Center for Biological Diversity

Watch as Florida panthers, alligators, bears, bobcats, deer and coyotes cruise through wildlife crossings beneath highways as unknowing humans commute above them at 70mph. Large urban and agricultural developments and their infrastructure can be major barriers to all kinds of wildlife. Without proper planning, they can lead to fragmented habitats that constrain wildlife movement. Thankfully, there are solutions to improve habitat connectivity. Learn more about our work on wildlife connectivity➡️ https://bit.ly/4ipa4P6 📹 from Florida Department of Transportation

Is there a brass band walking by or is that just the trumpeting of a sandhill crane? Sandhill cranes can make a variety of different calls, from purrs to hisses to bugles, and more — some of which can be heard from up to 2.5 miles away. No microphone needed for this bird's fortissimo vocalizations! 📹 by USFWS taken at the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming

It's bath time for these black bears in the borderlands! Did you know? Our borderlands to the south make up one of the biggest ecosystem complexes in North America, with some of the least populated areas and most important wildlife habitats remaining on the continent. The region is host to a diverse array of threatened, endangered and rare species — including Sonoran pronghorns, lesser long-nosed bats, Quino checkerspot butterflies, cactus ferruginous pygmy owls, and larger predators like jaguars, Mexican gray wolves and ocelots — and it contains millions of acres of public lands. This is just a brief glimpse of the spectacular wildlife that lives in these ecologically diverse wildlands. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3C1qAV4 📹 by Russ McSpadden, Southwest Conservation Advocate for the Center

It's #ManateeAppreciationDay, although we hope folks appreciate manatees every day! Gentle and playful marine mammals, Florida manatees have come to represent the amazing biodiversity of Florida. With their large size, slow-moving nature, and fondness of seagrass, it's easy to see why they're nicknamed “sea cows” and "chubby mermaids." They’ve long been fascinating to humans, inspiring tales of mermaids among sailors of yore. But popularity can’t protect manatees from slipping toward extinction. These cubby lil mermaids clearly need more help and we're working to save them. More info on our work 👉 https://bit.ly/4iHSSnQ

The burrowing owl isn't your average owl: It doesn't live in trees, and it's not nocturnal. It makes its nest underground — usually in abandoned rodent burrows — and is active both day and night. Once widespread in California and commonly nested in grasslands throughout low elevation areas of the state, these owls are in danger of being wiped out. Human population explosion has reduced the charismatic western burrowing owl's breeding populations by more than 60 percent, and counting. Learn more ➡️ biodiv.us/3uYrjn0 Footage by Scott and Heather Artis, Urban Bird Foundation

Hundreds of large whales have been reported as harmed by commercial fishing gear entanglements in recent years. But there's a solution: pop-up fishing gear. Also known as ropeless or on-demand gear, pop-up fishing gear limits the amount of time vertical lines stay in the water, making it safer for marine life to swim, eat and reproduce. Tell NOAA Fisheries to support these safer alternatives to fishing gear that can save countless marine animals ➡️ https://bit.ly/4hn37Nj

Grizzly bears are the largest omnivores in North America. Reaching up to 800 pounds and 8 feet tall when standing, grizzly bears boast tremendous size and physical strength and unsurprisingly, have almost no enemies. Actually, they have just a single natural enemy — humans. Illegal killings, dwindling food sources, and habitat destruction are some of the major threats to their survival. We must protect these icons of the wild. Celebrate #WorldBearDay today by telling the USFWS these iconic bears need strong protections👉 https://bit.ly/4kfeqtj

President Donald Trump has nominated Project 2025 proponent Brian Nesvik to lead the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This is a worst-case scenario for our main wildlife agency, in charge of more than 1,600 of the United States' endangered species and some 860 million acres of national wildlife refuges. As director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Nesvik led one of the most anti-conservation agencies in the country. He has proven he won't lift a finger to prevent extinction — but he will push for the wanton killing of iconic animals. You can fight back: Urge your senators to oppose Brian Nesvik for director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4kUJXBo

Today is #WorldRewildingDay. If you're unfamiliar with the term: Rewilding is the process of protecting an environment and returning it to its natural state, including by bringing back wild animals that used to live there. One major rewilding effort we're working on: restoring grizzly bears to California. The grizzly bear is California’s state animal and the centerpiece of its flag and seal — but a grizzly hasn’t roamed the wilds of the Golden State in 100 years. Decades of persecution — not habitat loss — drove grizzlies off the landscape. Returning these animals to the state’s open spaces is a key step in rewilding California and protecting one of America’s most iconic species. Learn more: https://biodiv.us/3PsWPQU

Legal win!🎉 In response to a legal challenge from the Center and our allies, the U.S. Forest Service + U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service annouced it will will reconsider approval of the controversial Eastside project in the Bitterroot National Forest. The proposed tree-cutting and burning project is in the heart of important habitat for bull trout, wolverines and grizzly bears, all of whom are protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. More info: https://bit.ly/3FLu7bW