endangered species news stories on Newser

Mystery Illness Kills 4 White Rhinos in Aussie Zoo

Rob Quinn — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 02:27:00 CDT

Rhino experts from around the world have been stumped by an illness killing off white rhinos at an Australian zoo. Four white rhinos have died at the New South Wales zoo over the last few weeks. All of them died suddenly after displaying neurological problems like stumbling, the Age reports....

To Save Owls, Gov't Wants to ... Kill Owls

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:57:40 CST

The Obama administration is trying to save the spotted owl, but bailing out the endangered critter might just involve the premeditated demise of someone sitting on the family tree: The larger barred owl is a rival to the spotted owl, and is often cited as one of the major threats...

Scientists Find Monkeys Thought to Be Extinct

Matt Cantor — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:34:05 CST

Scientists have stumbled upon a monkey many thought no longer existed. Seeking leopards and orangutans, the researchers placed camera traps in an Indonesian forest. When they checked the pictures, they were astonished to see images of large gray monkeys none had ever seen before, the AP reports. Photographs of the...

Hawaii's Endangered Seals Being Killed

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:33:34 CST

Three, possibly four, critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals have been deliberately killed in Hawaii in the past two months. No one knows who is killing the seals or why. But the deaths are coming as the federal government steps up its efforts to protect the seals, leading to simmering resentment...

2011: Deadly Year for Elephants

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:39:57 CST

This year will ring out as one of the deadliest for elephants since ivory sales were banned more than two decades ago. Officials seized tusks from a record 2,500 elephants, and while some of those could be from long-dead animals, the news still isn't good. "As most large-scale ivory...

Amid Mass Die-Offs, Pockets of Brown Bats Survive

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:15:45 CST

White nose syndrome has killed millions of bats over the past five years, decimating the little brown bat population by more than 90% in some areas, but scientists have found reason to hope: In Vermont and Pennsylvania, there are surviving colonies of the threatened species. “I’m cautiously hopeful that eventually...

Pocket of Asia Yields 208 New Species—in 1 Year

Mark Russell — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:18:24 CST

It's a region that produces a new species every other day: Carnivorous plants that can eat mice, birds, and lizards. An all-female species of lizard that reproduces by self-cloning. Brightly colored geckos bathed in orange, yellow, blue, and green markings. A noseless monkey that looks like it's wearing an Elvis...

Wild Jaguar Spotted in Arizona

Rob Quinn — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 04:54:15 CST

A wild jaguar has been seen in the US for the first time in more than two years. The sighting was made by an Arizona hunter using dogs to track mountain lions and was confirmed by state wildlife officials. Jaguars—the only big cat in the Americas to roar—are...

Western Black Rhino Extinct

Rob Quinn — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:36:00 CST

The western black rhino, one of four subspecies of black rhino, is now a thing of the past, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's "Red List." The group has declared the black rhino species native to West Africa extinct and says another rhino species, Central Africa's northern...