1. Biden Announces U.S. Will Rejoin The Paris Climate Agreement & Also Enact Protections For Gray Wolves
As President Joe Biden took office yesterday, his administration announced a series of steps aimed at combating the climate crisis and protecting wildlife from extinction. These include reentering the Paris Climate Agreement, cancelling the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, and imposing a moratorium on oil leasing activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
President Biden is also launching a broad review of the Trump administration’s policies, including why the administration stripped protection for birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act,their move to undoEndangered SpeciesActprotections from gray wolves, and the administration’s failure to protect monarch butterflies.
2. WAN Talks With Endangered Habitats League After Judge Blocks L.A. Development That Would Have Threatened Imperiled Mountain Lions
In a victory against a destructive project threatening local mountain lions in northern Los Angeles County,a judge issued a ruling Monday blocking a 1,300-acre Northlake development.
The development was planned to be constructed on fire-prone wildlands, and would have imperiled rare species of wildlife and buried 3.5 miles of Grasshopper Creek, a pristine stream that feeds into Southern California’s last free-flowing river, the Santa Clara.
In response to a lawsuit brought by conservation organizations, including the Center for Biological Diversity,along withEndangered Habitats League, Judge Richard L. Fruin, Jr. found that the development’s environmental review failed to consider less harmful plans.
As reported by WAN last month, there are tragically as few as seven red wolves remaining in the wild today. The court order temporarily prohibits the agency from implementing its recent policy change that would prevent the release of captive wolves into the wild.
As per Ammy Nurwati, the head of BKSDA, most of the lorises had been surrendered by members of the community to various sections of BKSDA in West Java, and had been entrusted to the IAR Indonesia Primate Centerin Bogor to undergo treatment and care. Before being released back into the wild, the lorises had undergone a recovery and treatment process to stimulate their natural behavior. Starting with medical examinations and time in quarantine, they also underwent behavioral observations until they were declared healthy and ready to be translocated for habituation and then final release.
5. Three Rhinos Brutally Killed For Their Horns In South Africa; Massive Manhunt To Find The Criminals Responsible
The SAPS Endangered Species Unit in Limpopo, the northern province of South Africa, have launched a massive manhunt for suspects who reportedly poached three rhinos in separate incidents.
Limpopo Provincial Police are appealing to anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects.
6. Compassionate City In New Zealand Closes Busy Road To Protect An Endangered Nesting Sea Lion & Her Pup
A city in South Island, New Zealand,is closing a busy road for a month to allow an endangered sea lion to nest safely with her pup. The heartwarming news was recently shared by the Dunedin City Council.
“We’ve closed John Wilson Ocean Drive to vehicles for the next month to allow some special residents to use the road safely. A New Zealand sea lion and her pup have taken up residence at the golf course next door and are regularly crossing the road to get to the beach,” the Dunedin City Council noted in a post on its Facebook page.
According to the New Zealand Department of Conservation,there are only an estimated 12,000 New Zealand sea lions left. Sadly, their main breeding population remains in decline due to numerous threats including: fisheries interactions, pup mortality, diseases, and food availability. Human impacts also threaten the sea lions. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,tourists often encroached on the sea lions beach habitat for selfies and photographs.
The heartbreaking investigation at the Chicago slaughterhouse also uncovered that the birds showed clear signs of suffering, some with splayed legs forced to squat in their own waste, while others flapped their wings continuously in a desperate attempt to be ambulatory.
Free from Harm is urging people to help stop the unlawful operation of this slaughterhouse, which violates multiple city health department rules, by calling the Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady at (312) 747-9870. Please leave a message about the appalling situation at Aden Poultry Slaughterhouse,which should be permanently shut down. Please follow up with an email to allison.arwady@cityofchicago.org.
8. Taco Bell Goes ‘Beyond’ In New Partnership With Beyond Meat Bringing Plant-Based Options To The Fast-Food Chain In The U.S.
Taco Bell‘sCEO Mark King recently shared some delicious news for the new year in avideo featuring King’s voice announcing a new partnership withBeyond Meat.
King explains that Taco Bell had to simplify its menu last year due to the COVID-19 pandemicby eliminating their signature potatoes, but they will be available again beginning on March 11th. King also teased that Taco Bell will be going “above and beyond” in the new year.
9. Veggie Grill Launches Más Veggies Taqueria In The United States; All Plant-Based Mexican Restaurant Featuring Beyond Meat
Más Veggies Taqueria, a new virtual concept by Veggie Grill, launched this week, marks the first national Mexican restaurant offering all plant-based and planet-friendly food for delivery only. The virtual taqueria features an innovative menu in partnership with plant-based leader Beyond Meatand offers a range of crave-worthy tacos, burritos, bowls, and nachos, made entirely without animal products.
Partnering with popular delivery platforms includingDoordash, Postmates, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, Más Veggies Taqueria will run a delivery-only operation out of all Veggie Grill kitchens for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. The virtual restaurants have launched in Hollywood, Pasadena, and Long Beach, California,as well asBoston, Massachusetts, New York City, and in Downtown Seattle, Washington.Other locations throughout Southern California, Portland, and Seattlewill follow at the end of January.
