Wildlife

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 1996:

The Cornell University
College of Veterinary Medicine
has begun trying to hatch and rear
threatened Blanding’s turtles in
captivity. Habitat loss and predation
has caused the loss of whole
turtle generations, says project
chief George Kollias, DVM.
Exxon has pledged to
contribute $5 million over the
next five years to the Save The
Tiger Fund, formed by Congress
in 1984 and managed by the
National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation.

Seven inches of snow,
rare for western Mexico, killed a
third of the 11 million to 13 million
Monarch butterflies wintering
there in oyamel trees, Homero
Aridjis of the Group of 100 reported
on December 30. The five
Monarch sanctuaries in the region
are the species’ main wintering
areas. Monarchs still haven’t
recovered from a 1992 snowstorm
that killed 70% to 90% of their
population.
Hoping to restore the
trapped-out once-native fisher
population, Pennsylvania is
offering New Hampshire trappers
$100 for each male fisher and
$150 for each female they catch
alive and uninjured in box traps.
New Hampshire claims to have a
fisher surplus.
The New York Department
of Environmental
Conservation is trying again to
pass a bill to allow beaver snaring
and dam-dynamiting, without
public oversight. The Fund for
Animals asks that letters on behalf
of beavers be sent to Gov. George
Pataki, Exec. Chamber, State
Capitol, Albany, NY 12224;
and Commissioner Michael
Zagata, NYS DEC, 50 Wolf
Road, Albany, NY 12223,
The Animal Alliance of
Canada welcomes organizations
to sign on to a “7-point plan to end
the trade in bear parts” in Canada.
Fax 416-462-9647.
A record 89 Florida
Key deer were killed in 1995, 65
by cars. Thirteen fawns were
known to be born. The previous
highest toll of the endangered
miniature deer was 86, back in
1971.