The number of wild beavers is now estimated to be 1,000 across Scotland’s southern Highlands. NatureScot’s survey found that the beavers have established 251 territories, more than double the number found three years ago.
Researchers warn that the loss of shared knowledge between animals could threaten their survival. The absence of North Atlantic right whales from many of their ancestral feeding grounds is suggested to be due to the loss of cultural knowledge – a result of whaling and subsequent population declines. It is argued that understanding this cultural knowledge may be key to the success of conservation efforts.
New habitats for wild bees will be created at six reservoirs in the Yorkshire Dales. The network of pollinator habitats, created by the Bee Together project, will form part of a ‘B-Line’ from Leeds to Lancaster, aiming to reverse the current decline in bee populations.
Global greenhouse gas emissions must peak in the next four years to avoid climate breakdown, according to the leaked draft of a UN report. The draft comes from the third part of a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, not scheduled to be released until next March.
The Blue Planet Fund delivers the first £16.2m of its £500m budget to restore ocean health and address climate change. This funding will go to five programmes aiming to increase marine protection, tackle plastic pollution and the decline of global coral reefs, and use the UK’s expertise to help respond to marine pollution disasters.