December 2011 PDF
December 2011
Board Talk: Proposed Changes to Wildlife Rules May Prevent Rogue Introductions
Under rules proposed by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife, transporting or releasing introduced wildlife without a permit would be a petty misdemeanor. In addition to a minimum fine of $100, first-time offenders … Continued
Feral Cats: A Conundrum for Wildlife Managers
The Waikoloa Hilton parking lot is full of cats. Signs around the lot ask that visitors not feed them, as they are being cared for by AdvoCATS, a Kona group that, according to its website, helps “abandoned and homeless felines.” … Continued
Hogs Gone Wild: A Growing Problem Throughout the United States
Blue states and red states were the subject of a talk by Jack Mayer of the Savannah River National Laboratory in Aiken, South Carolina. But Mayer wasn’t discussing partisan politics. Rather, he was discussing the spread of wild pigs. On … Continued
New & Noteworthy: Honeycreepers' Family Tree; Earthstars in Hawai`i; Another Try at OTEC
Rewriting the Family Tree: In a development made possible only with the latest techniques in DNA sequencing, researchers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics have tracked down the ancestor of Hawaiian honeycreepers, those birds … Continued
Hawai`i’s Imperiled Species Receive National Attention at Wildlife Convention
Last month, The Wildlife Society, a national association made up mostly of specialists in the area of wildlife research and management, held its annual convention at the Waikoloa resort, on the Big Island. Over the four days of discussions and … Continued
Rat Lungworm Disease: Has Arrival of a New-to-Hawai`i Mollusk Made It Worse?
“When I talk about rat lungworm, I immediately get people’s attention,” said Jon Martell, a Hilo physician and one of the speakers at a recent community symposium on the subject. “It touches on their fundamental fears and ‘ick’ factors,” he … Continued