Beluga whales are known as the "canaries of the sea" for their melodious songs but conservation groups are concerned one pod in Alaska could be rendered silent.

Belugas have lived in the Cook Inlet near Anchorage for centuries but because of a deteriorating environment, they are now on the federal Endangered Species list.

Ragen Davey, Alaska marine representative for Defenders of Wildlife, said the population of the extremely social and vocal Cook Inlet belugas has alarmingly decreased by about 80% since the 1970s.

"They stay in Cook Inlet all year round," Davey explained. "They live under the ice for parts of it. There's so many different threats that are affecting them. The three main ones are noise pollution, water pollution and prey availability."

Davey noted the Beluga whales are experiencing a variety of threats not endangering other whale populations in Alaskan waters. She pointed out their territory in the Cook Inlet is right outside one of the most developed areas of the state.

While orcas and polar bears are the belugas' natural predators, Davey emphasized water pollution and a diminishing salmon population account for much of their decline. And although by law they are no longer hunted by humans, the trappings of modern-day civilization also weigh on their survival.

"When feeding, belugas use echolocation to find food," Davey added. "Parts of their habitat are in a lot of the most developed parts of the state in Cook Inlet, so commercial ships and machinery noise can really impact the whales when they're trying to find food and talk with each other."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Alaska Beluga Monitoring Program trains volunteer citizen observers to monitor the whales at various points along the inlet and report their findings. Davey stressed the extra eyes are needed to count them and keep tabs on the species' progress.

"I really encourage Alaska residents to sign up to volunteer for the monitoring program," Davey urged. "The more people that understand what this population is enduring, the more people that are able to join in on the recovery."

A small turtle made popular in the "Kung Fu Panda" movies could soon be added to the endangered species list. Iowa wildlife advocates are working to restore it to its native habitat and give the turtle a better chance for survival.

The Blanding's turtle is popularized in the long-running, lighthearted animated movies but its fate is anything but funny. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decide in coming months whether to list it on the endangered species list. Officially, fewer than 3,000 Blanding's turtles are left in Iowa.

Karen Kinkead, Wildlife diversity program coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said they are a cryptic species and hard to count but are easy to identify when you spot one.

"They're kind of this drab, olive green-grey color. Their shell is shaped kind of like a helmet. They are sort of nondescript," Kinkead outlined. "But then you see this bright yellow chin and the way that their lower jaw is formed it makes it look like this is an animal that is always smiling."

Decades of habitat loss and predation have already put the Blanding's turtle on the threatened list in Iowa. A partnership between the state DNR, Iowa State University and the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines just hatched nearly five dozen baby Blanding's turtles researchers will raise until adulthood, then tag with telemetry gear to track them in the wild.

Kinkead pointed out the zoo is "head-starting" the turtles by hatching and keeping them in the zoo over the winter, instead of allowing them to hibernate.

"They keep them awake and keep feeding them so they grow larger," Kinkead explained. "Then when they're released into the wild the next summer, they're a bigger size."

Kinkead added being bigger and more mature makes the turtles less vulnerable to predators once they are released.


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People are probably happy to hear two orphaned mountain lion kittens have been rescued and will find new homes at the Oregon Zoo but sharing space with them in the wild is a different story.

While the kittens are safe, there are different ideas about how much to protect wild mountain lions.

Brent Lyles, executive director of the Mountain Lion Foundation, said although they are often feared, the large cats should be protected for the role they play in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

"The carnivores that are at or near the top of the food chain have been shown, again and again over the decades, to be critically important to the vibrancy and long-term stability of food webs in any environment," Lyles pointed out.

Mountain lions, like other keystone predators, help maintain balance in an ecosystem by controlling herbivore or plant-eating populations, which benefits plant growth and overall biodiversity. Lyles noted the deer and elk carcasses they leave behind also provide food for hundreds of other species.

However, not everyone is prepared to live in proximity to mountain lions. By the 1960s, Oregon's cougar population was nearly wiped out. Protections have since allowed their numbers to rebound but by how much remains unclear.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife permits killing up to 970 cougars annually, a quota some biologists believe is excessive. Lyles argued killing too many actually undermines safety, as stable mountain lion populations are less likely to create problems.

"It's a very common misconception that the best response to human-wildlife encounter is to get rid of the cougar," Lyles contended. "If you get rid of it, things can get ugly and you've just made the community less safe, not more safe."

Lyles explained when a dominant lion is removed, multiple young males could move into the territory, prompting more human and livestock encounters. Though encounters are rare, Lyles added if they happen, you should make yourself look larger and make noise to scare the animal away. Maintain eye contact, avoid running and back away slowly.


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With manatee season in full swing, Florida's gentle marine mammals gather in warm waters to escape winter's chill. But these iconic creatures face growing challenges from habitat loss, water pollution and boating collisions.

A new proposal from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aims to address these threats by revising critical habitat protections for the first time in nearly 50 years.

The agency proposes protecting more than 1.9 million acres of critical habitat for Florida manatees and more than 78,000 acres for Antillean manatees in Puerto Rico, marking the first update since 1976.

"It's a long-overdue revision of looking at what is vital habitat for manatees to find warm water, to be able to feed, to travel, to give birth and safely raise their young," said Elizabeth Fleming, a senior Florida representative for the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife.

Previously, critical habitat was designated based solely on areas where manatees were known to congregate. The proposed changes now incorporate scientific research, identifying areas based on the physical and biological features essential for their conservation.

The updated habitat proposal is open for public comment until Jan. 24.

Katherine Sayler, a southeast representative for Defenders of Wildlife, said the loss of warm-water habitat is a major threat to manatees, many of which now depend on power-plant outflows for warmth. The updated habitat proposal includes natural springs such as Manatee, Fanning and Silver Springs, which stay at 72 degrees year-round and are crucial for their winter survival.

"They need travel corridors to get between these areas of warm water," Sayler explained, "and that's where we think we need to really allow for the public to engage and really make comments on where are these travel corridors."

Seagrasses are vital to the health of marine ecosystems. For more than a decade, the Indian River Lagoon has experienced extensive seagrass meadow loss because of algae blooms associated with nutrient runoff and degraded water quality from septic overflow leaching into the environment.

Fleming added that the proposal is a first step. Still, much more must be done to address concerns, especially in an area known as Mosquito Lagoon, which she described as a critical habitat for manatees.

"This area of the Indian River lagoon that has had some regeneration of seagrass isn't included in the new manatee-critical habitat," she said. "So, we see that as a big omission."

Anyone can comment on the proposed habitat changes via mail or electronically on regulations.gov. Conservationists hope increased awareness during manatee season will strengthen safeguards for Florida's iconic marine mammal.