habitat news stories on Newser

Hundreds of Yellowstone's Bison May Be Slaughtered

Matt Cantor — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 07:31:25 CST

Yellowstone National Park's iconic bison herds are suffering their worst winter in several years, with almost 400 of the animals being held for possible slaughter—as an effort to expand their habitat seems poised to fail, the AP reports. Some 368 bison have been captured and placed in government corrals...

Sanctuary Counts Record Number of Bald Eagles

Nick McMaster — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:38:45 CST

More good news on the bald eagle front: Bird watchers at a major Pennsylvania preserve counted a record number this year—407, beating the previous mark of 245 set only two years ago, reports AP . This year may end up being a statistical anomaly, but it's part of longer-term trend...

Feds Pitch Polar Bear Habitat

Rob Quinn — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:41:04 CDT

The federal government has proposed designating 200,000 square miles of land, sea, and ice in northern Alaska as a critical habitat for polar bears. The move is "one step in the right direction to help this species stave off extinction," said an Interior Department official. He acknowledged, however, that...

In Alaska, Melting Glaciers Cause Land to Rise

Sarah Quinn — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:01:58 CDT

Around Juneau, Alaska, climate change is causing an unexpected problem, the New York Times reports: As glaciers melt, the land is rising away from the sea. The change—10 feet in about 200 years—is enough to dry up local streams and wetland habitats, and is the result of land...

Endangered Frogs Find Their Noah

Katherine Thompson — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:33:31 CDT

Half of all frog species are in danger of extinction, and conservationists are taking a page from the Bible in working to preserve them. A program called Amphibian Ark has named 2008 the Year of the Frog, and is working with zoos to harbor endangered species, including some that have...

Endangered Tigers Fading Fast

Rob Quinn — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:51:00 CDT

The World Wildlife Fund has warned that the world's tigers are in grave danger of extinction, reports the BBC. Experts believe tiger numbers have fallen in half over the last 25 years to as few as 3,500 worldwide, the WWF said. The South China tiger and the Sumatran tiger...

Balmy, With a Chance of Pythons

Katherine Thompson — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:16:00 CST

Burmese pythons could rapidly establish a stranglehold on the southern US due in part to snake-loving global warming, according to a new government report. With climate change and more pet owners releasing unwanted snakes into the wild, the adaptable serpent could soon call home any area from Northern California through...