Wildlife

Cougar country: Big cats confirmed in Ontario and likely in Michigan

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Whether cougars are prowling around Michigan and Ontario has been a small mystery. Michigan’s last known cougar was killed in 1906, and Ontario’s was shot in 1884. But evidence that they’re back is piling up. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed the cats are back after biologists checked out scat, tracks and DNA in a three-phase, four-year study, reports Raveena Aulakh for the Toronto Star. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment recently released a trail camera photo of a vaguely feline blur in the Upper Peninsula.

Wildlife

Warbler increases Great Lakes presence

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The number of Kirtland’s warblers recorded in the Great Lakes region in 2009 was the highest since a census of the birds began in 1951.

The rare bird faces challenges from climate change and funding for its protection.

It lives only in parts of Michigan, Wisconsin and Ontario.

Wildlife

Beekeepers buzz about embattled bees

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Colony collapse disorder is a scientific mystery in which bees suddenly disappear from their hives.

Large research projects are underway to determine the causes.

Scientists are looking at food sources, nutrition, diseases, viruses and parasites.

Wildlife

Wild Pig Poll: Should we trap ’em?

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Between 3,000 and 5,000 wild hogs inhabit 69 of Michigan’s 83 counties. They ravage crops and forests and carry diseases. The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy – with help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services branch – has developed the Michigan Wild Hog Removal Program. It aims to set 100 traps – that cost $450 each — to round them up. Want a piece of the action?

Wildlife

PODCAST: hunt for the rich or poor?

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Michigan has thousands of bear hunters. About 40 of them showed up for a recent Natural Resources Commission meeting in Lansing.

The commission was considering a new licensing system – one for hunting public land and another for hunting private land.

Wildlife

Three cheers for the snake lady

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An Ohio activist dubbed “The Snake Lady” and a university researcher have been honored for their efforts to conserve the threatened Lake Erie watersnake. Kristin Stanford and Richard King of Northern Illinois University are among this year’s 18 recipients of the recently announced U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Recovery Champions awards. According to a U.S. F&W press release, the pair has put in a combined 35 years of work to save the snake and its habitat. King has been working since the 1980s and identified early declines in the population and threats to the species. Stanford has “worked tirelessly to reach out to residents of the Lake Erie islands”  to teach them how to live with the snake.”

“The dedication of Ms. Stanford and Dr. King to the conservation of the Lake Erie watersnake, through both scientific methods and strong public involvement, has recovery efforts for this species to the point that the next step is  to propose removing it from the list of endangered and threatened species.  There is no greater measure of recovery success,” said Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius.