population

Australia ageing population crisis report sparks migration debate

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Australia ageing population crisis report sparks migration debate

People take photos of the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. (Photo: Reuters) For the first time in the 2060s, deaths are projected to outnumber births in Australia, while annual population growth is expected to average 0.9% over the next four decades. Lower fertility and declining net overseas migration are expected to contribute to the … Read more

Iberian lynx fell to just 62 mature animals in 2001; conservation has helped push its population above 2,000

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Iberian lynx fell to just 62 mature animals in 2001; conservation has helped push its population above 2,000

For much of the 20th century, the Iberian lynx was disappearing from the Spanish landscape. By 2001, only 62 mature animals were recorded, leaving one of Europe’s most distinctive wild cats perilously close to extinction. Since then, a sustained conservation programme has altered its trajectory. Reintroductions, captive breeding, habitat restoration and efforts to protect its … Read more

In 1996, England began moving Scottish osprey chicks to Rutland after the species vanished as a breeder in 1847; 30 years later, 300 have fledged and the population is self-sustaining

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In 1996, England began moving Scottish osprey chicks to Rutland after the species vanished as a breeder in 1847; 30 years later, 300 have fledged and the population is self-sustaining

Thirty years ago, conservationists began an experiment at Rutland Water that was intended to bring a vanished bird back to England. Three decades later, the osprey has not only returned, it is breeding, spreading and producing new generations without the need for further translocations. According to the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT), which runs … Read more

In 1995, just 51 rare snakes survived on one tiny Caribbean island; 21 years later their population topped 1,100

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In 1995, just 51 rare snakes survived on one tiny Caribbean island; 21 years later their population topped 1,100

In 1995, the Antiguan racer was perilously close to disappearing from the wild. Just 51 of these rare Caribbean snakes were estimated to survive, all confined to tiny Great Bird Island off the coast of Antigua. The species had little room to recover. Yet what followed became an extraordinary conservation turnaround. Over the next 21 … Read more

In 1807, pigs were released on New Zealand’s Auckland Islands as food for castaways; 192 years later, 17 were rescued before the feral population was eradicated

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In 1807, pigs were released on New Zealand's Auckland Islands as food for castaways; 192 years later, 17 were rescued before the feral population was eradicated

On a remote, windswept archipelago far south of New Zealand, a small herd of pigs lived out more than two centuries as one of the world’s most isolated feral populations. Their ancestors were left on the Auckland Islands in 1807, released by sailors as a living food store for any shipwrecked castaways who might one … Read more

CNN founder Ted Turner’s New Mexico ranch helped save North America’s rarest large tortoise, growing its population from 30 to about 800

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CNN founder Ted Turner’s New Mexico ranch helped save North America’s rarest large tortoise, growing its population from 30 to about 800

For thousands of years, the Bolson tortoise had been missing from the grasslands of New Mexico. Then a private ranch offered the species something it had not had in generations: space to start again. What began with just 30 captive tortoises grew into a population of roughly 800 through a long-running conservation effort backed by … Read more

Once hunted to near extinction, Brazil’s humpback whales make a stunning comeback, population surges from just 2,000 to nearly 35,000 in two decades

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Once hunted to near extinction, Brazil’s humpback whales make a stunning comeback, population surges from just 2,000 to nearly 35,000 in two decades

A humpback whale breaches off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP photo) Humpback whales are returning in large numbers to Brazil’s coast after being pushed close to extinction by commercial whaling. Their population in the South Atlantic has risen from about 2,000 to around 35,000 in roughly 40 years, bringing the species close … Read more

In 1975, fewer than 800 Aleutian cackling geese remained; fox removal and habitat protection helped the population rebound to around 200,000, and regulated hunting later returned

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In 1975, fewer than 800 Aleutian cackling geese remained; fox removal and habitat protection helped the population rebound to around 200,000, and regulated hunting later returned

Fewer than 800 Aleutian cackling geese remained in 1975, with the birds restricted to a single rocky island in Alaska after introduced Arctic foxes destroyed nesting colonies across the Aleutian Islands. Fifty years later, predator removal, the creation of protected wetlands in California and coordinated management along the Pacific Flyway have helped the population recover … Read more

In 1979, about 30 mongooses were released on Japan’s Amami Oshima to control habu snakes; their population later grew to roughly 10,000 and threatened rare wildlife, but after decades of trapping Japan declared them eradicated in 2024

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In 1979, about 30 mongooses were released on Japan’s Amami Oshima to control habu snakes; their population later grew to roughly 10,000 and threatened rare wildlife, but after decades of trapping Japan declared them eradicated in 2024

In 1979, about 30 mongooses were released on Japan’s Amami Oshima to control habu snakes Japan has officially declared the successful eradication of the invasive small Indian mongoose on Amami Oshima, ending a decades-long ecological crisis on the UNESCO World Heritage-listed island. According to an official announcement from Japan’s ministry of the environment, expert panels … Read more

A rare orca known as “La Abuela” was found with wounds consistent with shotgun pellets; the suspected attack could threaten an entire Iberian population of fewer than 40 whales

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A rare orca known as “La Abuela” was found with wounds consistent with shotgun pellets; the suspected attack could threaten an entire Iberian population of fewer than 40 whales

Spain’s Environment Ministry has ordered an investigation into the likely shooting of a rare Iberian orca that was filmed swimming with wounds to its dorsal fin, Deputy Prime Minister ‌Sara Aagesen said on Friday. “The oldest orca in the Strait of Gibraltar has appeared with marks compatible with pellets” fired from a shotgun this week, … Read more