Wildlife

The Trump administration is pursuing changes that would significantly weaken the Endangered Species Act, and the legal strategy draws heavily on a 1995 dissent written by the late Justice Antonin Scalia. That opinion argued for narrowing the law's application to critical habitats. Conservation groups are expected to challenge the approach in court as an attempt to roll back protections through regulatory reinterpretation rather than legislation.

The Wildlife Trusts warns that the rise of industrial-scale 'mega-dairies' in Britain is driving wildlife and habitats towards a breaking point. The conservation group says intensive dairy farming practices, including the loss of grazing pastures and increased pollution, are putting pressure on nature. It is calling for changes to farming policy to protect the countryside.

The Trump administration is moving to significantly weaken the Endangered Species Act, a move environmental writer Jonathan P. Thompson describes as 'gutting' the landmark law. In the same report, Thompson notes a rise in mining claims filed inside Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, suggesting reduced protections there too. The combination has alarmed conservationists who see both steps as opening protected lands and wildlife to industrial development.

Wildlife officials in California are investigating after poachers killed and beheaded deer in Angeles National Forest. The incident, reported by local outlet MyNewsLA, has drawn attention to illegal hunting in the area and concerns over the targeting of trophy parts such as heads and antlers.

The Center for Biological Diversity says a sacred archaeological site in an Arizona national wildlife refuge has been damaged by construction of the Trump-era border wall. The group reports the geoglyph predates Stonehenge and is the oldest known in the Americas, raising concerns over destruction of Indigenous cultural heritage along the border.

Reporting traces the wildlife trafficking route out of Chattogram, Bangladesh, following how animals and forest products move from forests through local markets and onward through trade networks. The investigation highlights the scale of the illegal trade and the gaps in enforcement that allow it to continue. It has drawn attention to the pressures on the region's biodiversity and the need for stronger protection measures.

The wildlife photography and conservation community is mourning the death of a photographer known for capturing iconic images of Yellowstone National Park's oldest wolf. According to Cowboy State Daily, the photographer documented the famous animal over the years, producing images that became closely associated with the park's wolf story. Colleagues and admirers are paying tribute to the photographer's work and its role in bringing the wolf's story to the public.