Search Archive
Turtles have long sparked curiosity and affection, and Sy Montgomery captures humankind’s fascination with them in The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle. This nonfiction book introduces young readers to Fire Chief, a snapping turtle whose decades-long presence in a community is threatened by the town’s growth. With warmth and realism, Montgomery tells Fire Chief’s
In December, the House Natural Resources Committee voted to advance HR 4776, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act. Targeting the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), our country’s basic charter for protecting the environment, the SPEED Act would narrow the scope of federal actions that receive an environmental review, as well as limit
A Wyoming man has been indicted by a grand jury on a state felony animal cruelty charge for torturing a young gray wolf. In February 2024, Cody Roberts allegedly ran the wolf over with a snowmobile, taped his mouth shut, paraded his listless body around a bar, and posed for photos—laughing and kissing his snout before
When a hunter shoots a deer, elk, or other animal with lead ammunition, the damage extends far beyond the target. Upon impact, the bullet splinters into tiny fragments that scatter throughout the body. Many of these particles are so small they are not detectable even by X-ray, and they are impossible to completely remove from
The ability of individuals to move among habitat patches and disperse to other locations is fundamental to population connectivity. Without such mobility, gene flow between populations is reduced or eliminated. When populations colonize new habitats, such as in urban areas, they can become isolated from the original population. In urban areas, dispersal and migration may
The recently concluded 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP20), held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, resulted in significant victories for wildlife protection. Dozens of species were added to either CITES Appendix I (prohibiting most international trade for commercial purposes) or
On December 2, AWI bestowed the Clark R. Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Award on eight recipients at the 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP20) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The award—launched in 1994 and named in honor of the late chief of
In October, the Trump administration finalized plans to open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas development. Designated as a protected area in 1960 and expanded in 1980, ANWR is a region of stunning biodiversity that provides habitat for an estimated 700 species of animals and plants, including
In October, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global authority on wildlife conservation, officially reaffirmed the “endangered” designation of long-tailed macaques (LTMs)—a monkey species used extensively for biomedical research in the United States—on its Red List of Endangered Species. The IUCN’s decision was based on a scientific assessment conducted by species experts that
Wild animals in Kenya’s sprawling (5,308 m2) Tsavo East National Park are safer today because of AWI’s ongoing sponsorship of a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Airwing patrol plane based in that park. (See AWI Quarterly, summer 2023). The KWS wildlife protection strategy relies, in part, on vigorous aerial patrols that, most importantly, serve to deter most poachers. (Those
Snares are ubiquitous around the world and are emptying our forests, meadows, wetlands, savannas, jungles, grasslands, and other habitats of wildlife, with particularly devastating effects in Africa. They are inexpensive and easy to fashion from wire, rope, or a variety of other ordinary materials. They are indiscriminate and cruel—catching target or nontarget species alike and
In the shadowy corners of the multibillion-dollar global wildlife industry, a quiet but flourishing market is often overlooked. As media and regulatory attention focuses primarily on illegal and unsustainable trade in high-profile wild animal species, parts, and products (e.g., live parrots, elephant ivory, and tiger bone pharmaceuticals), millions of live and dead invertebrates are also
This summer, AWI worked with Emmy and Tony Award–winning actor Alan Cumming on a video in support of the Captive Primate Safety Act (HR 3199/S 1594) that was posted on AWI social media platforms on July 11. The bill, reintroduced in Congress by Reps. Mike Quigley (D-IL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), and Nancy
The House Natural Resources Committee has continued to pursue a markedly anti-wildlife agenda by teeing up action on an array of bills to weaken and eliminate protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The committee spent July holding meetings on bills that would delist the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
On June 24, the Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act (HR 4108), was reintroduced by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). This bill would prohibit the possession or use of body-gripping devices, such as steel-jaw leghold traps, Conibears, and snares, within the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) with limited exceptions. The NWRS is home to more than 380
We are delighted to report that on July 15, the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled in our favor in our lawsuit to protect thousands of wild horses in Wyoming and preserve millions of acres of their designated habitat. Represented by the public interest law firm Eubanks & Associates, AWI, American Wild
American pikas (Ochotona princeps) are small, adorable mammals found throughout the mountains of western North America. They have gained public attention and are a species of conservation concern due to a rapidly changing climate and their sensitivity to high temperatures. A proposal to list the species under the Endangered Species Act was denied by the
The Christine Stevens Wildlife Award—named in honor of AWI’s late founder and president for over 50 years—provides grants of up to $15,000 to help fund innovative strategies for humane, nonlethal wildlife conflict management and study. This year, over 40 applications were submitted encompassing species ranging from bees to beaked whales and issues such as mitigating light
Since 2010, an estimated 1.1 to 1.7 million kangaroos have been killed annually in what is considered the largest slaughter of terrestrial mammals in the world. (See AWI Quarterly, spring 2024.) Hunters, armed with high-powered rifles, pursue kangaroos under the cover of darkness, using bright lights to identify their victims. The animals are killed for their
Hard facts: According to the National Park Service, 2 million large wild animals are struck by vehicles on America’s roads every year. About 440 people are killed in these collisions, as well, and another 59,000 injured. The annual price tag runs about $10 billion. Each incident is a needless, preventable tragedy. What’s more, the wildlife