Frontline Dispatches – May 2025

NORTH AMERICA

Michal Martinek

Wolf Costs on Cattle Counted for the First Time

Source: UC Davis

Wolf damage comes at a high price for ranchers, up to $162,000 each in direct and indirect losses. Researchers from the University of California, Davis also say wolves can stress cattle and found many wolf scats containing evidence of cattle, indicating predation. Using trail cameras, GPS collars and sample collection, scientists studied the effects of wolves on livestock and uncovered the strain it put on ranchers. Researchers are now investigating compensation programs for affected farmers and sustainable tactics to reduce encounters between wolves and livestock.

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Rene Ferrer

Humans to Blame for Dangerous Alligator Activity

Source: Phys.org

Risky human behavior is the cause for alligator aggression, not the animal’s temperament, reports a study from the University of Florida and Center College in Kentucky. In 96% of cases studied, risky behavior or inattention from humans preceded the alligator attacks, suggesting that the animal’s aggression can be preventable. Researchers say that educating the public on how to reduce risky behavior in the animal’s habitat will decrease human-wildlife conflicts and ensure safety for both parties.

Henry C Wong

Booming Black Bear Population Calls for New Strategy

Source: Sierra Daily News

Home to around 60,000 black bears, California is facing a tall order. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife introduced a new program for managing the state’s booming black bear population. It plans to navigate the public’s opinions on bears, reduce human-bear conflicts and ensure the safety of the bears and people. They will also focus on managing a healthy bear population while working with residents to counteract any retaliatory behaviors by offering public education on bears, bear hunting opportunities and bear viewings. To ensure success, the department will implement population monitoring and den checks.

Steven Tarby

Springtime Signals New Wildlife

Source: Kentucky Today

Spring signals the birth of many wild animals, from bear cubs to young rabbits to deer fawns, but we’re here to remind you to respectfully keep your distance! Be sure to check your yard before any spring cleanup and to secure your outside trash to keep the animals away and prevent conflicts. If you encounter a newborn animal and don’t know what to do, check out our C-101 or contact your state wildlife agency for more information.

RDNE Stock Project

School’s Out(side) for Florida Youth

Source: Fox 13, Tampa Bay

Sixth grade students in Florida are taking field trips to a whole new level thanks to a hands-on Nature Classroom. Since 1969, this Hillsborough County classroom has focused on teaching students not to fear the wild by getting to know it better. Through field outings, practical lessons and interactions with wildlife, students learn how to identify and understand wild animals in their habitats, how their local ecosystem works and how to engage with curiosity and respect for the outdoors.

Royal Resorts

Facebook Monkey Smuggler Faces Wildlife Authorities

Source: New York Post

Having smuggled six spider monkeys into the United States, a Texas man is in custody after being caught at the Mexican border. The monkeys, listed among the 25 most threatened primates in the world, were attempted to be sold on Facebook, where authorities identified and apprehended the smuggler. He will serve another six months and pay up to 20 thousand dollars for not properly quarantining the animals and potentially spreading zoonotic diseases to humans. Three of the monkeys now safely reside at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago while the other three remain lost.

Aaron J Hill

Michigan’s Black Bears Move into the Neighborhood

Source: Phys.org

Michigan’s black bears are rapidly expanding in the state’s Lower Peninsula and citizens are having to deal with their new neighbors. Game wardens recommend that food sources for a bear passing through be removed, such as bird feeders, trash cans or uncleaned grills. They also recommend not intentionally feeding the bears to help reduce human-wildlife conflicts. They suggest you leave the bears be and if you encounter one, make yourself appear larger by raising your arms and make loud noise to encourage the bears to move along.

Andrew Patrick Photo

New Alabama Bill Causes CWD Worries for Deer Population

Source: The Wildlife Society

Limits on scientists’ ability to test for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Alabama’s deer population were recently passed. The bill will prohibit any testing, killing or transferring of captive ungulates like white-tailed deer between breeding facilities and designates the captive animals as personal property of the breeder and not a state-managed resource. Sponsors of the bill say that it’s in response to past bills that restrict deer breeders in CWD management zones, but opponents worry about the new bill’s privatization of public wildlife and say that it may also cause CWD to spread within the state.

AFRICA

Hbpro

Wasteland to Wilderness: A Conservation Success Story

Source: Patrol

A war-torn wilderness is now Mozambique’s biggest conservation triumph. Coutada 11 was once 50,000 acres of land home to countless wildlife, but because of poaching to survive the country’s civil war in the late 20th century, the animal populations were almost completely wiped out. Today, the wildlife herds are thriving thanks to a safari operator’s intentional conservation efforts, deliberate anti-poaching tactics and sustainable community projects. These advances not only brought Coutada 11 back from the brink of ecological disaster but empowered local communities to work together to conserve wildlife.

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Kallie Calitz

Injections into Rhino Horns Could End Illegal Trade

Source: CNN Science

Shining like a glow stick to the radiation detection systems, a new treatment for rhino horns might be the key to stopping illegal poaching. Researchers in South Africa are piloting a project that involves injecting radiation into the horns of certain rhinos to make them detectable by authorities at travel checkpoints. The level of radiation is completely safe and causes no changes to the rhino’s appearance, but if the animal were to be poached, the injection makes the horn a clear signal of foul play to authorities.

Lennjo

Indigenous and Scientific Knowledge Merge at World Heritage Site

Source: UNESCO

A proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Malawi is home to a powerful conservation duo. The Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve is incorporating Indigenous knowledge of the ecosystem with scientific research to create a holistic management plan for the site’s flora and fauna.​​ By working together, both knowledge systems will unlock a sustainable and well-rounded plan to keep the landscape maintained and protected for all who rely on it, both human and wild.

EUROPE

John Boland

Sweden’s Moose Migration: The Ultimate Reality Show

Source: NBC News

Reality TV gets a lot more natural with this Swedish moose livestream. Since April 15, Sweden’s public service television company has had a non-stop stream of the ancient migration of the country’s moose population as it traverses through forests and rivers to its summer grazing areas. Beloved by the country, Swedish community members say that watching the great antlered giants move along their historic paths is a reminder to slow down and appreciate the natural world around them. With increased notoriety and loud appreciation, the moose have become a symbol of national pride. Watch the livestream here!

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Erik Mandre

Double the Bears, Double the Trouble

Source: The Guardian

Romania’s brown bear population could be almost double what officials thought. After conducting research in 25 counties across the Carpathians, biologists say that there may be up to 13,000 bears in the region, a surprising increase from the assumed 8,000 bears nationwide. Because of this unexpected hike in the population and the increasing number of reported bear attacks on people, officials have proposed legislation to allow citizens to put bears down if they become too aggressive toward people.

goran_safarek

Croatian Rewilders and Hunters United for Wildlife

Source: Rewilding Europe

Scientists and local hunting associations have teamed up to help rewild Croatia’s mountainous Velebit region. Rewilding Velebit is a program dedicated to restoring the natural balance of Croatia’s ecosystems and recent surveys indicate that local groups are on the same page. 70% of surveyed locals supported the rewilding effort and thought it would be beneficial for communities, wildlife like the red deer, hunting associations and the general population by offering wildlife viewing opportunities. The collaboration between the rewilding team and community members speaks to a desire to promote healthy human-wildlife relations and ecosystems.