| News - News archives - |
| ►Pick of the headlines |
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9/9/07 Sheep rancher seeks peace with wolves (USA)
Idaho Mountain Express - Lava Lake Land and Livestock uses non-lethal measures to protect herds. The methods are varied, but the gist remains. The huge sheep producer has not lost sheep to wolves since 2005 more
Photo: great pyrenees guard dog by Jason Kauffman |
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7/9/07 House builders urged to cater for wildlife (UK)
BBC News - New planning regulations: Increasingly the planning authorities are considering the impact on wildlife.
A new breed of environmentally aware developers and consultants
merges. more
Photo: swift nests are like normal bricks and are built in
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6/9/07
A light show just for turkey vulture (USA)
Bismarck Tribune - Turkey vultures roosting on a communications tower in north Bismarck got a special dose of fireworks and light tonight in an effort to drive them away more |
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ASIAN ELEPHANTS
6/9/07 Elephant deaths baffle forest officials (India)
Gulf News - The north Bengal forest range is the highest conflict zone in India. On average 10 elephants die every year due to man-elephant conflict more
5/9/07
Don't make national parks ghettos for our elephants (Sri Lanka)
Sunday Times – The government has been slow in adopting significant research findings on various aspects of elephant behaviour, including the human-elephant conflicts more
5/9/07
Educate children about pachyderms (India)
Decaan Herald - Education of the rural people, especially children can play a big role in reducing elephant-human conflicts, said authors of the new book ‘Romancing the elephant’ more
4/9/07
Orissa prepares master plan for protection of elephants (India)
Times of India - The Orissa government has prepared a master plan on how to check man-elephant conflict more
31/8/07 The battle for survival (Bhutan)
Kuensel Online- Bears attacking humans, elephants destroying crops, and Bengal tigers prowling in close proximity to human settlements are clear signs of rural livelihood and wildlife coming into constant conflict in Bhutan. more |
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6/8/07 Cougar research with native americans (USA)
HULIQ.com - Assiniboine and Chippewa-Cree communities learn how the restoration of cougar populations would affect them and their economies at the Fort Belknap and Rocky Boys Indian Reservations more
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17/6/07 Milan airport shut by hare plague (Italy)
BBC News - Officials have taken the unusual step of closing Linate for three hours while a team of local wildlife experts try to catch the 80 or so hares that have been causing the problem.
The hares will be taken to nature reserves around Milan more |
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5/5/07 Man-crocodile conflict gets worse in Orissa (India)
KalingaTimes -
The crocs are found turning violent during nesting period and human interference near the nests invites the wrath of the reptiles. Mother crocs constantly maintain vigil near the nest and the reptiles retaliate and pounce on human trespassers more |
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3/5/07Australian farmers wrestle dingo threat
(Australia)
Planet Ark - Between grey granite mountains and drought-ravaged farms is a strip called the "militarised zone", the frontline of a battle between farmers and environmentalists over the survival of Australia's dingo. more
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1/5/07 Kerala village relocated from elephant corridor (India)
RxPG NEWS - A village in Kerala's proposed elephant corridor has been successfully relocated by the Wildlife Trust of India -an NGO here, to put an end to the man-elephant conflict and protect the wild animals as well
more |
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7/5/07 From pooh to paper (Sri Lanka - USA)
World-Wire - There are no easy solutions for resolving the human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka. Many are now convinced that the only way elephants and human beings can exist successfully in the same environment is through finding ways to use the elephant as a sustainable economic resource.
Elephant dung may be that resource. more
Also visit Mr Ellie Pooh website |
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17/5/07 Wind farms urged to go easy on birds and bats
(USA)
Planet Ark - Ducks in the Dakotas, tanagers in Texas and grosbeaks along the Gulf of Mexico could all be hit by the rapid growth of wind power unless the renewable electricity farms are carefully sited. more |
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31/1/07 Wild wolves 'good for ecosystems' (Scotland)
BBC - Reintroducing wild wolves to the Scottish Highlands, hunted to extinction in the late 1700s, would help control the numbers of red deer and the re-establishment of plants and birds currently hampered by the deer population -a team from the UK and Norway write in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. But farmers say more livestock would be killed if wolves are reintroduced. more
RELATED NEWS
30/1/07 Wolves could be re-introduced to Scotland to help cull deer - Glasgow Daily Record
31/1/07 Day of the wolf -but its evil image could stop it saving the Highlands
- Guardian Unlimited, UK
31/1/07 Reintroducing wolves to Highlands may benefit Scottish ecosystems - Innovations Report, Germany
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28/1/07 With or without a shadow, farmers don't like them (USA)
The News Journal - Groundhogs (Marmota monax), also known as "whistle pigs," are considered a pest by farmers. They excel at digging and can move up to 700 pounds of dirt while excavating a burrow. They particularly like soybeans, Delaware's most important crop,causing thousands of dollars in crop damage.(photo: News Journal/Fred Comegys) more |
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28/1/07 Cougars on the prowl (USA)
Mail Tribune - Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist says the agency's Bear/Cougar Human Attack Kit is at the ready to collect evidence should a cougar attack a human in Oregon. Oregon sports some of the highest densities of cougars in the country and sprawling development put cougars and people in regular proximity to each other.
(photo: Mail Tribune/Jim Craven) more |
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28/1/07 Tribes hope to save elk herd (USA)
HeraldNet - Stillaguamish, Tulalips join effort to relocate problem elk. The tribes say their culture will suffer without vibrant elk herds. They want to move the elk that are so troublesome to farmers to an area where they can roam between Snohomish and Skagit counties.
more |
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24/1/07 Minister calls for action plan to solve man-animal conflict (India)
Medindia.net - At a national workshop on ‘Human-Leopard Conflict Management’ today, the Minister of State for Environment and Forests said that India needs to have a re-look at existing strategies in this regard. Man-animal conflict is one of the challenging issues facing wildlife managers in the country: monkey menace in urban areas, crop raids by ungulates and wild pigs, depredation by elephants and cattle and human lifting by tigers and leopards more
RELATED NEWS
26/1/07 Resolving a conflict of a different kind (India) -
Hindu-Chennai
24/1/07 Workshop to resolve man-leopard conflict - NDTV.com |
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8/1/06 Japan's black bears 'face extinction'
Guardian Unlimited - Warning follows record number of killings of bears that stray into towns and villages in search of food.
Between April and November last year 4,251 black bears (30-50% of the total population) were
killed because they were considered a threat to human safety and crops.
(photo:Greg Baker/AP) more |
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2/1/07
Saving the tiger (Malaysia)
The Star Online - Did this tiger, trapped last June, encroach into human territory or did humans encroach into
its habitat? (photo: The Star Online). Attacks on humans and livestock become inevitable in three known conflict hotspots. more
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1/1/07 Hungry otters battling with anglers to net the best catch (UK)
The Times - Having come close to disappearing, now their resurgence has brought them back into conflict with
man. The Specialist Anglers’ Alliance says that otters have destroyed entire populations of large fish in
some fisheries and have devastated stocks in hundreds more. In a groundbreaking agreement with the Environment
Agency the angling clubs have now been told that they can apply for grants to pay for anti-otter fences around
fisheries (photo: Dorset Wildlife Trust). more |
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24/12/06 Porcupine threatened by the latest fad (South Africa)
Independent Online - What started out as a cottage industry using the quills of porcupines killed as 'problem
animals' by farmers has mushroomed into a vast industry that is consuming an unlimited supply of quills,
responsible for the cruel deaths of thousands of porcupines more |
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18/12/06
'Osama' the serial killer elephant is shot dead- or is he? (India)
Independent- The bull destroyed hundreds of homes in the north-eastern state of Assam before he was
reported to have been shot on Saturday 16th (photo: Reuters; People gather around the body). Up to 14 people were killed by the tuskless animal in the past
month alone. But it now appears that the elephant that was shot may not be Osama more
RELATED NEWS
20/12/06 ‘Laden’ killing enrages NGOs - Calcutta Telegraph
Elephants swarm town in Assam - NDTV.com
Requiem for ‘rogue’ elephant Laden - Calcutta Telegraph
22/12/06 Asom conservationists criticise officials for killing elephant - DailyIndia.com
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11/12/06 Forest guards awarded for saving the tiger (India)
Expressindia.com
- Tigers may be an object of fear among villages in the back waters of Sunderban in West Bengal, but forest
guards risk their lives saving both man and animal. Recent efforts
by three such forest guards have earned them accolades for successfully reducing the long-pending problem of
human-animal conflict in the region. more |
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11/12/06 Good fences make safer roads (USA)
Vail Daily News - The Colorado Department of Transportation is trying to make Interstate 70 safer with a $3.3 million fence. The eight-foot fence should keep deer, elk, and other wildlife from running
across the freeway. (photo: Matt Inden/Vail Trail; herd of elk feeding near the highway in Minturn) more |
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10/12/06 Sea eagle spreads its wings to head east (Scotland)
Scotman.com- The presence of sea eagles has had a number of unforeseen consequences, in particular localised but problematic
predation on livestock, especially lambs. (photo: RSPB)
more |
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8/12/06 Wolves pay predation price (USA)
The Casper Star Tribune - In Wyoming, one-quarter of all wolves living outside Yellowstone's protective
boundary were killed after reports of attacks on livestock. Though wolves grab the attention, their impact on domestic animals is far
exceeded by other predators (coyotes, foxes, dogs, bears and even eagles also rank higher) (photo: Tracy Brooks, USFWS) more |
8/12/06 Growing human-elephant conflict (Nepal)
Gorkhapatra - The Terai Arc Landscape project works to
restore biological corridors that provide crucial linkage between the Trans-border protected areas of Nepal and
India, and facilitate the movement of large terrestrial wild animals including the wild Asian elephant.
more |
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22/10/06 Black bears leave mark on corn fields (USA)
Star Gazette News -
A farmer in Windsor, New Yor, goes to harvest his corn fields and discovers wide swaths of corn destroyed. A photographer flies over the site and snaps photos that show large patches of corn in the sprawling field wiped out, flattened. more |
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22/9/06 Human-elephant conflict reaches alarming proportions in India's NE
IRNA - Wildlife authorities in India's northeastern state of Assam Friday sounded an alert saying human- elephant conflict has reached alarming proportions.
Wildlife officials are holding an emergency meeting Monday at the famed
Kaziranga National Park in eastern Assam to devise new strategies to
reduce the man-elephant conflict. more
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17/9/06 Poll to help manage gators (USA)
The Ledger online -
Officials seek input for first review of gator management plan in decades.
Some Floridians have seen alligators their entire lives and some know little about them outside of press accounts of fatal attacks on pets or humans.The online poll is being conducted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. more
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11/09/06
Urban planning the Maasai way (Kenya)
SciDev.Net - Young Maasai men guide a herd of cattle across the busy road to Nairobi. Among the herd are several zebras, not ready yet to be separated from the livestock. The herders don't seem to mind their presence. For centuries they have mastered the art of coexisting with the wild on the plains of the Kajiado, but land subdivision has led to the erection of hundreds of kilometres of fencing in Kenyan plains, blocking the migratory paths of wildlife.more |
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3/9/06 Gov't plan aims to save Vietnam's declining elephants
Vietnamnet Bridge -
Numbers have plummeted from 2,000 to 130 over the past 30 years. A national action plan includes methods to minimise human-elephant contact, using electric fences, trenches to prevent elephants from raiding agricultural areas, noise and smells to drive them away from roads and people's property.
Farmers will be encouraged to reconsider their crop choices so as not to attract elephants. more |
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22/08/06 Dingo preservation plan angers pastoralists (Australia)
ABC Rural -
South Australian authorities want to protect the pure-bred dingo in the state's far north, but pastoralists are not happy with the move more
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26/6/06 Bavarian hunters kill Bruno the bear
The Guardian - After weeks of attempts to stun and capture the bear, Bavaria's environment ministry announced that Bruno could be shot. Three Bavarian hunters took matters into their own hands.
more
22/5/06 Germany welcomes wild bear return
BBC News - A wild bear is roaming the German countryside for the first time since 1835. The region's environment minister said the bear was "welcome in Bavaria" and told people they had nothing to fear. more
22/5/06 Bavaria rethinks its bear welcome
BBC News - A wild bear roaming the German countryside is "out of control" and should be captured or killed, Bavaria's environment minister said in a sudden change of heart. more
23/05/06 170 years on, wild bear returns - to a death sentence
The Guardian – The environment minister said hunters were free to shoot the bear. Austrian experts tracking the animal were trying to capture it alive. more |
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23/05/06 Ban on cattle drug offers hope of saving India's vultures from extinction
The Independent Online - Conservationists have been campaigning for a ban on diclofenac since it was discovered to be the cause of the decline in vulture numbers in 2004. Now the Indian government has ordered a ban on its production and sale within three months -an alternative drug has been shown to be safe for vultures. more |
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13/3/06 WWF opposes elephant captures on Sumatra (Indonesia)
WWF news- WWF strongly recommends the Riau Forestry Service to stop capturing and translocating endangered Sumatran elephants in Riau Province. Recent captures had a high incidence of death and translocations caused further problems as surviving elephants left the forest where they were released and started raiding surrounding villages. more
Related news:
2/3/06 Six elephants killed by poison in Sumatra
Independent Online
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2/3/06
Nonoprofit tells us how to live with big predators (USA)
New West -
The Living With Wildlife Foundation, tucked away in the Montana’s remote Swan Valley, has the best offering of information and resources for people looking for advice and products to avoid conflicts with their wild neighbors (at ww.lwwf.org ) more
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2/3/06- Critters cause airport problems (USA)
The Casper Star Tribune - Animals on the airfield are causing problems at Denver International Airport. Rabbits attract raptors and coyotes that have collided with aircraft, which can cause millions of dollars in damage. The airport contracted a Wildlife Services to keep wildlife away with tactics that include shooting off a type of fireworks that frightens birds away more.
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24/2/06 SFS-CWMS Kenya faculty present at the international ATLAS Africa Conference
(Kenya)
PressZoom -
Faculty members from The School for Field Studies-Centre for Wildlife Management Studies joined international researchers from Europe, Australia, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania at the ATLAS ( Association for Tourism and Leisure Education) Africa Conference in Mombasa earlier this month.The theme of the conference concentrated on landscapes in tourism and their connection to culture, conservation and consumption in tourism research and management more
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21/2/06 Urban coyotes on the prowl (USA)
Waukegan News Sun - Chicago has become a downtown coyote capital, with an estimated 2,000 coyotes in the area. This is the only big U.S. city taking part in an active tag-and-release study of coyote behavior
by Ohio State University which showed the population has increased rapidly more.
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20/2/06 No life lost to elephant menace in 2005 (India)
Hindu -
Amid concerns over the conflict between elephants and humans at Valparai, wildlife biologists heave a sigh of relief, because, for the first time in a decade, there was no loss of life in 2005. Increasing awareness and the methods adopted by the Forest Department personnel in tackling elephants that enter human habitations may be the reasons more |
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20/2/06 Turf wars with mountain lions cause uproar (USA)
USA Today -
Ever-expanding development in Southern California is putting people and housing into areas that have until now been the habitat of mountain lions, which can and attack and kill humans. Also called cougars or pumas, these animals are protected by California law. more |
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17/2/06 Bringing the zoos to the zebras
EurekAlert -
Princeton Univeristy on partnership with St. Louis Zoo work to empower northern Kenyan communities in endangered Grevy's zebra conservation. Scouts from pastoral communities observed that zebras are relegated to suboptimal habitat and prefer to drink during the morning, highlighting the problem of coexisting with herds of livestock. The community has changed their behavior and allowed Grevy's zebras to walk with the livestock more |
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19/2/06 Cat parasite 'is killing otters' (USA)
BBC News - A parasite carried by cats is killing off sea otters, a veterinary specialist of the Wildlife Health Center at the University of California, Davis, has told a major US science conference.
The researcher has called for owners to keep their cats indoors. more |
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18/2/06
Elephants on the edge fight back (Africa)
New Scientits (Article Preview) - After years of trauma at the hands of humans, could Africa's
elephants be nursing a grudge?
Elephants seem to be turning on their human
neighbours in ever increasing numbers. Such attacks
have always been seen as a side effect
of elephants competing for food and land. But than may not be the whole story. more
Related news:
16/2/06 Elephants never forget . . . and cannot forgive The Times Online |
17/2/06 Australia trials tiger poo in fight against pests
Reuters- A tiger's roar might be scary, but Australian researchers
have found that the predator's poo is just as potent. A
repellant extracted from tiger excrement worked on goats,
feral pigs, kangaroos and rabbits and might deter deer,
horses and cattle too, animals that cause about A$420 million
(US$311 million) worth of agricultural damage.
more |
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17/2/06
Kew's bats accused of taking first bite of cherry industry (USA)
The Age - The bat colony of Yarra Bend Park has been blamed for damage to the fruit growing industry in the Yarra Valley.
Growers say the future of the $7 million cherry industry in
the valley is under threat after swarms of grey-headed flying
foxes cut a swathe through their crops this summer. more |
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16/2/06 Back from the brink (USA)
Missoula News -
The feds are prepared to take wolves off the endangered
species list. Are the states ready to take over? more
(A extensive, in-depth review of the current situation)
Related news:
16/2/06 Industry seeks vast expansion of predator control (Wyoming,
USA) Star Tribune
13/3/06 Predator control once again comes within the crosshairs of
critics (USA) New West |
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15/2/06 Abandoned dogs to be trained to fight off pesky monkeys in Akita World Heritage area (Japan)
Mainichi Daily News - The Akita Prefectural Government has decided to train stray dogs to fight off monkeys that have been causing increasing damage to crops in the World Heritage Shirakami Mountain Range area. Japanese macaques have caused millions of yen in damage to crops in the area. more
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15/2/06 Coyotes on the prowl in towns (USA)
Independent Newspapers - With Arizona experiencing more than 100 days without rain, coyotes may become more up close and personal. Drought conditions may cause bobcats and coyotes to wander further into town than normal, as they seek out sources of food and water. more |
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11/2/06 Grants will help farmers fight crop-eating rodents (USA)
Statesman Journal -
The program attempts to lure avian predators to limit voles'
effects. The native rodents munched through acres and acres
of farmers' fields last summer after a warm winter fostered
population growth. To prevent future vole damage, farmers are
trying to attract unusual allies: barn owls, kestrels and
hawks, installing raptor perches and nest boxes. more |
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9/2/06 Zimbabwe: Elephants and humans an a collision course
Inter Press Service - A perceived rise in elephant numbers may be the result of them crowding in protected zones after fleeing to escape human pressure. The best way to deal with the problem is better-managed habitats such as trans-frontier parks, and migration corridors to allow greater movement of animals between countries in Southern Africa.
more
8/2/06 Traditional chief appeals for help keeping elephants at bay (Zambia)
M&C Sicene & Nature - More than 60 animals descended on a village in the lower Zambezi area and damaged maize and sorghum fields, leaving hundreds of families without food. Chieftainess Chiawa of the Goba people made an impassioned plea to the government to protect local people from elephants, saying starvation for hundreds of people was imminent. more
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4/2/06 Governments, NGOs and scientists unite to save vultures from extinction (India)
DEFRA News Release -
Across India, three species of Gyps vulture have declined rapidly and are now close to extinction. Now rotting animal carcasses that vultures used to clean away are attracting rats and feral dogs carrying rabies. Defra, through its Darwin Initiative, the RSPB, the Institute of Zoology, the Bombay Natural History Museum and the Government of Haryana are working towards saving the species from extiction.
more |
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3/2/06 Climate change makes Russian bears aggressive (Russia)
Reuters -
Unusually aggressive polar bears may be a sign was a sign the bears' feeding patterns were being disrupted by global warming, the environmental group WWF said.
more |
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1/2/06
African carnivores under threat - top 20 at risk listed
WCS Press Release -
A new study of Africa's most endangered carnivores has called for urgent action to save beasts such as the lion, cheetah and Ethiopian wolf from major threats to survival such as hunting and conflict with humans more |
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27/1/06 Asian elephant countries meet to save the endangered species (Malaysia)
Environment News Service -
The Asian elephant, once a symbol of a unique and sacred relationship between nature and humans, is now listed as Endangered. The increase in human–elephant conflicts, which claim the lives of several hundred animals and people every year, was identified as a major cause at a meeting this week of the 13 Asian countries where wild elephants still remain -convened by the government of Malaysia and facilitated by IUCN more |
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19/1/06 Coyote fighters adding muscle (USA)
Daily News - Rockingham county Board of Supervisors funded an increase in an existing USDA program that already provided coyote control for owners of such small ruminant animals as goats and sheep. The expanded program extends coverage to protect beef and dairy cattle, poultry, alpacas and llamas. more |
16/1/06 Four trampled to death by wild elephants in India's northeast
IRNA - Herds of wild elephants have been wreaking havoc in several parts of Assam, the pachyderms probably fancying the newly harvested rice stalks known as "paddies" and the paint-peeling moonshine that many of the villagers brew from fermented rice. more |
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16/1/06 Grizzlies may lose protection (USA)
Bears have rebounded in the Yellowstone area and could be cut from the endangered species list .Grizzly bears have long been among the most popular tourist attractions in Yellowstone Park. But in surrounding communities, where the bears are often regarded as a menace, people have applauded the delisting decision. more |
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13/1/06 Hungry African lions taking to humans
Reuters - Shrinking habitat, food supply is costing human lives, experts say. Attacks on humans by man-eating lions are on the rise in Tanzania and Mozambique. Lions in the area have developed a taste for human flesh because people have been sleeping outdoors to protect their crops from raiding bush pigs more |
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11/1/06 Drought threatens Kenyan wildlife
Mail&Guardian -A searing drought that has put millions of people across East Africa at risk of famine is threatening Kenya's famed wildlife herds as they stray from protected areas to forage for scarce food and water. Elephants are increasingly coming into conflict with residents of nearby villages and farms. more |
5/1/06 Govt in bid to reduce human-wildlife conflict (Namibia)
The Namibian - The Ministry of Environment and Tourism is developing a policy to deal with human-wildlife conflict, which has become a serious concern for communal and commercial farmers alike.
Critical areas covered in the policy are the devolution of conflict management authorities, insurance schemes, alternative mitigation measures and a standardised monitoring and reporting system.more |
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3/1/06 An elephant tail: New tracking method may help endangered pachyderms (Kenya)
Science Daily - By analyzing chemicals in tail hair from elephants that wore radio collars, researchers tracked the diet and movements of elephants in Kenya – a method aimed at reducing human-elephant conflicts and determining where to establish sanctuaries to protect the endangered creatures. more - related article
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3/1/2006 - Satellite data shows extent of elephants' risky crop raids (Kenya)
The Guardian -
Elephants roaming the parched plains of Africa's national parks can get up to half their food by risky midnight raids into crop fields, according to scientists who tracked a herd by satellite monitoring. more |
30/12/05
Corridors for elephants only way to avoid conflict with humans (India) webindia123.com - Minister for Environment and Forests Thiru A. Raja today called for intensifying government and non-government efforts for securing safe corridors for elephants to avoid the pachyderm's conflict with humans and conserve the wildlife species. more |
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29/12/05 New threat as wolves make comeback (USA)
The Guardian - Protections eased after big increase in numbers. Ranchers can get licences to hunt wolves if they can prove they are killing livestock. From January they will be able to get them from state authorities, rather than having to apply to Washington. Evironmentalists question whether western states, which represent their overwhelmingly anti-wolf electorates, will have the political willpower to enforce the wolf's legal protections. more
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25/12/05 Night of the elephants (India)
India Express Newspapers - In the backyards of Assam’s tea gardens, small-time solutions are laying ground for answers to the human-animal conflict. more
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22/12/05 He’s cute, not so cuddly and coming to a neighbourhood near you (USA)
Hope Standard - This may be winter and bears are expected to be in hibernation, but they have been regularly “chowing down” on garbage and the seed from birdfeeders. more
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20/12/05 Taint the meal (Malaysia)
The Star online - If only tigers dislike the taste of cow and buffalo meat – that would solve the current livestock predation problem, wouldn’t it? And if Jothi Ratnam has his way, he will condition the big cat to detest cattle. more
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18/12/05 - Crocodiles kill 13 in Zimbabwe
The Guardian -
This year crocodiles took a narrow lead over elephants as the most dangerous animal to humans, according to new statistics released this weekend by a Zimbabwean conservation group. more
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9/11/05 US sponsors elephant project in Assam (India)
WebIndia - US Consul General in Kolkata formally launched two new projects on elephant conservation in the the North-East, a globally bio-diverse hotspot of eastern Himalayas. One of these projects would be near Kaziranga and the other in the Manas area in lower assam. Both projects would attempt to reduce elephant-human conflict. more
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7/11/05 Odyssey in the Midwest (USA)
Defenders of Wildlife -
Wolves are on the move in Michigan, but not everyone is rolling out the welcome mat.
As wolf numbers grow, hungry animals occasionally take livestock and chickens from farms. The overall losses are quite small, but can hurt a few farmers' bottom lines. Through The Bailey Wildlife Foundation Proactive Carnivore Conservation Fund, Defenders is sponsoring projects across the country to test innovative ways to protect both livestock and wolves. more
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3/11/05 Wildlife statistics alarming (Zambia)
The Times of Zambia -
Statistics on human and animal clashes released by the Zambia Wildlife Authorities yesterday are startling.
There was a total of 2,811 reports received on what is termed 'human wildlife conflict'. The demand for land has forced several Zambians to encroach into game management areas and game parks, thereby endangering their own lives, and the drought has not helped matters as animals have abandoned their traditional grazing lands in search of greener pastures. more
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3/11/05
Farmers, cheetahs explore the art of living together (Namibia)
The Free Press Of Namibia - When farmers capture cheetahs the Africat Foundation and the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) are left with the tough decision of what to do with these big cats. This week Africat and CCF provided details on the criteria used to decide whether or not to release the animals back into the wild. more
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3/11/05
The great bear comeback (Central Europe)
SPIEGEL Magazine -
The brown bear is returning to the mountains of Central Europe, thanks to resettlement projects in Italy, Austria and France. Biologists celebrate the animals' return as a success in endangered species protection. But the general population has mixed feelings about welcoming back the predator. more
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2/11/05
Wildlife is unjustified scapegoat for livestock losses (USA)
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility News Releases -
Wildlife account for only a miniscule percentage of cattle deaths and a tiny portion of sheep and goats losses, according to new U.S. Department of Agricultural figures released today by two environmental groups, Sinapu and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). In fact, domestic dogs kill more livestock than any other carnivore except coyotes.The figures raise questions about the utility of taxpayers spending approximately $100 million per year on predation control. more
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31/10/05 Boo! Modern-day scarecrow shoos birds (USA)
Central Valley Business Times -
Central Valley almond growers, who can lose as much as $1,000 worth of nuts per acre to hungry crows, may find relief with an electronic “scarecrow” developed by researchers at the University of California, Davis. "One of these units, which covers four acres, costs about $125 to build and would likely be less to produce commercially," says agricultural engineer Michael Delwiche. "We estimate the units could result in savings of between about $30 and $60 per acre." more
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4/10/05 Third crocodile attack (Australia)
Sky News - A crocodile has mauled a young girl in Australia, days after similar attacks left two men dead. The reptiles become more aggressive during the breeding season, and also more people are venturing into the remote wilderness.
more |
26/09/05 Sh92m project for animal park (Kenya)
The Nation -
A Sh92 million project has been launched to improve the operations and management of the Tsavo national park.
The Kenya Wildlife Service initiative, which is supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw), will help to obtain vehicles to be used for patrols and to check human-wildlife conflict. more
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25/09/05 Pain of living in elephant territory (Kenya)
The Standard - Dozens of animals were moved to the Tsavo National Park. With over 100 elephants translocated, the residents of Msangatamu village are optimistic that their crops will once more flourish, free of attacks by the marauding jumbo. more
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23/09/05 UP to set up elephant reserve near Uttranchal border (India)
Webindia.com -
Uttar Pradesh has decided to set up an elephant reserve near the Uttranchal border to create a safe corridor for the pachyderms who roam freely between the Rajaji National Park and the Saharanpur-Bijnor forest reserve.
The proposed reserve would help lessen the man-animal conflict in the area. more
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22/09/05 Environmentalists criticize spike in kills of ‘nuisance wildlife’ (USA)
The NewStandard - As part of an effort to tamp down so-called "nuisance" populations, the US Wildlife Services killed in 2004 approximately 2.7 million of animals, an increase of over a million from 2003. The kills included 191 wolves, 75,674 coyotes, 359 cougars, 10,806 geese and swans, and 15,508 sparrows. Among the categories of animals that experienced an increase in kills were beaver, black
bears and crows. The vast majority of the 2004 kills – 2.3 million – was a species of bird, the European starling. Though down from 2003, the agency also "dispersed" many millions more problematic animals using non-lethal methods, like acoustic devices and chemical contraception in 2004.
[with links to online sources used in this news brief] more |
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28/09/05 Crop protection worth crowing about
UC Davis News -
A new electronic unit that broadcasts crow distress and alarm calls efficiently repels the birds and reduces crop damage in almond orchards, reports the UC Davis research team that developed the device. more
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20/09/05 Ethiopian lions eat 20 people, injure 10 others
IrelandOnLine -
A pride of hungry lions has killed and devoured 20 villagers, injured 10 others and eaten at least 70 cattle in southern Ethiopia in the past week. more
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8/09/05 Shark attacks spark "kill or be killed" debate (Australia)
Reuters - Australia has protected the great white for the past 10 years but two attacks in the past few weeks have sparked an emotional debate over whether it should be culled - while in fact swimmers are more likely to drown than be bitten by a shark. more |
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8/09/05 Amazonians call for cayman cull to halt attacks (Brazil)
Guardian - Brazil's caymans have found themselves in unusually hot water after a successful project to save them from extinction backfired, leading to an explosion in their numbers and uproar among river-dwellers terrorised by the creatures. more |
7/09/05 Villagers dig trench to keep elephants at bay (Kenya)
The Standard - For a long time residents of Laikipia District have been in conflict with elephants that have killed, maimed and wrecked havoc on private farms. Now, the community is digging a 42km-long moat around their homesteads.
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7/09/05 Coexisting with predatory wildlife (USA)
The Malibu Times - Some say the mountain lion should be hunted, to instill the fear of humans in them and thereby avoiding attacks. Others stress the importance of peacefully coexisting with the animal. more |
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7/09/05 Estimates put wolf numbers up overall in Rockies (USA)
Casper Star Tribune -
the number of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies has increased to more than 900 since last year,
but numbers may be near the maximum the region can sustain. Disease has taken a toll on wolves in parts of Montana and Wyoming
and Idaho saw a surge in livestock killed by wolves.
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7/09/05 Chilis cool conflict between man and elephants (Zambia)
Reuters -
In the Zambezi valley in southern Zambia, small-scale farmers are
growing chili peppers as a deterrent against elephants that raid their
crops -- and marketing the end result as an eco-friendly product. more |
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6/09/05 Study focuses on human/wildlife interaction in JNP (Canada)
Jasper Booster - A study in Jasper National Park about the interaction between tourists and wildlife shows that tourists ofent approach willdife closer than the specified minimum distance . more |
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26/08/05 400 elephants moved from overcrowded reserve (Kenya)
Reuters - Kenya began moving 400 elephants in an unprecedented transportation intended to protect the environment and reduce conflict with local people. more |
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25/08/05 Sandhill cranes taking wing over Central Minnesota (USA)
St Cloud Times - The return of greater sandhill cranes is a success story, but these notorious diggers are now damaging corn crops. Farmers are assisted to curb the problem by keeping birds off fields during the spring. more |
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21/08/05 Bears are back in town (USA)
The Daily Reporter-Herald
- As people have moved into mountainous areas, bears have learned that it is easier to find chow where humans are, so encounters with bears have increased.
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18/08/05 Dilemma in jumbo-human conflict (Kenya)
The Nation - Human-wildlife conflict in Kwale District becomes increasingly controversial. Human settlement between Shimba Hills Forest Reserve and Mwaluganje Forest stops migrations into Tsavo East National Park.
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17/08/05 Porcupines raise thorny questions in Kenya
BBC News - Residents Kiambu district are calling on the government to do more to contain the invasion by the porcupines, or "nungunungu" as they are called in Swahili.
Their maize crops have been so badly damaged by the spiky pests that they can only use it to feed cattle. more |
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17/08/05 Lion attacks on rise in Tanzania
BBC News - An increase in lion attacks threatens both local people and lion conservation efforts, scientists report today in Nature. A team led by Dr Craig Packer compiled data on lion attacks spanning 15 years. Scarcity of natural prey and abundance of bush pigs, a common crop pest, are major factors contributing to lion attacks on humans.
more
More details from the Environment News Service
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04/08/05 Dodge Point trail repairs highlight beaver management challenges (USA)
Lincoln County News - Beaver activity yields important environmental and wildlife benefits, but can also impact infrastructure placed in areas they call home. more |
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04/08/05 Jumbo-friendly barrier (Malasya)
New Strait Times - The low-voltage electric fence was put up with help from the Elephant Conservation Unit, which is run by youths from the village of Kampung Sukau more |
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03/08/05 Deer contraception under way (USA)
Morris NewsBee - Researchers began a deer contraception project in Madison, aimed at studying the effectiveness of controlling the white deer population by using an antibody hormone that stops deer from breeding more |
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02/08/05 Saving Nepal's rhinos, one truckload at a time (Nepal)
Environment News Service - Translocation of the rhinos has helped reduce pressure on habitat in Royal Chitwan National Park, and the potential for damaging human-rhino conflicts that arise when foraging rhinos stray into farmlands surrounding the park more |
| JULY |
31/07/05 Man-elephant conflict on rise in Assam (India)
Navhind Times - Modernisation has led to the man-elephant conflict assuming alarming proportions in Assam.Most of the cases of man-elephant conflict had taken place between September and February when elephants faced hindrance in their transit routes while straying out of the forest in search of food. more |
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28/07/05 Key to elephant conservation is in the sauce (Zimbabwe and Zambia)
Newswise - Supported by the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups, the Elephant Pepper Development Trust promotes the use of chilli peppers as a means of keeping elephants, buffalo, away from important sources of human food, nd now introduced a viable cash crop to the economy of African nations. more |
28/07/05 Cheetah conservation shows ropes to conservancy farmers (Namibia)
The Namibian - About 140 communal conservancy farmers participated of courses in integrated livestock and wildlife management near Otjiwarongo more |
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27/07/05 Bears may be back in Swiss Alps (Switzerland)
BBC News - Witnesses said they watched a brown bear emerge from woods 600m away. Some Swiss shepherds fear for the safety of their flocks more |
26/07/05 Sri Lanka Environment Ministry drives wild elephants to Wilpaththu (Sri Lanka)
Sri Lankan Internet Newspaper - The Environment Ministry begun a project to move about 160 wild elephants back to protected areas, to save the lives of both humans and beastsmore |
24/07/05 Human-wildlife conflicts examined at conference in Brazil Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology
Mongabay.com - Last week nearly 2,000 of the world's leading environmental scientists of various disciplines met in Brasilia. A sampling of human-wildlife conflict papers from the official "Book of Abstracts" more |
05/07/05 Measures taken to curb stray elephants (Ghana)
Ghana Home Page - Farmers close to the park's boundary are encouraged to plant non-target crops such as pepper, ginger, oil palm and green pepper and form volunteer squads to protect farms during the peak of raiding period more |
| JUNE |
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24/06/05 Protecting livestock helps African lions (Kenya)
Daily Democrat - Findings expected to protect farmers and lives of carnivores. Two new UC Davis studies should help efforts to protect both human livelihoods and wild carnivores' lives in African ranching communities. more
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21/06/05 SADC discusses strategies for elephant management
Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique - Member countries of the Southern African Development Community are discussing ways to establish a common strategy to manage the elephant population, monitor their migratory movements and minimise the conflict between wildlife and human populations more |
17/06/05 Vietnam war technology could aid elephant conservation (Namibia)
Science Daily - Seismic sensors developed to track enemy troop movements during the Vietnam war could help ecologists monitor and conserve elephant populations, according to new research published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology. more |
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16/06/05 Better predator control comes with integrated pest management approach
North Texas e-News - A Texas Cooperative Extension promotes integrated pest management to deal with feral hogs, coyotes and bobcats. more |
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13/06/05 Bear-bothering program set at Yosemite
Union Democrat Online - Yosemite National Park officials are prepared to use a new hazing technique to keep black bears out of campgrounds in Yosemite Valley. more
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7/06/05 Chilli bombs to combat elephants (India)
BBC News - Wildlife experts in India's north-eastern state of Assam are trying out tripwires and "red chilli bombs" to keep wild elephants away from villages. Battery-operated devices with warning bells are being fixed a few hundred metres from houses to warn people in good time of coming animals. more |
| MAY |
13/05/05 Experts propose how to end human, animal clash (Kenya)
The Standard - The Institute of Policy and Analysis Research has come up with proposals on tackling the human-wildlife conflict in Nyandarua and Laikipia districts, where damage to crops and property by wildlife has serious impact on expected income, food security and potential investments in agriculture. A major bottleneck in wildlife conservation is the inadequate benefits that local communities derive from wildlife tourism. The experts calls for the review of the Wildlife Act to allow compensation to farmers. more |
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06/05/05 Kangaroo attacks in Australia spotlight growing turf war (Australia)
National Geographic News - The Supreme Court ordered a golf club to compensate the 13-year-old boy who was attacked by a kangaroo as he looked for a lost golf ball on a green. Fifteen cases were reported of kangaroos either growling at people or chasing them away in towns in New South Wales . more |
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06/05/05 Adoption of wolf plan called ‘incredible’ (USA)
Summit daily news - Colorado’s Wildlife Commission adopted preliminary plans for what biologists have been saying for years - wolves will be moving into Colorado from surrounding states on their own, and it needs to prepare. Managing wolves may be a more a case of managing how people react to wolves preying on livestock, deer and elk. more |
03/05/05 Government rescinds restriction on killing of lions (Botswana)
Botswana Press Agency - The Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism says government has rescinded its statutory instrument that restricted the killing of lions. A person may kill a lion where a lion or a group of lions have killed livestock or threaten human life. It will remain prohibited to kill cheetahs as problem animals. Cheetahs and wild dogs will be included in the list of animals that attract compensation for damages. more |
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02/05/05 Why are coyotes getting more aggressive? (USA)
Cornell University News Service - Coyotes tend to avoid human contact. But recently, coyotes have been getting increasingly aggressive in the eastern United States, attacking neighborhood pets on the fringe of urban and suburban areas. more |
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05/05 Miandasht herders say: the cheetah is NOT an enemy to our livestock!!!(Iran)
Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) - Recent interview surveys with herders and shepherds in Miandasht revealed that the cheetah is not considered an enemy to their livestock. The wolf is the the main threat to their ownership. more |
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26/04/05 Woodpeckers causing damage to homes in Colorado (USA)
9news.com - Noisy birds looking for homes are getting the "unwelcome mat" from residents dealing with damage from the woodpeckers. A person affected says he has spent about $500 on scare tactics and failed attempts to ward off the woodpeckers. more |
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