Defenders of wildlife newsletter

[Guest guest]

A Bi-weekly Update from Defenders of Wildlife:

Working to Save Wildlife and Wild Lands

 

 

 

ENERGY POLICY: 'Americans should be outraged' by Senate vote

SHOOT, SHOVEL AND SHUT UP: Idaho considers law to allow killing of wolves

EVERY OTTER MATTERS: Another sea otter killed by gunshot

COMEBACK CROCODILES: Sightings may signal recovery of endangered species

FOREST CATASTROPHE: Global warming could destroy the boreal

ORCA ORPHAN: Scientists look for ways to take baby whale home

SUCCESS STORIES: DEN helps protect Northwest Hawaiian Islands

ADOPT AN ANIMAL: Help save wildlife for Mother's Day

 

 

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1. ENERGY POLICY: 'Americans should be outraged' by Senate vote

In the first in a series of important votes on national energy policy, the

Senate acted to please the auto industry by rejecting stronger auto fuel

efficiency standards that would have saved oil and reduced pollution. The New

York Times wrote, " Americans should be outraged. " Click here

http://www.defenders.org/newsroom/fuel.html to learn how your senator voted.

Now, Big Oil's political allies are turning up the pressure to open the Arctic

National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. The fate of America's greatest wildlife

sanctuary will be decided soon. To make your voice heard in Congress, go to

www.SaveArcticRefuge.org. Tell your senators that you won't tolerate destroying

this magnificent wilderness and harming wildlife.

 

To learn how Arctic drilling will affect polar bears, click here for our popular

animation: www.SaveArcticRefuge.org/video.

 

2. SHOOT, SHOVEL AND SHUT UP: Idaho considers law to allow killing of wolves

 

Idaho's anti-wolf extremists are pushing a bill in the state legislature to

permit killing the endangered animals " when it is reasonable and necessary and

done in defense of privately owned property. " Defenders of Wildlife fears the

vaguely worded legislation would legitimize " shoot-shovel-and-shut-up "

vigilantism. Idaho's gray wolves are the beneficiaries of one of the most

successful wildlife recovery programs ever. More than 200 now are roaming freely

across a panoramic high-mountain landscape. Defenders of Wildlife pays ranchers

for livestock lost to wolves. Go to www.savewolves.org to learn more about

threats to wolves.

 

3. EVERY OTTER MATTERS: Another sea otter killed by gunshot

 

Defenders of Wildlife has posted a $2,500 reward for information leading to the

conviction of the killer of a sea otter that was discovered on a California

beach with a gunshot wound to its head. The otter was at least the third shot

and killed in California in two years. " Every otter matters, " the Santa Barbara

News-Press wrote in an editorial. " Otters seem to be in decline up and down the

state, according to some recent counts. Pollution and disease get some blame.

But, distressingly, humans with murder on their minds are posing another threat

to this vulnerable, small population. " To learn how you can help, go to

www.saveseaotters.org.

 

4. COMEBACK CROCODILES: Sightings may signal rebound for endangered species

 

In a possible milestone for endangered species, sightings of American crocodiles

are increasing in south Florida's waters. Wildlife scientists are optimistic

because it could mean that the endangered cousins of the American alligator are

making a comeback, thanks to the efforts of conservationists working to preserve

the species' dwindling habitat. The decline of crocodiles was once considered

all but inevitable. Their population is now estimated at between 400 and 1,000

adults. To read about efforts to save the Everglades, some of the last remaining

habitat of the crocodile, click here

http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/eglades/everglades.html.

 

5. FOREST CATASTROPHE: Global warming could destroy the boreal

 

The latest evidence indicates that global warming could lead to the destruction

of more than half the world's boreal forests, according to the World Commission

on Forests and Sustainable Development. These northern woodlands make up

one-third of the Earth's forests, and a winter temperature rise of as little as

5 degrees Fahrenheit could lead to catastrophic fires, droughts and pest

infestations, the commission reported. For more on the boreal forest crisis,

click here http://www.defenders.org/magazinenew/Summer2001/canada.pdf.

 

6. ORCA ORPHAN: Scientists look for ways to take baby whale home

 

Scientists are working to save an orphaned baby whale swimming in the Puget

Sound. They're considering using a Hovercraft to ferry the whale home to Canada.

The 1 ½-year-old orca was born to a pod that returns each summer to the waters

around northern Vancouver Island. But its mother died, the rest of the pod

rejected the baby, and it showed up alone in Puget Sound last month. Since then,

the whale has been following a ferry, rubbing up against logs and capturing

Seattle's heart. To learn about threats to whales, go to www.saveourwhales.org.

 

7. SUCCESS STORIES: DEN helps protect Northwest Hawaiian Islands

 

Thanks to you, the Bush administration has decided not to roll back protections

for the coral reefs and wildlife of the unspoiled Northwest Hawaiian Islands.

More than 5,000 DEN members sent e-mails in support of saving this underwater

wilderness as a marine reserve. The islands contain nearly 70 percent of all

coral reefs within U.S. waters and are home to 7,000 marine species, including

the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal.

 

8. ADOPT AN ANIMAL: Help save wildlife for Mother's Day

 

With Mother's Day coming up, have you started looking for that perfect gift to

tell your mother how much you love and appreciate her? Adopt an animal today for

your mother and help save imperiled animals for future generations. Adopt an

adorable polar bear, wolf pup, sea otter, whale, dolphin, brown or black bear or

" Harry Potter " owl today. http://www.defenders.org/adopt.