Endangered Species Then and Now

The Endangered Species Act is more than 40 years old, which begs the question: Where are they now? “They” being the thousands of threatened plant and animal species that are protected under the landmark legislation.  Maintaining biodiversity is no easy feat, but many species have rebounded since the act’s inception in 1973. So far, 59 species have been delisted, 20 of which are considered true success stories. But others haven’t been so lucky. An animal can be taken off the list if it is no longer threatened or if it goes extinct. Today, more than 1,400 plants and animals remain endangered or threatened.

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First Step Toward Freeing Lolita the Orca

With the popularity of the documentary Blackfish, which focuses on captive orcas at SeaWorld, public debate over keeping the endangered species in captivity has reignited.  For years, activists have tried to have Lolita, an orca held captive at the Miami Seaquarium, released. Today, federal officials announced that they are taking the first steps toward having Lolita included in the endangered species listing for Puget Sound orcas. It could be a possible path to having Lolita released to a more natural setting.

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Iowa Scientist To Obama: Save The Elephant

The majestic African elephant — a creature that mesmerizes people young and old — is disappearing at an alarming rate. A new study of forest elephants found that more than half of them have died over the past decade, with their numbers down by 62 percent between 2002 and 2011. The study by the Wildlife Conservation Society comes as governments and conservationists are meeting in Thailand to discuss changes in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

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Milwaukee Zoo Jaguar Cubs Bring New Genes Into The Endangered Species' Captive Population

Two jaguar cubs are providing more than just cooing fans for Milwaukee's zoo. The spotted brothers are introducing new genes to the endangered species' captive population because unlike most zoo babies, their father was born in the wild. The blue-eyed cubs, born Nov. 13, don't officially have names just yet, but keepers at the Milwaukee County Zoo are calling them "Gaps" and "Dots," due to the markings on their heads.

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Grand Cayman Island's Blue Iguanas Now Listed As Endangered

Blue iguanas on Grand Cayman island are no longer considered a critically endangered species. A decade ago, there were just 10 to 25 blue iguanas living in the wild and they were listed as critically endangered. But now that the wild population has risen to 750, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has downlisted the species from critically endangered to endangered. It's a major victory for a breeding program that rears and releases blue iguanas on Grand Cayman, the only place in the world where the turquoise-colored reptiles live in the wild.

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Rare White Rhino Born In Israeli Zoo

A rare white rhinoceros has been born in a zoo in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, a zoo official told AFP on Saturday. "This baby rhino, a male, was born early on Friday afternoon without any problems," said Netta Guetta, who heads the African animals department, adding that the newcomer has yet to be named. "This is an extremely rare event in captivity, and it's touching. Immediately after giving birth, the mother tenderly licked her calf and began to breast-feed," she said. The 20-year-old mother, named Tanda, weighs two tonnes and comes from South Africa.

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