Wildlife

"The number of western monarch butterflies overwintering in California rebounded to more than 247,000 a year after fewer than 2,000 appeared, but the tally remained far below the millions that were seen in the 1980s, leaders of an annual count said on Tuesday."

"On an unusually cold winter morning in central Florida, Corleone the manatee was awakened before dawn by wetsuited workers who slipped into his pool at SeaWorld and wrapped him in a long vinyl sling."

"A committee debate yesterday on a sweeping wildlife conservation bill exposed deep partisan divisions that could stymie success on an otherwise bipartisan proposal."

"Five-and-a-half years ago, a band of lawmakers united behind an ambitious bill to recover and preserve America’s wildlife. It had the backing of the founder of Bass Pro Shops and the head of the National Wildlife Federation. Republicans and Democrats rushed to co-sponsor it. And yet, it still remains unfinished business."

"Conservationists and veterinarians are warning that plastic waste in an open landfill in eastern Sri Lanka is killing elephants in the region, after two more were found dead over the weekend."

"A team of Mexican scientists are developing a successful experiment that allows for the recovery and maintenance of endemic trees in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve that provide a habitat for monarch butterflies every winter."

"While bald eagle populations have slowly recovered since the pesticide DDT was banned in 1972, toxic lead ammo has reduced population growth by 4% to 6% annually in the Northeast U.S., according to a new study."

"Finland is joining Sweden and Norway in culling wolves this winter to control their population, as conservation groups appeal to the European Union to take action against the slaughter."