Animal Protection and Technology: Hawaiian Honeycreeper and the Wrinkled Carabid

The Hawaiian honeycreeper is one of Hawaii’s forest birds found nowhere else. While there used to be more than 50 species, only 17 remain today. These birds are threatened by mosquitoes carrying malaria. The birds have not developed a defence against the non-native mosquitoes, and with the warming climate, the mosquitoes are spreading to more bird habitats. In Maui, bird conservationists are considering releasing millions of non-reproducing mosquitoes to control their population.

 University of Exeter scientists collaborated with the Woodland Trust to study the wrinkled ground beetle, a species about which little is known. They attached radio transmitters, resembling small backpacks, to 36 insects to track their daily activities in Dartmoor woodlands. This study aims to provide essential information for protecting insects and restoring their habitats in the face of climate change.

 The Experimental Centre for the Protection of Habitats (CESTHA) in Marina di Ravenna, Italy, rescues and treats injured marine animals from the Adriatic Sea that have been harmed by trawlers and fishing nets. Over the past decade, the organisation has assisted over 300 sea turtles, nearly 700 seahorses, over 100 sharks, and thousands of cuttlefish. For instance, injured turtles are provided with 3D-printed shells for their backs, and after rehabilitation, they are released back into the sea.