For Earth Day, people across the Caribbean highlighted how national birds link islands, culture and the environment. Many species face habitat loss, climate change and hunting, and regional efforts aim to protect them and their habitats.
Photo by Karl Callwood, Unsplash
A long-term study at Ngogo in Kibale National Park found that one large chimpanzee group split into two. Members of the western group later attacked and killed many former groupmates, a result that raises questions about social behaviour.
Tea plantations and other development near Kibira National Park in northwest Burundi have reduced forest cover and made wildlife, including chimpanzees, rarer. Experts and local people call for community action to protect the park.
The Government of Nepal has proposed the Chepang Landscape as an Other Effective area-based Conservation Measure (OECM). The area is community-managed and important for biodiversity, but land-rights and cultural concerns must be addressed.
A study using drone footage found many tourism rule violations at El Azul, a large whale shark site off the Yucatán coast. Researchers recorded boats and swimmers too close to feeding sharks and recommend better monitoring and self-regulation.
A Washington State University review finds that human-made beaver dams, or beaver mimicry, can help rivers and streams. The studies show benefits for water storage, cooler summer temperatures, biodiversity and fire resistance, but more research is needed.