The most significant instances of wildlife decline in Canada in 2018
Earlier this year it was pretty sobering to learn that we’ve now killed 83 per cent of all wild mammals on earth. Still, facts like that somehow seem to be another country’s problem—something sad that happens in other parts of the world. In a country like Canada, we’re basically doing okay with our moose, and … Continued
Are polar bears endangered or not?
The WWF labels polar bears as vulnerable, so why is the word on the street this year that polar bears are doing just fine? A 2017 video of a starving polar bear went viral. The emaciated bear dragged itself slowly, nibbling on a discarded seat from a snowmobile. People everywhere were up in arms. But … Continued
Conservationists are now taking some pretty drastic measures to save rhinos
Rhinos are beautiful and majestic creatures, creatures that could cease to exist if we don’t soon find a solution to the worldwide poaching problem. Their plight comes with a sense of irony, really. For millions of years rhinos have relied on their large horns to save and protect them from a variety of situations and … Continued
10 of the weirdest endangered animals on the planet
Depending on your point of view, the world might be overrun with domestic animals (a 2011 report suggested there are a whopping 19 billion chickens on the planet, for example). But when it comes to some of the rarer critters out there, the endangered species list seems to grow longer and longer with each passing … Continued
A punk, butt-breathing turtle is facing extinction
If reptiles were rock stars, Australia’s Mary River turtle would certainly be the poster child. With two spikes under its chin, a tuft of bright green “hair” resembling a Mohawk, and the ability to breathe through its genitals, this reptile might have more showmanship than Gene Simmons. It’s also officially endangered. The Zoological Society of … Continued
10 of the world’s most at-risk monkey species
Monkeys are among our favourite animals, with their comical antics and sometimes human-like behaviour. But some of our closest relatives are at risk of extinction, facing threats from human activities. As their populations decrease, they are placed in even greater danger because they are at risk of inbreeding or the chance of a natural disaster … Continued
Against all odds: The incredible story of the Amur tiger
‘Saving the tiger is a test; if we pass, we get to keep the planet.’ Those were the wise words of American writer and environmentalist Marjorie Stoneman Douglas (1890-1998) who truly understood the significance of conserving this most beautiful and powerful of species, the tiger (Panthera tigris). There is only one species of tiger but … Continued
10 of the world’s most threatened cats
We all know and love Africa’s large savannah cats or Asia’s iconic Tigers, but did you know that the felid family extends far beyond the classic ‘Big Six’ (Cheetah, Lion, Jaguar, Tiger, Leopard Snow and Leopard)? In fact it contains at least 38 known species, spread right across the planet’s temperate and tropical regions. Once … Continued
10 animals that are being eaten to extinction in the 21st century
Around 2 million years ago our ancestors first began the act of purposefully hunting and killing animals in the grasslands of Africa for food. Coincidentally, the fossil record shows that it was around this time that our brains and bodies grew in size—quite possibly fuelled by our new diet—and it wasn’t long (evolutionarily speaking) before … Continued
10 species we know almost absolutely nothing about
From giant canopy-dwelling stick insects, to a mysterious spiny anteater in the Cyclops Mountains, onto otherworldly tentacles in the deepest depths of the ocean buried; there are plenty of species that we know almost nothing about, despite our best efforts. In some cases, the species is almost certainly extinct and just a handful of remaining … Continued
7 of the world's smallest (and cutest) wild cats
Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. Take these magnificent moggies, for example. From the high-jumping caracal to the quick-digging sand cat, here are the small cats who prove that size isn’t everything.
Over the past 10 years this deadly fungus has nearly wiped out North America's bats
Evolution is an arms race, with animals and plants trying to stay a step ahead of their parasites and pathogens. Although diseases often spread without killing many of their hosts (think the common cold for humans), sometimes, a new ingredient can massively change the balance. This is exactly what happened to bats in North America, … Continued
New photographic record of one of the world’s rarest wild cats
Andean cats—one of the world’s most elusive felines—have been captured on camera at a nature reserve in Chile for the first time. Close-up footage of a female Andean cat (Leopardus Jacobita) and her cub was taken using motion-sensor camera traps in Los Flamencos National Reserve by researchers from National Corporation Forestal (CONAF), working in partnership … Continued