wildlife

Human hikers effect wildlife behavior

Even without hunting rifles, humans appear to have a strong negative influence on the movement of wildlife. A study of Glacier National Park hiking trails during and after a COVID-19 closure adds evidence to the theory that humans can create a “landscape of fear” like other apex predators, changing how species use an area simply […]

Getting the ratio right

A high protein diet appears linked to kidney disease and shortened lifespans for captive polar bears, a relationship similarly suspected in humans, according to a review led by WSU wildlife biologist Charlie Robbins. “Zoos made some assumptions in the past about the nutritional requirements of polar bears because their diet is almost exclusively

Big cat on campus

There’s an artistic side to freshman biological sciences major Isabelle Busch: she’s the author and illustrator of the colorful, creative, and detailed Theoretical Dragon Anatomy book and was recently tapped to design the 2020 International Cheetah Day T-shirt. Busch has worked with the Cheetah Conservation Fund, which sponsors the annual celebration, since kindergarten. In 2020 […]

Photographing the elusive, endangered lynx

Deep in the forests of Washington’s Kettle Mountains, Washington State University wildlife biologist Daniel Thornton searches for signs of a rare and elusive type of wild cat — the lynx. An assistant professor in the School of Environmental Science, Thornton and environmental science graduate students Travis King and Arthur Scully are helping to lead the […]

WSU research highlights deforestation threat to jaguars

PULLMAN, Wash. – Accelerating deforestation of jaguar habitat, especially in corridors connecting conservation areas, threatens the long-term survival of the iconic predator, according to new research by Dan Thornton, an assistant professor in the Washington State University School of the Environment. He and colleague Peter Olsoy, a WSU environmental sciences doctoral student, suggest conservation groups […]