Defenders Magazine

Fall 2006

Defenders News Briefs Fall 2006

Death on the Rails

Railway collisions are the leading cause of human-related grizzly bear deaths in Canada's Banff National Park, and Defenders' Canadian office is pushing the Canadian Pacific Railway to fix the problem. In the last five years, trains have killed four grizzly bears in the park, attracted to the tracks by grain spilled from leaking railroad cars. None of the bears' five cubs survived to adulthood. Continuing to ignore the problem is posing a serious threat to the grizzly population in North America--especially when fixing the cars makes for an easy solution, says Defenders' Jim Pissot.

Finding Places for Wolves

Long-term wolf recovery requires not just protection and expansion of current populations, it also depends upon the active restoration of wolves in areas where they are still absent. With this in mind, Defenders released an updated version of its Places for Wolves report, first released in 1999. This blueprint for wolf recovery recommends further steps to ensure the conservation of wolves in the lower 48 states--just as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering reclassifying gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act. To read the entire report, visit Places For Wolves .

Conference to Discuss Carnivores

Sea otters and jaguars and bears, oh my! Defenders' upcoming conference, "Carnivores 2006: Habitats, Challenges and Opportunities," will bring together academics, activists and wildlife professionals to discuss predator conservation. The conference will be held November 12-15, 2006, in Tampa, Florida. Visit www.carnivoreconference.org to learn more.