![]() Officials in Montana, New Mexico and Arizona warned relocations could wreak ecological havoc as "invasive species" get purposefully introduced. Republicans in Western states-where gray wolves were reintroduced two decades ago over strong local objections-opposed the proposal. She said allowing relocations would strengthen conservation efforts and help protect species for coming generations. As global warming intensifies, habitat changes are "forcing some wildlife to new areas to survive, while squeezing other species closer to extinction," Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. If a relocation is successful, the kingfishers would become one of the few species ever upgraded from “extinct in the wild” to “critically endangered.” Credit: Jim Jenkins/Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute via APįederal officials said the impacts of climate change had not been fully realized when they adopted previous rules preventing endangered species relocations. As warming temperatures from climate change and invasive species alter habitats around the globe, some scientists and government officials are embracing animal like the kingfisher and plant relocations to prevent vulnerable populations from dwindling or going extinct. This JIMAGE provided by the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute photo shows a Guam Kingfisher in Front Royal, Va. The practice is gaining acceptance among many scientists and government officials as climate change alters habitats around the globe. ![]() Moving species into new areas was long considered taboo because of the potential to disrupt native ecosystems and crowd out local flora and fauna. The birds are extinct in the wild but maintained in zoos. This summer officials plan to introduce Guam kingfishers on the Palmyra Atoll south of Hawaii, after brown tree snakes accidentally brought to Guam around 1950 decimated their population. ![]() It also allows for relocations when a species is being crowded out by nonnative plants or wildlife. ![]() Relocations of species struggling because of climate change have been carried out on a limited basis to date, including in Hawaii where researchers have raced to move seabirds to new islands to save them from rising ocean waters.Ī change in federal regulations published Friday by the Biden administration would allow similar relocations for some of the most imperiled plants and animals protected under the Endangered Species Act. ![]()
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