The most abundant bird in North America, once estimated to number five billion individuals, is now extinct. The Passenger Pigeon, which resembled our modern Mourning Dove, was driven to extinction by senseless slaughter up until the 1860's when their numbers dropped precipitously. In 1831 John James Audubon, the famous painter of birds, described flocks of these birds, estimated at more than 100 miles wide, that blotted out the sun for days. The last individual of this species died alone in her cage at the Cincinnati Zoo on September 1, 1914, and there will be a nationwide effort to commemorate this tragedy during the centennial year 2014. This book discusses the importance of biodiversity on the planet and explores the lessons of the past as we look to the future and face the continued loss of threatened and endangered species of plants and animals around the world.

The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) proposes to establish sixteen (16) additional manatee protection areas in Florida. The Service is proposing this action under the Endangered Species Act as a means to reduce the level of take of Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris).

This report was prepared for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) by Decision Analysts Hawaii, Inc. (DAHI), a Hawaii-based economic consulting firm, under contract to Industrial Economics, Incorporated (IEc). The report assesses the economic impacts that may result from the designation of 23 critical habitat units for 76 listed endangered and threatened species of plants on the islands of Kaua'i and Ni'ihau in the state of Hawaii.

Part I of the document provides an assessment of lynx status and risk. An overview of lynx ecology is presented first, followed by identification and description of risk factors. Lynx population status, habitat, and relevant risk factors are assessed for four spatial scales: range-wide, 5 geographic areas (Cascade Mountains, Northern Rocky Mountains, Southern Rocky Mountains, Great Lakes, and Northeast), planning units, and home range. The assessment lays the conceptual and scientific foundation for Part II, the conservation strategy. Part II contains recommended conservation measures that address each of the risk factors. The conservation measures are sorted into programmatic and project level objectives and standards. Additional sections provide guidance for analysis of effect and project conferencing and consultation, inventory and monitoring, and management priorities.

Jointly, the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission cooperators and volunteers created this booklet to provide information on how you can help protect a part of the Carolina's natural heritage.

Half of all known languages have disappeared in the last five hundred years and 90% of all languages are in danger of becoming extinct during the next century. The loss of both linguistic and biological diversity is part of a much larger and more serious problem - the near-total collapse of our worldwide ecosystem. Romaine and Nettle describe the background of this situation, how the current catastrophe occurred, and what can be done about it.

Ever since Eva Saulitis began her whale research in Alaska in the 1980s, she has been drawn to the majesty, intelligence, and range of emotion of a single pod of embattled orcas struggling to survive in Prince William Sound. Both an elegy for a small group of orcas and a celebration of the entire species, this book is a moving portrait of the interconnectedness of humans and marine mammals - and of the responsibility we have to protect them.

'Wise, challenging and offering some unexpected laughter in the dark, this is a rational and insightful account of the sixth great extinction event. Peter Marren is a brilliant writer and a national treasure.' PATRICK BARKHAM 'Thoughtful, fascinating and very timely.' STEPHEN MOSS 'Important and thought-provoking.' CAROLINE LUCAS, GREEN PARTY MP 'Essential reading. Marren makes a page-turner out of Armageddon.' SIMON BARNES 'In his characteristic style Peter Marren has humanised the story of wildlife losses with humour and wit but also with his enormous knowledge and deep love for the living world.' MARK COCKER We are in the midst of an extinction event: the sixth mass extinction on earth and one entirely caused by mankind. All species become extinct sooner or later, but we have accelerated that natural process several hundredfold and now, it is happening right in front of our eyes. Extinction has a terrifying finality to it. And many species have already been lost to us forever; there is little we can do about that. What we can do, however, is reflect, remember, and ultimately acknowledge the unvarnished truth. We must see the natural world as it is, and not as we might want it to be. Our trajectory is one that has benefited one species alone - humankind. For all other beings, from mammals to fish, from birds to insects and coral, from plants to lichens and fungi, the future, for better or worse, is in our hands.

Mary Margaret Manatee is a picture book for young readers and families. The story of a young Florida manatee and the study guide with projects to help Mary Margaret and friends both provide a fun and memorable way to learn about Florida's environment, teamwork and the value of persistence.

Herein we assess the progress of efforts to reestablish Mexican wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA). This review is a direct result of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) concluded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1996 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1996). The EIS and associated final rule (Parsons 1998) call for the USFWS to reestablish Mexican wolves to the BRWRA.

Summary of Conservation Recommendations for Burrowing Owls

From bestselling and award winning author, Sibel Hodge, comes a inspirational coming of age novel... Most sixteen-year-old girls are obsessed with their looks, but Jazz Hooper's obsessed for a different reason. After a car accident that kills her mum, Jazz is left with severe facial scars and retreats into a dark depression. Fearing what will happen if Jazz doesn't recover, her dad makes a drastic decision to move them from England to a game reserve in Kenya for a new start. And when Jazz finds an orphaned leopard cub, it sets off a chain of events that lead her on a two year journey of discovery, healing, and love. "A percentage of the royalties from the sale of this book will be contributed to Panthera, a leading international conservation organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the world's big cats, plus other wildlife conservation groups." -- Sibel Hodge, Author What readers are saying about The See-Through Leopard: "The author has captured the survival of the human spirit and brought it lovingly to the pages of The See-Through Leopard. Highly recommended." "Best book I've read this year." "In this beautifully poignant novel, Sibel gently leads us through Jazz's recovery and return to normality. Some powerful lessons are learnt along the way." "The See-Through Leopard by the talented Sibel Hodge is a book that will touch both your heart and your spirit." "I consider the book to be not just for coming of age readers, but for anyone who loves a story about victory in spiritual and mental healing, young love and saving a darling leopard cub." "Sibel Hodge crafts a wonderful story that goes beyond entertainment into the world of impassioned people who care about all species on this earth." "Conflict, controversy, drama, heroism, life altering events all come together to bring a suspenseful story to a full circle of life." "This is a heartwarming tale for readers of all ages." "I found this to be a gripping, moving and thought-provoking read." "The See Through Leopard is a lovely story about fighting for survival, healing, and recognizing that our scars don't define us."

An inside look at a renowned marine biologist's quest to save an abandoned, endangered seal pup Only eleven hundred Hawaiian monk seals survive in the wild. Without intervention, they face certain extinction within fifty years. When a two-day-old Hawaiian monk seal pup, later named Kauai Pup 2, or KP2, is attacked and abandoned by his mother on a beach, he is rushed off on a journey that will take him across the ocean to the California marine lab of eminent wildlife biologist Dr. Terrie M. Williams. As Williams works with the boisterous KP2 to save his species, she forms a lasting bond with him that illustrates the importance of the survival of all earth's creatures and the health of the world's oceans.

Genetically, the chimpanzee is humankind's closest relative in the animal kingdom. Yet in recent times humans have shown scant regard for the welfare of their intelligent cousin. Conflicts and endemic poverty across their range have decimated wild chimpanzee populations and they are today a seriously endangered species.

Destruction of their habitat and the bush meat trade have disrupted their complex social structures, often resulting in orphaned youngsters - some of which are sold illegally as exotic 'pets' to people who do not understand their highly specialised needs.

In association with the Jane Goodall Institute South Africa, Eugene Cussons and his family established Chimpanzee Eden in the South African Lowveld as a sanctuary for the relocation of abused and orphaned chimpanzees from all over Africa. Often at great personal risk, Cussons travels throughout strife-torn African countries and brings traumatised primates back to the safety of Chimp Eden where, for the first time for most of them, they have freedom and the opportunity of being with their own kind, as well as the attention of experts.

Saving Chimpanzees is a remarkable account of some of his rescue missions - complicated operations requiring diplomacy and no small measure of courage and dedication.

A great book for anyone who is interested in beekeeping. This easy to understand book with hundreds of illustrations walks you through everything you need to know about beekeeping. Simply one of the best books ever written on the subjects. A facsimile edition.

Current tactics can't solve today's complex global crises. The "bad boys of environmentalism" call for a bold and empowering new vision Environmental insiders Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus triggered a firestorm of controversy with their self-published essay "The Death of Environmentalism," which argued that environmentalism cannot deal with global warming and should die so that a new politics can be born. Global warming is far more complex than past pollution problems, and American values have changed dramatically since the movement's greatest victories in the 1960s, but environmentalists keep fighting the same old battles. Seeing a connection between the failures of environmentalism and the failures of the entire left-leaning political agenda, the authors point the way toward an aspirational politics that will resonate with modern American values and be capable of tackling our most pressing challenges. In this eagerly awaited follow-up to the original essay, the authors give us an expansive and eloquent manifesto for political change. What Americans really want, and what could serve as the basis for a new politics, is a vision capable of inspiring us to greatness. Making the case for abandoning old categories (nature/market, left/right), the authors articulate a pragmatism fit for our times that has already found champions in such prominent figures as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. This book will hit the same nerve as What's the Matter with Kansas and Don't Think of an Elephant. But its analysis will reshape American politics for decades to come.

Endangered species can be defined as a group of animals or plants in danger of becoming extinct. This book presents an overview of such species as a result of certain factors such as climate change, extensive urbanisation, overgrazing, and agricultural expansion. The first chapter of this book describes China's attempt to protect its rare, threatened, and endangered species in their natural habitats. It identifies the root causes of species loss as well as China's participation in international environmental conventions and its participation in non-governmental organisations (NGO's). Chapter Two reviews the ways in which the abundance of endangered marine benthic species are estimated using distance sampling through SCUBA diving. Distance sampling is a widely used set of methods for estimating abundance and/or density of biological populations. It is a standard method for abundance estimations for many endangered species. Chapter Three reviews the causes of medicinal species endangerment in the Middle East as well as conservations measures that are being used to protect and preserve them from extinction. Chapter 4 describes a species known as Pine marten (or Martes martes), which is an animal in the weasel family. This chapter reviews the reasons why this species is in danger of extinction (such as the presence of incidental killings, forest reduction, and habitat fragmentation in recent years) as well as the measures that have to be taken to prevent a further decline in population. The northern pike, one of the most important freshwater fish, might become an endangered species due to its rapid decline in population from overfishing, habitat reduction, and climate changes. Chapter Five addresses these problems as well as explores the actual conservation and management state of this species in Europe, comparing genetic and molecular ecology data obtained for European and North American populations. Chapter Six is a description of a case study of the river otter, Lontra longicaudis annectens, present in Central Mexico, and the ways in which ecological niche modelling and place prioritisation procedures were used to identify areas for conservation and restoration for this species. Chapter Seven describes the impact that deforestation has on biodiversity conservation in Mexico by measuring its effects on mammal species' distributions, delineation of biogeographical regionalisation, the effectiveness of conservation area networks and area prioritisation for biodiversity conservation. Finally, the last chapter of this book presents an overview of the global usage of felines in traditional folk medicine and as a result, their danger of becoming extinct.

When Terri Raines was twenty-seven years old, she took a vacation that changed her life. Leaving behind her wildlife rescue work in Oregon, Terri traveled to Australia, and there, at a small wildlife park, she met and fell in love with a tall, blond force of nature named Steve Irwin. They were married in less than a year, and Terri eagerly joined in Steve's conservation work. The footage filmed on their crocodile-trapping honeymoon became the first episode of T"he Crocodile Hunter, " and together, Steve and Terri began to change the world.

In "Steve & Me, " Terri recounts the unforgettable adventures they shared -- wrangling venomous snakes, saving deadly crocodiles from poachers, swimming among humpback whales. A uniquely gifted naturalist, Steve was first and foremost a wildlife warrior dedicated to rescuing endangered animals -- especially his beloved crocs -- and educating everyone he could reach about the importance of conservation. In the hit TV shows that continue to be broadcast worldwide, Steve's enthusiasm lives on, bringing little-known and often-feared species to light as he reveals and revels in the wonders of our planet.

With grace, wit, and candor, Terri Irwin portrays her husband as he really was -- a devoted family man, a fervently dedicated environmentalist, a modest bloke who spoke to millions on behalf of those who could not speak for themselves. "Steve & Me" is a nonstop adventure, a real-life love story, and a fitting tribute to a man adored by all those whose lives he touched, written by the woman who knew and loved him best of all.

Here is a fun armchair journey through the rapidly shrinking world of amphibians. Frogs and other amphibians are rapidly going extinct. It is believed that 500 of the 6,000 known species will become extinct within the next 10 years. This book is loaded with original Ripley's Believe It or Not! cartoons, and fun to-the-point facts and trivia about amphibians that will both educate and amuse the reader. Created in 2008 to celebrate the Year of the Frog, all proceeds from this book will be going to various world-wide frog foundations for study and research.

With the discovery of a tiny fish in a soon-to-be-flooded stretch of the Little Tennessee River, construction on a dam that had already cost taxpayers $100 million came crashing to a halt. Thanks to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the snail darter was instantly transformed into both an icon for species preservation and a despised symbol of the environmental movement's alleged excesses. The intense legal battle that ensued over its fate was contested all the way to the Supreme Court.

The 1978 decision in "TVA v. Hill," the Court's first decision interpreting the Endangered Species Act, remains one of the most instructive cases in American environmental law. Affirming an injunction that prohibited the Tennessee Valley Authority from completing the Tellico Dam because it would eliminate the snail darter's only known habitat, the Supreme Court resolved an intragovernmental dispute between the TVA and the Interior Department as well as the claims of the local opponents of the dam.

Kenneth Murchison reveals that the snail darter case was just one part of a long struggle over whether the TVA should build the Tellico Dam. He traces disputes over the TVA's mission back to the 1930s and intertwines this with the emergence of federal environmental law in the 1960s and 1970s, culminating in the National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act, both of which provided a statutory basis for litigating against the dam builders. He continues with an exhaustive analysis of the arguments, deliberations, and decision of the Supreme Court, based largely on original sources, before concluding with a summary of the subsequent congressional actions and administrative proceedings that ultimately allowed the dam's completion. By plumbing the Court's deliberations, the politics behind the law, and the way that law spurred political responses, Murchison clarifies how the story of darter and dam came to exemplify the tensions and conflict between legislative and judicial action.

Even though its players were left with only partial victories, "TVA v. Hill" helped to define the modern role of the TVA and remains an important chapter in the development of federal environmental law. Murchison helps us better understand this landmark decision, which drew the battle lines for current debates over the environment and the policies that protect or regulate its use.

The first listed species to make headlines after the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973 was the snail darter, a three-inch fish that stood in the way of a massive dam on the Little Tennessee River. When the Supreme Court sided with the darter, Congress changed the rules. The dam was built, the river stopped flowing, and the snail darter went extinct on the Little Tennessee, though it survived in other waterways. A young Al Gore voted for the dam; freshman congressman Newt Gingrich voted for the fish.

A lot has changed since the 1970s, and Joe Roman helps us understand why we should all be happy that this sweeping law is alive and well today. More than a general history of endangered species protection, "Listed "is a tale of threatened species in the wild from the whooping crane and North Atlantic right whale to the purple bankclimber, a freshwater mussel tangled up in a water war with Atlanta and the people working to save them.

Employing methods from the new field of ecological economics, Roman challenges the widely held belief that protecting biodiversity is too costly. And with engaging directness, he explains how preserving biodiversity can help economies and communities thrive. Above all, he shows why the extinction of species matters to us personally to our health and safety, our prosperity, and our joy in nature.

A vast and previously undisclosed underground economy exists in the United States. The products bought and sold: animals. In "Animal Underworld," veteran investigative journalist Alan Green exposes the sleazy, sometimes illegal web of those who trade in rare and exotic creatures. Green and The Center for Public Integrity reveal which American zoos and amusement parks dump their "surplus" animals on the middlemen adept at secretly redirecting them into the private pet trade. We're taken to exotic-animal auctions, where the anonymous high bidders are often notorious dealers, hunting-ranch proprietors, and profit-minded charlatans masquerading as conservationists. We visit some of the nation's most prestigious universities and research laboratories, whose diseased monkeys are "laundered" through this same network of breeders and dealers until they finally reach the homes of unsuspecting pet owners. And we meet the men and women who make their living by skirting through loopholes in the law, or by ignoring the law altogether. For anyone who cares about animals; for pet owners, zoo-goers, wildlife conservationists, and animal welfare advocates, "Animal Underworld" is gripping, shocking reading.

For thousands of years, the majestic elephant has roamed the African continent, as beloved by man as it has been preyed upon. But centuries of exploitation and ivory hunting have taken their toll: now, as wars and poachers continue to ravage its habitat, as disease and political strife deflect attention from its plight, the African elephant faces imminent extinction.
What will become of these magnificent beasts? As the elephant's future looms ever darker, Martin Meredith's concise and richly illustrated biography traces the elephant's history from the first ivory expeditions of the Egyptian pharaohs 2500 years ago to today, exploring along the way the indelible imprint the African elephant has made in art, literature, culture, and society. He shares recent extraordinary discoveries about the elephant's sophisticated family and community structure and reveals the remarkable ways in which elephants show compassion and loyalty to each other.
Elegant, illuminating, and urgent, "Elephant Destiny" offers a beautiful and important tribute to one of earth's most magisterial creatures at the very moment it threatens to vanish from being.

"Through a globe-circling tour of the planet, a conservation ecologist checks environmental statistics and reveals the importance of understanding where these numbers come from in order to evaluate current awareness of the planet's potential environmental peril."-Forecast Praise for the hardcover edition (published as The World According to Pimm) "Among ecologists who can apply their understanding of basic science to the modern human predicament, Stuart Pimm is one of the very best in the world today. He writes clearly, interestingly, and understandably. This book will interest literally everyone "-Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs, and Steel "A dazzling tour d'horizon of the twenty-first century environment. The author informs us of the approaching fate of the natural world (including our own species) with uncommon scientific authority, style, and wit."-Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor, Emeritus, Harvard University "A born storyteller, Pimm takes us on a world tour to reveal how people are adversely affecting their environment-a tour de force in more than one sense."-Thomas E. Lovejoy, chief biodiversity advisor to the president of the World Bank Humans use 50 percent of the world's freshwater supply and consume 42 percent of its plant growth. We are liquidating animals and plants one hundred times faster than the natural rate of extinction. Such numbers should make it clear that our impact on the planet has been, and continues to be, extreme and detrimental. Yet even after decades of awareness of our environmental peril, there remains passionate disagreement over what the problems are and how they should be remedied. Much of the impasse stems from the fact that the problems are difficult to quantify. How do we assess the impact of habitat loss on various species, when we haven't even counted them all? And just what factors go into that 42 percent of biomass we are hungrily consuming? In this book, Stuart Pimm appoints himself "investment banker of the global, biological accounts," checking the environmental statistics gathered by tireless scientists in work that is always painstaking and often heartbreaking. With wit, passion, and candor, he reveals the importance of understanding where these numbers come from and what they mean. To do so, he takes the reader on a globe-circling tour of our beautiful, but weary, planet from the volcanic mountains and rainforests of Hawai'i to the boreal forests of Siberia. Stuart L. Pimm is Doris Duke Chair of Conservation Ecology at the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University. He is the author of more than 150 scientific papers, as well as three books, and numerous articles in publications such as New Scientist, The Sciences, Nature, and Science.

For one thousand years, the Milu -- an exotic species of deer with the neck of a camel, horns of a stag, feet of a cow, and tail of a donkey -- existed only in the Chinese emperor’s private park in Beijing. But in the nineteenth century, a Basque missionary risked his life to obtain a specimen, then embalmed it and sent it to Paris.

The preserved remains caused quite a stir, and soon every major nation in Europe possessed a Milu. But most died quickly, and due to war -- most notably the Boxer Rebellion -- they became extinct in their native habitat as well. Yet the eleventh duke of Bedford was devoted to preserving the Milu. Under his care at Woburn Abbey, a herd flourished, and nearly a century later, in 1986, part of the British herd was returned to China.

In his fascinating tale, Robert Twigger poignantly recounts the story of this strange and rare animal while providing a riveting meditation on evolution, truth-telling, extinction, myth-making, and survival.