Customs and Border Protection Should Join Forces with Conservation and Environmental Groups in Safeguarding the U.S-Mexico Border

Bootheel region in New Mexico; an important wildlife corridor along the U.S-Mexico border

In the U.S, President Trump recently declared a state of national emergency and called for building a wall along the 2,000-mile stretch of the U.S-Mexico border in an effort to tackle the issues of illegal immigration and drug trafficking. His decision was met with severe criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, who called the move "unconstitutional." The reason is because the wall happens to cut into properties of private landowners living along the border. But it is not just politicians, who have expressed disapproval of the border wall. Environmentalists have also voiced their criticism, arguing that the wall could harm wildlife corridors and the delicate desert terrain. Environmentalists like the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity have been filing lawsuits challenging the government's authority to renounce environmental regulations for more than ten years with most of the attempts having failed. But now, the Center has joined forces with two other conservation groups in a new lawsuit against the national emergency. Although Customs and Border Protection (CBP) insisted that it carries out all essential research and surveys to include environmental clearances before starting any construction to avoid any possible impact on sensitive locations, conservationists are still doubtful and frustrated. For example, Kevin Bixby of the Southwest Environmental Center, stated that any big structure that would prevent the movement of wildlife is a wall.

New 18-foot steel fencing replacing old fencing near New Mexico's Santa Teresa Port of Entry

Much of the new wall construction is anticipated along the Rio Grande River in Texas. The CBP stated that it has employed local, state, federal, and non-governmental organizations to "identify and address potential impacts of cultural, historical, and natural resources that may be within planned barrier alignment in the Rio Grande Valley." However, the new border fencing in the valley could cut through significant floodplains. Josiah Heyman, director of the Center for Inter-American Border Studies at University of Texas in El Paso, pointed out that the fence-wall would block the water's movement and thus form a dam. He further added that a border wall built in 2008 in parts of Arizona led to monsoon floodwaters building up behind it and pouring into the city of Nogales in Mexico. This means that something similar could happen on both sides of the U.S-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley, especially if a hurricane blows in from the Gulf. According to a newly signed border security bill, some environmental sites in South Texas such as the National Butterfly Garden and Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge were particularly protected. However, it is unclear what might happen to those sites now that national emergency has been declared.

The Mexican wolf is one of many endangered species that lives in the vicinity of the U.S-Mexico border.

I strongly agree that the construction of the wall along the U.S-Mexico border can have serious drawbacks. Not only would this barrier cut into properties of private landowners in the area, but it would impede the movement of wildlife and harm eco-sensitive zones. There is a wide variety of animals that live in the vicinity of the U.S-Mexico border and many of which whose home ranges cover both the countries. These animals include pumas, coyotes, peccaries, and even endangered species like Mexican wolves, ocelots, jaguarundis, and jaguars. While the wall may keep out illegal immigration and prevent drug trafficking, it would hinder the movement of these animals from U.S to Mexico and back. Furthermore, some parts along the border function as crucial wildlife corridors and there are eco-sensitive zones where these animals either live or have been sighted. In addition, the wall can also have a devastating impact on the environment on either side of the border. This was seen in 2008 when monsoon floodwaters built up behind a border wall in Arizona and poured into Nogales in Mexico. It should be strongly noted that a similar incident can happen in other areas along the border, especially where the Rio Grande River and other major bodies of water are located. I firmly believe that Customs and Border Protection should join forces with conservation and enviromental groups and try to come up with an alternative to safeguard the U.S-Mexico border. Instead of simply building a wall along the border, the CBP should help closely monitor eco-sensitive zones and wildlife corridors for any signs of intrusion in the form of drug traffickers and illegal immigrants. I strongly urge the CBP to handle the issue of illegal immigration as humanely as possible because the people involved consist of families fleeing from the violence and bloodshed plaguing their home country(s). Such atrocities could be related to the drug trade, which the U.S has constantly been battling for decades. Drug traffickers, on the other hand, should be dealt with swiftly and severely because they have absolutely no regard for life and would do anything to ensure that their illicit means of making money goes uninterrupted. If that means killing an endangered species like a Mexican wolf or a jaguar, they will do it without hesitation. This is why I strongly urge the CBP and various environmental and conservation groups to join forces together in protecting the U.S-Mexico border to ensure that both people and wildlife are safe from harm.

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Research Essential to Understand and Combat Florida's Red Tide

Dead fish washed up on one of Florida's many Gulf Coast shores affected by the red tide outbreak.

Florida's Gulf Coast beaches had been in the news for well over a year, due to a recent outbreak of red tide caused by an increase in concentration of a microscopic algae known as Karenia brevis. The algae is known to release poisonous chemicals when in high concentrations, which affects both marine life and coastal communities. The outbreak, which began in October 2017, resulted in death of hundreds of fish washing up on beaches of Lee, Manatee, and Sarasota counties, among others. The red tide had also been responsible for deaths of about 150 dolphins, and hundreds of manatees and sea turtles. Florida's coastal communities were also affected by the outbreak. This was seen when the red tide came close to the shores and wave action broke up the Karenia brevis cells, releasing their toxins into the air. The combination of high algae concentrations and onshore wind-blowing led to severe respiratory irritation amongst locals, causing coughing and tears. But lately, in the past few weeks, marine scientists have observed that the red tide is finally vanishing. According to Vincent Lovko, a staff scientist from Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, there has been a reduction in the number of cell count samples and satellite photos did not show substantial patches of red tide bloom offshore in the Gulf Coast. Although there is some red tide being found in southwest Florida's Ten Thousand Islands area, the algae concentrations are decreasing. The disappearance of the latest red tide bloom is a relief to the Gulf Coast communities, which are now preparing for the spring tourism season.

A sign at Siesta Beach warning beachgoers not to swim in waters affected by the red tide.

I'm also relieved that the red tide outbreak is coming to an end. But what really struck me about this news is that the red tide is nothing new in Florida. The origin of the red tide in Florida dates back to the time of Spanish conquistadors, who witnessed this algal bloom while exploring the Sunshine State. In addition to this latest red tide bloom, other such outbreaks included one in 2005 and 2006 which prevailed for seventeen long months. Another bloom occurred in 2012 and 2013 which killed hundreds of manatees and other marine life. Although the red tide is part of Florida's natural history, I firmly believe that a great deal of research is required to understand the red tide in depth. This is highly essential because coastal communities living in the vicinity of the sites where such outbreaks occur are at risk of respiratory irritation which could be fatal to people if they are exposed too much to the toxins from the algae cells. In addition, fish, dolphins, manatees, and other marine life are also at risk of getting killed by the toxins. This is why it is highly crucial to study the red tide in order to understand what causes it to occur and what can be done to prevent both coastal communities and wildlife from falling victim to it.

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Tiger Returns to Gujarat!

Tiger captured by camera trap installed by Gujarat Forest Department

When most people think of big cats in India's Gujarat state, the first thing that comes to their mind is the Asiatic lion. It is true that Gujarat was and still is the last refuge of the lion after it disappeared from central and western India. In Gujarat, the lion shares its home range with its smaller cousin the leopard whose range extends to nearly every corner of the state. But what most people don't know is that Gujarat was once home to one of India's most iconic animals: the tiger. In decades past, tigers once ranged throughout Gujarat's northern, central, and southern regions that border the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra where their numbers are currently abundant. However, years of human encroachment in the form of habitat destruction and poaching pushed the tiger to the brink of extinction. The last tiger sighting in Gujarat was believed to have been in 1989. Since then, no tiger had been sighted in the state; let alone questionable reports of the animal's presence in central Gujarat's Mahisagar district. But now, after nearly 30 years, the Gujarat Forest Department has officially confirmed that the tiger has returned to the state. This was seen from camera trap footage showing a tiger prowling in a jungle area in Mahisagar district. The confirmation of tiger's presence in Gujarat came when a schoolteacher claimed he saw the animal in the area few days ago. Following his claims, forest department officials installed several camera traps in the area and attempted to track down the tiger. Eventually, the big cat was captured by one of the camera traps at night thus confirming its presence. According to Gujarat Forest Minister Ganpat Vasava, the tiger appeared to be around eight years of age and may have come from one of the neighboring states.

Another camera trap footage of the tiger 

I can never think of anything more exciting and astonishing than this news. The tiger, which was never seen in Gujarat for almost thirty years, has recently been sighted in the state. This is truly tremendous news for wildlife experts and conservationists because here you have an animal that once roamed the forests of northern, central, and southern Gujarat decades ago before disappearing due to the pressure of human encroachment. But now, thanks to serious conservation efforts in India over the years, the tiger has made a successful comeback to its former home range in Gujarat. Earlier, the lion made a comeback due to conservation efforts dating back to the early 20th century and is now numbering around 650 animals that are continuously moving outside Gir Forest and into areas where they once disappeared. The leopard, on the other hand, was and still is found in almost every part of Gujarat because of its adaptability and protection by the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. With the recent return of the tiger, I think it is safe to say that Gujarat has become a home to all three of India's big cats. I firmly believe that the confirmation about the tiger's presence in Gujarat should be seen as a sign to bolster conservation efforts to protect the forest habitats where there is substantial evidence of the big cat's presence. This includes identifying specific areas occupied by the tiger and declaring them as protected areas. Furthermore, there should be emphasis on tracking the tiger's movement and setting up camera traps in areas bordering the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra to check for any wild animals crossing into Gujarat. The tiger, like the lion, is the top predator in Gujarat and its presence in the state would help significantly in maintaining ecological balance in the forests where it once roamed.

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Further Research on Water Salinity Level is Necessary to Save Gangetic River Dolphin Habitats

Gangetic River dolphin

A five-year study carried out in the Sundarbans has revealed that an increase in water salinity level is threatening the river dolphin habitats. The study was periodically carried out in the lower area of the Hooghly River, which covers a span of 97 kilometers of central, eastern, and western Sundarbans between 2013 and 2016 in different seasons. At the same time, researchers measured the salinity level of water. Based on the interaction with local fishing communities, the study area was differentiated for land-based and boat-based surveys. It was discovered that "no sighting record for Gangetic dolphin in waterways whenever the salinity level crosses 10 ppt." The researchers believe that the increase in salinity in the Sundarbans' eastern and central regions has affected the dolphins' habitat. The heightened salinity level is due to hydrological changes such as decline in freshwater flow, decreased flow from barrages, run-off from neighboring agricultural lands and river water abstraction for irrigation. The rise in salinity level also appears to be favorable for Irrawaddy and Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins as these cetaceans can flourish in saline waters.

Hooghly River

I find it absolutely necessary that a great deal of research is required to decrease the salinity level of the Hooghly River in order to save the habitats of Gangetic river dolphins. This includes finding and conducting measurements on increasing the flow of freshwater and barrages along the river. In addition, a great deal of measurements to be implemented on how to decrease run-off from adjacent agricultural lands and limit the abstraction of river water for irrigation. I also believe that further research studies regarding Hooghly River's water salinity is essential, in order to determine at what salinity level would all three dolphin species be able to thrive. If increase in water salinity level appears to be favorable to both Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins and Irrawaddy dolphins, then what will become of the river dolphins? This is why I firmly think it is highly crucial to conduct further studies on water salinity of the Hooghly River, in order to formulate solutions to prevent any further threats to the river dolphin habitats and hopefully come up with a solution as to what salinity level can all three species thrive.

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African Countries Should Work Together and Not Debate with One Another on Safeguarding Elephants

An African bush elephant in Tanzania

The illegal ivory trade has been decimating Africa's elephants for several years. Despite the efforts being implemented to prevent further loss of elephants to the trade, the continent's elephants continue to fall victim to poachers. Now, several African countries containing elephants have divided themselves into two groups regarding elephant conservation: one group consists of countries containing some the world's largest elephant populations that are pushing for lax restrictions on the ivory trade and another group of countries calling for more control is the best way to mitigate the illegal poaching of elephants for their tusks. The countries arguing that commerce will help them pay to safeguard elephants are the ones in southern Africa while those countries who believe that even restricted ivory trade incites demand and encourages illegal killing of elephants include Gabon and Kenya. The conflicting proposals were released by the office of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). They will be discussed during a CITES meeting scheduled to take place in Colombo from May 23 to June 3 this year. The last meeting was held in Johannesburg in 2016, in which CITES refused appeals to loosen an international ban on the ivory trade that has been in place for decades. According to WWF wildlife trade expert Colman O'Criodain, in a telephone interview with the Associated Press, he indicated that the meeting in Colombo should focus on administering anti-trafficking measurements instead of engaging in pointless debates about whether to trade legally.

An African forest elephant in Gabon's Invido National Park

A southern African proposal stated that Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe have roughly 256,000 elephants which is more than half of the total estimate for Africa. It indicated that protecting elephants as human populations escalate and wildlife habitats reduce comes at a big cost and proposed that jointly controlled trade in government-owned ivory stocks will help relieve that stress. The proposal even criticized CITES as being an "inhibitor and not an enabler of progress." A similar proposal was made by Zambia, which stated that elephants are competing with people in rural areas for resources and that local people would be more lenient if they see "economic returns earned from the sustainable use of elephant." The debate even touched on jurisdiction issues. For example, countries like Gabon, whose elephants have been massively poached, and Nigeria, which has a very small number, want elephants in southern Africa to be subject to tighter restrictions. Southern African countries, on the other hand, believe that countries with their own problems, such as weak law enforcement, should not dictate policy on others. A columnist from Zimbabwe named Emmanuel Koro wrote in The Herald that it was time for countries in southern Africa to act in their "national interests" and contemplate declining to agree with CITES-supported bans on the ivory trade as well as rhino horn. He even suggested that Japan's recent decision to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission could serve as a guide.

An African bush elephant in Namibia's Etosha National Park

It really disturbs me that African countries are engaged in an absurd debate on how to protect their elephants from the ivory trade. On one hand, southern African countries are demanding for lesser restrictions on the ivory trade and on the other hand, countries in East, Central, and West Africa are calling for more restriction on the ivory trade. How can these countries, whose elephants constitute a significant part of the tourist industry and are part of their natural heritages, become embroiled in such arguments while elephants continue to fall victim to the ivory trade? I highly urge the governments of various African countries to please call off this ridiculous debate regarding Africa's elephant conservation. Instead of debating, they should jointly work together in order to safeguard one another's elephant population and should maintain strong ties with CITES. If Africa remains divided over the issue on the ivory trade, then elephant populations will be sure to dwindle on a large-scale. The bottom line is simple: Elephants must be protected and the ivory trade should NEVER under any circumstances be legalized; it must be ended by any means necessary! Same should apply to the trade in rhino horns. Both of these animals have been suffering and continue to suffer by the ongoing demand of ivory and rhino horns. The time has come to step up efforts in protecting these animals from poaching and the illegal wildlife trade without any form of delay.

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Can Artificial Intelligence Help in Fight Against Illegal Poaching?

TrailGuard AI

Technology company Intel recently announced that its AI software chip Movidius will be fused into new anti-poaching cameras owned by non-profit organization RESOLVE in Africa. The latest improvement is called TrailGuard AI. With the chip, TrailGuard AI will assimilate deep neural network algorithms for object recognition and image processing. In addition, it will also function as a motion sensor thus notifying rangers to near actual-time of poaching threats. According to RESOLVE's director of biodiversity and wildlife Eric Dinerstein, Intel not only provided AI technology to the organization but also collaborated with it to build, test, and enhance this anti-poaching solution. According to Intel, the new AI-powered camera with Movidius intends to give advanced accuracy, longer battery life, and is about the size of a pencil which means it can be easily hidden from both poachers and wild animals. The company further added that this new system will be set up in 100 national parks and game reserves across Africa this year beginning in Serengeti and Garamba National Parks and that there are plans to expand the deployment in South America and Southeast Asia. In order to set up the new system, RESOLVE is collaborating with a number of organizations including the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and the National Geographic Society.

African elephants

I'm really amazed by the enhancement in technology in combating illegal poaching and it cannot get any better than the announcement of artificial intelligence being integrated into cameras. This breakthrough is really important because regular cameras allowed park rangers to obtain photos that they had to manually review to ascertain if there is a poaching threat or not. But now, with the introduction of TrailGuard AI, authorities will be able to quickly intercept and capture poachers. I'm very hopeful that this enhancement in technology will enable authorities to stay one step ahead of poachers when protecting elephants, rhinos, and other endangered species in Africa and elsewhere. In my opinion, joint collaboration between big technology companies like Intel and various organizations dedicated to the protection and conservation of the world's wildlife is highly essential in combating illegal poaching and wildlife trade.

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Minnesota's Wolves are Opportunistic Feeders

Gray wolf

Wolves are known for their signature method of hunting in packs, which helps them bring down large prey ranging from deer to moose and bison. But a recent research conducted in Minnesota's Voyageurs National Park has found that wolves have developed a taste of fish. This was seen when researchers with the Voyageurs Wolf Project recorded wolves catching freshwater fish as a seasonal source of food. This extraordinary finding is a new addition to the initial studies of Voyageurs' wolves, which have shown that the animals consume beavers and even blueberries to add to their diet. Since 2015, wolves from seven different packs in and around Voyageurs were fitted with GPS collars. Researchers collected location data from the wolves every twenty minutes, which enabled them to surge on the animals' feeding habits at a finer scale. This was how members of one of the wolf packs, known as the Bowman Bay pack, were first suspected by the researchers of eating fish.

Wolf scat containing blueberries

In April 2017, Tom Gable from University of Minnesota strolled to a creek where one of the collared wolves spent a great deal of time. He saw a collared wolf approximately 50 feet away while hiding in the shrubs on the edge of the creek. Dr. Gable watched the wolf wander back and forth around the creek, repeatedly running into the creek and splashing around. Then it stopped, and appeared to be eating something, before returning to the creek. When the wolf left, Dr. Gable emerged from his hiding spot and investigated the area. He knew right away that wolf was catching fish in the creek. Dr. Gable and his colleagues quickly learned that the scene he saw was a seasonal meal. In a month after his trek to the creek, researchers discovered that two collared Bowman Bay pack members spent roughly half their time fishing there. A year later, Dr. Gable and his colleagues spotted the pack visiting the creek again, so they installed camera traps, and captured footage of the wolves catching fish at night. In addition to eating their freshly-caught fish, the wolves were even shown to store their prey on the creek's bank.

Dr. Tom Gable with a lower mandible of a beaver killed by a wolf

I find it very fascinating what the researchers have uncovered about wolves in Voyageurs National Park. I have heard of studies done in coastal habitats of Alaska and British Columbia which have shown wolves habitually catching and eating salmon during the spawning season, but this is the first time they have been observed eating freshwater fish. The research studies on feeding behavior of wolves in Voyageurs, Alaska, and British Columbia have shown that the animals are highly opportunistic and can readily adapt to new sources of food. In addition to meat matter, Voyageurs' wolves have been observed to feed on blueberries. These findings, in my opinion, are clear proof of how bears and dogs are related to one another. I also think that this omnivorous diet is an indicator of how wolves are directly related to domestic dogs. The reason is because some kinds of dog food contain a combination of both meat and vegetarian substances. It goes to show that both wolves and domestic dogs, despite their carnivorous design, have managed to adapt for thousands of years in a variety of ways, including changing their feeding behavior.

Wolves lounging on a frozen lake in Voyageurs National Park

I believe that research on the feeding behavior of wolves in Voyageurs should be seen as a tool, in order to educate the public that wolves are not the stuff of nightmares and fairy tales that people tend to think of. I have always understood that when a carnivorous animal becomes a man-eater, it is due to human activities such as moving into the animal's habitat, killing off its natural prey, and converting that habitat into a human habitat. In other words, human beings have been inadvertently responsible for turning such animals, including wolves, into man-eaters. I firmly believe that the research work done on wolves should be seriously taken into consideration, in order to educate the global public and hopefully change their attitudes towards them. We should not forget that wolves are ancestral relatives of domestic dogs and studying them closely can reveal more secrets that no one has ever heard of before.

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