New Jersey seeks to remove bald eagles, ospreys from endangered list

June 7, 2024 by The Wildlife Society

New Jersey officials are proposing to remove bald eagles and ospreys from the state endangered species list. In a proposal published June 3, state Department of Environmental Protection officials say both birds’ populations have recovered to the point where their survival is no longer in jeopardy.

“The de-listing of eagles and ospreys is a milestone in the history of wildlife conservation in New Jersey and is a testament to the dedication of DEP professionals and volunteers who over the years stood watch over nests in all forms of weather, nurtured hatchlings, and worked tirelessly to educate the public about the importance of sustaining wildlife diversity,” said Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette, in a statement.

New Jersey’s bald eagle population has rebounded since the early 1980s, when the use of the pesticide DDT reduced the population to just one nest. In 2023, biologists counted a record 267 nesting pairs in the state.

Also affected by DDT, osprey nests dwindled to about 50 by the early 1970s. Last year, biologists for documented a record 800 nests.

“The recovery and de-listing of bald eagles and ospreys is a huge milestone for our state,” said Chief Kathy Clark, chief of the state Endangered and Nongame Species Program. “Many people have worked for years and decades to bring these species back from the brink, including biologists, volunteers, and all those who protect and steward habitat for rare wildlife.”

In addition to delisting bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and ospreys (Pandion haliaetus), New Jersey plans to downlist the bobcat (Lynx rufus) from endangered to threatened. Thirty species would see greater protections, including the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus), rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) and King rail (Rallus elegans).

The proposed rule is open for public comment until Aug. 2.

Read more from the state of New Jersey.

Opossum rabies case raises concerns

June 6, 2024 by The Wildlife Society

A rare case of rabies is bringing serious concern from biologists about how the disease may be able to spread in cities. Researchers confirmed that a female white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris) died from rabies in the Bosque dos Jequitibás Park in Sao Paulo state in Brazil, according to a study published recently in Emerging Infectious Diseases. Opossums don’t often contract rabies due to their relatively cooler body temperatures. Plus, opossums are small, and don’t often survive attacks from larger rabid animals. Dog rabies had previously been exterminated by Sao Paulo state, but this transmission appears to have originated from bats.

Read more at Global Biodefense.

Congratulations to TWS’ Leadership Institute Class of 2024

June 6, 2024 by Laura Bies

The Wildlife Society is excited to introduce you to the Class of 2024 of the Leadership Institute, TWS’ flagship leadership development program.

Members of this year’s class were selected from a competitive pool of applicants. Throughout the six-month program, participants will engage in a variety of distance learning and hands-on projects and develop a greater understanding of how to apply leadership skills in their professional careers. The Leadership Institute will culminate at TWS’ 31st Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, this October.

Leadership Institute participants are selected by a committee of TWS members and staff based on factors like demonstrated leadership capability or potential, commitment to and involvement in TWS and the wildlife profession, and potential to contribute to the growth and development of the group as a whole. This year’s class represents nine states or provinces and five sections of TWS.

Meet the Leadership Institute Class of 2024:

Wesley Boone, Clemson University. Wesley is a postdoctoral research associate in Dr. David Jachowski’s lab at Clemson University where he studies carnivore community dynamics and how carnivores influence prey populations. As a researcher, he seeks to provide insights that better enable conservation and management of natural resources by conducting applied and theoretical research with an interdisciplinary approach. His other, equal passion is providing quality instruction and mentorship to undergraduate students.

Laura Hancock, The Walker Basin Conservancy. Laura is the Conservation Science Field Manager for the Walker Basin Conservancy and is about to defend her PhD at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program. Laura’s work with the Walker Basin Conservancy focuses on overseeing day-to-day monitoring activities to assess general land health and habitat for sensitive and imperiled species, such as the western yellow-billed cuckoo, bi-state sage-grouse, and monarch butterfly.

Alan Harrington, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Alan works as a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Montana Ecological Services Field Office. He is engaged in the listing and recovery of threatened and endangered species, provides Section 7 consultation support to other federal agencies and develops conservation programs for pollinators, native plants and sage-grouse in grassland and sagebrush ecosystems in Montana.

Annalei Lees, The Tulalip Tribes. Annalei is the wildlife technician coordinator for The Tulalip Tribes of Washington state. She is also pursuing a master’s degree in conservation biology at Miami University, with an anticipated graduation in December.

Terrah Owens, Idaho National Laboratory. Terrah is a natural resource scientist for Batelle Energy Alliance, a not-for-profit organization that manages the Idaho National Laboratory for the Department of Energy. She works at the intersection of research and land management to help manage 890 square miles of a nearly intact sagebrush ecosystem while supporting the INL’s mission of researching renewable energy and critical infrastructure security. 

Garrett Peachey, Southern Ute Indian Tribe. Garrett is the wildlife biologist for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in Ignacio, Colorado. In that position, he coordinates terrestrial conservation program for game species, culturally sensitive species and threatened and endangered species. Garrett’s primary focus is to monitor and research conservation efforts for mule deer, elk, eagles and species of conservation concern.

Bethan Roberts, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Bethan is a biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Imperiled Species Management Program. She works with partners and stakeholders implementing manatee protection plans and leads the interagency Manatee Water Control Structure Working Group, which acts to prevent manatee entrapment and mortality.

Sierra Scauzillo, Quail Forever. Sierra is a Farm Bill biologist with the nonprofit conservation organization Quail Forever. She works in northwest Georgia, assisting private landowners in her 20-county area with their wildlife objectives through conducting site visits with landowners, offering management advice and discussing cost-share opportunities.

Hope VanDerwater, Virginia Tech. Hope is a research associate in the Virginia Tech shorebird program. Her research examines nest-site selection, prey availability and reproductive success of the federally threatened piping plover in the hurricane- and human-disturbed barrier island habitats on Fire Island, NY. 

Amanda Veals Dutt, Borderlands Research Institute. Amanda is a postdoctoral research scientist with Borderlands Research Institute at Sul Ross State University in Texas. She specializes in spatial ecology, with a focus on mammalian carnivores, and is committed to mentorship and building community. 

Over the course of their Leadership Institute experience, these participants will have the opportunity to learn from TWS Council and staff, take part in discussions on a variety of leadership topics and engage in mentorship activities with established TWS members, including members of TWS Heritage Committee and Leadership Institute alumni.

Congratulations again to the Leadership Institute Class of 2024!

Learn more about The Wildlife Society’s Leadership Institute.

The Wildlife Society is grateful for the Dallas Safari Club Foundation‘s ongoing support for the Leadership Institute program. Their dedication to ensuring the conservation of wildlife through public engagement, education and advocacy is evident through their dedication to helping the Leadership Institute thrive.

TWS2023: How do zebras and wildebeests respond to drought?

June 5, 2024 by Joshua Rapp Learn

Drought in southwestern Africa can push wildebeests and zebras to the limits of their tolerance—in some cases killing them.

New research shows how migration obstacles may limit these ungulates’ abilities to respond naturally to prolonged dry periods, despite wildlife managers providing artificial water resources.

“A lot of them are going to make it, but a lot of them are not,” said TWS member Kimberlie Vera, a PhD candidate in forest and wildlife ecology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. “Some of them are going to succumb to drought-caused starvation.”

As part of her dissertation, detailed on a poster at The Wildlife Society’s 2023 Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, Vera traveled to Etosha National Park in northern Namibia in 2019, toward the end of a two-year drought. In normal conditions, the weather there is divided into three seasons—cold and dry, hot and dry and hot and wet. The trouble was, the previous two years didn’t see much wet in the period from January to March, when the rains usually occur.

Drought conditions lasted for two years in northern Namibia. Credit: Wendy Turner

Adventure in the field

To test how the drought was affecting ungulates, Vera and her colleagues drove their truck across dusty landscapes to place GPS tracking collars on blue wildebeests (Connochaetes taurinus) and plains zebra (Equus quagga). Including work done before she arrived, 27 wildebeests were collared and 22 zebras. “It takes a lot of patience—you could be out all day without seeing anything,” Vera said.

Then suddenly, the team burst into action when they spotted zebras or wildebeests. “It goes from zero to 100,” she said. They had gotten organized beforehand, practicing exactly what to do. Once they tranquilized an animal using dart guns, they would have to be as efficient as possible, getting the collars onto the animals and taking other measurements. They also surgically implanted biologger devices that tracked the internal temperature of the abdomens of six wildebeests and six zebras.

“It gave me goosebumps,” Vera said. “It’s not until you’re right next to them until you realize how big they are and worthy of your respect.”

Wildebeests at a water hole. Credit: Wendy Turner

Grim results

Collar data showed that the end of the drought, during the hot-dry period, was the worst time for these two species. Some 27% of the collared zebras and 22% of the collared wildebeests died during one month period at the end of November and beginning of December in 2019.

“During this period, they were struggling to thermoregulate,” Vera said. This problem may have been caused by a lack of food available on the landscape—the team got to most carcasses within a day or two of dying, and their body conditions led them to believe starvation played a major role in their deaths.

Kimberlie Vera inspects a zebra carcass to determine the cause of death. Credit: Kimberlie Vera

Tourists at the time reported animals dropping dead in the field, and Vera saw some of the effects of starvation up close. “I literally saw zebras eating dirt and rocks,” she said.

Historically, both species used to migrate a lot more than today. When conditions were too dry in the Etosha National Park area, many wildebeests would move northwards into Angola, which has more water. Today, the area north of the Angolan border has too much development and fencing for the animals to move.

In the 1970s and 1980s, wildlife managers dug wells in parts of Etosha in an effort to draw animals to tourist viewing areas. This water has supplemented the animals during drought.

Tracking data showed that zebras used these waterholes more than wildebeests, which spend more time on the move in search of higher-quality food than zebras do. Some wildebeests went four days between drinks.

“For wildebeest specifically we really see them pushing their limits in seeking that forage,” Vera said.

The collar data also revealed wildebeest were still trying to push as far northwards as they could, though they came up against obstacles blocking them from wetter areas in Angola. Both species still migrate as best as they can within park boundaries, though, Vera said.

Silver lining

The drought had at least one benefit, though. Typically, a number of zebras and wildebeests here die from anthrax each year, which is usually transmitted between animals during the wet season, but that didn’t happen during the drought.

“Normally there would be a ginormous peak of mortalities recorded by both zebra and wildebeests but there weren’t any recorded for those two species,” Vera said. Anthrax deaths for other antelope species were the lowest ever recorded in the area, she said.

Wildebeest forage on higher quality, but less, vegetation than zebras. Credit: Wendy Turner

California wildlife crossing moving forward

June 5, 2024 by The Wildlife Society

California officials say what will be the world’s largest wildlife crossing is on track to be completed by early 2026.

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will help animals cross busy Highway 101 outside of Los Angeles. Gov. Gavin Newsom says construction crews are more than halfway through installing the beams that form the crossing.

“With projects like this, we’re reconnecting and restoring habitats so future generations can continue to enjoy California’s unmatched natural beauty,” Newsom said in a statement.

The crossing will connect protected lands in the Santa Monica Mountains and the Sierra Madre Range over Highway 101, considered one of the biggest barriers to wildlife connectivity in Southern California.

The state has provided $58.1 million for the effort. Private philanthropy has raised another $34 million.

Read more from Scripps News.

Researchers discover rare sea turtle nesting site in Louisiana

June 4, 2024 by Joshua Rapp Learn

In the northern Gulf of Mexico, there is really only one known consistent nesting site for Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, and it’s on a beach in northeastern Mexico.

But surveys conducted on offshore barrier islands near New Orleans have revealed these critically endangered reptiles also nest on the beaches along the coast of Louisiana.

“That’s exciting,” said Margaret Lamont, a research biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Wetland and Aquatic Research Center in Gainesville, Florida.

About 20 miles off the coast of Louisiana, and 70 miles east of New Orleans, the Chandeleur Islands form an uninhabited archipelago that stretches for about 50 miles into the Gulf. Sitting entirely within Breton National Wildlife Refuge, they provide important resources for shorebirds and other wildlife and help protect the coast from storm surges. Chandeleur Sound, which separates the islands from the mangroves, provides rich waters for recreational and commercial fishing fleets.

But these islands were damaged by the storm surge from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in 2010, and sea level rise caused by climate change continues to eat away at them.

“The islands provide innumerable services both to humans and natural resources,” Lamont said. As a result, the state is looking to restore them back to the condition they were in a half a century ago.

Researchers can usually determine the species of sea turtle just by analyzing the tracks they make on the beach. These are loggerhead tracks. Credit: Matt Weigel/Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Uncovering turtle nests

As part of this effort, officials wanted to learn more about species that used the islands, including sea turtles. In June and July 2022, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority began flying float planes over the islands in search of signs that turtles are coming ashore.

“When [a turtle] comes up on the beach, it leaves large tracks,” said Lamont, lead author of the study published recently in Ecology and Evolution documenting the discovery. These tracks, some 20 to 40 inches wide, are visible from a low-flying plane.

When the researchers spotted turtle tracks, they would land on the water and check them out. Usually, they could tell the species just by the tracks’ appearance. If they saw a nest—sometimes turtles turn back before laying eggs—they would excavate it after it hatched and take samples of hatched eggs to verify the species and population of the animals. They would also count egg numbers, monitor the nests over time and estimate how many turtles emerged when they hatched.

Buried treasure

In 2022, researchers including biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, found 54 crawl tracks. Some 16 of those were likely from loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). That alone was a surprise, since the species is more often associated with the eastern coast of Florida than the Gulf of Mexico. Genetic analysis confirmed some were from the distinct population of loggerheads found in the northern Gulf.

Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are smaller and lighter than loggerheads, so their tracks make shallower impressions. Credit: Matt Weigel/Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

But the researchers were really surprised to discover that two of the nests were from Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii), considered endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Biologists know of only two consistent nesting locations for this species. The main one is in the northeastern Mexico state of Tamaulipas. A small number also nest in Texas, the result of eggs taken there by managers in the 1970s, which established a second population.

Excited about what this meant for the highly endangered Kemp’s ridleys, the team flew more surveys in 2023, starting a little earlier in the year. Kemp’s ridley sea turtles typically nest from April to July, while loggerheads nest from May to August. In this second year, they documented at least 22 Kemp’s ridley sea turtle crawls—more than even loggerheads that year—though that information didn’t make it into the recent publication. This number of crawls suggests the Chandeleur Islands may represent a third site in the Gulf of Mexico where Kemp’s ridleys nest consistently.

A nesting Kemp’s ridley sea turtle female on the Chandeleur Islands. Credit: Matt Weigel/Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

This story is only just beginning, Lamont said, since biologists only recently discovered this nesting area. Genetic studies of Kemp’s ridley nests from the Chandeleur Island are underway to help scientists understand where these nesting individuals originated. The team will continue to monitor both species and look for potential effects from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

In the future, Lamont said, this could turn into a very important conservation project for a critically endangered species.

Study finds risk of wild pigs invading U.S. from Canada

June 4, 2024 by The Wildlife Society

Biologists are worried that wild pigs in Canada could cross the border into the northern U.S.

Lots of U.S. states have issues with feral swine, but northern states have been an exception. But a recent study in Biological Invasions warned of a “high potential” for pigs to move from western Canada “into the currently wild pig-free northern U.S. states.”

The pigs include wild boars (Sus scrofa) introduced to Canada in the 1980s for meat and hunting, domestic swine (S.s. domesticus) and hybrids of the two, according to the Canadian Council on Invasive Species.

Wild pigs can wreak havoc on native landscapes and agricultural lands, prompting officials in Canada to try to control their populations.

The research “highlights a need for monitoring and science-based response strategies for likely southward spread of this invasive species to prevent or reduce potential crop damage, risks to native species, and disease transmission to humans, pets, livestock and wildlife.

Read the study at Biological Invasions.

Get ready for Quiz Bowl

June 3, 2024 by The Wildlife Society

The 25th Annual Quiz Bowl will take place during TWS’ Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. As a participant—or even as a member of the audience—you’ll have fun testing your expertise in wildlife trivia!

The winning team gets its name emblazoned on a plaque and receives an original piece of artwork to display at its school. Will our 2023 champions, Purdue University, defend their title or will a new champion be crowned?

Come join us, and cheer for your alma mater or your favorite team!

Ready to enter your team? Please send an email to quizbowl@wildlife.org with the following information:

1. The name of your university/college or student chapter of The Wildlife Society

2. The name and email address of your team coordinator. IMPORTANT: Ensure that this individual will receive and respond to emails throughout the summer. This can be an advisor; it does not need to be a competitor.

Review the official Quiz Bowl rules here.

Deadline for Registration: September 6 — or sooner! THIS IS IMPORTANT: due to the one-day schedule, the Quiz Bowl Committee will almost certainly limit the competition to 16 teams. They will maintain an alternatives list to compensate for late cancellations, but register early to ensure a space in the competition.

Storm-tossed flamingos remain in Florida

June 3, 2024 by The Wildlife Society

After Hurricane Idalia blew over flamingos into Florida last year, the birds seem to be staying put. Audubon Florida announced that residents counted 101 flamingos throughout the state during a February survey. Over half were at Florida Bay, at the southern end of the state. with another 18 in the Pine Island area west of Fort Myers on Florida’s Gulf Coast, and 14 at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, east of Orlando on the Atlantic Coast.

“I actually suspect that 100 flamingos is the floor of this new population, and there could be more that were not counted during the one-week survey,” Jerry Lorenz, state director of research for Audubon Florida, in a press release. “We are continually monitoring for breeding flamingos.”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission considers flamingos to be native to the state, but they were decimated by the 19th century plume trade.

Last August, Hurricane Idalia brought a “pink wave” of American flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) to Florida and other states as high winds blew in birds as the storm traveled north from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

Read more from the Fort Myers News-Press.

Q&A: Rewilding the reptile way

May 31, 2024 by Joshua Rapp Learn

When you think about species reintroduction or the more controversial topic of rewilding, large species often come to mind, like bison (Bison bison), which once occupied vast territories.

But in a review published recently in Global Ecology and Conservation, Gavin Stark, from the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig, and his colleague Mauro Galetti, a professor from São Paulo State University in Brazil, suggest more focus should be put on herbivorous reptiles, such as tortoises or iguanas.

Credit: S. Bernhardt

“Trying to focus on these groups which are highly endangered and on the brink of extinction are much more effective than trying to put all your eggs in one basket,” Stark said. “The bias that we see against reptiles in these kinds of conservation programs is really problematic.”

We spoke with Stark to learn more about how wildlife managers and conservationists should consider herbivorous reptiles in their projects. His replies are edited for brevity and clarity.

Why reptiles?

When you go through the scientific literature, most studies focus on reintroducing mammals or birds. Most conservation programs and funding also go towards mammals and birds. In rewilding initiatives worldwide, we find the same pattern. There is a gap in the scientific literature even though reptiles and amphibians are at much higher risk of extinction.

Why do reptiles and amphibians face more extinction danger?

Reptile and amphibian species are still being discovered. If you look at reptiles and amphibians throughout the years, you’ll see that this group is growing a lot. But they don’t get most of the funding because most organizations market tigers or eagles, and not snakes or toads.

Amphibians are very sensitive to changes in their environment, like pollution or other issues, that people cause. Amphibians have the highest extinction rate and extinction risk around the world. More than 40% of amphibians today are at risk of extinction. In reptiles, it’s more than 20%. Mammals and birds have lower numbers.

The Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) has been reintroduced to Santiago Island in the archipelago, where it had been extirpated in the early 20th century. Credit: Peter Wilton

What benefits can reptiles provide in rewilding projects?

The ultimate goal is trying to create this kind of wild area—these self-sufficient areas of nature just being nature. You can have these functional connections between different species, and eventually these kinds of areas will become much closer to something we call natural or wilder areas. This is the goal—not to recreate the past but trying to recreate self-sustaining or independent natural processes that happen without our interventions.

Reptiles are relatively easy to handle and care for in captivity. Compared to mammals, they require more straightforward husbandry measures and are more cost-effective to raise in captivity. This makes it easier to maintain and breed multiple generations of reptiles, ultimately creating a sustainable population for release into natural habitats. Mammals, on the other hand, have more complex reproduction requirements, making it more challenging and expensive to manage their populations in captivity.

With tortoises, one of the main reptilian groups I talk about in my paper, their reproduction is really slow, so they are really easy to count and measure. If there is a population explosion, you can manipulate the population by moving some individuals to other areas or reintroducing predators that can regulate their numbers. From a logistical point of view, it’s much easier to rewild using reptiles as opposed to mammals.

Also, the social aspect of reintroducing mammals can be controversial. There are political debates in Europe about whether to reintroduce the wolf. If you discuss trying to reintroduce an herbivorous reptile, you will get much less backlash.

Why herbivorous reptiles rather than carnivorous?

Herbivorous reptiles can have a significant impact on the ecosystem through grazing, browsing, trampling and other functional roles. Famous examples include Galapagos tortoises and species in the Seychelles that act as ecosystem engineers. Simply by being present and engaging in life processes like eating and defecating, they can create different habitats. Their effect can be similar to that of elephants in the savanna.

One of the most famous examples are the Galapagos species. The Española giant tortoise was introduced on Española, Isabela, Pinzón, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz and Santiago. Once they reintroduced the species, they managed to help the dispersal of an endangered plant species—the main food source for many other species. Eventually, the return of these tortoises really changed the environment to conditions before humans introduced species like goats.