Island Conservation
Once a species is extinct, there’s no going back…right? Conservationists in the Galapagos are not so sure. The highly publicized 2012 death of “Lonesome George,” the last Pinta Island native Giant Tortoise in existence, represented a major loss for conservationists and wildlife lovers. The death of Lonesome George marked the fourth extinction of fifteen distinct […]
The people of Tasmania’s King Island aim to end the loss of native plants and animals through conservation efforts. King Island, part of Tasmania, Australia, is home to endangered and endemic species, including the Critically Endangered Orange-bellied Parrot: the Little Penguin: the Superb Fairy Wren: and the Platypus: Further decline of native vegetation would have serious consequences for the rare animals […]
The New Zealand Critically Endangered native plant Ngutukākā was pushed to the brink of extinction by invasive species but was saved by conservation efforts. The Critically Endangered Ngutukākā–or Kakabeak–is endemic to New Zealand. The plant was named for its flowers, which resemble the beak of the Kaka, an endangered bird native to New Zealand. The plant almost disappeared from the […]
Endangered Kiwi chick hatches at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia. The Kiwi is an important native bird of New Zealand. The feathered yet flightless creature was named by the Maori–the first people to ever live in New Zealand. The Kiwi is integral to Maori culture and considered sacred. It traditionally served as an occasional food […]
Critically Endangered Kākāpō, the world’s heaviest parrot, has had a much-needed breeding success this year. This breeding season, 37 Kākāpō chicks are surviving on predator-free island sanctuaries. The charming New Zealand native experienced a dangerous population decline in recent years due to the introduction of invasive predators. The Kākāpō is flightless–it lives and forages peacefully on […]
Endangered species find refuge on predator-free Wedge Island, Australia. The protected area offers species a chance to bounce back from extinction. The Critically Endangered Brush-tailed Bettong and Black-footed Rock Wallaby used to thrive in Australia. However, due largely to predatory invasive species such as feral cats and foxes on Mainland Australia, these mammals have experienced […]
Ecological models, rules, and genetic sequencing technology bring researchers to conclusion that almost one-trillion species live on Earth. Perhaps you remember as a child enjoying books with detailed illustrations of all kinds of animals. Many of us learned about the great diversity of species that we share the planet with at a very young age. We […]
New Zealand’s Department of Conservation aims to protect the Black-fronted Tern, an endangered migratory seabird that depends on safe island nesting sites. The Black-fronted Tern is an endangered seabird native to New Zealand. Its population has been steadily decreasing over the past several decades due to invasive predators that prowl their nesting sites. After three years of careful […]
As part of a recovery program, two Critically Endangered Kakapo chicks have been flown in a helicopter to a sanctuary on Codfish Island, New Zealand. There they will spend three months in an enclosure that ensures their protection from predators. Conservationists are working hard to help the Kakapo thrive in the wild. New Zealand Conservation […]
The second-known land mammal to be a native of Hawaii has been identified. Sadly, it’s extinct. In 1981, the remains of an unknown species were found in a lava tube on Maui. Researchers struggled for decades to identify the species. This year, they finally arrived at their answer. The remains belong to a unique subcategory of the Evening or Vesper […]