Frederick the Literate
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Study: Pygmy Owl Numbers Down in Mexico
A university study shows the population of a tiny endangered owl in northern Mexico has declined by an estimated 26 percent over the last seven years, a finding that environmentalists said bolsters their arguments for greater protection for the bird in Arizona.Annual surveys by a scientist show the birds are continuing to decline in numbers, although there have been some years with rebounds, according to the University of Arizona study.
"There's been some variation in there," Aaron Flesch, a senior research specialist in the university's School of Natural Resources, said Tuesday. The tiny bird's numbers increased in 2005 and were similar in 2006 in northern Sonora, but "overall the trend is negative."
"Should this apparent decline continue, recovery strategies that rely on pygmy owls from northern Sonora and persistence of pygmy owls in the Sonoran Desert could be jeopardized," the report said.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service put the owl on the endangered species list in 1997 because of population declines in Arizona. But the agency withdrew it from the list last year after determining it was not a distinct subspecies and thus not worthy of protection.
(photo credit)
Monday, March 5, 2007
Dogs stolen at gunpoint returned to owners
Four purebred Yorkshire terriers stolen at gunpoint during a home invasion robbery more than a week ago were returned to their owners after a man turned himself in to police.Three puppies, valued at $2,500 each, and a full-grown family pet named Tan-ja were reunited with their owners at the Wilshire Division police station Saturday night. One puppy remained missing, police said.
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Shark-Smuggling Bust Nets $1 Million for Habitat Protection
Leopard sharks in the San Francisco Bay Area will benefit from fines totaling nearly a million U.S. dollars—money resulting from the bust of a massive shark-smuggling ring that had been operating out of a local church.
Fines collected from six people convicted of the crimes will be used to create a habitat restoration fund for the sharks, federal prosecutors announced last week.
Over the span of more than a decade, the smugglers had pulled thousands of baby leopard sharks from the waters near San Francisco, California. The animals were sold alive to pet stores and private buyers throughout the United States and abroad.
"It's the largest investigation of shark poaching in U.S. history," said Roy Torres, a special agent with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service's Office of Law Enforcement in Pacific Grove, California.
READ MORE - Shark-Smuggling Bust Nets $1 Million for Habitat Protection
Fines collected from six people convicted of the crimes will be used to create a habitat restoration fund for the sharks, federal prosecutors announced last week.
Over the span of more than a decade, the smugglers had pulled thousands of baby leopard sharks from the waters near San Francisco, California. The animals were sold alive to pet stores and private buyers throughout the United States and abroad.
"It's the largest investigation of shark poaching in U.S. history," said Roy Torres, a special agent with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service's Office of Law Enforcement in Pacific Grove, California.
Bye-Bye to the Aye-Aye
The aye-aye may be one of the most repellant animals in the world. It also happens to be on the verge of extinction.Click here to read a slide-show essay about an effort to save the endangered species that got hit with the ugly stick.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Easter Baskets for dogs
Will you be buying an Easter Basket for your furry, four-legged companion this year?
Why not try i-pets.com 17-piece edible rawhide basket, filled with: 2 small rawhide rolls, 1 6" rawhide bone, 3 rawhide chips, 5 large munchie rawhide treats, 5 small munchie treats. - Bagged, with pink bow.
This is a great way to sample several of the great treat items i-pets.com offers for your pets, without buying the larger bulk-pack sizes.
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