SAN FRANCISCO — The western monarch butterfly population wintering along California's coast remains critically low for the second year in a row, a count by an environmental group released Thursday showed. The count of the orange-and-black insects by the Xerces Society, a nonprofit environmental organization that focuses on the conservation...
Conservationists Seek Protection of California Joshua Trees
LOS ANGELES — A conservation organization has petitioned for protection of the western Joshua tree under the California Endangered Species Act due to the effects of climate change and habitat destruction. The Center for Biological Diversity filed the petition with the state Fish and Game Commission on Tuesday. The request...
Where Have the Wild Birds Gone? 3 Billion Fewer Than 1970
WASHINGTON — North America's skies are lonelier and quieter as nearly 3 billion fewer wild birds soar in the air than in 1970, a comprehensive study shows. The new study focuses on the drop in sheer numbers of birds, not extinctions. The bird population in the United States and Canada...
Adorable Wolf Pups Make Debut at Oakland Zoo
OAKLAND — Four new gray wolf pups have come out of their den at the Oakland Zoo. The pups were born on May 13. This month, the 6-week-old pups have started to explore the two-acre habitat. Parents Siskiyou and Sequoia were born in captivity and brought to the zoo's California...
Intern Killed by Lion had a Passion for Working with Animals
BURLINGTON, N.C. — An intern was cleaning an animal enclosure at a North Carolina wildlife center when a lion escaped from a nearby pen and attacked her, killing the young woman and sending visitors out of the zoo, authorities said. Deputies shot and killed the lion Sunday before retrieving the...
Can 2018 Farm Bill Get the Job Done in Trump Tax Cuts Era?
Since the turn of the year, Congress and the Trump administration have been haggling over legislative priorities for 2018. Many issues are on the agenda, from health care to infrastructure, but there has been little mention of a key priority: The 2018 farm bill. This comprehensive food and agriculture legislation...
Can 2018 Farm Bill Get the Job Done in Trump Tax Cuts Era?
Since the turn of the year, Congress and the Trump administration have been haggling over legislative priorities for 2018. Many issues are on the agenda, from health care to infrastructure, but there has been little mention of a key priority: The 2018 farm bill. This comprehensive food and agriculture legislation...