Wildlife Conservation and Protection

• Pangolins, the world’s most trafficked mammals, frequently appear in wildlife seizures, yet there is no universal system for tracking or identifying individual animals.
• Researchers proposed what they call the Pangolin Universal Notching System (PUNS), a standardized way to assign unique identification numbers to up to 15,554 individuals.
• PUNS combines marking techniques used for turtles and hoofed mammals by gently drilling holes in selected scales along a pangolin’s back for permanent, minimally invasive identification.
• Conservationists say the proposed system could improve pangolin traceability and disrupt trafficking networks but note some limitations and challenges in achieving global adoption.

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world

Populations of the tiny crustacean - a key food source for whales and dolphins - have declined by 80% since 1970 due mainly to demand for omega-3 health supplements

Satellite data analysis suggests climate-induced algal blooms could be behind hundreds of deaths in Botswana that sparked flurry of theories in 2020

More than 350 elephants that died in mysterious circumstances probably drank toxic water, according to a new paper that warns of an “alarming trend” in climate-induced poisoning.

Mirror: https://web.archive.org/web/20241122020217/https://www.lpzoo.org/otters-spotted-on-zoo-wildlife-cameras-for-the-first-time-in-chicagoland/