Wildlife

Scientists urge endangered listing for cheetahs

A comprehensive assessment of cheetah populations in southern Africa supported by the National Geographic Society reveals the dire state of one of the planet's most iconic big cats. In a study published today in the open-access journal PeerJ, researchers present evidence that low cheetah population estimates in southern Africa and population decline support a call to list the cheetah as "Endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

The findings show that free-ranging cheetahs were present across approximately 789,700 square kilometers in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe between 2010 and 2016.

he study estimates only 3,577 adult cheetahs exist in this extensive area, which is larger than France, and a majority (55 percent) of individuals are found within only two habitats. This estimate is 11 percent lower than the IUCN's current assessment, supporting the call for the uplisting of cheetahs from "Vulnerable" to "Endangered."

Bee Disease Outbreak in New Zealand

Hawke's Bay beekeepers have been warned to be vigilant after 66 cases of American Foulbrood disease have been confirmed over the past three months. This outbreak affects many thousands of hives and potentially threatens the viability of pollination in the area.

AFB is caused by the bacteria Paenibacillus larvae, which infects food fed to bee larvae while they develop in hive cells. The larvae are transmitted into the gut of developing bees, killing them just before they are fully grown. The disease can spread quickly through the exchange of equipment and movement of infected combs, and any hive found with it must be burned.