Searched for
WILDLIFE MIGRATION
In 1950, livestock viruses drove the Serengeti's wildebeest herd down to 300,000. Less than a decade later, it surpassed 1.5 million, helping turn the ecosystem into a carbon sinkIn the 1950s, rinderpest and livestock disease pushed the Serengeti’s wildebeest herd to dangerously low numbers. After the virus was broug...
In 2015, 200,000 saigas died in Kazakhstan's mass die-off. 10 years later, nearly 4 million now roam the vast steppe, turning one of the species' darkest chapters aroundKazakhstan has witnessed one of wildlife conservation’s most remarkable turnarounds. Saiga antelope numbers once collapsed by about 95% aft...
In 2024, four dams were removed from an American river. Over 400 miles of Salmon habitat reopened. Scientists are now watching an ecosystem rebuilding itselfFour hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River were removed in 2024. This project opened over 400 miles of historic salmon habitat. Indigenou...
Maryland spent $12 million on a fish lift in 1991 to move American shad past Conowingo Dam; decades later, annual runs remained far below the 2 million-fish targetMaryland invested $12 million in a fish lift to help migrating shad overcome the Conowingo Dam. This technological solution proved ineffect...
In 1918–1921, one dam built on California's Carmel River provided water storage but blocked fish runs; in 2015 it came down, reopening 25 miles of habitat for steelhead troutA century-old dam on California's Carmel River was removed, restoring fish spawning grounds. Crews rerouted the river and dismantled the st...
In 1987, Denmark launched restoration of 2,200 hectares around the Skjern River. 19 years later, SPA status arrived in 2006 as wildlife returned to the restored wetlandsDenmark restored the Skjern River wetlands after agricultural decline and pollution. The project re-meandered over twenty kilometers of riv...
In 2002, Shattuck Chemical agreed to pay $1.25 million for restoration of South Platte River following years of chemical release. 10 years later, the river was restored for migratory birds and native speciesHazardous substances near Shattuck Chemical Company prompted a settlement for restoration projects. Funds supported habitat improvements al...
Washington state biologists reintroduced beavers on tributaries, and within years their dams slowed stream flow and rebuilt banks that resist erosionWildlife departments are making strides in reintroducing beavers to rejuvenate damaged stream ecosystems. These industrious creatures help ...
In 1992, Congress authorized the removal of 2 dams that had blocked salmon for a century. 24 years later, the Elwha River once again flowed freely from the Olympic Mountains to the seaElwha River Restoration changed one of America’s most remarkable river recovery stories. Two dams once blocked salmon from reaching upstrea...
Manatees are visiting Texas again but fossils suggest they may have been there thousands of years ago during the Ice AgeThis summer, Texan shores welcome an unusual sight: manatees. Historical fossils reveal that these gentle giants once swam in Texas waters ...
In 2014, Maine began developing a fish elevator to carry American shad past Milford Dam. 12 years later, the system could reopen 600 miles of river habitat to a fish whose migration has been blocked for decadesA Maine fish elevator could reopen 600 miles of river habitat for alewives, giving a small fish a much bigger chance to return upstream. Th...
Earlier this year, a California startup received approval to launch a 59-foot mirror into orbit. Two years later, the demonstration could redirect sunlight onto chosen points on Earth, allowing crews to keep working after darkA California startup just got FCC approval to test a 59-foot mirror satellite in orbit. The spacecraft, named Eärendil-1, will catch sunlig...
In 2022, a four-month-old bar-tailed godwit left Alaska on its first migration; it flew 13,560 km nonstop and reached Tasmania 11 days laterA remarkable bar-tailed godwit embarked on a breathtaking journey, soaring 8,425 miles from Alaska to Tasmania in a single, relentless stre...
Norway fines man thousands of dollars for disturbing sleeping polar bear with ship's foghornA person in Svalbard received a substantial fine for deliberately disturbing a polar bear. The incident involved sounding a foghorn, which ...
In 2023, Wyoming proposed a 972-megawatt renewable-energy battery beneath its mountains, with water pumped to a reservoir 1,000 feet higher. 3 years later, the project reached final federal environmental review, bringing the giant water battery closerWyoming is proposing a 972-megawatt pumped-storage energy project at Seminoe Reservoir that would use water as a giant rechargeable battery...
In 2011, California turned dormant rice fields into winter salmon nurseries; the young fish grew up to eight times faster than in riversFlooded rice fields in California's Yolo Bypass are helping young salmon grow significantly faster. These fields provide a rich food source...
In 1964, Wisconsin closed this railway line. Today, 60,000 visitors come here every yearA railway line in Wisconsin that stopped carrying trains in 1964 has found a surprising second life. The former Elroy-Sparta route is now a...
In 1922, biologist Olaus Murie entered the Alaskan wilderness to study caribou; his field research later influenced how Mount McKinley National Park managed predators and wildlifeOlaus Murie's early caribou studies provided crucial data for Mount McKinley National Park. His brother Adolph later researched wolves, inf...
In 1964, an Australian couple camped on a North Queensland island; their decades-long campaign helped a pigeon colony recover from under 2,000 birds to more than 40,000In 1965, Margaret and Arthur Thorsborne initiated a bird count that has become one of the most enduring wildlife studies globally. Their un...
Mining project near India's first marine sanctuary, national park in Gujarat gets nodA bauxite and marl mining initiative has secured essential clearance close to Gujarat's important marine conservation zones. Nestled severa...