#endangered animals

[alexanderpearce]

whag if i want to (macquarie harbour july 23)

eta the maugean skate is extremely endangered and facing immediate extinction and the government is the damn fucking liberals and they will not do anything about it. idk what any random people from across the world can do about it but im screaming crying sobbing begging for help

[squeeegs]

text from porter robinson's "goodbye to a world"

every single animal in this comic is extinct. it's not too late for the ones that are left.

edit: thanks @mudcrabmassacre for the correction, smilodon fatalis did not in fact go extinct in 1023 AD. the actual prediction is around 10,000 years ago - I think i may have missed a zero or two.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

This is from last summer (I found it while trying to clean up browser tabs--oops.) Anyway, it's one of many examples of critically endangered species showing an upturn in population with support. The Devils Hole pupfish is particularly imperiled because it is only found in one flooded cavern in Nevada's Amargosa Desert; the species is likely descended from fish that were washed in there by flooding thousands of years ago, and have managed to eke out a living in the hot, oxygen-deficient water ever since.

This is one of the first species ever listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Devils Hole is threatened by groundwater depletion from well drilling, and after the pupfish's ESA listing there were numerous legal battles between conservationists and farmers over water usage. Water levels reached their lowest point in the early 1970s, but have been slowly rising since then.

Scientists are excited because the current wild population (at least as of last fall) is at 263 fish. That's up from just 35 in 2013, the lowest recorded population ever. There are a few hundred more in captivity, being used to breed more young for reintroduction. The hope is that this fall's wild count will break 300, a good sign for the world's most endangered fish.

By the way, THIS is the entirety of the Devils hole pupfish's habitat, the only place in the world where they are found:

[great-and-small]

If you are recommending people simply wait for a threatened species to fucking die out completely in order to make money off a property sale I hope you fucking choke

[fleebites]

did you know that the world’s MOST ENDANGERED MAMMAL…

…is a cute little panda-spotted porpoise that could fit in your bath tub?? 🐬

TIME TO SUPPORT OUR FRIEND, THE VAQUITA!

read on to learn more (and maybe grab yourself some swag ;3)

(also, please tell your friends!)

oh! but… you’ve not heard of vaquitas? totally in the dark as to what’s going on with them? not a problem, i’ve got you covered!👇

here’s a handy link for easy access to the features goodies i’ve got on offer:

fleebites.storenvy.com

more info about individual items to follow!

!! REMEMBER!! the drive ends 10th May, so grab it all quick-like!

And what is this Sea Shepherd Conservation Society??

they are a nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of marine life. notably, they’ve been at the forefront of efforts to protect the vaquita through direct action (as in they actually go in and pull up gill nets, patrol the Sea of Cortez to intercept illegal fishing operations, etc.)

the vaquita is only one of a multitude of imperiled species they are working to save.

suffice to say, i believe they are well worthy of support!

want to check them out? do so here; https://seashepherd.org/

thank you for reading!! now, let’s save some tiny cetaceans! :D 💪🐬

[hometoursandotherstuff]

[cringecrew]

Maned Wolf photodump! Learn more about them here <3

[reasonsforhope]

"There are now more golden lion tamarins bounding between branches in the Brazilian rainforest than at any time since efforts to save the species started in the 1970s, a new survey reveals.

Once on the brink of extinction, with only about 200 animals in the wild, the population has rebounded to around 4,800, according to a study released Tuesday by the Brazilian science and conservation nonprofit Golden Lion Tamarin Association.

“We are celebrating, but always keeping one eye on other threats, because life’s not easy,” said the nonprofit’s president, Luís Paulo Ferraz.

Golden lion tamarins are small monkeys with long tails and copper-colored fur that live in family groups led by a mated pair. Usually, they give birth annually to twins, which all family members help to raise by bringing them food and carrying them on their backs.

The monkeys, which live only in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, are still considered endangered.

The population survey was conducted over roughly a year. Researchers went to specific locations and checked whether monkeys responded to recordings of the tamarins’ long call, which basically means “I’m here. Are you there?” said James Dietz, a biologist and vice president of the U.S.-based nonprofit Save the Golden Lion Tamarin.

The new population figures are notable because the species had experienced a sharp decline from a yellow fever outbreak. In 2019, there were 2,500 monkeys, down from 3,700 in a 2014 survey.

Scientists intervened by vaccinating more than 370 monkeys against yellow fever, using shots adapted from a formula for humans — a fairly novel approach for conservation.

Scientists “cannot pinpoint a single exact cause for the recovery,” but believe several factors may be at play, said Carlos R. Ruiz-Miranda, a State University of Northern Rio de Janeiro biologist who advised on the population study.

Firstly, the yellow fever outbreak has subsided, perhaps due to a combination of the virus’ natural cycle and the vaccination campaign.

The animals may also be benefiting from an increase in forest habitat, said Dietz, who is also a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution’s Conservation Biology Institute. Between 2014 and 2022, the amount of connected forest habitat increased 16%, mostly through forests regrown on converted cattle pasture, he said.

Currently about three dozen farmers and ranchers in the Atlantic Forest region participate in such reforestation programs.

“It makes me so happy to see the tamarins playing free on my farm. They don’t only live in protected areas,” said Ayrton Violento, a farmer and entrepreneur in the small city of Silva Jardim. His family’s Fazenda dos Cordeiros has planted native fruit trees and also manages a tree nursery for native Atlantic Forest seedlings to plant on other farms.

“Recently, every year I see more tamarin families, more frequently,” he said."

-via AP News, August 1, 2023

[malvacae]

[dougielombax]

I love it when an endangered animal species is able to make a comeback.

Same for plants too.

And fungi.

[whyireadsomuch]

https://wapo.st/45CjaRR

Fascinating and heartbreaking article about the akikiki birds that are close to extinction who were bravely defended from the fires in Hawaii. It’s a gift link, so you should be able to read the whole thing.

Please spread the word about this and help everybody in Hawaii if you can—both people and birds!

[wildlifetracker]

Panamanian Golden Frog, Atelopus zeteki

Endemic to Panama. Extinct in the wild.

[guardian-of-da-gay]

reblog if you support the humble echidna

[themesopelagiczone]

earth fact time. THEY FOUND HIM!!! THEY FOUND HIM AGAIN!!!! AFTER 87 YEARS SCIENCE HIPPIES FOUND THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED DE WINTON’S GOLDEN MOLE AGAIN IN SOUTH AFRICA!

these little legends are blind, but they use super hearing powers and vibrations to swim through sand and eat little bugs n shit. they're so cool. i'm going insane.

cnn