Science & Biology

America's Rabid Bears: cases rare - a concern nonetheless?

America's Rabid Bears: cases rare - a concern nonetheless?

The confirmation of a black bear infected with the rabies virus is the first in North Carolina’s recorded history. Only four cases of rabies in wild black bears has been documented in the continental U.S. since 1999. The discovery comes as bears seem to be popular in headlines Nationwide, and as their populations swell in the Northeast.

Predator "preservationists" pounce on Fisher population trends

Predator "preservationists" pounce on Fisher population trends

Is New Hampshire finding its way out of a cyclical “boom and bust” fisher trend? Current data is great for checking trends, but does it give you the root cause of a perceived decline? Biologists have stated fisher appear to be adapting (and thriving) in more urban areas; have these creatures forgone the dense hemlock groves where trappers roam for the dumpsters and back decks of suburban sprawl?

New Hampshire Trappers: Turn in your tissue!

New Hampshire Trappers: Turn in your tissue!

New Hampshire’s trappers are once again being called upon to assist with wildlife conservation in the region. The state’s trapping community intends to fully answer the call. Multiple conservation-oriented projects are being administered by different agencies, and they’re all requesting tissue and carcass samples from legally trapped furbearing wildlife for scientific testing and research.

USDA, state agencies, bite back at rabies in Northeast

USDA, state agencies, bite back at rabies in Northeast

With the assistance of state agencies, licensed trappers, and vigilant citizens, USDA’s professional wildlife managers seek to drive raccoon rabies to the Atlantic Ocean.

My Enemy's Enemy: Scotland's Pine Martens Bolster Squirrel Competition

My Enemy's Enemy: Scotland's Pine Martens Bolster Squirrel Competition

Shared enemies within a wild ecosystem may propagate competitive interactions between varying species. Can a predator of a threatened species actually assist with the recovery of that species?