Harrier fledglings
Natural England has announced that nearly 120 rare hen harrier chicks have fledged across uplands in northern England this summer, the highest number for more than a century. However, as one of the most persecuted birds of prey in the UK, the RSPB added that the risk of these young birds being illegally killed after leaving their nests remains very real.
Going, going, gone
A survey of 788 Chinese fishers suggests that dugongs are probably now extinct in the country’s waters. According to Royal Society Open Science, only three respondents reported sightings in the last five years and there have been no confirmed records since 2008. Hunting, loss of seagrass (a source of food) and entanglement and have all contributed to the rapid population decline.