US Fish and Wildlife Service news stories on Newser

Calif. Man Claims Bear Saved Him From Mountain Lion

Rob Quinn — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 01:21:00 CDT

A California man's claim that a mother bear saved him from an attacking mountain lion has attracted the attention of the world's media—but state officials are more than a little skeptical, reports the Paradise Post . Robert Biggs, 69, says he was hiking to do some gold-panning north of Sacramento...

Government Gives Tribe OK to Kill 2 Bald Eagles

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:33:44 CDT

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has taken the unusual step of issuing a permit allowing an American Indian tribe to kill two bald eagles for religious purposes. The agency's decision comes after the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming filed a federal lawsuit last year contending the refusal to issue...

Feds to Wind Farmer: Go Ahead, Kill Eagles

Rob Quinn — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:27:38 CST

A wind power development in Oregon should be allowed to kill a few golden eagles as long as it contributes to conservation efforts, the federal government says. Authorities have recommended granting a first-of-its-kind "take" permit to the wind farm, giving it permission to kill up to three golden eagles over...

Calif. Judge Steps Up Protection for 40 Species

Rob Quinn — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:07:04 CDT

Endangered birds, fish, frogs, butterflies, and even a species of sea lion are set to benefit from a judge's ruling that federal authorities need to do more to protect some 40 species in southern California's national forests. The judge ordered three federal agencies to "take all necessary measures" to devise...

Eastern Cougar Is Extinct

Nick McMaster — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:55:41 CST

The eastern cougar is coming off the endangered species list, but for the worst possible reason: It's extinct. The big cat, also called the eastern puma, has likely been gone since the 1930s, but the official confirmation came today from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It used to roam...

Polar Bears Won't Get 'Endangered' Label

John Johnson — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:11:05 CST

Not everybody's heaping praise on the Obama administration this week: Environmentalists are fuming that the Fish and Wildlife Service decided not to ramp up protection of polar bears by changing their status from "threatened" to "endangered." In response to a court deadline, the agency said yesterday that the bears are...

Exxon Admits Killing Birds, Will Pay $600K

Rob Quinn — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:03:00 CDT

Exxon has pleaded guilty in federal court and agreed to pay $600,000 in fines over the deaths of dozens of birds at its drilling and production facilities, the Los Angeles Times reports. The 85 birds, including owls, waterfowl, and hawks, died after being exposed to hydrocarbons at Exxon's natural...

Feds Showing More Love for Uglier Endangered Species

Harry Kimball — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:28:01 CDT

When you’re an endangered species jockeying for federal funding, good looks are historically a plus. That may be changing, the Washington Post reports. In the past, researchers note, “there has been a very heavy bias toward ‘charismatic megafauna’—relatively large, well-known birds and mammals.” But in recent years, smaller, less...

Death of Last US Jaguar Sparks Inquiry

Wesley Oliver — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:50:31 CDT

Amidst a federal probe, the mysterious death of America’s last known jaguar is turning into a big cat fight, the New York Times reports. Arizona wildlife officials say they mistakenly trapped Macho B in a leg-hold snare and found him to be healthy. But a conservationist working with the group...