Carnivores of Sri Lanka: A Collaboration with SLWCS

S.P.E.C.I.E.S. is joining forces with the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society to launch priority conservation surveys for at least five of the island nation’s native carnivore species, and initiate a more comprehensive effort to assess threats to these carnivores across the country. These activities began in early 2016 with expeditions to focus on the endangered Sri Lankan leopard, fishing cat, and sloth bear, in important forest and wetland habitats.  Our long-term goals are to identify priority regions for the conservation of these species, integrate local human communities into stewardship activities and provide educational opportunities for the public, and identify the biggest threats to species while reducing human-carnivore conflicts that cause economic hardships or pose a direct danger to human safety.

Mitigating Carnivore Conflict with Partners in Northern Mexico

Mexico is among the top three countries in the world with the greatest biodiversity.  Because the country contains mammal species native to both North America and Latin America, it hosts the greatest number of carnivore species and endangered mammals in the western hemisphere.  S.P.E.C.I.E.S. is now supporting the efforts of the Wildlife Investigation Laboratory at the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon in Monterrey to develop the next generation of wildlife and conservation science professionals, and train protected area managers and staff in monitoring techniques and human-wildlife conflict reduction methods.  In addition, we are working hard to establish a permanent conservation resource for Mexican government agencies and land managers across the U.S.-Mexico borderlands and broad regions of northern Mexico, where ecological information on many species is lacking, but land conservation potential remains very high

 

The enigmatic jaguarundi deserves more conservation attention

With a range stretching from southern Texas to south-central Argentina, the jaguarundi is designated as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, scientists are unsure whether its population is rising or falling, meaning that the species may be in more danger than is currently thought.

S.P.E.C.I.E.S founder and director Anthony Giordano spoke to Mongabay about the need for greater conservation awareness and research of the jaguarundi.

Read the full article here.