North America’s largest wildlife overpass in Colorado has cut animal-vehicle collisions by 91%

Good news!

"...
• Dimensions: 200 feet wide and 209 feet long, covering 41,800 square feet (nearly an acre).

• Completion Date: December 2025.

..." (Google Search)

"... "This area was getting about one deer hit a day during those high movement periods in the spring and fall." ..."

"North America’s largest wildlife overpass has cut animal-vehicle collisions by 91% along Colorado’s I-25 since opening in December [2025]. Elk herds, bears, and deer are already using the bridge, and pronghorn have crossed to the west side of the highway for the first time in decades."

Friday, October 2, 2026 - Join The Flyover

Largest wildlife overpass in North America located in Colorado with 91% reduction in collisions: "Big success"

Source

Four captive-bred California condors were released into the wild at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona

Good news!

"... marking 30 years since the first birds were set loose in northern Arizona."

"... Condors reached the brink of extinction in the late 1980s, and are now the subject of a multi-agency recovery program. The regional effort to reintroduce condors and develop a self-sustaining population ..."

Sunday, September 27, 2026 - The Arizona Flyover

Condors to be released this weekend at Vermilion Cliffs

Source: Condors in northern Arizona Notice the condor is tagged.

Soldiers are fighting bear attacks in Japan

Amazing stuff! How to use the well trained, fearless defensive forces!

Given all the (excessive) environmental and wildlife protections in Western countries, apex predators can proliferate and become a danger to human life.

"Japan deployed troops to Akita Prefecture this week as bear attacks reached record highs: 13 killed and around 100 injured since April. The troops, armed with bear spray and shields, are helping to trap and remove the animals after sightings near supermarkets, schools, and bus stops."

Thursday, November 6, 2025 - Join The Flyover

Troops from the country's Self Defense Force arrived in the northern Akita Prefecture on Wednesday to combat a crisis that has seen 100 people attacked and 13 killed since April.

A brown bear walking along a road in the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido.

Marine DNA exposes massive gaps in ocean biosphere maps and finds fish in unexpected places

What little we still know about our oceans! And this study seems to have focused primarily on small fish (what about bigger fish?).

This is one reason among others whey global warming/climate change is a hoax!

"... The problem with current mapping projects, which aim to chart where species live and the conditions they need to survive, is that they are based on limited information. Traditional methods such as nets and underwater cameras primarily target easy-to-reach areas and often miss small, elusive species. This means our picture of ocean biodiversity is far from complete. ...

To fill these knowledge gaps, research ... used a powerful technique called Environmental DNA (eDNA). This approach can detect multiple species and identify their ranges without capturing or photographing them.

The research team collected nearly 1,000 water samples from 542 locations worldwide, including polar regions and tropical islands. They then analyzed the fish DNA in those samples and compared it with occurrence databases, such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

These new eDNA surveys reveal just how incomplete our records are. According to results published by the team in PLOS Biology, 93% of geographic ranges were underestimated. This means species were living far outside the areas where they were historically mapped. For example, the crocodile icefish, which was previously known only to live in the freezing conditions of the Antarctic region, was detected in Patagonia (southern South America).

Additionally, 7% of species' ecological niches were also underestimated, meaning they were found to tolerate environmental conditions that were previously thought impossible for them to live. ...

The clear implication of these findings is that current mapping methods need to be updated, as they leave vast blind spots. ..."

From the abstract:

"Assessing species geographic distributions is critical to approximate their ecological niches, understand how global change may reshape their occurrence patterns, and predict their extinction risks. Yet, species records are over-aggregated across taxonomic, geographic, environmental, and anthropogenic dimensions.

The under-sampling of remote locations biases the quantification of species geographic distributions and ecological niche for most species.

Here, we used nearly one thousand environmental DNA (eDNA) samples across the world’s oceans, including polar regions and tropical remote islands, to determine the extent to which the geographic and ecological niche ranges of marine fishes are underestimated through the lens of global occurrence records based on conventional surveys.

Our eDNA surveys revealed that the known geographic ranges for 93% of species and the ecological niche ranges for 7% of species were underestimated, and contributed to filling them.

We show that the probability to detect a range filling for a given species is primarily shaped by the GBIF/OBIS sampling effort in a cell, but also by the number of occurrences available for the species. Most gap fillings were achieved by addressing a methodological sampling bias, notably when eDNA facilitated the detection of small fishes in previously sampled locations using conventional methods.

Using a machine learning model, we found that a local effort of 10 eDNA samples would detect 24 additional fish species on average and a maximum of 98 species in previously unsampled tropical areas. Yet, a null model revealed that only half of ecological niche range fillings would be due to eDNA surveys, beyond a random allocation of classical sampling effort. Altogether, our results suggest that sampling in remote areas and performing eDNA surveys in over-sampled areas may both increase fish ecological niche ranges toward unexpected values with consequences in biodiversity modeling, management, and conservation."

Marine DNA exposes massive gaps in ocean maps and finds fish in unexpected places

eDNA surveys substantially expand known geographic and ecological niche boundaries of marine fishes (open access)

Fig 1. Map of both GBIF/OBIS and eDNA surveys, and the distribution of their associated environmental and anthropogenic variables.

Fig 2. Map of the predicted number of fish species gained in a cell if 10 eDNA samples were added to GBIF/OBIS sampling records, if any.

Florida deploys robotic rabbits to remove invasive pythons from Everglades

Good news!

India’s Fight to Save Its Wildlife with Palki Sharma

Recommendable!

New Soil DNA Monitoring Technique Provides Data for Better Urban Wildlife Planning. Really!

Again the obsession with the ideology of diversity! 

Notice also the following significant bias by these scientists: Humans disturb the animal communities! This is shoddy science!

I would argue the biggest problem with wildlife in urban areas is overpopulation not loss of biodiversity! From my personal observations here in the Phoenix metro area I would say that e.g. there are way too many birds my neighborhood and that is true for all kinds of bird species. Apparently birds survive and adopt very well in urban areas. I have noticed this all through my life.

"With more than half the world now living in cities and urban land cover expected to increase by about 1.2 million square kilometers by 2030, built environments are altering ecosystems through habitat fragmentations, heat islands, and road networks. Disrupted habitats caused by urbanization can lead to invasive species, disease outbreaks, and increased human-wildlife conflict.

Using eDNA, which captures genetic material shed by organisms into their surroundings, ... scientists tracked how human disturbance is impacting mammal communities. ..."

From the abstract:

"

1. Urban ecosystems are expanding rapidly, significantly altering natural landscapes and impacting biodiversity.
2. Here we explore seasonal variation in mammal diversity using environmental DNA (eDNA) from soil samples collected during winter and summer across 21 urban parks in Detroit, Michigan.
   We estimated gamma (regional), alpha (local) and beta (compositional change) diversity to determine if seasonal shifts, reflecting winter scarcity and summer abundance in mammal community composition and human activity, could be detected using eDNA.
   We expected that larger parks would exhibit greater diversity and higher seasonal turnover, consistent with the species-area relationship (SAR) and hypothesised that increased summer resource availability would lead to decreased network density as species disperse more broadly.
3. We found that urban parks show subtle, park-specific changes in community composition influenced by both ecological and anthropogenic factors, with species including striped skunk, brown rat and groundhog responsible for the observed seasonal variation. Consistent with the SAR, larger parks supported higher species richness and diversity.
   Ecological network analysis, focusing on metrics such as clustering coefficient and network density, revealed a decrease in the overall connectivity and cohesiveness of species interactions from winter to summer, supporting our hypothesis of broader species dispersal during resource-rich periods.
   Notably, human DNA was prevalent in all parks [???], alongside detections of pig and cow eDNA, potentially reflecting human disturbance and anthropogenic food inputs.
4. Our findings underscore the efficacy of eDNA analysis in capturing urban mammal community dynamics, the impact of human activities on biodiversity and its potential as a valuable tool for urban ecological research. Ultimately, enhancing monitoring capacity aids in conservation and urban planning efforts that will promote human-wildlife coexistence and preserve the socio-ecological benefits stemming from biodiversity across cityscapes.

"

New Soil DNA Monitoring Technique Provides Data for Better Urban Wildlife Planning "Yale School of the Environment scientists pioneered  a novel approach to studying the impact of urbanization on biodiversity in cities."

Network dynamics revealed from eDNA highlight seasonal variation in urban mammal communities (open access)

Nyeema Harris, one of the authors

South Africa: Elephant in zoo released into the wild after 40 years of captivity

Good news! But does it make sense after 40 years of captivity?

Calls to shut down South Africa’s captive lion industry. Really!

What is wrong with it? It just may save some wild lions and other large cats living in their natural habitat.

Seems to be another case of dubious activism dressed up as science! They claim it is about some illegal activities, but they actually want to shut down the entire industry! Nice trick!

"It’s estimated that between 8,000–12,000 lions and other big cats, including tigers, are bred and kept in captivity in more than 350 private, commercial facilities across South Africa. ..."

From the abstract:

"The African lion Panthera leo is subject to numerous anthropogenic pressures across its natural range. In South Africa, although free ranging populations are increasing, the number of lions in captivity in private commercial facilities far outnumber those in the wild. South Africa’s captive lion industry was reportedly created primarily to generate income and take pressure off wild populations through the supply of captive-bred lions for trophy hunting. However, the industry has become a highly contentious topic under ongoing international scrutiny and debate. Here, we present new information from direct interviews with workers at two closed-access lion facilities located in North West Province, on how some facilities continue to use legal activities, such as captive breeding and hunting, to facilitate their involvement in the illegal international felid bone trade. The sources also report other illegal and unethical activities including animal welfare violations, unsafe conditions for workers, potential shifts to the commercial exploitation of other felid species such as tigers Panthera tigris and incidents involving poaching of captive lions and tigers by non-affiliated actors. Sources described how some facilities use various tools and tactics, such as security cameras, patrols and messaging apps to avoid detection during inspections. If the South African Government is to be successful in meeting its publicly stated goal of ending the captive lion industry, a comprehensive well-managed plan to transition away from current practices is required. To aid enforcement, the industry should also be fully audited, with all facilities officially registered, a moratorium on the breeding of lions and plans put in place to prevent the stockpiling of lion bones."

Calls to shut down South Africa’s captive lion industry

Under the lion’s paw: lion farming in South Africa and the illegal international bone trade

Figure 1.

Map of the study area in North West Province, South Africa.

Maasai women against poachers - Kenya's first female rangers

Interesting topic, but the video is way too long!

The world's first IVF white rhino pregnancy may offer hope for the near extinct subspecies.

Good news! Deextinction to the rescue! What works for humans, i.e. IVF (in vitro fertilization), may also work for rhinos!

Why 2024 is the year to visit the two most precious rhinos in the world Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya is home to the last two northern white rhinos on Earth – but the world's first IVF rhino pregnancy may offer hope for the near extinct subspecies.

Credits: Human Progress Weekly Progress Roundup

Wolves return to Europe: what to do about them is a people problem. Really!

I am sure they will not talk about e.g. the missing apex predator or other natural factors that used to keep wolf populations in check before widespread human urbanization encroached on their territories! Thus, humans have to step in.

"More Europeans are having to learn how to live alongside predators again. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast. ..."

Wolves return to Europe: what to do about them is a people problem – podcast Wolves are making a comeback across Europe. As their populations grow, 65,000 livestock are killed each year by wolves. Now, moves are underway to change the protection status of the wolf in the European Union.

Accidental DNA collection by air quality sensors could revolutionize wildlife tracking and measuring biodiversity on a continental scale

Good news! Sounds promising!

From the abstract:

"One of the biggest planetary challenges is the accelerating loss of biodiversity threatening ecosystem functioning on a global scale. The WWF Living Planet Report (https://livingplanet.panda.org/) estimates a 69% decline in populations since 1970. The Convention on Biological Diversity and related international treaties ask countries to monitor shifts in community composition and assess rates of species decline to quantify extant biodiversity relative to global targets. However, quantifying biodiversity is a challenge, and monitoring continual change is impossible at almost any scale due to a lack of standardized data and indicators. A common problem is that the required infrastructure for such global monitoring does not exist. Here, we challenge this notion by analysing environmental DNA (eDNA) captured along with particulate matter by routine ambient air quality monitoring stations in the UK. In our samples, we identified eDNA from >180 vertebrate, arthropod, plant and fungal taxa representative of local biodiversity. We contend that air monitoring networks are in fact gathering eDNA data reflecting local biodiversity on a continental scale, as a result of their routine function. In some regions, air quality samples are stored for decades, presenting the potential for high resolution biodiversity time series. With minimal modification of current protocols, this material provides the best opportunity to date for detailed monitoring of terrestrial biodiversity using an existing, replicated transnational design and it is already in operation."

Accidental DNA collection by air sensors could revolutionize wildlife tracking (no public access) Filters at air-pollution monitoring stations trap DNA from a multitude of flora and fauna, researchers find.

Air-quality networks collect environmental DNA with the potential to measure biodiversity at continental scales (open access)

Figure 1 Biodiversity sampling by pollution monitoring networks