Merry Christmas everyone! As some of our older followers may know, Christmas is a time for us to get some new wildlife reading started. Big thanks to @jonathanslaght.com for the free signed copy! Look forward to diving in this week!

Bonelli’s eagles have been declining in Spain in recent years due to human-driven factors like poaching, poisoning and electrocution. But new research has revealed that the raptors experienced a baby boom during the COVID-19 lockdown.

A new bipartisan bill would extend the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program and provide $1 billion through 2031 to build crossings that reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.

Evidence of Holocene lions in Eastern Europe outside of Greece has always been very sparse, but it looks like some new evidence of their presence around the Black Sea was recently published: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

The African golden cat, one of the rarest and least-seen species of cats, is now the focus of a massive 19-country conservation project. Scientists have partnered with ~8,000 local families where they will help as researchers, setting up camera traps, collecting data on this elusive species.

Yes, they’re still alive, and now we have a record of them still traveling with their mother!!! www.sooleader.com/local-news/n...

Guess who made the cut? www.technologyreview.com/2025/12/18/1...

Porcupines were persecuted as pests throughout much of the 20th century. Now wildlife managers are concerned that populations have failed to recover in the decades since state bounties were banned.

A marine subsidy reshapes the ecology of a large terrestrial carnivore: royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...

Part 2 of our Endangered Species Act rollback coverage discusses the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed plan to scrap the “blanket rule” for threatened species and replace it with species-specific protections.

Conservation dollars aren’t just protecting wildlife. New research finds that they are powering a $115.8 billion economic engine that supports more than half a million jobs and pays for itself many times over.

Proposed changes to the U.S. Endangered Species Act would overhaul how agencies list and delist species, define and exclude critical habitat and interpret “foreseeable future.”

this has happende three times and i think the Future is Wild did it best.

From the archives (but still painfully relevant): Possible Monkey Extinction Highlights the Risk to Africa’s Most Endangered Primate Group https://therevelator.org/red-colobus-extinction/

Albrecht, J., Bocherens, H., Hobson, K.A. et al. Dynamic omnivory shapes the functional role of large carnivores under global change. Nat Commun 16, 10896 (2025). doi.org/10.1038/s414...

Finally had a chance to watch PhP Ice Age! Was an excellent series overall, and wonderful for the extinct Cenozoics to get the spotlight! Big congratulations to the team behind this! I took notes on the nitpicks I had with certain behaviors being represented, but hoping to turn that into a video.

Just watched the new short film Snow Bear by @aaronblaiseart.bsky.social. As a Brother Bear fan, it brought me right back to my childhood with its beautiful animation! Especially appreciated the call to conservation action with @polarbearsinternational.org at the end! youtu.be/xOXolSQcEb4?...

Bettongs are able to crack nuts that would break other mammals’ jaw. The mystery about why was tough for scientists to crack, though.

"The estimated number of bears in #Florida now — 4,050 — is fewer than the estimated number we had before the hunt 10 years ago — 4,300.... That means this isn’t a hunt to control the bear population...but a hunt intended to provide some hunters with a trophy."

When mis- and dis-information is a government enforced legal obligation. A slow clap for all involved. Whither science-based and effective public education! au.news.yahoo.com/uproar-as-zo... By @michaeldahlstrom.bsky.social

New jaguar individual recorded in Arizona: www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report...

Lopatin, A.V., Lopatina, D.A., Zanina, O.G. et al. Habitat reconstruction for the Late Pleistocene Siberian saber-toothed cat Homotherium using microphytofossils. Sci Rep 15, 42607 (2025). doi.org/10.1038/s415...

One of the biggest roadblocks to bison recovery has been their legal status as livestock. It's wonderful to see that designation slowly chipping away back to wildlife: cowboystatedaily.com/2025/11/14/b...

What if the wildlife videos filling your social media feed weren’t real? AI-generated wildlife videos continue to widen the gap between people and nature and may have an impact on conservation.

Strategies for wild pig control: A case study of Missouri's progress towards elimination: wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...?

More tigers to be translocated to Kazakhstan next year: astanatimes.com/2025/11/kaza...

The EPA faces a capacity crunch as “Waters of the United States” is potentially redefined in the Clean Water Act.

Road noise often scares wildlife away. But new research reveals that squirrels may actually be drawn towards busy highways in an effort to stay away from predators.

Ancient balanced polymorphism underlies long-standing adaptation for seasonal camouflage in the least weasel (preprint): www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Bioenergetics is a way of tracking the movement of energy to understand ecosystem changes. Researchers say this metric may be a way to track restoration progress.

The Wildlife Society is pushing back against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s proposed rollback of the Public Lands Rule, warning that it misrepresents conservation work. Read more 👇

Captive breeding in accredited zoos can give a safety net to wild populations. But a closer genetic look shows giraffe hybridization has taken over.

Tomorrow’s the big day. Feel free to stop by my poster on the evolution of pan-cheloniid pelagic specializations! #2025SVP #SeaTurtle

Kavango just revealed all of the new animal cards that will be included in their booster packs! Go pledge on Kickstarter if you see any of your favorites!

Liuwa’s wildlife recovery is still going strong with another reintroduction: www.lusakatimes.com/2025/11/10/h...

From habitats to hashtags: examining online discussions about invasive species: ecologyandsociety.org/vol30/iss4/a...

Heli-skiing takes recreationists deep into remote backcountry mountains in British Columbia. But research shows that skiers and helicopters may be disturbing southern mountain caribou in some of their last sanctuaries.

Dingoes ARE NOT domestic dogs, multiple lines of evidence demonstrate this. Dingoes ARE NOT ideal pets, they require extensive and special care. Dingoes ARE very important to First Nations peoples, and Australia's ecosystems. This proposed change is a very bad idea www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

Writing an essay on de-extinction vs deëxtinction. The former is possible, like for endangered Black-footed Ferrets, the latter is just PR BS. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service press release describing this remarkable accomplishment for BFFs now has an anti-EDI statement. Does this really #MAGA? 🧪

Threats to conservation from artificial-intelligence-generated wildlife images and videos conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Polar bears are picky eaters—but their leftovers don’t go to waste. Several Arctic species feast on carrion provided by the apex predator.

Amid the shadows of headstones, wildlife both rare and resilient find respite from the human-dominated landscape. Cemeteries specifically focused on conservation are providing animals with a new resource in urban areas.

Feral horses aren’t well-studied in Alberta. But large populations of the invasive equids in the foothills of Alberta may be outcompeting native elk and bighorn sheep. Read more 👇

Conservationists use artificial bat boxes as a common technique to boost local populations. But research reveals that during heat waves, some boxes may get too hot, creating “death traps” for the flying mammals inside.

the official trailer for Tigers Between Empires, written by me & published by @fsgbooks.bsky.social, in bookstores one week from today (Nov 4, 2025)! #booksky 🌍🧪 youtu.be/D-iOU4GCv9s

Science evolves, but consensus matters. Don’t confuse openness to revision with carte blanche for misinformation. Settled science exists - and it matters for policy and public trust. Read the full article here: www.livescience.com/... 10/10

Restoring the wild east: Predicting public support for cougar and red wolf reintroduction in the eastern United States www.researchgate.net/publication/...

will pick two winners today, 12:30pm Eastern time #booksky