today introduced a 'shoot to kill' policy, claiming it is preserving freshwater fish for anglers. more
5/09/04 Abundance of sharks may be part of normal migration (USA)
Mobile Register - Sharks congregating over sandbars just off the Alabama coast may be passing through the area as part of a normal but poorly understood annual migration. If swimmers want to avoid huge congregations of sharks like those detected last week along Gulf Shores, they may have to find some place other than the Gulf to swim for much of the summer. more
3/09/04 Conata shooting ban may be lifted (USA)
Rapid City Journal - The South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Commission has taken the first step toward allowing hunters to shoot prairie dogs on the Buffalo Gap National Grassland in Conata Basin. Wildlife groups blasted the state for lifting the shooting ban and threatened a lawsuit. The Conata Basin is the site of the nation's most successful endangered black-footed ferret reintroduction program and home to more than 250 breeding pairs of burrowing owls; moreover, the prairie dog itself deserves listing as a threatened species. more
2/09/04 Menaced by holy monkeys, Indian villagers call in the contract killers (India)
Independent - Killers were paid to get rid of the monkeys by the inhabitants of Chang, where the growing monkey population had become a serious problem. Villagers could not ask the government to control them because according to Hindu belief monkeys are holy. In the more upmarket neighbourhoods of Delhi, when the monkeys invade, residents club together to hire a larger monkey, a langur, to patrol the area; the smaller monkeys are terrified of the tame langurs and move on. more
2/09/04 Elk to be killed to control growth of herd (USA)
The Associated Press - Federal wildlife officials have approved a plan to kill as many as 60 elk to control the burgeoning population in a protected area near the Hanford nuclear reservation, as animals often strays onto bordering ranch lands to graze on crops. The quick decision to kill elk on the reserve surprised the Hanford Reach advisory committee, which had recommended several other control methods, including hazing to run animals off sensitive areas, capture and relocation, and contraception drugs. more
1/09/04 No berries in the park brings bears into conflict with human garbage (USA)
Cut Bank Pioneer Press - A lack of berries in the forest is bringing bears out of the woods and into neighboring towns and ranches, looking for food. more
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AUGUST

31/08/04 Windfarm scheme 'threatens eagles' (UK)
The Herald - Building a windfarm on protected peatlands could harm a vulnerable population of golden eagles on Lewis, according to conservationists fighting the plans more
31/08/04 Esilalei Women's Cultural Boma: promoting conservation by empowering women (Tanzania)
African Wildlife Foundation - Maasai women are leading the charge for conservation and building their own economic and social capacity through a modern cultural tourism enterprise. The goal is to create a viable small enterprise that combines conservation-based tourism with opportunities for disadvantaged women. more
31/08/04 Drought threatens over 460 giraffes (Kenya)
The Nation - More than 460 giraffes and other wildlife in Bouralgi, Garissa District had been forced to move far away from the sanctuary in search of pasture and water. Farmers had closed 53 of the 158 animals routes to water sources, a situation that has caused conflict between human settlements and wildlife, leading to unnecessary killing of game. more
30/08/04
Wildlife officials say cougar sightings are on the rise in Oregon (USA)
Salem-news.com - Cougar encounters can happen during hiking, boating, camping, or any other activities in Oregon's great outdoors, especially those in Douglas Fir forest areas, or around livestock more
26/08/04 Recreational fishing harms threatened species (USA)
NewScientist.com - Recreational fishing is taking a heavier toll on some threatened marine fish in US waters than commercial fishing, say researchers who analysed 22 years of government catch records. more
25/08/04 Bambi in the back garden: deer are the new urban invaders (UK)
Independent Digital - Following the trail of foxes, species such as roe deer and muntjac are appearing in Britain's greener towns and cities. Why animals are on the hoof and the problems they might bring. more
22 August 2004
Noisy ecotourists may boost bear numbers (USA)
NewScientist.com - The presence of noisy ecotourists may unexpectedly benefit brown bears in the wild. Though the tourists scare big male bears away from prime feeding zones, hungry mothers and cubs are not deterred and seize the opportunity to eat free from the threat of infanticide, helping to boost the population more...
21 August 2004
Threatened pony breeds could thrive by grazing hills in place of sheep (UK)
Independent Digital - Two of Britain's rarest breeds of wild pony could be saved from extinction by being given a novel job in mountain conservation, new research suggests more...
20 August 2004
How to deal with 130,000 elephants? (Botswana)
Mmegi/The Reporter - Around 123 000 live in northern Botswana North, according to the third report of the project of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks to review the Elephant Management Plan of 1991. Six new key points of policy are now: to minimise human-elephant conflict; maximise elephant populations while ensuring the maintenance of habitats and bio-diversity; manage elephants to the benefit of the national economy; enhance benefits from elephant management to the rural population; meet international obligations; and manage elephants on the basis of sound scientific information more
20 August 2004
Coyote kills becoming controversial (USA)
Vail Daily News - An organization seeking to restore native carnivores to the Rockies, said livestock producers should try new methods. Mixing cattle and sheep, using burrows and llamas - which ward off predators such as coyotes - and new types of fencing can be effective, she said more
18 August 2004
Elephant rampage in Bangladesh
Planet Ark - Authorities in northeast India have urged Bangladesh not to kill about 100 wild elephants that have strayed across the border and gone on a rampage, killing 13 people and injuring dozens more. more...
15 August 2004
Nowhere to roam (Kenya)
TIME Online - Wildlife reserves alone cannot protect big cats. A look at new ways to save them: Mugie Ranch, a commercial livestock operation in Kenya's Laikipia district. more...
11 August 2004
Local communities oppose sale of KWS (Kenya)
The East African Standard - Communities in 15 districts neighbouring wildlife conservation areas yesterday strongly opposed plans to privatise the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). Their umbrella organisation, the Kenya Human Wildlife Conflict Management Network, said the move amounted to auctioning the national heritage to foreigners. more...
11 August 2004
Fencing for bears not a current option in JNP (Canada)
The Jasper Booster - Parks Canada is considering building a 10-kilometre electric fence around Lake Louise as one of three proposals on how to deal with the bear problem in that area more...
7 August 2004
Biologists say coyotes losing fear of humans (USA)
North County Times - While the debate over killing coyotes continues to swirl throughout North County, biologists say the evidence is clear that the predators are growing less afraid of humans every year. more...
5 August 2004
Roadless repeal hurts Yellowstone (USA)
Casper Star Tribune - Visitors to certain national parks will see smaller numbers of wildlife and more impaired scenery unless a national rule protecting roadless areas is reinstated, according to three conservation groups. more...
4 August 2004
Disease bouts knock crater lions (Tanzania)
BBC News - Numbers of lions in the Ngorongoro Crater have been knocked severely by several bouts of acute disease over the past 40 years. The researchers are not entirely sure what has caused this increase in levels of disease. They suggest it could be due to the fact that there are many more humans in the area now, and with them come domestic dogs - which carry canine distemper virus (CDV). more...
2 August 2004
Tips to turn the tide in favour of endangered sea turtles (Global)
UNEP News Release - Fishermen who use large circular hooks baited with fish rather than squid may not only boost their catches, they may also significantly reduce the number of turtles killed and harmed in fishing gear every year. more...
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JULY

29 July 2004
Mumbai faces people-panther conflict (India)
Islam Online - Citizens of Mumbai enjoy the unique distinction of possessing a wildlife sanctuary right within the confines of the city. The Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a favorite picnic spot and tourist destination but in recent months panthers have killed as many as 14 people. more...
29 July 2004
Sierra Leone villagers flee deadly elephants (Sierra Leone)
Reuters - Rampaging elephants have killed eight villagers in eastern Sierra Leone and chased up to 600 others from their homes, officials in the West African country said Thursday. more...
28 July 2004
Anglers urge cull of cormorants for eating too many fish (UK)
Independent News - It has become Liverpool's mascot, standing guard over the city at the Pier Head on the Mersey. But the cormorant, or Liver Bird, is facing a cull after angry anglers claimed the birds were eating too many fish. more...
25 July 2004
Humans invade gorillas' dwindling African refuge (Congo)
The Associated Press - Farmers have overrun thousands of acres in Congo's Virunga National Park, the latest threat to more than half the world's 700 remaining mountain gorillas. Stacking lava rocks, 200 workers are building a wall at the Rwandan border in an effort to stop farmers, fighters and refugees from sweeping into the home of the endangered primates. more...
24 July 2004
Rogue elephants killed in KZN park (South Africa)
Saturday Star - Wildlife rangers in KwaZulu-Natal's premier game reserve have killed three rogue elephants in a single week after a series of attacks on wildlife staff, tourists' cars, and rhinos. Most of the problems seemed to be related to the abnormally-aggressive behaviour of young elephant bulls brought to KwaZulu-Natal in 1980 as orphans of elephant culling operations in the Kruger National Park more...
22 July 2004
Undersea noise 'does harm whales' (Global)
BBC News - Evidence that noise from human sources harms whales and other marine mammals is overwhelming, scientists say. They believe special protected areas could help to save marine mammals from being harmed in this way. A report by the IWC's scientific committee says there is "compelling evidence" that entire populations of marine mammals are at potential risk from increasingly intense man-made underwater noise. more...
22 July 2004
Badgers 'should be on the pill' (UK)
BBC News - Britain's badger population should be given contraceptives to stop the animals from spreading disease, MPs say. The government confirmed that animal contraception trials had already begun, with wild boars being given injections. But campaigners said badgers should not be blamed for the spread of bovine TB and urged tighter livestock controls. more...
22 July 2004
Lifeline for wildlife from green farm reform (UK)
RSPB Public Relations Department - Healthy, thriving hedgerows and ditches will create wildlife-rich buffer strips between fields. Plants, insects, small mammals and more than 40 species of bird will all benefit from the decision. more...
22 July 2004
Local people 'to preserve nature' (Global)
BBC News - The potential for indigenous people to help curb the destruction of forests is being overlooked by the international community, according to a report. When forest communities are given legal control over their own lands they are at least as effective in conserving wildlife as national governments. The study argues that local people should be given more access to financial incentives to protect nature. more...
21 July 1004
Ministry to recruit 600 game rangers (Kenya)
The East African Standard - The Government will recruit 600 game rangers to curb the thorny issue of human/wildlife conflict in the country. more...
21 July 2004
Brew, bane of elephants (India)
The Telegraph, Calcutta - Devastation of their natural habitat is pushing elephants out of forests and closer to human settlements, where the combination of their strong sense of smell and a penchant for liquor are turning them into marauders. more...
17 July 2004
Some ranchers see 'predator friendly' as selling point with consumers(USA)
Associated Press Writer - While some of their neighbors opposed reintroduction of the Mexican gray wolf, Arizona cattle producers Will and Jan Holder came to embrace it. For them, it provided a new marketing opportunity and the prodding to manage their operation in a way that benefits both predators and a ranching lifestyle in the West. more...
16 July 2003
New Jersey plan to lift bear-hunt ban spurs protests (USA)
National Geographic - The Humane Society of the United States today criticized a decision by the New Jersey Fish and Game Council to schedule a bear hunt this year stating that the council ignored significant progress in the effort to reduce human/bear conflicts. more...
12 July 2004
Killer sharks gain unlikely ally (Australia)
BBC News - The brother of an Australian man killed in a shark attack has appealed to the authorities to spare the lives of the killers. Saturday's attack has reignited calls for shark nets to be put in place near popular beaches, but nets put other marine wildlife at risk - including whales, dolphins, turtles and seals. more...
11 July 2004
Jungle Raj: Prey, who is the predator? (India)
The times of India - In the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, leopards became man-eaters as their territory was encroached and trampled upon by humans. From Chikmagalur in Karnataka, to Himachal Pradesh, animals are being forced into conflict with humans as forests are turned to cash, and elephant corridors are destroyed in Kerala and Karnataka. A story across India of man becoming predator as well as victim. more...
11 July 2004
Later, gator? Hardly -- once-declining reptile is back (USA)
The Mississippi Press - The American Alligator has made a comeback over the past few decades. There are now 32,000 to 38,000 alligators in Mississippi. Alligators usually avoid humans, but the growth of communities and spread of development into the reptiles' natural environment has resulted in conflicts. Often problems arise when people feed alligators.  more...
11 July 2004
Tourist islands fear eco damage (Mediterranean)
The Observer - Two French islands in the Mediterranean will introduce stringent new restrictions on tourism this week. Biologists had already noted damage to several rare plant species and a decline in the number of peregrine falcons due to too many walkers around the cliffs of the islands. more...
10 July 2004
Treading on big cat's turf (India)
The Hindu Business Line - The Sanjay Gandhi National Park could well be Mumbai's pride, but recent leopard attacks have made it a problem. Blame the deaths on poor safety measures and also on residential complexes encroaching into protected forest area. more...
9 July 2004
Hyena victims got free treatment (Zambia)
The Times of Zambia - The Ministry of Health says the 22 villagers who were bitten by a hyena in Chipata over the long weekend are being treated at no cost. The Zambia Wildlife Authority has attributed the behaviour of the hyena to severe sickness, possibly rabies. more...
8 July 2004
Poachers burn one-third of Rwandan park (Rwanda)
Reuters - Poachers have burned a third of Rwanda's largest national park, hampering efforts to protect wildlife from dangers posed by the country's surging rural population. Reportedly poachers were both commercial hunters working in the bushmeat trade and subsistence hunters trying to feed themselves. more...
8 July 2004
Open Season on "Varmints" (USA)
emagazine.com - The prairie dog may soon go the way of the bison. Their range is a two percent of the historic 700 million acres in the Great Plains and the hunt is still on. Some 200,000 were shot in 2002 in Colorado. Calling themselves "varmint militia," hunters use prairie dogs as target practice. Are prairie dogs really "varmints" that are best removed from the environment? People have overlooked the critical role they play in encouraging biological diversity, and have overestimated the impact they have on our own economic interests. more...
7 July 2004
Australia on angry kangaroo alert (Australia)
BBC News - A kangaroo is said to have drowned a dog in a Canberra park Residents in Australia's capital city have been warned to beware starving kangaroos after a spate of attacks. more...
5 July 2004
Wild leopards on human killing spree in Bombay (India)
Reuters - As rampant population growth blurs the divide between city and countryside, it appears man is not even safe from nature's predators in the middle of the world's fifth-largest metropolis. more...
5 July 2004
Kalahari bushmen fight eviction (Botswana)
BBC News - More than 200 bushmen from the Kalahari desert are taking the Botswana government to court over their forced eviction from ancestral land. They are challenging a 2002 decision to resettle them outside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, which was their home for tens of thousands of years. more...
4 July 2004
Tussle with tuskers (Sri Lanka)
Lanka Business Online - The Pelwatte sugar plantation is a popular spot for hungry elephants from nearby sanctuaries. Regular night patrols, electric fences, trenches and watchmen are inadequate to beat elephant tactics. Landing a big plantation in the established home range of elephants of Yala and Handapanagala is creating constant conflict between the plantations and the hungry giants. more...
1 July 2004
Elephants stay away as pepper does the trick (Kenya)
The Nation - Elephants are known to hate pepper. Farmers in Laikipia are planting pepper around other crops to keep away elephants. The project of the Laikipia Wildlife Forum aims at tackling the human-wildlife conflict. The method has been successfully used in Zimbabwe and there is optimism that it would work in Kenya. more...
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JUNE

30 June 2004
MPs set demands on Elgon Park Land (Uganda)
New Vision - MPS from eastern Uganda have appealed to the Government to de-gazette the boundaries of Mt. Elgon National Park to ease the existing human population pressure.more...

30 June 2004
Residents appeal for protection from baboons (Kenya)
The East African Standard - Residents neighbouring the Lake Nakuru National Park yesterday protested against harassment by baboons. They said hundreds of baboons from the park had become a nuisance, as they often sneaked out of the park to harass them, steal food in pots and leave the pots and pans in the park. more...

30 June 2004
Tourism hits turtles (Mediterranean)
Sky News - Tourism is threatening to destroy the largest population of loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean unless action is taken now, the World Wildlife Fund has warned. more...

29 June 2004
Pygmy owl still needs protection, judge rules (USA)
Tucson Citizen - A federal judge this week issued an order that maintains key protections for the Pygmy Owl, while its status is being reviewed. Homebuilding corporations in the area had asked the courts to remove protections amid claims that the bird's protected habitat blocks construction projects. The Fish and Wildlife Service has until next January to decide if the owl should remain protected. more...

29 June 2004
Leopards caught in fearful Bombay (India)
BBC News - The authorities in India's business capital Bombay (Mumbai) have captured three leopards after a recent upsurge in attacks on humans. The big cats have killed 12 people this month alone - and three times that number since the start of 2003. more...

20 June 2004
Rabbits delay masts' demolition (UK)
BBC News - Rabbits delayed the destruction of eight British Telecom radio masts which have dominated the Warwickshire skyline for nearly 80 years. They chewed through wires which had been laid to trigger the explosions to bring the structures down. more...

19 June 2004
Elephant survey in August (Sri Lanka)
Daily News - The human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka has assumed national proportions. Around three elephants per week and five human lives per year fall prey to the conflict. Remedial measures such as the erection of electric fences and firecrackers have not been able to contribute much to resolve the conflict. The Department of Wildlife Conservation will conduct a island-wide elephant survey to find a lasting solution to the so far unresolved. more...

17 June 2004
Fear that Australia's koalas face extinction (Australia)
Reuters - Koalas, an iconic symbol of Australia, face extinction as rapid urbanisation along the eastern seaboard destroys their fragile habitat, environmental activists have warned. more...

7 June 2004
Protester compares tahrs to Aristide (South Africa)
Cape Argus - A group of concerned animal lovers protest against the killing of the Table Mountain tahrs. The tahrs, indigenous to the Himalayas, are being eradicated from Table Mountain National Park because of the damage they cause to vegetation and to make way for the reintroduction of the klipspringer. Klipspringers and tahrs compete for the same ecological niche. more...

7 June 2004
The crocs are biting back (Australia)
Independent - Thirty years ago, Australia's 'salty' crocodiles had been hunted to the brink of extinction. Now they are thriving - and turning the tables by preying on humans. more...

6 June 2004
Good reasons for making elk feel unwelcome (Canada)
Toronto Star - Because they are much bigger, elk present a threat to the people whose town they've invaded. In the past, problem animals have either been killed or moved some significant distance away, with great expense and effort and not a lot of success. But now, University of Alberta researchers, together with Parks Canada personnel, are trying something new called "aversive conditioning." more...

5 June 2004
South Riding's wildlife project wins recognition (USA)
The Washington Post - The National Wildlife Federation will award a Community Wildlife Habitat certification to the South Riding development. The award is a sign that people and wildlife can coexist in the suburbs. Among other initiatives, 107 families in South Riding have registered their back yards as wildlife habitats, meaning that they provide food, cover, water and places to raise young, and the development's common areas are environmentally friendly. more...

5 June 2004
US Black bear population threatened by underground market for medicinal cures (USA)
VOA News - North American black bears are not endangered. But the decline of bear species in Asia has opened an underground market that is a potential threat to black bears on U.S. public lands. more...

1 June 2004
UF vets sterilize island cats (Ecuador)
The Gainesville Sun - Galapago's wildlife - marine iguanas, jumbo tortoises, exotic birds - is under threat by non-native cats, dogs, goats and pigs. Veterinarians and volunteers from the feral cat sterilization program at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine spent two weeks spaying and neutering dogs and cats on the island chain noted for the unique wildlife that spurred Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. more...
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MAY

20 May 2004
Pika wrongly accused (China)
China Daily - The plateau pika has been considered a pest because the common belief is that it competes with native livestock for forage and contributes to rangeland degradation. Because of this belief, the tiny creature has been systematically poisoned across vast areas of the high alpine meadows of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. more...

20 May 2004
Tribes gain say in bison debate (USA)
Star-Tribune - American Indians have been let in on formal talks that help shape the fate of the nation's last genetically pure wild herd of bison. Because many tribal members are ranchers, they share the concern of other ranchers in the Greater Yellowstone Area that bison may risk spreading brucellosis. There is a commitment to protect livestock from the disease while seeking alternatives to killing the bison as a means of controlling the disease. more...

20 May 2004
White rhinos on the critical list (Congo)
Reuters - The northern white rhino, one of the world's most endangered animals, could be extinct in the wild within months unless poaching by Sudanese rebels stops, conservationists said Thursday as they launched an urgent appeal for funds. more...

20 May 2004
Protecting people, deer and cars (USA)
The Catoosa County News - Pilot project intended to reduce deer-related motor vehicle accidents in Catoosa. A roadside reflector program designed to decrease night-time collisions with white-tailed deer. The Strieter-Lite reflectors prevent deer and other animals from crossing the road from dusk until dawn by flashing the vehicle's lights into the deer's path, momentarily freezing the animal until the vehicle passes. more...

20 May 2004
Hikers, bears clash over food on trails (USA)
The Times - Every spring, thousands of people flock to Northeast Georgia in an attempt to hike all or part of the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail. But clever black bears have begun to regard the annual pilgrimage as a potential smorgasbord. more...

19 Mayo 2004
Helping to keep ospreys from going into shock (Canada)
The Jasper Booster - The fish-feasting ospreys of Jasper National Park use power poles as prime nesting spots, but sometimes they come into contact with the power lines causing an electrical surge. These surges can lead to fires, power outage and electrocuted osprey. To help prevent that from happening, Parks Canada and Atco Electric have teamed up to provide new, safer homes for ospreys. more...

18 May 2004
Eastern states join hands to check man-elephant conflict (India)
IANS - Three eastern states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa have decided to join hands to reduce conflict between tuskers and humans, by increasing the forest cover and setting up a system of inter-state coordination to track and share information about the movement of elephants. Each forest department will be soon equipped with modern satellite tracking system and the daily information will be relayed to forest officials. more...

18 May 2004
Farmers blame Ministry for raiding lions (Namibia)
The Namibian - Cattle farmers in the North have accused the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of not properly fencing off the Etosha National Park. The lack of a fully functioning game-proof fence has resulted in many lions crossing the fence into neighbouring areas, killing goats, sheep, donkeys and horses, farmers allege. more...

18 May 2004
Cull no answer to control Kruger elephants (South Africa)
ENN - The International Fund for Animal Welfare this week warned against a "quick fix" approach to the park's elephant population, urging that more humane long-term alternatives need to be sought. Last week the former head of conservation at the park suggested that recent fatal attacks by elephants on human beings might be triggered by stress brought on by overpopulation more...

18 May 2004
Two rogue elephants being taken home (India)
UPI - A 28-member Indian team joined Bangladeshi experts to find and subdue the two Indian elephants who had escaped a forest sanctuary in India's Jharkhand state and crossed into Bangladesh last week, where they destroyed crops in eight districts. more...

17 May 04
Whales, seals and fishermen rarely take same prey (Global)
New Scientist - A classic conservation dispute may be challenged by the findings of a new study. Fishers accuse whales and seals of eating their precious, diminishing fish stocks. Conservationists and animal welfare advocates retort that it is the other way round. Surprisingly, it now appears that for most marine animals and most fisheries there is nothing to argue about. more...

17 May 2004
Defenders of Wildlife to stop paying ranchers (USA)
Associated Press - The animal rights group that pays ranchers for livestock losses to grizzly bears and wolves says it will no longer pay for sheep kills in the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness. The northern Rockies representative said the group doesn't want to encourage people to bring sheep into prime grizzly bear habitat, in agreement with positions taken by federal bear managers that call for phasing out sheep allotments in key grizzly bear habitat when allotment holders are willing. more...

16 May 2004
Livestock losses leave ranchers worn down by wolves (USA)
The Gazette - Although wolves are overwhelmingly popular among Yellowstone National Park visitors and others, there is a renewed sense of anger and disenfranchisement among many people who live in wolf country. more...

14 May 2004
Kenyans seek more cash for deaths caused by wildlife (Kenya)
Reuters - Kenyans living in areas dotted with the country's world famous wildlife said they wanted a larger share of tourism revenue and higher compensation for deaths and destruction of their property by the animals. Kenya pays 30,000 Kenya shillings ($379) for the loss of life to elephants, lions, and wildebeest but nothing for destruction of property. Laws on wildlife conservation and management are undergoing a review and amendments are expected to be presented in a bill to parliament before 2005. more...

14 May 2004
Nepal's vanishing snow leopards (Nepal)
IANS - Nepal's lofty Himalayan ranges are home to one-tenth of the world's population of snow leopards, but the endangered animals are battling to survive amid habitat loss, poaching and attacks by locals. more...

13 May 2004
Greater protection proposed for sharks and lions (Global)
NewScientist.com - Great white sharks and lions are two of the endangered species slated for extra protection in new proposals to limit trade in their body parts. Shark teeth, jaws and fins should be subject to regulation for the first time to prevent over-exploitation by hunters, says one proposal. Another seeks a total ban on trade in lion body parts more...

13 May 2004
Crop damage claims off to fast start this year (USA)
Marshfield News-Herald - Counties administer the Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program, a state-funded program that provides payments to farmers who suffer crop damage caused by deer, bears, geese and turkeys. To enroll in the program, farmers contact their county's land conservation department at least 10 days before they harvest a crop, so the amount of damage can be appraised. Every year, the county also inspects about 30 fences, which were constructed on farms after claims were filed on the properties over the years. more...

12 May 2004
Landscaping tips can curtail geese flocks (USA)
The Humane Society of the United States - The Humane Society of the United States urges property owners and managers to use habitat modification as a long-term, cost-effective, and humane way to reduce conflicts with geese. more...

12 May 2004
Animal overpasses, tunnels offering roadkill remedy (USA)
National Geographic News - Special "ecopassages" are helping wildlife reach the other side of the road, giving them a better chance at finding food, meeting mates, and completing migrations. more...

12 May 2004
People too bold in the bush (South Africa)
News24 - People have become too complacent around animals, and that, combined with tourists seeking an ever closer encounter with the bush, is leading to people being trampled by elephants. Dr Ian Whyte, senior scientific researcher in the Kruger National Park, says the "elephant problem" is actually a "human problem". more...

11 May 2004
Bamboo under extinction threat - Pandas, lemurs and gorillas could go hungry. (Global)
Nature News Service - Deforestation is known to be robbing many bamboo species of their native habitat. Up to half of the world's 1,200 woody bamboo species are in danger of extinction, a UN report has revealed. Urgent action is needed to protect the plants and the species that depend on them. more...

7 May 2004
Out of balance - Vetoing anti-manatee bill should be easy (USA)
News-Journal Corporation - Known as the "anti-manatee bill", the bill makes a subtle but fundamental shift in the mission of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, by declaring off-handedly that the commission must balance manatee protection with a new duty to provide "maximum recreational use" of the state's waterways. The single biggest - and most preventable - hazard to manatees is speeding boats. more...

5 May 2004
Ecologist killed in elephant attack (South Africa)
Sapa - Mpumalanga ecologist Kay Hiscocks was killed by an elephant on Tuesday at the Lion Sands camp in Sabie Sands, adjoining the Kruger National Park. An expert says that there were more lodges, elephants and visitors than 10 years ago in the area Hiscocks died, which increased the possibility of such attacks happening. more...

5 May 2004
Wildlife bill wins approval (UK)
BBC - A new law to protect Scotland's plants and animals has been unanimously approved by MSPs. The Nature Conservation (Scotland) Bill will place a duty on all public bodies to promote biodiversity. It will also tighten up the law on wildlife crime and give extra protection to sites of special scientific interest. more...

5 May 2004
Fences 'can help apes' survival' (West Africa)
BBC News Online - The eminent wildlife expert Dr Richard Leakey, director of Kenya's Wildlife Service, says fencing in protected areas in Africa and Asia could help to arrest the decline of endangered great apes. Dr Leakey thinks there need not be any conflict between saving wildlife and alleviating the poverty of the people. "Allowing gorillas and chimpanzees to die, or killing them off, won't improve people's lives: it will impoverish them" more...

4 May 2004
No fence - no wallabies (Australia)
Yorke Peninsula Country Times - Locals are conceding there may be a safe way to reintroduce Tammar wallabies into Innes National Park, but they are adamant fencing the park perimeter to stop any 'escapes' is a must. On a public meeting they they would accept the reintroduction of the wallabies with a guarantee they would be contained within the park, and that the Department of Environment and Heritage accepted responsibility, and compensation be available for any costs and damages incurred should any escape. more...

3 May 2004
Scientists propose solutions to lion-human conflicts (Kenya)
Environmental News Network - A new study in the Tsavo region of Kenya investigates the annual toll on livestock and provides a hopeful model for coexistence. The study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, concluded that lion attacks in this arid scrubland increase during the wet season when the prey is scattered and harder to hunt. The authors suggests a seasonal stocking plan to reduce lion predation on local livestock: by quartering livestock only during the dry season and taking them to market before the annual rains, herders could take advantage of the growth of annual vegetation but avoid the majority of recurrent losses to predators. more...
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APRIL

30 April 2004
Wildlife a threat to Tsumkwe agriculture (Namibia)
New Era
Efforts to encourage the San community at Tsumkwe to deviate from their traditional hunting lifestyle and to engage in crop and livestock farming are been jeopardized by elephants destroying agricultural equipment and the apparent failure of a system of annual dividends provided by the Nyae Nyae Conservancy and a US NGO to the San people to purchase livestock more...

30 April 2004
Creative end to crocodile crisis (South Africa)
BuaNews
The completion last year of the Maluleke Dam brought unusually large numbers of crocodiles in the dam. After a 12-month reign of terror by crocodiles, and 14 people killed, about 70 of these reptiles and 30 hippos will be removed and sold to the highest bidders among game farm owners in the province. This solution was reached after talks between community leaders and the Limpopo Department of Finance and Tourism, with proceeds that might total well over R1 million to be ploughed into community development projects. more...

29 April 2004
Wild tuskers kill 40 people in a year in Bangladesh
ANI
Wild elephants kill on an average 40 people while men also kill 10 elephants every year in Bangladesh, said a study report presented at a seminar on "protection of elephant and public safety" organised by the country's forest ministry, World Conservation Union and IUCN in northern Sherpur district. Elephants attack mainly during the harvesting season causing damages to standing crops worth over Tk 5 crore every year. more...

28 April 2004
Australia takes aim at pullulating pests (Australia)
Reuters
What's worse? A hundred billion starving locusts, a billion ravenous mice, or a million flesh-eating wild dogs? The island continent's vast uncontrolled spaces make it one of the countries hardest hit by pests. A year-long inquiry could lead to poison, baiting and shooting and to increased government funding for pest control. more...

27 April 2004
Crop 'killer' crocodiles, residents urge ZAWA (Zambia)
The Times of Zambia
Luangwa residents in Lusaka rural are appealing to Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to crop crocodiles that have infested the Luangwa river killing several villagers. Over 20 cases had been reported in various parts of the district this year. more...

25 April 2004
Officials trying new approach at blackbird control (USA)
Associated Press
Federal officials who once wanted to poison blackbirds now want to feed them. They hope the result will be the same - reducing damage to farmers' fields. Wildlife Services, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is launching a three-year research program that involves seeding small "decoy" plots of oil sunflowers in six North Dakota counties, in areas of high blackbird concentrations. The idea is to give the nuisance birds something to snack on and keep them from feasting on farmers' larger commercial fields. more...

25 April 2004
Big-game tag brings wolves closer to state management in Idaho (USA)
Associated Press
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission has unanimously voted late last month to change the official status of gray wolves from "endangered species" to "big game animal," bringing any killing of the species under commission regulation. Hunting already helps control populations of black bear and cougars, two other top predators in Idaho. The Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery annual report said 52 cattle, 99 sheep, nine dogs, and five llamas were killed by wolves in the three states during 2002. In response, 46 wolves that had turned to livestock as prey were killed. more...

24 April 2004
Crocodiles the main poll issue in Rajnagar! (India)
Bibhuti Mishra
The people of Rajnagar in Kendrapara district would vote for the candidate who would save them from the crocodile menace! In the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary all the prerequisites for human attacks exist: frequent human intrusion into the crocodile habitat and a crocodile population with a large number of males; and there have been frequent attacks on livestock too. While the compensation for the crocodile attack victims is Rs.10 thousand on death, killing a crocodile can result in three years imprisonment. Voters have organised meetings in most villages and demanded that the candidates declare the steps they would take to protect human beings from the 'protected' crocs. more...

24 April 2004
Black bear visits reported in Middlebury (USA)
Voices Online
Three Mile Hill Road residents were surprised when they looked out their windows on the morning and saw their bird feeders had been destroyed overnight, apparently the work of a black bear. Wildlife biologist suggests that residents prone to bear visits remove bird feeders and any other attractions such as pet food or livestock feed. Although bears are generally afraid of humans, they will become less fearful if they regularly find food near homes or in yards. Since April 2003, there have been 1,456 bear sightings reported in Connecticut. more...

21 April 2004
KWS to move elephants from Shimba Reserve (Kenya)
The East African Standard
Increasing numbers of elephants at the Shimba reserve fuelled human/wildlife conflict in Kwale district. The Kenya Wildlife Service has started a study to establish their numbers before it can translocate some to Tsavo East national park. more...

20 April 2004
Problem grizzly killed (USA)
Billings Gazette
A grizzly bear with a knack for breaking and entering - and for leaving the scene before being captured - was caught and killed in northwest Wyoming last week, the first of the year to be euthanized for repeatedly raiding buildings. more...

17 April 2004
An ecological dilemma (Bhutan)
Kuensel Online
According to the nature conservation division (NCD) of the agriculture ministry, the wild boar problem in Bhutan is a problem created by human intervention in the 1980s when people poisoned its predator, the wild dog, in mass. Since the return of the wild dog in 2001 the wild boar population decreased "drastically" and damage to the farmers' crops was negligible, but the farmers' new found joy was short lived. The wild dog population increased and was hunting their livestock. The answer appeared to lie in the reduction of the wild dog without disturbing the ecology, but NCD director admitted there is no quick fix for this complex problem more...

15 April 2004
Motion on wildlife given green light (Kenya)
The East African Standard
Parliament approved the introduction of a Bill seeking new compensation rates for loss of life and property caused by wildlife. MPs criticized current compensation rates and said that conflict between game and humans was caused by inadequate conservation policies. For instance, elephants moved to the Tsavo Game Park were destroying crops in neighbouring farms. The amendment may include a rise in compensation for life lost through wildlife attacks and determine a percentage of profits accrued from wildlife to be channelled to local communities to help in development projects. more...

14 April 2004
Leave national park, Zawa orders chief Kalunga subjects (Zambia)
The Times of Zambia
The Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) has ordered Sub-Chief Mwape Kalunga and his 100 subjects to vacate the Isangano National Park in Northern Province. An alternative piece of land elsewhere has already been found for re-settlement. Re-settlements are planned too for all villagers who had encroached illegally into Kafinda Game Management Area. The director-general of ZAWA said national parks were the last reservoirs of Zambia's wildlife and heritage, and implored the people to work closely with ZAWA. more...

14 April 2004
Wildlife, humans clash on America's urban frontier (USA)
Planet Ark
Whether it is deer in Montana, black bears in New Jersey, mountain lions in California or bison in Wyoming, wildlife is becoming accustomed to city life, sometimes with tragic results. more...

13 April 2004
Kenyan tribes profit by conserving (Kenya)
Associated Press
People moving in and fences going up in areas around the Nairobi National Park threatens an important migration route for zebras and wildebeest, and the lions, jackals and hyenas that stalk them. The government and wildlife groups are paying the Maasai to not farm or fence in some land and they also are being compensated whenever a lion kills their livestock, as long as they let the lion live. more...

13 April 2004
Rep proposes bounty on coyotes (USA)
New York Times
A year after Washington County livestock farmers experienced record losses from coyote attacks, legislation is pending in the Ohio House that would reward hunters for killing the animals. The U.S. history of bounties however shows it is not a good means for controlling damage to livestock, as the coyote population would need to be reduced by two-thirds to effect a change in livestock kills. more...

12 April 2004
Hippos, elephants invade Bushenyi (Uganda)
The Monitor
Residents of Katerera Sub County complains about increasing number of Hippopotamus invading crater lakes in the area, as one person was killed as he tried to fish in Lake Nyaminaga. The sub county chairman said efforts to talk to Queen Elizabeth protected area management yielded negative results. more...

12 April 2004
Taming Ethiopia's hyenas (Ethiopia)
BBC news
I Seyyid Abdiweli Abdishakur, a traditional leader who also doubles up as a farmer and a pastoralist, has made a mark within his community by achieving what many men dread to even attempt. He has trained a hyena to look after his livestock and four hawks to guard his grain farms from destructive birds. more...

11 April 2004
Green thumbs on the trigger (USA)
New York Times
Wildlife biologists estimate that there are now 25 million to 30 million deer in this country, up from only 500,000 a century ago. And more and more suburban areas and small towns, desperate from the damage, are inviting sharpshooters to defeat marauding deer. more...

10 April 2004
Orissa elephant battles for survival (India)
Sampad Mahapatra
A 20-year-old elephant has been battling for life for the past three days in the Juango Pidho area of Orissa's Keonjhar district after being chased by angry villagers for destroying their crop. The growth of industrial and mining activity has had an adverse effect on Orissa's traditional elephant corridor and more and more elephants are now turning into crop raiders. more...

7 April 2004
Protected areas don't protect many endangered species, study finds
National Geographic News
While 11.5 percent of the planet's land surface is now officially protected for nature conservation, a new study reveals that hundreds of critically endangered species range completely outside those sanctuaries. Conservationists question whether the world's governments have protected the wrong places. more...

5 April 2004
Vampire bats on attack in Brazil (Brazil)
BBC News
Rabies-carrying vampire bats killed at least 13 people in a town in Brazil's northern state of Para last month. The record number of deaths was matched by an increase in bat attacks. Scientists believe deforestation may be a factor behind the increase in attacks. A programme to vaccinate domestic animals and people deemed at risk will begin in the area next week. more...

3 April 2004
Uganda wild animals flee to the DR of Congo (Uganda)
New Vision
Thousands of Uganda's wild animals have fled into the DR Congo after encroachers reclaimed their habitat in the Semliki Wildlife Reserve in Bundibugyo. The about 8000 Congolese who fled their country at the height of the civil conflict there in 2002 had gone without relief aid for a year. The reserve bore visible signs of deforestation and since the wild animals cannot compete with the cows for vegetation and water, they have either died or migrated to the DRC. more...

2 April 2004
Many proposals on table to fix lion problem (USA)
Arizona Daily Star
Lawmakers, policy-makers and environmentalists are pushing ahead with proposed solutions to the root causes of the problems with Sabino Canyon mountain lions. Many of these causes come back to people's behavior, they said: feeding wildlife that is lion prey, planting non-native grasses that draw javelina and moving into mountain foothills. more...

1 April 2004
Reopening Hawaii fishery may harm sea turtles, experts say (Hawai)
National Geograhic News
Reopening a Hawaiian swordfish fishery could undermine conservation efforts to save the critically endangered Pacific leatherback, the world's largest turtle. A new type of hook and bait and de-hooking equipment are mandatory under the new rules to limit turtle bycatch. more...
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MARCH

30 March 2004
Elephants rampage Chiawa's area (Zambia)
The Times of Zambia
Elephants are terrorising villagers in Chieftainess Chiawa's area and have destroyed maize fields.Chieftainess Chiawa said villagers had been advised to grow crops on the upper land to avoid floods along the river banks, but now the wild animals were destroying the crops. more...
29 March 2004
Burma creates huge tiger reserve (Burma)
BBC News
The Burmese government has given the go-ahead for the creation of the world's largest tiger reserve. The expanded reserve could sustain more than 1,000 tigers. more...
29 March 2004
Islanders offered £20 to save hedgehogs from extermination(UK)
Independent
Hedgehogs facing government-controlled extermination on the Outer Hebrides could win a last-minute reprieve because of £20 bounties being offered to islanders for each animal snatched from death. more...
28 March 2004
Kenya plans massive elephant translocation to ease human-wildlife conflict (Kenya)
TerraDaily
The Kenya Wildlife Service announced it planned to move about 400 elephants from a reserve in the coastal region where they have been straying into human settlements and destroying crops. more...
24 March 2004
Prediction tool puts development in hands of locals (Indonesia)
National Geographic News
Indonesia's poorest province, Papua, is a natural-resource trove that is awaiting exploitation and begging for protection. Conservationists say a new software program will help residents guide the province to sustainable development-by forecasting the consequences of their decisions. more...
18 March 2004
Proposals to reduce sizes of National Parks (Kenya)
The Nation
Kenya proposes to reduce the size of several national parks to create land for needy communities. Targeted are Tsavo National Park, The Abedares, Lake Nakuru, Meru and Shimba Hills National Reserve. more...
18 March 2004
UK wildlife 'heading into crisis'(UK)
BBC News
Two new studies of UK wildlife provide alarming evidence that many animal and plant species in Britain are in sharp decline due to human activity. more...
15 March 2004
Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?(USA)
Independent
Reintroduced less than 10 years ago, wolves are breeding fast in the wilds of Idaho. But their presence has revived ancient fears about this fabled predator. And now some are calling for a programme of mass extermination. more...
11 March 2004
A chili a day keeps the elephants away! (Malawi)
Charles Mkoke
Elephants have been wreaking havoc in areas surrounding Liwonde National Park in Southern Malawi , destroying crops and causing deaths amongst the local populations due to elephant stampedes. An electric fence and a lot of chilies have recently done wonders to reduce this human/wildlife conflict.more...
6 March 2004
Man-eater tiger killed in Pilibhit (India)
The times of India
Life in areas around Mahoof and Mala forest ranges in Pilibhit district would now return to normal as the man-eating tiger, which had unleashed a reign of terror in the area by taking a toll of nine human lives, was shot dead.more...
5 March 2004
South African schools add conservation to the curriculum(South Africa)
WWF
The first year of a pilot project to introduce the Eco-Schools Programme into South Africa has been extremely successful. The programme aims to raise awareness of, and support action in, environmental and sustainable development issues through lesson plans and activities linked to a school's curriculum.more...
1 March 2004
Mapping may help predict wolves' problem spots (USA)
Associated Press
Scientists say they have developed a high-tech way to predict where wolves might prey on livestock, perhaps allowing farmers to prevent the attacks. more...
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"A partnership between the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) and Born Free Foundation, seeking to resolve conflicts between the needs of people and those of wildlife, and develop long-term, humane solutions."