All News

Scientists have found a new culprit in spreading the disease that's been driving the world's frogs to the brink of extinction: crayfish. In the last few decades, the disease caused by the chytrid fungus has been a disaster for frogs and other amphibians. More than 300 species are nearly extinct because of it. Many probably have gone extinct, but it can be difficult to know for sure when a tiny, rare species disappears from the face of the Earth.

Link: NationalGeographic.com

A group of elephants near Timbuktu makes an epic journey each year in their quest for food and water. Researchers found that they travel across an area of 12,355 square miles (32,000 square kilometers) in the deserts of Mali, marking the largest known elephant range in the world. The animals' extreme journey is a product of life in harsh conditions.

Link: LiveScience.com

After several restoration projects on the fringes of the Everglades, a state and federal team has begun work on a plan to revive the sawgrass sloughs and tree islands at the heart of the vast marsh. The Army Corps of Engineers will hold a public meeting Tuesday (Dec. 18) in Coconut Creek to hear opinions on four plans for increasing the natural flow of water through the Everglades, a project intended to restore wildlife habitat and deliver desperately needed fresh water to Everglades National Park.

Link: Sun-Sentinel.com

Wild bighorn sheep appear to be thriving in North Central Washington, including three herds in Chelan County, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife says. Recent surveys indicate those herds are growing at a rate of about 10 percent a year, said Jon Gallie, the agency’s assistant district biologist.

Link: WenatcheeWorld.com

Some 1,500 African elephant tusks — the biggest seizure ever — were found this week hidden within timber planks and destined for China's ivory market. Shocked conservationists noted 2012 will now go down as the worst year in 24 years of records — and warned that 2013 could be even worse.

Link: WorldNews.NBCNews.com

Wildlife crime not only threatens animals but puts the stability of some governments at risk, a report released by the World Wildlife Fund says. The global illegal trade in wildlife is worth $19 billion a year and some of that money from trafficking is being used to finance civil conflicts, the WWF said.

Link: UPI.com

An attempt to save the lives of both elephants and people by moving the pachyderms away from humans has failed in Sri Lanka, a new study finds. Instead of the relocated elephants living peacefully in their new homes, they wandered, researchers found. Relocated elephants died more often than problem elephants left in their original range. The relocated elephants also killed more people than elephants that stayed put.

Link: Yahoo! News

A snare is not complicated — just a thin wire with a noose that, when triggered, closes over an animal’s leg. The device in question was anchored to a mesquite tree near Peñasco Canyon in the remote Atascosa Mountains, about 20 miles west of Nogales and just north of the Mexican border.

Link: AZCentral.com