To respond to the Department of the Interior’s controversial decision to remove endangered species protections for grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) introduced the Tribal Heritage and Grizzly Bear Protection Act (H.R. 3894) at a press conference today surrounded by Tribal leaders and environmentalists. 

 This bill would ensure that grizzly bears are permanently protected for their ecological and cultural value and guarantees Tribes have a role in conserving and managing the species. Grizzly bears are considered sacred by many Tribes, but today only a small fraction of the historic grizzly populations exist in the lower 48 states. 

The bill is strongly supported by a coalition of 50 Tribes and conservation groups. 

It would: Ban trophy hunting and non-discriminatory predator control measures that may result in taking of grizzly bears on public lands.

Permit take and possession of grizzly bears only for certain purposes.

Require consultation with tribes before issuing permits and before any major federal action that could impact grizzly bears or their habitat.

Add tribal members to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.

Create a process for reintroduction of grizzly bears to suitable land of wiling Tribes

“Grizzly bears are an essential component of healthy ecosystems, but trophy hunting and aggressive predator control by states pose a great risk to these top predators. 

We don’t hunt avian predators like Golden eagles or Bald eagles, and the mammals at the top of the food chain also should be protected from people who want to kill them for bragging rights.” Source

He was rescued, along with his two other brothers, after they got dumped at the garbage. They were all been found in critical condition, so a warm bath was crucial, to regulate their body temperature. 

The rescue group who saved them, captured the moment on camera and it is an overload of cuteness! When volunteers at the DFW Rescue Me from Texas, found these puppies, they knew they had to hurry if it is to save their lives. 

Thankfully, the kind-hearted people have done their best and put those tiny balls of fur at safety. 

“Three new bottle babies,” the rescue wrote. “Found in a bag in a dumpster. They were suppose to be euthanized…Now safe, with full bellies.” Even though the puppies are temporarily safe, they still require a lot of attention and care. Even so, their chances of survival remain very slim as living without a mother from that early age sounds nothing short of impossible. 

Nevertheless, the devoted people at this Dallas-based rescue, went above and beyond to keep them all alive. “It takes a very special person to foster bottle babies,” the rescue group explained. “It isn’t just a matter of feeding them every 2 hours and keeping them clean. You pretty much have to do it all. We try to make it as close to a mother’s care as we can get. Never a replacement, but as close as we can come. Warm baths help!” 

 In the short video below, one of the puppies can be seen lying on his back into a caretaker’s hands, and enjoying a very comforting bath. 

Though watching the sweet scene is always heartwarming, thinking how these innocent souls got there in the first place, makes you wonder how some people can be so heartless!

 
Source

Badlands National Park officials released four bison into a newly expanded range on Friday. And if the way they careened out of their trailer onto the snow-covered plains is any indication, it seems the bison immediately made themselves at home. 

 The new real estate came from a land swap with a local ranch that blocked bison from entering the less rugged side of the park. Park officials worked with the US Forest Service and World Wildlife Fund among others to secure the additional 22,000 acres of land in 2014, according to the National Park Foundation. 

The project also included new fences along the perimeter of the new land to separate bison from local cattle. Find the best national parks for your favorite outdoor activities Around 1,200 bison now live in the 244,000-acre park, and their health secures the health of their ecosystem, the foundation said. 

All that noshing on grassy plains creates the preferred environment for prairie dogs to set up shop, and those populations attract other animals like coyotes and birds of prey that keep the ecosystem in check. Badlands National Park (Lakota: Makȟóšiča) is an American national park located in southwestern South Dakota. 

The park protects 242,756 acres (379.3 sq mi; 982.4 km2) of sharply eroded buttes and pinnacles, along with the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States. The Stronghold District of Badlands National Park, co-managed by the National Park Service and the Oglala Lakota Tribe. For 11,000 years, Native Americans have used this area for their hunting grounds. Long before the Lakota were the little-studied paleo-Indians, followed by the Arikara people. 

Their descendants live today in North Dakota as a part of the Three Affiliated Tribes. Archaeological records combined with oral traditions indicate that these people camped in secluded valleys where fresh water and game were available year-round.

This is the first time bison have touched this land since 1877! #OneSmileEachDay pic.twitter.com/P3DnFlR1H0

— WWF UK (@wwf_uk) April 26, 2020

Source

Nonetheless, this man did it. Thanks to the love he carries for lions, he just became part of the pride, and so he gained the name of Lion Whisperer! Almost his entire life, Kevin Richardson was close to these majestic creatures, in his attempt to better understand and preserve the species. 

He used to live among the lions, to know their habits and to learn just how unpredictable they can be. A few years ago, while he was part of the Lion Park team in South Africa, Kevin came upon a scene that showed him just how tough the life in the wilderness can get. 

A lioness rejected her two newborn cubs and let them be, but Kevin, who witnessed the scene decided to intervene and and help the hopeless cubs. Kevin has taken the two cubs to a sanctuary not far from Johannesburg, and here they get all the help and comfort they needed. 

He named the two tiny lioness Meg and Amy, and over the years they grew into two fearless predators. Kevin – who actually founded the sanctuary, is sure that “through education, outreach and funding,” wildlife can be saved. 

“Our mission is to bring awareness to the rapid decline of large carnivores in Africa due to habitat loss, human-predator conflict or pouching.” 

 The time proved that all of these are possible, and there’s no better proof than the two lion cubs Kevin rescued over seven years ago, and now they fully grown adults! After all those years, Kevin decided to pay a visit to the lioness he rescued. Anyway, he was pretty nervous since he wasn’t sure they will remember him. But he was so wrong. 

As it turns out a wild animal never forgets a kind heart, and neither Meg and Amy did. Kevin recorded the emotional reunion with a GoPro camera and the result is nothing short of sensational. 

 You can watch the moment here:

  Needless to say that Kevin and the two lionesses share an incredible bond, built on love and respect.

  “Meg and Amy are kind of my soul mates. It is kind of like humans, you can meet many many people in your life,” the Lion Whisperer said. “But there are very few that you connect whole heartedly with.” For Kevin is no greater reward than seeing these majestic felines happy! 

“To see the lions doing what lions do for me was exhilarating. It made me realise there was a different way to work with these predators in captivity. Meg and Amy and me have a history that goes to when they were born,” he said.
Source