We Won't Ignore These Orcas' Plight

We all saw the heartbreaking story this week of the mother orca in Washington pushing her dead calf for almost a week. It was a devastating reminder of their dire situation: This iconic orca species is down to just 75 individuals and facing extinction.

That's why on Wednesday, the Center for Biological Diversity and allies filed our notice of intent to sue the Trump administration for failing to protect Southern Resident killer whales from boat traffic and noise in a key foraging area near Washington's San Juan Island.

The "whale protection zone," which we petitioned for in 2016, could help save these orcas from extinction. We're also seeking expanded protected habitat along the West Coast.

"These orcas are dying out right in front of our eyes while the Trump administration ignores their plight," said the Center's Miyoko Sakashita. "We can't let that happen."

Get more from KIRO Seattle.

Lawsuit Challenges Zinke's Thrill-kill Council

The Center and allies this week sued the Trump administration for illegally stacking its so-called International Wildlife Conservation Council with people who have personal or financial interests in killing or importing lions, elephants and other rare animals.

The council is designed to promote the "removal of barriers" to trophy imports — and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has refused to include any conservation experts on the council.

"Zinke's thrill-kill council is unethical and illegal, and apparently that's just fine with him," said Tanya Sanerib with the Center — which has now sued Trump more than 80 times. "These people kill imperiled animals for fun. They have no business making policy decisions about wildlife imports and we're hopeful that the courts will agree."

Get more from ABC News.

The Endangered Species Act is under attack like never before. Tell your senators to uphold the bedrock environmental laws that saved our country's wolves, grizzlies, bald eagles and more.

Revelator: 207 Environmental Activists Murdered Last Year

Globally more than 200 conservation activists were killed in 2017 for trying to defend their communities from environmental destruction, writes John Platt in The Revelator — an all-time high. And those numbers, reported by the group Global Witness, probably understate the crisis.

The murders were linked to agribusiness most often, then mining, then poaching and wildlife trafficking. More than half took place in Brazil and the Philippines — with Colombia, Mexico and the Democratic Republic of the Congo next in line. Hundreds more people were intimidated and hurt, including two indigenous activists in Brazil who had their hands cut off with machetes by ranchers who claimed their land.

What can be done to stop it? Read the feature now.

10,000 Condoms Handed Out for 'Earth Overshoot Day'

More than 10,000 free Endangered Species Condoms were given away this week by the Center for Earth Overshoot Day. They were distributed by volunteers in the 10 U.S. cities with the largest carbon footprints to encourage people to have safe sex as part of reducing their ecological impact.

The colorful condom packages feature species threatened by population growth and catchy slogans. For Earth Overshoot Day, the Center partnered with the Global Footprint Network to create a special-edition design that says, "Before your seduction, think footprint reduction."

Earth Overshoot Day is the date each year by which humanity has exhausted the resources the planet can replenish annually. This year it was Aug. 1 — five months too soon, and the earliest date it's ever fallen on since the world first went into ecological overshoot.

Read more in our press release.

Destructive Pesticide Dicamba Drifts Over 1 Million+ Acres

Bad news for trees, monarch butterflies and non-target crops touched by the dangerous pesticide dicamba: A new University of Missouri report estimates drift damage from dicamba has affected 1.1 million "bystander acres" so far this year.

The EPA and many states recently introduced restrictions intended to contain the highly toxic chemical, designed for use on soybeans engineered to resist it. Last year drift hurt about 3.6 million acres of non-dicamba-resistant soy.

"The widespread damage to crops and even hearty trees confirms this notoriously drift-prone poison is unsafe and shouldn't get EPA approval again," said Center scientist Nathan Donley. "You'd have better luck herding kittens than getting dicamba to stay put."

Read more in our press release.

Wild & Weird: Piles of Mating Sierra Newts

Beginning in January and February, Sierra newts — salamanders that live only in California's Sierra Nevada mountains — begin a six- to eight-week migration to find good breeding streams. Come March and May, they begin courting and can be found twisting and cavorting in newt piles.

Sierra newt procreation is fascinating: Males latch onto females for about an hour of head and chin rubbing, with some tail fluttering thrown in. Then the males dismount to deposit spermatophores on the streambed, and the females swim down to pick up the sperm and then quickly find a suitable site to attach the fertilized eggs.

Check out our footage of Sierra newts mating on Facebook or YouTube.