coronavirus With South Africa in Lockdown, The Lions Are Taking It Very Easy It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good. NOTE: this article was originally published to CNN.com on April 17, 2020. It was written by Jack Guy. New photos from South Africa’s Kruger National Park show a pride of lions lounging in a normally busy road. Whether
Bio-Diversity Huge Feral Hogs Invading Canada, Building ‘Pigloos’ As They Go Cold weather is kinder to larger animals, because of “thermal efficiency”. This is why the largest bear, whales, deer and even quail are found in the northern extremes of their ranges. Pigs are no exception, as discussed below. And because they are intelligent, they build themselves shelters, and even use
Adolescent Grizzly at Pitchstone Waters “In early May of 2020, our neighbor’s game camera photographed this young grizzly crossing onto our property, on the south side of Fall River.
Bison First Bison Calf The gestation period for the American bison is 9 1/2 months. Under normal conditions, cows have their calves from mid-April through June. Cows generally have one calf per year, but twins may occur very rarely.Calves are born big. American bison calves weigh a massive 30 to 70 lbs.
Elk Migration Stunning Video Shows Herd of Elk Running up a Hill Near Denver “Colorado Parks and Wildlife has shared a stunning video of a herd of elk running across a landscape near Denver. NOTE: this article was originally published to Newsweek.com on December 27, 2019. It was written by Kashmira Gander. ‘It is quite the sight to see’ The video shot on
"Invasion Biology" Scientists Disagree on Bison Impacts to Yellowstone’s Northern Range “According to Yellowstone’s senior bison biologist who is quoted below, Yellowstone is the only place in North America with a complete set of predators and herbivores – both of which shape their habitat in ways conventional “managers” neither understand nor like. NOTE: this article was originally published to NationalParksTraveler.org
"Invasion Biology" Take ‘Charisma’ Into Account When Managing Invasive Species, Scientists Say As Groucho Marx asked all those years ago, “Who are you going to believe: Me, or your lying eyes?” According to the doubtful premise underlying invasive species biology, any new creature entering a system is, by definition, harmful to it. This paper, written by invasion “biologists” warns against being “fooled”
Conservation 400 Miles to Cross: The Interstate 80 Wildlife Barrier THIS IS WHY SOME DEER MIGRATE 150 MILES — BUT NO FURTHER. THE SOLUTION WILL MAKE YOU HOPEFUL. This new film shows how Interstate 80 in Wyoming is an almost impenetrable obstacle to movement of pronghorn, elk, and deer, including animals in the herd of world-record migrator Deer 255. The highway
"Wolves" Mexican Gray Wolf Numbers in the US Soared in 2019 Cattlemen have a big problem with these little wolves. On closer inspection, it turns out there are ways to ranch alongside these animals. These alternative strategies benefit wildlife and habitat in important ways while improving range for cattle grazing. NOTE: this article was originally published to TheVerge.com on March
"Invasion Biology" Could an Invasive Snail Save Your Morning Coffee? More often than not, “invasive” plants and animals are responding to human damage to ecosystems. So-called exotics are usually viewed as competitive to the systems where they have arrived, but on closer study, most turn out to be complimentary. Think of them as nature trying to rebalance herself. NOTE: this
bigfoot Book Review: ‘I Know What I Saw’ Seriously weird wildlife. NOTE: this article was originally published to WSJ.com on August 2, 2019. It was written by Tom Shippey. A collection of firsthand sightings of mythical and mysterious creatures in the U.S., from the Oglala Deer Woman to the Texas Lobo Girl. Farmers on the Mediterranean
Bighorn Ceremonial Bighorn Sheep Headdresses and Masks in Native American Culture Recent studies of native rock art in the Jornada del Muerto region of southern New Mexico show the ceremonial importance of Desert Bighorn Sheep in the ancient cultures of this area. NOTE: This article was written by Margaret Berrier
beef ‘Plant-Based Meat’ May Be Problematic After All “Is fake meat safe? NOTE: this article was originally published to YourAmericaNews on July 22, 2019. There’s a substantial push in America to have “plant-based meat” replace the real McCoy. So far, sales have outpaced demand, but some journalists have exposed possible health concerns with the genetically modified food.
"Invasion Biology" A Natural Classroom, Run by Wolves Wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone has been a scientific and tourism bonanza. NOTE: this article was originally published to NYTimes.com on March 27, 2020. It was written by Jim Robbins. Mr. Robbins, a longtime contributor to The Times, is based in Helena, Mont. Twenty-five years ago this month, 14 wolves
Elk Migration On the Elk Trail: Episode 7 - What Migration Means Quoting the producers of the video below, “After wrapping up years of research into elk migration patterns in the Greater Yellowstone area of northwest Wyoming, biologist Travis Zaffarano finds that images of elk making their yearly journeys are what sticks with him. Ultimately, migration is what allows these elk herds
"Invasion Biology" Pablo Escobar’s Hippos Fill a Hole Left Since Ice Age Extinctions According to the article below—and the study on which it is based—humans have caused the extinction of many large animals over the past 100,000 years. This has changed ecosystems greatly, generally for the worse. Introductions of so-called exotics have somewhat compensated for extinction losses. As incongruous as
April Fools Day Zoo Plays April Fool’s Joke on Media “The irony is that, but for human influence on wildlife, close relatives of elephants might inhabit the valley of the San Antonio River today. Mammoths were in our systems until early Native Americans hunted them out about 10,000-years ago.” NOTE: this article was originally published to KSAT.com on
Bears The Predator Paradox: Ending the War with Wolves, Bears, Cougars, and Coyotes “An expert in wildlife management tells the stories of those who are finding new ways for humans and mammalian predators to coexist. NOTE: this book is available on Amazon.com Stories of backyard bears and cat-eating coyotes are becoming increasingly common—even for people living in non-rural areas. Farmers anxious
March Ranch Report Texas Ranch Market Report - Special - March 2020 Because of the economic lockdown, the ranch market is currently in deep freeze. Even with an economic “recovery”, ranch prices – like the oil to which their values are tied – will remain depressed. In retrospect, the next 12-months will be seen as a great time to have bought ranch land. NOTE:
dams Saving Salmon and Saving Money According to the authors of the article below, the key to salmon restoration is to join together the ownership of dams and salmon fisheries, giving dam operators incentives both to earn money and save fish—or, really, to give them incentives to earn money by saving fish. More than a
Conservation On the Elk Trail: Episode 6 - When do Elk Migrate? Quoting the producers of the video below, “Each fall, thousands of elk flood out of the mountains in a mass migration. Without calendars or clocks, how does the herd decide when to move? This amazing, coordinated behavior helps sustain Wyoming’s abundant wildlife.” Special thanks to our partners: Wyoming Game
Gulf Oysters Are Dying, Putting a Southern Tradition at Risk Once so common they were considered food for poor people, oysters are increasingly a rare and costly delicacy. Oyster decline reflects the damage agricultural practices are doing to fisheries. NOTE: this article was originally published to NYTimes.com on · November 12, 2019. It was written by Brett Anderson. Cheap and
American West How Beef Eaters in Cities Are Draining Rivers in the American West Paraphrasing the authors below, “The biggest user of river water by far, is not lawns and showers, but agriculture. New research shows that across the Western United States, a third of all consumed water goes to irrigate crops – not for human consumption – but used to feed beef and dairy cattle.
butterfly The Once and Future Monarch “As discussed below, glyphosate (Roundup) is the largest single factor behind the collapse of monarch butterfly populations. NOTE: this article was originally published to PERC.org on December 6, 2019. It was written by Tate Watkins. How human activity has harmed—and could help—prospects for the monarch butterfly In
population boom As West Coast Transplants Pour In, a Small Idaho Town Has a Big Dilemma As described below, Idaho is experiencing a massive inflow of new residents, especially Californians. NOTE: this article was originally published to WSJ.com on January 21, 2020. It was written by Dan Frosch. Star, Idaho’s population is booming and housing prices have more than doubled; ‘The growth is beyond
