endangered species

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For $20K, George RR Martin Will Kill You

Literarily speaking, of course, and to save some wolves

(Newser) - If you happen to have $20,000 burning a hole in your pocket, George RR Martin will cut you for it. The author behind Game of Thrones will slay you with all appropriate gore—on the written page, of course—if you are a top-tier donor of his current crowdfunding...

World on Brink of 6th Great Extinction
 World on Brink of 
 6th Great Extinction 
STUDY SAYS
May 30, 2014 7:47 AM CDT

World on Brink of 6th Great Extinction

Humanity has raised extinction rate a thousandfold

(Newser) - Human activity is wiping out species of plants and animals at a dizzying rate, leaving the world on the verge of the sixth great extinction in its history, a new study warns. Researchers found that species are vanishing around 10 times faster than previously believed—and 1,000 times faster...

Wandering Wolf's Epic Quest May Be Over

OR7 appears to have found his mate, and might be a dad

(Newser) - It may have taken three years, two states, and something of a movie deal, but the wandering gray wolf known as OR7 appears to have found his girl. OR7 first attracted attention in 2011 when he abandoned his pack in northeastern Oregon and trekked to California in search of—what...

France Spending $4M to Save Its Hamsters

The Great Hamster of Alsace needs something to eat

(Newser) - They're furry, with little round ears, and grow up to 10 inches long—and they're costing France $4.2 million. Europe's top court has pressured Paris into saving the Great Hamster of Alsace, an endangered rodent whose fate has drawn official attention before, the Guardian reports. In...

Biologist Has Found Way to Make Caviar Cheap

We could see 'greener' delicacy for $20 an ounce

(Newser) - A biologist in Germany is ready to revolutionize caviar, and her plan could save fish lives even as it cuts costs for consumers. Caviar comes from sturgeon—"an animal as old as dinosaurs, today nearly extinguished from its natural habitats," as Dr. Angela Köhler's company puts...

Rare Croc Killed in Zoo Mating Gone Wrong

Male false gharial suffocated female

(Newser) - A Dutch zoo's attempt to breed a rare, endangered crocodile went terribly wrong when the female half of the horizontal tango died in the act, the zoo revealed yesterday. While mating, the male false gharial crocodile usually holds the female down with his mouth "to show his superiority,...

Unusual Way to Help Whales: Colored Lobster Rope

Scientists say it can cut down on entanglements

(Newser) - Preventing endangered northern right whales from becoming entangled in lobster gear could be as simple as changing the color of rope, a whale researcher says. If the whales can see the fishing gear more clearly, then they are better able to avoid it, says Scott Kraus, a leading researcher on...

Only 600 Whooping Cranes Left, and 3 Were Just Shot

A 4th male may never fly again

(Newser) - The endangered whooping crane population currently stands at only about 600 in all of North America—and shootings are cutting into that number. In the past few months, three of the continent's tallest birds, at some five feet, have been killed: Two were apparently killed in November in Kentucky,...

Meet First Fish to Leave Endangered List

Tiny Oregon chub is poised for a milestone

(Newser) - It's only about 3 inches long, but the Oregon chub is about to achieve a first among fish: It's coming off the endangered species list, reports Popular Science . The Fish and Wildlife Service announced the move yesterday, though it won't become official until after a 60-day period...

Biologists Can&#39;t Find Mexico&#39;s &#39;Water Monster&#39;

 Biologists Can't 
 Find Mexico's 
 'Water Monster' 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Feb 2, 2014 5:40 PM CST

Biologists Can't Find Mexico's 'Water Monster'

Leading to fears the axolotl has gone extinct in nature

(Newser) - The disappearance of a "water monster" sounds like a good thing—but in this case, it's not. The salamander-like axolotl has but a single habitat, the Xochimilco network of lakes and canals in Mexico, and researchers spent four months in skiffs trying to net the "water monster"...

World's Biggest Shark Slaughterhouse Exposed

China factory turns whale sharks into fish oil

(Newser) - Huge numbers of sharks from endangered species are being slaughtered and turned into products including health supplements at a giant slaughterhouse in China, a conservation group has discovered. Investigators from WildLifeRisk found that more than 600 whale sharks are slaughtered at the factory every year, along with large numbers of...

Texas Rhino Hunter Gets Death Threats

Namibia kill will actually help rhino herd, Corey Knowlton says

(Newser) - The winner of a controversial hunting auction in Texas has had to hire security after hearing from a lot of people who want to do to him what he plans to do to one of the world's last 4,000 black rhinos. While he admits he will get a...

Hunting Permit for Rare Black Rhino Sells for $350K

Dallas Safari Club goes through with controversial auction, will donate proceeds

(Newser) - The good news for the 4,000 black rhinos left on the planet: A Dallas hunting club has $350,000 with your name on it. The bad news: One anonymous hunter paid that to make your number 3,999. As the AP reports, the Dallas Safari Club last night held...

16% of Florida's Manatees Died Last Year

Deaths in Florida waters pass 800 for first time

(Newser) - Last year's 829 Florida manatee deaths—a figure that doesn't include December, UPI notes—is more than double the number that died in 2012, according to one conservation group. Another organization, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, put the 2013 figure at 803. Either way, it's...

Frog Named for Darwin Goes Extinct

And more dour animal news

(Newser) - Charles Darwin discovered them in 1834, during a stop in Chile by way of the HMS Beagle, a species unique in that "the males care for their young by incubating them in their vocal sacs for at least part of their development." Now, one of the two species...

Central America Hit By Mass Die-Off of Sea Turtles

Scientists aren't sure what's going on

(Newser) - Between late September and mid-October, 114 sea turtles washed up dead on El Salvador's beaches. All across Central America, the same thing is happening: In Guatemala, 115 have died this year; in Costa Rica, 280; late last year, 200 died in Panama. In Nicaragua, in addition to the turtle...

We're Running Out of Corgis

Low registration may put them on Kennel Club's 'vulnerable' list

(Newser) - In a serious threat to adorable viral videos, it appears corgis are facing the dog-breed equivalent of endangerment. With just 241 Pembroke Welsh Corgis registered this year, the breed is currently on Britain's Kennel Club's "at watch list": if 300 aren't registered by January, they'll...

Texas Club's Plan: To Help Imperiled Rhino, Kill One

Dallas Safari Club will auction permit to hunt endangered species

(Newser) - Plans to auction a rare permit that will allow a hunter to take down an endangered black rhino are drawing criticism from some conservationists, but the organizer says the fundraiser could bring in more than $1 million that will go toward protecting the species. The Dallas Safari Club earlier this...

10K Walruses Huddle as Sea Ice Melts

Arctic warming has taken away their natural home

(Newser) - A sad sight in the Arctic: About 10,000 Pacific walruses have gathered on a remote island because their sea ice is melting away, National Geographic reports. Typically the giant mammals enjoy "hauling out" to rest or warm their bodies on floating ice, but Arctic warming has been eroding...

Rihanna Poses With Rare Critter, Arrests Ensue

Thai cops arrest 2 after she posts pic with slow loris on Instagram

(Newser) - Rihanna has been busily posting photos to Instagram, so predictably arrests have been made. The brouhaha this time arose after the pop star, whilst vacationing on the Thai island of Phuket, uploaded a pic of herself and a cute little critter: A cute little critter called the slow loris that...

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