Michael Reilly’s Post

Even as the State's Human-Elephant conflict continues to be in the media limelight, another sinister phenomenon that has taken a heavy toll on elephants is hardly noticed. #wildlifeweekend #hfnef #wildlifeandanimals #wildlife #animals #animalsandwildlife #endangered #endangeredspecies #endangeredanimals #wildlifecrime #poaching #banpoaching #antipoaching #animalpoaching #elephants

As we celebrate World Wildlife Day, we at the #Wildlife Division of the #Forestry Commission of #Ghana from #Kumasi Zoo are happy to be connected to the theme of #wwd2024 theme; Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation. As part of monitoring the #Bushmeat trade, we are collecting data at one of the biggest bushmeat markets in Ghana(Atwemonum) to store digitally for analysis. This will lead to take actions in #Wildlife #conservationefforts, enhancing #biosecurity measures to prevent #spillover of #zoonoses, enhancing #publichealth. Thanks to the support from the Animal Health Systems Strengthening (AHSS) of #Defra of the #UK.

Ahuroa Sheep Farmers Karyn and Sue discuss the benefits of Predator Control. Ahuroa sheep farmers Karyn Maddren and Sue Meszaros have been pivotal in rallying the local community to form the Arapārera River Catchment Group. This dedicated conservation initiative aims to promote and maintain a healthy, clean Arapārera River. However Karyn and Sue’s commitment to conservation began long before the catchment group's formation in 2023. Their journey started in 2011 when they attended a trapping workshop and recognized the profound impact predator control could have on the environment. Karyn and Sue have implemented extensive predator control measures on their farm, and the impact has been significant. Karyn took the time to share some background on the predator control measures she and Sue have implemented and the significant impact trapping has had on their farm. https://lnkd.in/gBtA4J5U Karyn emphasizes the importance of community involvement. "Talking to your neighbours and sharing tips and ideas can be a great motivator," she says. The passion and drive of Kevin and Gill Adshead, co-founders of The Forest Bridge Trust, have significantly bolstered their efforts. "They've not only supported our goals but made them bigger. Who would have thought they could unite so many people to work towards such a lofty goal as creating a Kiwi-safe corridor from east to west?" Karyn remarks. "Our humble goals became even greater as a result. It’s not just about a bit of trapping on the farm to protect our wee patch, but how we can engage others to do the same and help grow the dream, the vision, and assist in attaining the goal." #ConservationHeroes #rural #nzlife #wildlifeprotection #farming #farms #predatorcontrol #conservation #sustainability #ecology #newzealand #Auckland

Y'a pas qu'en Suisse,... ... que la discussion sur le loup est menée par les lobbies et pas par les connaissances scientifiques. Intéressant article dans "Science": 300 organizations including the World Wildlife Fund and Rewilding Europe accused the commission of soliciting anecdotal evidence on the impact on wolves during an “irregular” consultation process, rather than gathering reliable scientific data. “We are concerned that the discussion of this is-sue has so far been largely dominated and driven by farming industry and hunting interest representatives,” they write, pointing to a survey that suggests most rural inhabitants believe wolves should continue to be strictly protected. “Unless there is substantial new science-based evidence gathered by the European Commission services, we believe the science and public opinion are clear: the modification of the protection sta- tus of the wolf ... is not justified.” Some scientists agree, pointing to a lack of evidence that culling actually reduces predation on sheep. “Implementing selective culls would be expensive, and in most cases ineffective,” says Gianluca Damiani, a wolf expert at Tuscia University.

Read about the agreement between the World Organisation for Animal Health and CITES on Reducing the risk of zoonotic disease emergence associated with international wildlife trade: https://lnkd.in/gA-DgjiE Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Wildlife Health Australia

Namibia consults on reducing lead ammunition impact on vultures and other wildlife. Did you know that Lead in ammunition pauses a major threat to vultures? Lead bullets, upon impact, can produce hundreds of small fragments contaminating animal carcasses and discarded viscera that serve as important food sources for scavengers. One of the main causes of unintentional poisoning in vultures is believed to be the inadvertent ingestion of lead fragments from the carcasses and/or gut piles of animals shot with lead ammunition. BirdLife International in Africa is therefore supporting a series of national workshops to increase awareness on the threat paused by lead in ammunition and as a consultation process towards the production of a regional strategy to combat lead poisoning in vultures. This is aimed at addressing Objective 3 of the Multi-species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures, to ensure that CMS Resolution 11.15 on phasing out the use of lead ammunition by hunters is fully implemented. One such workshop was held in Namibia on 26 & 27 February 2024. It was the fourth of such national meetings in southern Africa supported by BirdLife International, others having already held for Zambia, Malawi and Botswana. Others in the pipeline so far are for Zimbabwe, South Africa and Tanzania. The meeting in Namibia was convened by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism. Stakeholders in attendance included Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour, occupational health department, University of Namibia, Namibia Chamber of Environment, Professional hunters and mines. The meeting focused on: creating awareness about lead poisoning in vultures and other species and well as issues around human-health; raising /elevating the issue of lead poisoning as a national problem that needs focused intervention; introducing the Namibia Wildlife Lead Poisoning Taskforce to key stakeholders to foster collaborations and research; and developing a national strategy to address lead from hunting in the environment. The main outcomes of this were the ongoing use of workshop outputs as the skeletal document towards the production of the national strategy, and identification of more government departments who would join the already existing Lead Taskforce. We appreciate the financial support of the Isdell Family Foundation that has enabled these consultations to be held. Do join us in our efforts to tackle the lead ammunition threat to vultures, other wildlife and people.

A well balanced article about coexistence between wolves and people in northern Portugal. Attitudes towards wolves tend to be more positive where there has been a continuous history of coexistence, and where the tradition of using livestock guarding dogs to protect flocks has been maintained. What lessons can be learned to revive this culture (most countries in Europe have their own traditional livestock guarding dog breeds) where wolves are returning after a sometimes long absence?

The Great Plains toad truly lives a life of leisure. A solitary, burrowing species, these toads will spend around seven to nine months of the year in a state of dormancy and torpor, called estivation. When fully awake, they may still spend up to six days inside their burrow without moving! Most activity happens at night during the dry season, but this toad's movement is also triggered by heavy rainfall and the start of the breeding season. #Wildlife #Marine #Ocean #Life #WildAnimals #WildlifeonEarth #WildlifeCare #SaveWildlife #ProtectWildlife #NourishWildlife #WildlifeConservation #EndangeredSpecies #ConservationEfforts #SavingSpecies #ProtectOurWildlife #ConservationHeroes #BiodiversityMatters #WildlifeRescue #WoodlandConservation #NaturePreservation #EndangeredAnimals #HabitatRestoration #WildlifeReintroduction #WildlifeRehabilitation #NatureConservation #WildlifeAdvocacy #PreservingOurEcosystems #TogetherForWildlife #ConservationSuccess #WildlifeRecovery #NatureRevival #SpeciesRevival #ConservationAwareness

A collaboration between pig hunters and scientists at the University of Southern Queensland is aiming to undertake one of the world's largest feral animal studies by collecting 10,000 feral pigs ears for science. The results aim to inform management efforts to curb the impact of feral pigs. Feral pigs are one of Australia's worst environmental pests. They cost farming more than $100 million each year, degrade ecosystems and destroy threatened species such as marine turtle nest and hatchlings. James Trezise, director of the Biodiversity Council, said a coordinated approach to management was needed as feral animals did not respect state borders. "They're in the top three for impacts on our threatened wildlife. Any kind of increased data can be helpful. What we need to see with feral pigs is integrated strategic pest management and a lot more investment in their control and eradication." APDHA Australian Pig Doggers and Hunters, which represents hunters who use dogs and guns for feral pig control, is asking members to send in a piece of ear any time they kill a feral pig. National president Ned Makim said it was an unprecedented collection effort that would be invaluable to future research. "That number [10,000] is significant because we'd like it to be the biggest wildlife study in the world. We're trying to capture some of the knowledge that we hold as hunters." https://lnkd.in/g9kuq2zs

Some #pests are #protected by various laws and legislation- #Redsquirrels are dramatically De-creasing in numbers and, therefore, are now classed as endangered species. It is illegal to intentionally kill, injure, or capture a red Squirrel, its also illegal to destroy or damage a place where a red squirrel is taking shelter. All #wildbirds in the UK are protected by law, this includes their nests, eggs, and young. It's illegal to remove, damage, or destroy a nest and also keep a dead or alive (unless injured) bird in your possession. #Call us, and we can help bird proof the area using a high-grade bird netting and spikes, or we even use birds of prey to deter flocks of unwanted birds. #Bats are fully protected by European and UK legislation, this includes causing any damage or disturbance to their breeding site or shelter. If you do come across bats, you can contact the bat Conservation line to speak to an expert who may be able to obtain a licence to block access #Glisglis are the largest species of doormouse. With only around 23,000 left, they are a species protected by the #wildlifeandCountrysideAct1981. This prohibits certain methods of killing and trapping except under licence (CL02), which must be applied for per case. Although #bees are not actually a legally protected species, we would always recommend calling a local beekeeper to come and inspect the nest to see if they can remove or re-locate the bee's. #rightenvironmentalservices #pestcontrol #london