When the Endangered Species Act was passed, fewer than 50 whooping cranes existed in the wild.In Arizona, the list of animals facing extinction included the Apache trout, a native of White Mountain streams, the California condor and the Mexican gray wolf. The growing list of endangered animals pushed Congress to take action, and the measure passed unanimously in the Senate.
Wyoming s elusive population of wolverines, whose contributions include keeping in check squirrel and other small mammal populations living at high elevations in deep snowpack, are at risk due to loss of habitat and climate change. The latest U.S. Fish and Wildlife species assessment suggested federal protections under the Endangered Species Act could come as soon as November. .
Hawaii is known for its beautiful birds and wildlife advocates want to see more done to protect them from the effects of climate change. One of the major threats is avian malaria, spread by a species of invasive mosquitoes, with death rates exceeding 90%. The National Park Service is ramping up a plan to suppress the mosquitoes by making them unable to reproduce. .
As Halloween approaches and thoughts may turn to spooky bat costumes, advocates for endangered species are reminding everyone bats are not creatures to fear. Bat Week is underway, and wildlife advocates in North Carolina are urging residents to learn about these enigmatic creatures and the advantages they provide. Ben Prater, southeast program director for Defenders of Wildlife, said bats contribute $50 billion dollars in natural pest control, and a new management plan may not adequately safeguard their critically important ecological role. .
The number of mountain lions killed by New Mexico hunters in recent years has fallen below what the state allows, but wildlife advocates think a proposed limit for the next four years is too high. The state game commission meets this week to approve a kill quota of 563 individual mountain lions per year. Mary Katherine Ray, wildlife chair for the Rio Grande chapter of the Sierra Club, said because they are an elusive specifies, the number is too high, especially considering changing weather patterns have disrupted the historic balance of nature. .