Endangered Earth Online: Your weekly wildlife update.
Border wall protest in Texas
Center for     Biological     Diversity   

1,000 People Protest Border Wall in Powerful Texas Rally

The Center for Biological Diversity joined about 1,000 people in Texas for a powerful rally against Trump's border wall. The two-day event featured social-justice and environmental groups marching 4 miles along the Texas-Mexico border. They converged on the town of Mission, where the wall would destroy an important butterfly preserve and cut off the century-old La Lomita Chapel.

We were proud to be part of this inspiring event with our banner reading, "No Walls in the Wild — Rechazamos el Muro."

Trump's wall endangers wildlife, habitat, public lands, communities and people. As the Center's Marta Segura put it, "Sacrificing due process and transparency to build a wall that isn't even necessary to 'protect public safety' is what no one can fathom. This beautiful, peaceful river valley must be preserved as a heritage to our children and grandchildren, not split apart in a symbolic, empty gesture of hatred and division."

Read more in The Monitor.

Cascades frog

Protection Recommended for California's Cascades Frog

Cascades frogs have been lost from most of their habitat in Northern California's mountain lakes and streams, mostly due to disease and competition with nonnative fish. Now, in response to a Center petition, California is recommending that these hardy, mud-hibernating frogs be designated candidates for protection under the state's Endangered Species Act.

"We can save Cascades frogs with state protection," said the Center's Jeff Miller. "It would drive habitat restoration, control of invasive species, and frog reintroduction into former habitats."

A recent study warned that amphibians are suffering an unprecedented extinction crisis, with 200 frog species around the world wiped out since the 1970s and hundreds more species at risk.

Read more in our press release.

You Did It: Thousands Speak Up for Red Wolves

Red wolf

More than 50,000 people commented on the future of critically endangered red wolves — and more than 99 percent voiced support for recovering their wild population in North Carolina.

Thank you to everyone who took time to speak up for red wolves, one of the world's most endangered species, with just 45 left in the wild. If these small, lanky wild canines are going to survive, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must push ahead with a real plan for recovery.

Read more in our press release.

Lesser prairie chicken

Study: Lesser Prairie Chickens Still in Decline

A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey shows that lesser prairie chickens continue to decline. These rare, dancing grasslands birds of the Southwest and Midwest will be increasingly threatened with extinction as climate change worsens and more habitat is lost.

This is the first study to incorporate global warming's effects on lesser prairie chicken survival. It found that accounting for higher temperatures and less precipitation predicts lower survival rates — and for some populations, near-term extinction.

"This is a blinking red light on the dashboard warning we need emergency action to save these birds," said the Center's Michael Robinson. "Prairie chickens should be granted protection immediately."

Read more in our press release.

Court Condemns Wildlife-killing Program in California County

Bobcat

Following a lawsuit by the Center and allies, the California Superior Court has ruled that Monterey County broke the law by not analyzing the environmental impacts of its contract with Wildlife Services — which has shot, trapped and snared thousands of the county's animals just in recent years. The decision likely stops the killing of coyotes, bobcats and other wildlife until the county complies with the law.

"This is a major victory," said Center attorney Collette Adkins. "Predator control is expensive, ineffective and inhumane." Get more from KSBW News.

Hine's emerald dragonfly

Report: Streams, Species Hit Hard by Pesticides

Ugh. New research by the U.S. Geological Survey finds that more than half of streams studied in the Midwest and Great Plains have pesticide concentrations high enough to hurt endangered aquatic invertebrates, like the beautiful Hine's emerald dragonfly and the awesomely named sheepnose mussel.

Researchers found an average of 54 pesticides in each stream affected, in both urban and agricultural areas.

"This study exposes the hidden harm of our worsening addiction to pesticides," said the Center's Nathan Donley. "When we see pesticides doing this kind of widespread harm to aquatic animals, we can be sure it has dangerous cascading effects on the entire web of life, including humans."

Get more from EcoWatch.

In The Revelator: Wolves, Coyotes and Cyanide

Coyote

The Revelator just published two provocative predator pieces. Dipika Kadaba's story shows the horrific consequences of M-44s, or cyanide bombs — favored by the USDA's Wildlife Services to kill thousands of "pests" like coyotes.

Meanwhile, author Erica Cirino's piece delves deeply into the dubious "predator-control" practice of shooting wolves, both in the United States and in Europe.

Read "The Big Picture: Cyanide Killers" and "Rethinking the Big, Bad Wolf."

Dairy cows

Tell Your Senators to Oppose the Dairy Pride Act

As people continue to look for more sustainable alternatives in their diet, and as soy, almond and coconut milks have risen in popularity, the dairy industry has been feeling the squeeze. Its allies in Congress recently introduced the Dairy Pride Act in an attempt to drive out competition and prevent plant-based alternatives from using basic terms like "milk," "yogurt" and "cheese."

But make no mistake: This bill is just another wasteful use of taxpayer money to prop up polluters. Animal agriculture contributes more greenhouse gases globally than the entire transportation sector. But last fall the USDA bailed out Big Dairy by buying $20 million worth of unwanted, surplus cheese. It's time to stop government favors to this environmentally toxic industry and ensure that Earth-friendly alternatives have a fair chance.

Act now to tell your senators to oppose the Dairy Pride Act.

Grizzly bear

Biodiversity Briefing: The Grisly Battle to Save Grizzlies

The Center's latest quarterly "Biodiversity Briefing" phone call, led by Executive Director Kierán Suckling, focused on the Center's current plans to defend U.S. grizzly bears.

We've been fighting for these iconic bears for more than a decade. Now our campaign is more urgent than ever since the Trump administration stripped Yellowstone grizzlies' protections in June. We've already filed a notice of intent to sue to restore safeguards.

Said Kierán: "It's really a disastrous situation … [But] I think we have a good chance of winning."

These personal phone briefings, including Q&A sessions, are open to all members of the Center's Leadership Circle and Owls Club. For information on how to join and be invited to participate live on the calls, email Donor Relations Director Gail Godbey or call her at (520) 623-5252, ext. 318.

Listen to the briefing.

Kangaroo rat vs. sidewinder rattlesnake

Wild & Weird: Kangaroo Rats Are Desert Ninjas

A new study using infrared remote cameras in the California desert has produced some exceptional footage of kangaroo rats showing off impressively fast and furious ninja skills.

Desert kangaroo rats share nocturnal space with sidewinder rattlesnakes, which lie in wait — coiled and hungry — ready to strike and eat passing critters. Footage from the study demonstrates that kangaroo rats, however, are anything but helpless victims. These jumbo-footed, high-flying rodents have an arsenal of lightning-fast evasive moves: leaps, flips, rolls and face kicks. Sometimes the rats even strike first, kicking sand into the faces of coiled snakes.

Watch our new video of kangaroo rats' expert ninja moves on Facebook or YouTube.

Follow Us
 Facebook  Twitter  YouTube  Instagram  Medium 

Center for Biological Diversity   |   Saving Life on Earth

Opt out of this mailing list.    |    View this email in your browser.

Donate now to support the Center's work.

Photo credits: Center for Biological Diversity staff at Texas border wall protest; Cascades frog by Ken Schneider/Flickr; red wolf by B. Bartel/USFWS; lesser prairie chicken by Greg Kramos/USFWS; bobcat by nirak/Flickr; Hine's emerald dragonfly copyright Paul Burton; coyote by Shane Huang/Flickr; dairy cows by Penn State/Flickr; grizzly bear by hb2/Flickr; infrared remote camera footage by Malachi Whitford.

Center for Biological Diversity
P.O. Box 710
Tucson, AZ 85702