Wolves Killed; U.S. to End Experiments on Mammals; Cage-Free Chickens in Africa and More

April 2025

Apr 28, 2025

Articles I found most interesting from my April wildlife reading …

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Conservationists are Silent as Indian Tribes Slaughter Wolves

For the first time in 16 years, writes ecologist George Wuerthner, the endangered wolves of Washington state have seen a decline, from 254 to 230 wolves, a nearly 10 percent decrease in 2024. Successful breeding pairs have declined by 25 percent.

Fish and Wildlife killed four wolves due to livestock conflict; one wolf was killed by a cougar and one by other wolves, and there was suspected poaching of an unknown number. One wolf died from ingesting plastic; one was shot in self-defense, and one wolf was shot attacking livestock, summarizes Wuerthner.

The highest mortality – more than half of the annual wolf mortality (or a minimum of 19 wolves) – is attributed to members of the Colville tribes.

“This ongoing killing of dozens of wolves by tribal members has been occurring for years, and it is hindering the recovery of endangered wolves in Washington,” writes Wuerthner. “As much as I am dismayed by the tribal slaughter of wolves, I am even more outraged by the apparent willingness of so-called conservation organizations to accept the destruction of wildlife and wildlands by tribal people that they would denounce if perpetrated by anyone else.”

Read the story by Georger Wuerthner in The Wildlife News here.

HUGE NEWS!!!

EPA to End Testing on Mammals

Lee Zeldin, President Donald Trump’s Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, will re-up on the plan from the first Trump administration to end animal testing. The initiative to phase out animal testing was created by Andrew Wheeler, the EPA Administrator during President Trump’s first term. The Biden administration reversed the plan.

Read more here, here and here.

Cage-Free Chickens in Africa

The Animal Welfare League is one of several organization in Africa advocating for raising chickens for eggs without using cages. Veterinary surgeon and Animal Welfare League director Daniel Abiliba says, “I think the future is cage-free. I’m really excited about the work and the model we’ve started in Ghana.”

Read the full story at Forbes here.

Fiddling with Mother Nature Again

To control cane beetles that were damaging sugarcane crops in Queensland, Australia, cane toads were introduced in 1935 in an intervention with Mother Nature. But the toads quickly spread through Northern Australia, “outcompeting native species with their enormous appetites,” according to Smithsonian Magazine. Today the area has an estimated 200 million cane toads, whose poison kills native marsupials and reptiles that try to eat the toads.

Under consideration now is yet another attempt to “mess with Mother Nature.” This time, scientists are looking at genetically modifying the toad tadpoles, who like to eat the eggs of their own species, to not grow into adults. By “eating their own,” in theory, the toad population would be reduced.

Read the Smithsonian Magazine article here.

The Overpopulation Project Explores if Man is an Invasive Species

Author Frank Götmark concludes in his essay that Man (Homo sapiens) is an invasive species and that: “It is way past time for the most invasive and destructive species to change course.”

Full article here.

Maria Fotopoulos writes about the connection between overpopulation and biodiversity loss, and occasionally other topics that confound her.

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A cat supporter has offered to match funds if I can raise $480 by the end of April 2025. Yeah!

Can you help?

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Read about the fundraiser at GiveSendGo | Help Callie's Cathouse & Okla. Felines.