The best way to keep elephant populations stable over time Is to allow them to roam freely, scientists find & more environmental news.

[View this email in your browser]( Tuesday, January 30, 2024 “Conservation is not just about saving species; it’s about saving ecosystems and the delicate balance of nature.” — Biruté Galdikas The Best Way to Keep Elephant Populations Stable Over Time Is to Allow Them to Roam Freely, Scientists Find A new [study]( by a team of scientists with the Conservation Ecology Research Unit at South Africa’s University of Pretoria has found that the best way to keep [elephant]( numbers stable is to let them roam freely in protected areas connected to buffer zones, rather than in “fortress” [conservation]( areas where they have less space. [Read More]( Related: [Human Activities Have Drastically Reduced Habitats for Asian Elephants]( Study Finds Alarmingly High Levels of PFAS Contamination in Small Estuaries A new [study]( has discovered that small coastal [estuaries]( contain concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ([PFAS]( “[forever chemicals]( high enough to indicate a worldwide issue. [Read More]( Related: [Researchers Find PFAS on Ski Slopes]( Microplastics May Be Accumulating in the Food Chain of Endangered Galápagos Penguins A new study using model predictions has uncovered a likely rapid accumulation of microplastics around Santa Cruz Island, an island in the Galápagos National Park of Ecuador. The model predictions point to an accumulation of plastics sized from 1 micron to less than 5 millimeters in waters around the human-populated island. The researchers behind the study evaluated the feces of the Galápagos penguin, an endangered species, and the prey of these penguins. [Read More]( Related: [Fertilizing Fields With Sewage Sludge Releases More Microplastics Into the Air Than Previously Believed, Study Finds]( Successful IVF Breakthrough Could Save Northern White Rhino In a major breakthrough, the first successful [southern white rhino]( in vitro fertilization has been carried out by scientists. It could mean hope in the quest to save the [northern white rhino]( whose last remaining members — cousins of the southern rhino — are both female. [Read More]( Related: [White Rhino Population in Africa Increases for First Time Since 2012]( Flooding 101: Everything You Need to Know [Flooding]( occurs when water submerges land that is typically dry. That water can come from a variety of sources, such as rainfall, a storm surge or high tide, a river overflowing its banks, a dam bursting or snow or ice melting. Some types of flooding can be beneficial for people and ecosystems. However, flooding can also be extremely devastating. What many calculate was the deadliest natural disaster on record was a flood: the 1931 [Yellow River or Huang He]( flood in China that killed 850,000 to 4 million people and displaced 80 million. [Read More]( Related: [Nature Reserves 101: Everything You Need to Know]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2024 EcoWatch, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for EcoWatch Top News of The Day Our mailing address is: EcoWatch 1122 Oberlin RoadRaleigh, NC 27605 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](