Page 27 - HOH September 2nd, 2020_Neat

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SCIENCE Wednesday 2 september 2020
US wildlife officials aim to remove wolf protections in 2020

By JOHN FLESHER and MAT- ing most American wild bird
THEW BROWN Associated species, despite warnings
Press that billions of birds could
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) die as a result.
— The Trump administra- A U.S. judge in New York
tion plans to lift endan- this month invalidated the
gered species protections administration’s use of a
for gray wolves across most legal memo to justify its po-
of the nation by the end of sition that accidental but
the year, the director of the foreseeable killing of birds
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should not be criminally
said Monday. prosecuted.
“We’re working hard to The administration had ar-
have this done by the end gued that the Migratory
of the year and I’d say it’s Bird Treaty Act applies only
very imminent,” Aurelia to the intentional killing of
Skipwith told The Associat- birds and not “incidental”
ed Press in a phone inter- killings during normal ac-
view Monday. tivities by electric utilities,
The administration also is oil developers and other
pushing ahead with a roll- industries.
back of protections for National Audubon Soci-
migratory birds despite a ety chief conservation of-
recent setback in federal ficer Sarah Greenberger
court, she said. This June 29, 2017, file remote camera image provided by the U.S. Forest Service shows a female criticized the agency for
gray wolf and two of the three pups born in 2017 in the wilds of Lassen National Forest in Northern
The Fish and Wildlife Service California. pressing ahead with a rule
last year proposed drop- Associated Press change that would ce-
ping the wolf from the en- ment the policy into a regu-
dangered list in the lower gon, Utah and Washington nerable. Dropping protec- cy doesn’t believe much lation that could be harder
48 states, exempting a state. tions across the Lower 48 suitable habitat remains to overturn.
small population of Mexi- Federal protections remain would doom any chances beyond areas that wolves “There was never a good
can wolves in the South- elsewhere. of their spreading to other currently occupy, a claim reason to weaken the Mi-
west. It was the latest of nu- A federal judge in 2014 re- states where they could that environmental groups gratory Bird Treaty Act and
merous attempts to return stored protection for the thrive if humans allowed it, and some biologists dis- the administration should
management authority to animals in Michigan, Min- they say. pute. have taken its recent loss
the states — moves that nesota and Wisconsin, a A final decision had been “We don’t anticipate them in court as an opportunity
courts have repeatedly decision upheld by an ap- expected last spring, but expanding, regardless of to abandon its bird-killing
rejected after opponents peals court in 2017. the service is taking extra that federal protection,” policy,” Greenberger said.
filed lawsuits. Skipwith, echoing the Fish time to review the science Skipwith said, declining to Skipwith said the Fish and
Shot, trapped and poi- and Wildlife Service’s long- behind its position and is- take a position on a No- Wildlife Service was still
soned to near extinction in held policy, told the AP sues raised in court rulings, vember ballot initiative that evaluating the judge’s de-
the last century, wolves in the wolf has “biologically Skipwith said. would restore wolves to cision and planned to issue
recent decades rebound- recovered” and that its re- “We just want to be sure Colorado. a final rule by the end of
ed in the western Great moval from the list would we’re covering all the bas- “If that’s the approach that the year.
Lakes region and portions demonstrate the effective- es,” she said. “When groups Colorado wants to take, The agency remains com-
of the West, the total pop- ness of the Endangered want to come in and sue that’s their prerogative,” mitted to “making sure
ulation exceeding 6,000. Species Act. because of such a success, she said. we’re not criminalizing
They have been removed But the Humane Society of it takes away resources Skipwith said the agency these unintentional ac-
from the endangered list the United States and other from species that need also is proceeding with tions” while stepping up
in Montana, Idaho, Wyo- wildlife protection groups them.” changes in how it enforces efforts to protect migratory
ming and portions of Ore- contend wolves are still vul- She added that the agen- a century-old law protect- birds, she said.q

Bacterial infection may have killed 11 elephants in Zimbabwe

By FARAI MUTSAKA poisoned dozens of elephants with cyanide and then have taken their
Associated Press ivory tusks to sell them to illegal traders.
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A bacterial infection, possibly from eating Investigations will also try to establish if there is a link between the
poisonous plants, could be the cause of the death of 11 elephants in a deaths and those reported in neighboring Botswana.
forest in western Zimbabwe, a parks agency spokesman said Tuesday. Scientists are still investigating the deaths last month of more than 275
The carcasses of the elephants were discovered last week in Pan- elephants in Botswana's Okavango Delta area.
damasue Forest, located between Hwange National Park and Victo- Poaching, poisoning and anthrax have also been ruled out in those
ria Falls. deaths.
"Food is scarce during this dry season. There is an overpopulation of Botswana has the world's largest elephant population, estimated at
the animals, so the young ones tend to eat anything and some of the 156,000 and Zimbabwe has the second largest, estimated at 85,000.
plants are poisonous. It could be a bacterial infection, but we still need Last year about 200 elephants in Zimbabwe died of starvation as a
to prove it. The scientists are at work," said Tinashe Farawo, spokesman result of the country's drought.
of the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. Zimbabwe argues that it should be allowed to sell some of its ele-
The dead young elephants were found with the tusks still on their bod- phants to foreign zoos to ease congestion and also raise more money
ies, ruling out poaching. In recent years poachers in Zimbabwe have for conservation.q