Researchers team up with U.S. Coast Guard to release three baby sea turtles

APRIL 2, 2020

by Gisele Galoustian, Florida Atlantic University

As the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic escalates, marine biologists at Florida Atlantic University acknowledge that "wild" life must go on. Three 6-month-old green sea turtles, the last batch of the 2019 hatchlings at the FAU Marine Laboratory at the Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex, were ready to be released. However, with closed beaches and scuba boats not permitted to travel, researchers from the FAU Marine Laboratory had to get creative.

FAU worked with members of the United States Coast Guard to provide the three female baby sea turtles with a special "seat" on board a 33-foot special law enforcement (SPC-LE) boat for their journey home. On March 27, they were released about 17 to 18 miles off shore in the Atlantic Ocean's Gulf Stream Current.

The threatened green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) named for the green color of the fat under its shell, normally travels to offshore waters as a hatchling and stays offshore for several years before going to the coastal reefs, estuaries, and around islands where it finds feeding areas with nutrient-rich algae and seagrass beds. Green sea turtles are different than loggerhead turtles because they are stronger swimmers and are more likely to burrow into sargassum, which is floating brown algae out on the high seas.

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37 spotted seal pups rescued from China traffickers released

MAY 11, 2019

Animal rights groups have cheered the release of 37 spotted seal pups rescued from traffickers into the wild in northern China.

Humane Society International says the pups were discovered three months ago by police in a shed on a remote farm in the northern city of Dalian, many of them starving and dying. Eight suspects were arrested in the operation.

It says the pups had been taken from the wild by traffickers for the aquarium industry and for display in commercial venues like shops and restaurants. Another 29 pups could not be rescued and died, having been only about 2 weeks old when found and not yet weaned from their mothers.

Once hunted for their use in traditional Chinese medicine, spotted seals are now a protected species in China.

Source

Stream, Smoult and Eddie: trio of orphaned otters return to the wild

Rescued cubs had spent nine months in care at National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fishcross, Clackmannanshire

Press Association

Wednesday 25 October 2017 14.25 BSTLast modified on Wednesday 25 October 2017 14.49 BST

Three orphaned otters have been released into the wild after more than nine months in care.

Stream, Smoult and Eddie were taken to the National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fishcross, Clackmannanshire, when they were cubs aged between eight and 10 weeks old.

After months of rehabilitation, the Scottish SPCA has set the trio free in a freshwater loch at a secret location in the Highlands.

The centre’s manager, Colin Seddon, said: “There are many factors that need to be met before we can release otters back into the wild – the weather, site location, otter population in the area and land owners’ permission. All of these must be in place to ensure the best chance of survival.

“With help from the Woodland Trust we were able to access the remote release site in the Highlands in order to successfully release the otters. Without their help we would not have been able to access this site.”

Support feeding and shelter have been provided for the trio and they will be monitored using camera traps to get feedback about how well they are doing.

Read on  

Two Buddhists fined £15,000 for releasing crustaceans into sea

Saturday 23 September 2017 11.31 BST Last modified on Monday 25 September 2017 09.54 BST

Two Buddhists who released £5,000 worth of crustaceans into the Channel as part of a religious ceremony have been fined almost £15,000 for causing “untold damage” to the environment.

Zhixiong Li and Ni Li helped throw live crabs and lobsters into the sea off Brighton as part of a “life release” ceremony in 2015, a court has heard.

The pair were part of a group of almost 1,000 people celebrating the visit of the Taiwanese Buddhist master Hai Tao.

Their ritual was performed in the belief that returning animals to the wild is good karma. But because the crustaceans were not native species, they threatened other marine life and government agencies had to spend thousands of pounds in an attempt to recapture the shellfish, offering fishermen a bounty to reel them in.

In the first case of its kind, Zhixiong Li, 30, an estate agent, and Ni Li, 33, a City banker, both from London, admitted wildlife offences and were fined.

Both defendants pleaded guilty to releasing non-native species into the wild at Brighton magistrates’ court this week.

Joseph Miller, prosecuting for the Marine Management Organisation, said the case first came to light after a Brighton fisherman captured some of the foreign shellfish in June 2015.

CCTV footage from Brighton marina showed the group of Buddhists chartering three boats, having also bought more than £2,500 worth of native crabs and lobsters from Brighton and Newhaven Fish Sales at Shoreham harbour.

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Over 150 Asian Giant Softshell Turtles Return to the Wild

Date: June 21, 2017
Source: Wildlife Conservation Society

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), in collaboration with Cambodia's Fisheries Administration (FiA) and the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), released 150 Endangered Asian giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) hatchlings into their natural habitat along the Mekong River.

The hatchlings are part of a community protection program designed to increase the wild population of the species, and had been collected from nests that were guarded by local communities.

The Asian giant softshell turtle is listed on the IUCN Red List as globally Endangered. It was thought extinct in the Cambodian portion of the Mekong River until re-discovery in 2007 in a 48-kilometer stretch of the river between Kratie and Stung Treng Provinces.

"The purpose of this release is to increase the wild population of the Asian giant softshell turtle," said Mr. Sun Yoeung, WCS's Asian Giant Softshell Turtle Conservation Project Coordinator. "As the project pays local people as guardians and rangers, the release will also increase local incomes and encourage the support and involvement of local communities in conserving the species."

The release is part of a project that has been ongoing since 2007, formerly run by Conservation International (CI), and now by WCS in collaboration with the FiA and TSA. The community-based protection program encourages the participation of local communities living in Kratie and Stung Treng Provinces by hiring former nest collectors to search for and protect nests, instead of harvesting the eggs. Since 2007, 329 nests have been protected and 7,709 hatchlings released.



Read more

Rare hybrid sea turtle released on the Great Barrier Reef – via Herp Digest

AAP 9/29/16

A rare hybrid turtle has been released back into the wild on the Great Barrier Reef after being nursed back to health at a Townsville aquarium.

The reptile, named Summer, is a cross between a green sea turtle and a hawksbill turtle - the first of its kind recorded in Australia.

Summer has just spent more than six months being cared for at the Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium's turtle hospital.

She was nursed back to health after being found at the Port of Townsville with severe injuries from two fishing hooks lodged in her mouth.

Summer, thought to be between 15 and 20 years old, was released into waters at The Strand in Townsville this morning alongside a green turtle named Sofie.

Sofie was taken to the turtle hospital after she was found malnourished and lethargic by researchers at Cockle Bay, Magnetic Island.

Both reptiles recovered after being given a high protein diet, anti-parasite medication and low salinity baths.

Reef HQ Aquarium's director Fred Nucifora said while hybridisation was common in sea turtles, Summer's crossbreed was so rare that she was the only one of her kind recorded in Australian waters.

Despite her uniqueness Summer, like all other turtles cared for at the aquarium, will be released.

"Whilst it is rare and amazing, that's not a reason for wanting to keep her here on display," Mr Nucifora told AAP.

The turtle hospital has cared for more than 200 of the reptiles since opening seven years ago.

Terrapins that can bite off a child's finger are being dumped in the Lake District by owners who don't realise how big they grow

• Creatures can bite legs off ducks - there are fears they'll move onto other
• Experts believe they could be a threat to youngsters and other wildlife
• They're being dumped by owners as they grow too large and costly to keep

The humble turtle is known to many as a cute family pet munching its way through greens as it slowly ambles through the day. 

But parents in the Lake District have been warned to look after their children after turtles and terrapins capable of 'biting the fingers off' of young children were dumped in a river. 

The snapping creatures can bite the legs off ducks and there are fears the animals, which ‘will eat anything that moves,’ could be a threat to youngsters and other wildlife.

Terry Bowes, director of Wetheriggs Zoo and Animal Sanctuary Centre in Cumbria, said the reptiles are being dumped by owners after they grow to a large size and become costly to keep.

He said: ‘The problem is both the number being dumped, as well as the way they devastate the wildlife. They are carnivores. They will eat anything that moves.

‘If you have kids paddling in a river the turtles could easily snap off a toe or a finger. They can become quite aggressive when they have grown.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2386311/Terrapins-bite-childs-finger-dumped-Lake-District-owners-dont-realise-big-grow.html#ixzz2bTKGp6Uc

Taiwan aquarium abandons captive whale shark in the sea – Strands twice

Aquarium must not be allowed to acquire a new whale shark

July 2013. Taiwan's National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium 'released' a whale shark into the wild that it had held in captivity for 8 years. The Whale shark was released with no preparation for life in the oceans, and was not tagged to enable scientists to track the animal in an effort to help it survive.

The animal had been kept in a small tank where it spent its life swimming slowly in one direction around the tank. The shark was released into the sea much too close to the shore; on release the shark continued to swim in a similar pattern to its pre-release and shortly afterwards stranded on the shoreline, not once, but twice. The shark was eventually re-floated on the first occasion thanks to efforts of the coast guard, local fishermen and conservation workers, but it is not known what happened to the animal after that. The aquarium cliamed that the animal was last seen swimming out to sea, but those who had helped rescue the animal stated that it was already badly injured, and was last seen being towed on the end of a rope out to sea by a boat - They believe it had no chance of surviving, if it wasn't already dead.

Not a release, but an abandoning

The method that was used for this so-called release appears to be that the over-riding priority was to get rid of the whale shark, with no thought given to its wellbeing.

The Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST) have been urging the aquarium to release the captive whale shark and not to bring in new ones.

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Two pairs of wolves released in Arizona and New Mexico

Wolves released into Gila Wilderness & Apache National Forest

May 2013. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) have released a pair of Mexican wolves into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area of Arizona. 

Second pair

In a separate action, the Service also released a second pair of Mexican wolves into the wolf recovery area in New Mexico. Both pairs, selected to increase genetic diversity of the wild wolf population, were previously held at the Service's Sevilleta Wolf Management Facility where they had undergone an acclimation process to determine their suitability for release.

Photo courtesy of AZGFD

"We continue to be committed to strategic releases that improve genetic diversity, increase the number of breeding wolves, and offset illegal mortalities in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area," said Benjamin Tuggle, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Southwest Regional Director. 

"The strategically-planned release of the wolf pair into Arizona is to improve the genetic integrity of the wolf population. The release approaches being used are tailored to encourage these wolves to acclimate and behave as wild wolves. Our experience shows that wild- born, wild-raised wolves have a much better chance at success," says Director Larry Voyles, AGFD.

Read on

European bison released into the wild in Germany

European bison roaming in Germany for the first time for 400 years

April 2013. On 11 April 2013, a fence was cut down in the Bad Berleburg region of Germany. Nothing unusual in that, except that cutting the fence allowed a small herd of European bison (sometimes known as wisent) to become the first free roaming herd in Western Europe for 400 years. 

The opening of the fence released a small herd, consisting of one adult bull, five cows and two calves, into a 10,000 hectare forest. Two of the animals are fitted with radio transmitters to allow scientists to track and follow them. The animals will roam entirely free in the large forests of the Rothaar Mountains around Bad Berleburg in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is hoped that the herd will grow to about 25 animals. The World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) called the project a ground-breaking step in nature conservation of Germany.

The herd has been kept in an 88 hectare enclosure for the last three years and has been intensively studied by scientists and universities. They have studied the behavior between man and bison, they have analyzed the role of the bison in the ecosystem and the impacts on biodiversity and also examined the impact on forestry. The conclusion was that: ‘bison are indeed great and powerful, but also very peace loving and shy animals, and present no risk to humans.' More information can be found on the German bison website.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/germany-bison.html

Critically Endangered Pygmy Hogs Slowly Re-Introduced to Wild

Douglas Main, Staff Writer 

Date: 08 April 2013 Time: 12:01 PM ET 

Researchers are breeding and releasing critically endangered pygmy hogs into the wilds of northeast India. However, these small pigs require a bit of hoof-holding, so to speak, and are being released into the wild bit-by-bit, gradually nudged toward self-sufficiency. 

The animals are incredibly shy and live only in the foothills of the Brahmaputra valley, where their home is covered in 6.5-foot-tall (2 meter) elephant grass. There are thought to be fewer than 250 adults left in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

After being bred hundreds of miles away, the animals are taken to the Brahmaputra valley each spring and placed in large pens that approximate natural conditions. The breeders then act a bit like hog school marms for the species, Porcula salvania. "The process takes place in a gradual, phased approach allowing the hogs opportunities to learn to feed and forage, to defend themselves from predators and acquire general survival skills while socializing with other members of the group." No hogging, guys! 

Finally they are released, and their numbers monitored by camera traps and hidden observing posts. 

Read more at the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

http://www.livescience.com/28521-breeding-endangered-pygmy-hogs.html

X Factor seals: Stranded Isle of Man pups returned to the wild

Three seal pups nursed back to health after they were stranded off the Isle of Man coast in stormy weather have been released back into the wild.

The seals, named after X Factor judges Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and Cheryl Cole, were severely underweight when they were found, aged four weeks.

The pups are the latest to be nursed by Jenny Corran at the Manx Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Ms Corran said she was "delighted to see them back where they belong".

Simon and Nicole were both rescued in Peel in October, along with two other pups named Gary (Barlow) and Tulisa (Contostavlos), which have already been released.

The MSPCA has rescued and returned more than 100 seals to the wild, since 2001.

Ms Corran said: "They arrive underweight and we help them to regain their strength on a diet of fish soup, vitamins and herring.

Continued:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-21573835

Nineteen Baby Siamese Crocodiles Released in Lao PDR by Wildlife Conservation Society and Partners

Feb. 21, 2013 — The Wildlife Conservation Society announced today the successful release of 19 critically endangered baby Siamese crocodiles into a local wetland in Lao PDR, where they will be repatriated into the wild.

(Credit: Alex McWilliam/WCS)

The 19-month-old hatchlings, approximately 70 cm (27 inches) in length, are part of a head-starting program where crocodiles are hatched at the Lao Zoo for eventual release into their native habitat.

Conservationists estimate that less than 250 Siamese crocodiles remain in the wild due to overhunting and habitat loss.

The release took place in the village of Than Soum in the Xe Champhone wetland complex in Savanakhet Province near where the eggs of the 19 crocodiles were found during wildlife surveys in 2011.

The hatchlings were transported from the Lao Zoo to a 'soft release' pen and will remain for several months to acclimate with the local area. Members of the Village Crocodile Conservation Group will guard the pen and provide supplementary feeding of the hatchlings to ensure their survival. Once the rainy season begins, the water level in the wetland will rise and allow the crocodiles to swim away, where they will be monitored periodically by conservationists.

Read on

China releases 'survival trained' second panda into the wild

China has released a second giant panda bred in captivity into the wild after giving it special survival training, state-run media say.

The release of male panda Taotao, from a nature reserve in Sichuan province, follows that of Xiang Xiang in 2006, says Xinhua news agency.

Scientists are hoping that the two-year-old has enough skills to survive and help increase the panda population.

Xiang Xiang died in 2007 after he got into a fight with wild pandas.

Taotao's mother fed him and taught him basic skills. But scientists at the Wolong Nature Reserve also drew up a survival training schedule for Taotao.

Part of this involved handlers wearing panda suits to prevent familiarity with humans.

Zhang Hemin, a director at China's giant panda conservation centre, told Xinhua that Taotao "has lived and grown in semi-wild conditions since he was very little", compared to Xiang Xiang.

"This means its fighting capability and survival skills both improved significantly," he said.

However he said that nothing was certain, as Taotao would be facing natural enemies like other wild animals.

Continued:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-19920462

Captive dolphins released from Turkey thriving in the wild

International efforts successfully return captive dolphins to the wild

September 2012. Three months after their release, Tom and Misha, two captive dolphins rescued from certain death in a filthy swimming pool in Hisaronu, are successfully adapting to life back in the wild. The Back To The Blue team made up of experts from the USA, Turkey and the UK, undertook twenty months of intensive rehabilitation, organised and funded by international wildlife charity, the Born Free Foundation, ultimately transforming Tom and Misha from lethargic dependent 'captives' who were close to death, into effective independent wild animals.

"Tom and Misha's success in re-adapting to life back in the wild clearly illustrates that rehabilitation can work. By breaking down the concrete walls of their tanks and the mental barriers created by years in captivity and, literally, by showing them the way, Tom and Misha have demonstrated that dolphins can regain their freedom" said Will Travers OBE, CEO of the Born Free Foundation. Mr Travers continued "Ultimately, however, it is unlikely that this will work for all captive dolphins; many may have just had too many years locked away; and, of course, it's an expensive process. Nevertheless, as concerns grow about the keeping of cetacea in captivity, Tom and Misha's transformation and release clearly illustrates that these animals possess innate natural behaviours that captivity cannot extinguish."

Campaign to end dolphin captivity
While Tom and Misha have become the poster boys for freedom, the Born Free Foundation and NGOs around the world continue to campaign for an end to the commercial exploitation of dolphins in captivity, an increasingly controversial entertainment business built on deprivation. Jeff Foster, the marine mammal expert who headed up Tom and Misha's rehabilitation programme, and who previously led projects to return the orca 'Keiko' to the wild and also reunite 'Springer' with her wild orca family, believes that 90 days of freedom confirms Back to the Blue is a success,

"This has been a ground-breaking project and I admire the Born Free Foundation for stepping up to this challenge and taking it on and also for adopting such a responsible approach. The very high levels of experience brought to this project by members of the team meant that the individual needs - physical and psychological - of each animal could be addressed and each new challenge overcome. You can never predict what will happen next."

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/dolphin-release.html#cr

Science Teachers Guilty of Releasing Invasive Species - via Matt Salusbury

New research finds that one out of four science educators in the U.S. and Canada released lab animals into the wild after they were done using them in the classroom, introducing a surprising but potentially serious pathway for invasives to take hold in new locales. Zebra mussels, Asian carp, kudzu, pythons — invasive species wreck havoc on native animals and plants, regional economies and overall environmental functioning.

Researchers presented their work on the subject at the Ecological Society of America conference and commented in a press release:

“Live organisms are a critical element for learning and we don’t want to imply that they should not be used in the classroom,” said Sam Chan, an Oregon State University invasive species expert and a principal investigator on the study. “But some of our schools – and the biological supply houses that provide their organisms – are creating a potential new pathway for non-native species to become invasive."

To arrive at these findings, the researchers surveyed nearly 2,000 teachers in Florida, New York, Indiana, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, California, Connecticut, British Columbia and Ontario. They also spoke with biological supply house owners and managers.

Continued: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2012/08/science-teachers-guilty-of-releasing-invasive-species/

Warning against freeing pet fish

The release of a single female pet fish into the wild can generate entire new populations, even with no males present, according to new research.
A new study has revealed how the guppy's ability to keep on reproducing has earned the fish its reputation as one of the world's most invasive fish.

St Andrews University biologists, who made the discovery, are now warning pet owners against releasing the fish.

West Indies University experts also worked on the study.

The biologists have confirmed the two most important routes of guppies finding their way into the wild are the escapes of ornamental fish, and deliberate introductions designed to control the larvae of mosquitoes that spread malaria.

In places such as Southern India, guppies are routinely released into water troughs, wells and small ponds for mosquito control.

Although self-contained at first, heavy rains and flooding mean that the fish eventually find their way to streams and rivers where they come into contact with native fish.

Dr Amy Deacon, St Andrews University lead researcher, said: "Usually only one or a few fish are released.

"We know that the vast majority of species introduced to a new habitat in this way are unable to survive, let alone establish a population, which left us with a huge question mark."

To try to solve the mystery, the researchers conducted an experiment where single wild female guppies were put into outdoor tanks.

After two years, they discovered that almost all of the tanks contained populations of guppies, each founded by just one female.

Reduced biodiversity
Dr Deacon said: "Sperm storage is an excellent adaptation for living in constantly changing habitats, and it might also explain the guppies' global success.

"Female guppies can store sperm in their reproductive tracts for many months after mating, and this enables single fish to establish populations, even when no males are present.

"We also found that these populations kept all of the important behaviours that wild guppies have, so they would be well-equipped for surviving in a new environment."

"Our study shows why we should be cautious when releasing exotic species.

"Seemingly harmless activities such as a child freeing a few pet fish or a concerned householder using guppies to control mosquitoes, can ultimately contribute to the reduction of biodiversity in freshwater habitats across the world."

The popular ornamental fish, whose native home is Trinidad and the north-eastern fringe of South America, is now present in more than 70 countries worldwide.

The research, published by the journal PLoS ONE, was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and the European Research Council.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-14972053