WWF-Australia’s Post

Peace Parks Foundation is overjoyed by this sighting of a pangolin in Limpopo National Park, in an area that once would’ve been extremely dangerous for this rare and elusive animal. It now roams safely here to the delight of the team – what a privilege and a reassurance to see! All four southern African species of pangolin are under threat from extinction. As the most trafficked mammal in the world, 200,000 of these 64-million-year-old creatures are taken from the wild every year – that's one every four minutes. With them go their vital roles in nature – maintaining a healthy, balanced ecosystem, by controlling insect populations and protecting forests from termite destruction. Their digging behaviour also mixes the soil and makes it more nutrient-rich. But many mysteries remain...  Limpopo National Park, managed jointly by the Government of Mozambique and Peace Parks, is lucky to have such a hard-working resident helping keep the landscape healthy. For the team, any new insight into their populations and behaviour is key to better protecting them. You can help secure a future for them – reach out, support and donate to pangolin conservation!   Administração Nacional das Áreas de Conservação #Pangolin #PangolinConservation #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectPangolins #NatureWithoutBorders #EcosystemRestoration #LimpopoNationalPark #Wildlife #AnimalAction 

🎉Exciting news!⁠ ⁠ Our very own Hannah McCurdy-Adams, WPC's Reptile & Amphibian Program Development Coordinator, was nominated alongside Emma Kominek, Olivia Cornies and Arne Ø. Mooers, for the James Fletcher Award 🏆️⁠ ⁠ Awarded to authors of the "best" paper published in a volume of The Canadian Field-Naturalist (CFN), Hannah and the researchers at Simon Fraser University were recognized as an honourable mention for their study estimating the evolutionary distinctiveness of each of Canada's tetrapods (four-footed animal).⁠ ⁠ You might remember this study from last fall—where we discovered that Canada’s most unique animal isn’t the beaver or moose, but the spiny soft-shell turtle 🐢⁠ ⁠ Want to learn more about the study? https://lnkd.in/g4wdHJcB ⁠ 📸Westhoff/Getty Images⁠ ⁠ More about WPC's Reptile and Amphibian Initiative:⁠ No other class of wildlife in Canada faces greater risk of extinction than reptile and amphibians. According to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), more than 40 amphibian and reptile species are currently threatened or endangered. More than a third of these species need some form of hands-on intervention to survive. Our national reptile and amphibian program develops and promotes best practices for four key conservation techniques: translocation, headstarting, conservation breeding and in-situ interventions. We will maximize the impact of groups across the continent that are working to protect these highly threatened species.⁠

Rewilding hits Australia! Quolls are back after 50 years of extinction. The eastern quoll, once extinct on mainland Australia for over 50 years, has been successfully reintroduced thanks to the collaborative efforts of Rewilding Australia, and several other partners. Quolls were wiped out due to disease and predators. Their return helps restore ecological balance as they play a crucial role in controlling insect and small mammal populations. Initiative: Led by Rewilding Australia, this initiative has been in the making for over 15 years, with key releases beginning in 2018. Methodology: Quolls were translocated from Tasmania and equipped with GPS collars for monitoring. The project is heavily funded by the government, NGOs, and private donors. Achievements: The quolls have started breeding and adapting well in Booderee National Park, despite challenges like bushfires and low densities of predators. Future Steps: Continuous monitoring and management are planned to ensure the quolls thrive and to potentially replicate this success in other regions. Let us keep rewilding and bring back Earth vital signs place by place. #NatureRestoration #EarthRegeneration #ConservationSuccess #EasternQuoll #WildlifeReintroduction #Biodiversity #EcologicalRestoration #AustraliaWildlife #ConservationEfforts #SustainableEcosystems #Rewilding #BoodereeNationalPark #EnvironmentalStewardship #WildlifeProtection

Explained: The role of wildlife corridors in #tiger conservation Wildlife corridors are essentially habitats and pathways that connect wildlife populations, which are fragmented by human settlements and infrastructure works. They are crucial for the long-term survival of the tiger population as they help guard against localized extinctions and ensure the exchange of gene flow, which helps in population diversity https://lnkd.in/gvSXBmr4

Today is World Endangered Species Day and a day to raise awareness about wildlife conservation, our beloved koalas and work and also celebrate the wins. In our recent blog we talk about the human contradictions of loving our planet, people and animals and destroying it at the same time. There is 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 however, you're here reading this and most Australian's (𝟗𝟕%) want more action to protect nature, most people do care what happens to our beautiful animals and that's what we have to work with - the hope. What positive things have happened since koalas were officially listed as endangered in 2022? The NSW Koala Strategy, The rollout of the Koala Chlamydia Vaccine and an End to Forest Logging in Victoria - they're small wins but we will take them and work with them and keep on working until we have saved the species! What can you do? Please support our work in any way you can - we urgently require financial support to continue to provide lifesaving treatment, research and advocacy for koalas. #EndangeredSpeciesDay #koalaconservation https://ow.ly/knPQ50RC3SY

Helmi Hess, Research Biologist for WPC's Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Program, is speaking this Wednesday September 11 at the Carden Field Naturalists Meeting 🐦️ ⁠ Presenting "Loggerhead Shrike: On the Brink of Disappearance in Ontario", Helmi will be discussing what's involved in the program, our success stories and what you can do to help!⁠ Since Carden is one of the field sites in our recovery program, it's very special to be able to share this information with local residents interested in learning more about this endangered songbird and how they can help. All four Huronia Clubs will be in attendance and the talk is open to the public. **The red belly seen on the shrike pictured here is non-toxic, washable marker, used to identify birds not only within WPC's release enclosures but also to help distinguish birds from a distance once they are released to the wild. The colouring will wash off shortly. More about WPC's eastern loggerhead shrike program: After a precipitous drop in the wild eastern loggerhead shrike population in the 1990s, Environment Canada invited Wildlife Preservation Canada to lead the multi-partner recovery effort in 2003. Since then, the wild population size has fluctuated. Studies have shown that although the recovery effort has prevented the species from disappearing from Canada, more work is required to identify and address the causes of the species’ decline. WPC works to prevent the eastern loggerhead shrike from disappearing by building the wild population in Ontario, and studying the species to learn more about the threats they face. #wildlife #conservation #biodiversity #birds #WPC #WPCeasternloggerheadshrike⁠

Unraveling the Enigma: The Mysterious Elephant Deaths in Zimbabwe The recent spate of mysterious elephant deaths in Zimbabwe has raised significant concerns among conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts. With over 100 elephants found dead, the situation demands urgent investigation to uncover the causes behind these fatalities. Potential factors include drought, poaching, and diseases like anthrax, which have previously impacted elephant populations. Understanding the underlying issues is crucial not only for protecting these majestic creatures but also for preserving the delicate balance of their ecosystem. Addressing the challenges facing elephants will require a collaborative effort from governments, NGOs, and local communities to ensure their survival for generations to come. 🐘🌍 #ElephantConservation #WildlifeProtection #Zimbabwe #EnvironmentalIssues #Biodiversity https://lnkd.in/dWTq7y5k

It’s Impact Friday! CCF’s landmark research reveals the impact of Illegal Trade on Northeast Cheetah Subspecies. Between 2010 and 2019 a study produced by present and past CCF staff estimated that over 4,000 cheetahs were involved in the illegal wildlife trade in that time. Of those, close to 500 were recorded in Somaliland. CCF DNA analysis, including mitochondrial control region sequencing, revealed that all sampled cheetahs matched the A. j. soemmeringii subspecies (Northeast African cheetah). This finding indicates that most trafficked cheetahs in the Horn of Africa are sourced regionally from this subspecies. With an estimate of 260–590 mature individuals in this region coupled with other threats like human-wildlife conflicts and habitat loss, the reclassification of this subspecies to Endangered was supported. More details on research can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gJRitprR

Happy World Reptile Day! What better way to celebrate today than by slithering into our latest blog from Rachel Fallas, our Reptile and Amphibian Program Biologist? This past August, Rachel and a few of our staff members had the opportunity to attend the 10th World Congress of Herpetology in Borneo - a special opportunity to learn from the best in the world 💚⁠ ⁠ In this blog, you'll her about her nighttime herping adventures, an orangutan sighting, and get to see all of her beautiful photos of reptiles, amphibians, and even mammals during her visit. ⁠ 🔗https://lnkd.in/giAPUEk2 📸Rachel Fallas More about WPC's Reptile and Amphibian Initiative: No other class of wildlife in Canada faces greater risk of extinction than reptile and amphibians. According to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), more than 40 amphibian and reptile species are currently threatened or endangered. More than a third of these species need some form of hands-on intervention to survive. Our national reptile and amphibian program develops and promotes best practices for four key conservation techniques: translocation, headstarting, conservation breeding and in-situ interventions. We will maximize the impact of groups across the continent that are working to protect these highly threatened species.

Camera Trap Picture of the Week. Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee Pan troglodytes ellioti is classified as Endangered, found only in the forests of southern Nigeria and western Cameroon. The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee has the smallest geographic range and the smallest population of all four chimpanzee subspecies. The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee was only recognised as a new subspecies in 1997. Formerly common and widespread, the species is now very rare and restricted to a few remaining forest patches. The main threats to the survival of Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees are poaching and habitat loss, an estimated 3,500 to 9,000 survive. WCS helps to protect Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees at 4 sites in Nigeria (all in Cross River State): Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, the Mbe Mountains, the Okwangwo Division of Cross River National Park, and the Oban Division of Cross River National Park. Fun Facts · Chimpanzees live in both forests and savanna. · Chimpanzees are highly social animals, care for their offspring for years and can live to be over 50. · Chimpanzees are our closest cousins; we share about 98% of our genes. · Chimpanzees live in small groups averaging 35 members. · Like gorillas, chimpanzees construct nests in trees to sleep in each night. · Chimpanzees are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders, fruit forms about half of their diet. · In Hausa, chimpanzees ate called ‘biri mai ganga’ the monkey with the drum. · Chimpanzees use tools made from plant parts to extract ants and termites from their nests, and stone and wooden hammers to crack nuts. Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) National Park Service, Nigeria SW/NIGER DELTA FOREST PROJECT Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation Arcus Foundation Re:wild NCF Nigeria Rainforest Trust