WILDLIFE

Experts warn they can be a literal death trap.

The United States Department of Agriculture is on a mission to prevent rabies from spreading in Southwest Virginia.

Though it’s only July, the total number of Florida manatee deaths in 2021 has already reached a higher total than it did in all of 2020, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources gave an update Tuesday regarding the mortality event affecting birds across multiple states.

Some baby birds are safe thanks to a Christiansburg citizen and the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center.

State Parks and Wildlife officials said it was released earlier this month and they just shared this video.

Jean-Michel Arrigona, 58, and his company Natur, Inc. in Midvale, Utah, sell wildlife in the forms of art, taxidermy mounts, bones, and skeletons. The indictment alleges that Arrigona imported wildlife into the United States without declaring it to U.S. The Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking statute and prohibits, among other things, selling wildlife that had been illegally brought into the country. The Endangered Species Act and federal regulations require importers to declare wildlife when it enters the country. The operation focused on the trafficking of wildlife from Indonesia to the United States.

They’re both harness-trained, although Ross is a little more used to it than Chandler, DeMay said. “Tegus are super intelligent animals,” Songer said. Kon Kon, a kookaburraKon Kon (Photo provided by SeaQuest)This 3-year-old male is known for his loud laughs, which the SeaQuest staff adores. They mainly call out to mark their territory, but Kon Kon will do it if he’s excited, too. Songer said Kon Kon will even do a special call when he’s accepting people into his territory, which they love hearing throughout the day.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia has rescued 19 black bear cubs this year and now needs help to make sure they survive. Combined, they eat about 200 pounds of food a day to prepare for the winter; however, the supply of nearly expired produce from grocery stores cannot keep up with demand. “They eat so much as they’re growing, but particularly this time of year in the fall they’re fattening up for the winter, for the lean months when there’s not as much food availability in the wild,” said Alex Wehrung, the center’s outreach coordinator. The Waynesboro-area nonprofit is asking for acorns, black walnuts, hickories and chestnuts, as well as fruits, vegetables and eggs. Instead of a food item, you give financially to help feed these bear cubs.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – A local wildlife rescue center says someone broke into their facility, cut their security cameras and defaced their property on Friday night. The Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke shared an update on their Facebook page on Monday night. According to the center, someone broke onto their property and cut their security cameras. The center also said an animal that was recovering in a cage is now missing after the cage was disturbed. They’re asking anyone with information to call the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries at 1-800-237-5712.