Teen footballer found dead after ‘shooting himself in the chest’ on hunting trip
Reply
Eight Borneo orangutans freed back into the wild after devastating wild fires
Orangutans take nine hour journey by car and boat to ‘have a chance to return to living naturally’
Shweta SharmaMonday 12 October 2026 06:35 BST
- Eight Borneo orangutans freed back into the wild after devastating wild fires | The Independent
- 1Comment
Bookmark popover
Removed from bookmarksClose popover
Authorities in Borneo have released eight orangutans back into the wild after they were taken into captivity for their safety when wildfires raged through the region in the summer.
Three mothers, their three offspring, and two juvenile males were released into the Batu Nyambu protected forest reserve in the west of the island on Friday, International Animal Rescue Indonesia (Yiari) and the forestry ministry said.
The relocation operation involved six hours by car, one hour by boat, and two hours on foot to free the orangutans, which were carried in cages on bamboo poles, it said.
Conservationists checked their health before the journey and declared them fit for release.
“Their relocation to Batu Nyambu protected forest is expected to give the eight orangutans a chance to return to living naturally,” Yiari said in a statement.
RECOMMENDED
Katie Zacharia’s first White House press briefing was a disaster of her own making
Questions surround Trump’s new press secretary’s legal background
Shoulder Pain is Not From Sleeping Wrong. Meet The Real EnemyRejuvaCare|
Drivers In Washington With 20+ Years Of Licensure Did Not See This ComingConsumer Auto Alerts|
Indonesian authorities rescued 46 critically endangered great apes from wildfires between August and September this year. The wildfires exposed Bornean orangutan habitats to extremely high levels of risk, with forest fires aggravated by the El Niño ocean-warming phenomenon.
Orangutans are critically endangered great apes found in the wild only on the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra, with Indonesia home to all three recognised species, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
Some 104,000 orangutans remain in Borneo and Sumatra, with their populations declining from more than 230,000 a century ago due to deforestation, wildfires and poaching.
Yiari CEO Karmele Llano Sanchez called the relocation of the orangutans a “necessary step”.
Mama Lifa and her offspring, Lifa, were rescued in mid-September after their habitat was degraded by wildfires and a lack of food sources.
They were found in a patch of acacia trees entirely surrounded by oil palm plantations.
Another mother-and-daughter pair, Mama Nopi and her offspring, Nopi, as well as Naufal and Nopan, two juvenile male orangutans, were rescued in early September from a coconut and rubber plantation.
Fires had restricted their access to food, threatening their lives, it said.
Mama Man and her baby, Man, were being monitored after they were found living in a plantation area adjacent to a small patch of forest.
Yiari said the fires had spread to the site, restricting their movement in the area and leaving them without a safe route to other forested areas. They were evacuated after facing the threat of exposure to the blazes.
It said the orangutans were released into an area chosen for its abundant food and water sources and its connectivity to other forest areas.
“We want to ensure that rescued orangutans are not simply moved from one place to another, but actually have a chance to survive in their natural habitat,” Yiari’s Argitoe Ranting said.
Some orangutans have also suffered injuries due to the wildfires.
A female Bornean orangutan nicknamed Novita was found clinging to a nearly leafless tree as dense smoke billowed across the scorched landscape in the Katune forest in Central Kalimantan province, said Jamartin Sihite, chairman of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation.
“The palms of her hands and the soles of her feet suffered burns that were likely sustained when Novita crossed a burned area while trying to reach a tree,” Mr Sihite said.
Others were not so lucky. A male orangutan named Sampurna, believed to be around 20 years old, was found struggling to breathe by residents and died after being rescued.
RECOMMENDED
William Chapman’s family slam offensive viral videos after Trump tiger AI post
Trump’s new press secretary has a history of pushing banana conspiracy theories
Sleep Apnea is Linked to This Household Item (Stop Using It)derila-ergo-official.com|
Squirt Some Honey On Your Dog’s Tongue, Here’s What HappensDaily Pets Health|
Between January and July, more than 202,000 hectares of land burned in wildfires, according to government data. However, data from the independent Nusantara Atlas project showed that some 896,000 hectares had burned by the end of August.
This year’s El Niño has become the strongest on record, with sea surface temperatures in the Niño 3.4 monitoring region hitting historic highs and projected to peak around December 2026.
Georgia deer firearms season opens Saturday
by B.T. ClarkOctober 13, 2026
Georgia’s statewide deer firearms season opens Saturday, and about 200,000 hunters are expected to take to the woods through January.
What’s happening: The season runs from October 17 through January 10 for most hunters. Some counties have extended seasons — those hunters should check the Georgia Hunting and Fishing Regulations 2026-27 guidebook for their specific dates.
By the numbers: Last season, 200,000 hunters harvested about 250,000 deer. Only six firearms hunting incidents were reported statewide.
The rules: Hunters may take up to 10 antlerless deer and no more than two antlered deer. At least one of those antlered deer must have a minimum of four points — each at least one inch long — on one side, or an outside antler spread of at least 15 inches. Legal firearms are centerfire only, .22-caliber or larger, with expanding bullets. All weapons legal during archery and primitive weapons seasons are also allowed. On private land, deer of either sex may be taken with archery equipment at any time during the primitive weapons and firearms seasons.
What you need: Hunters must have a hunting license, a big game license, and a current deer harvest record. Licenses are available at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, by calling 1-800-366-2661, or at a license agent. All harvested deer must be reported through Georgia Game Check within 24 hours using the Outdoors GA app, GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, or by calling 1-800-366-2661. The app works without cell service.
CWD testing: Hunters in Atkinson, Berrien, Lanier, or Lowndes County are asked to have their deer tested for chronic wasting disease — a fatal neurological illness that affects deer — at a participating processor, taxidermist, or freezer site. Testing is available to all hunters statewide. Testing locations and results are at GeorgiaWildlife.com/cwd.
Hunters for the Hungry: The Wildlife Resources Division and the Georgia Wildlife Federation are expanding the Hunters for the Hungry Program, which connects donated deer to Georgia families in need of food. State deer biologist Charlie Killmaster encouraged hunters to participate. “Firearms deer season is almost here,” Killmaster said. “Georgia continues to produce outstanding bucks every year, a testament of how well hunters and landowners have managed deer. We can also be stewards of our community by taking an extra doe for Georgia Hunter’s for the Hungry, each deer provides protein for over 100 meals.” To find a processor or sign up as one, visit GWF.org/ghfth/.
Safety reminder: The Wildlife Resources Division is reminding hunters of four basic firearms safety rules before the season begins, known by the acronym ACTT: always treat every firearm as if it is loaded; control the muzzle at all times; be certain of the target and what is in front of and beyond it; keep your finger outside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot. These rules are taught in all hunter education courses. More information is at GeorgiaWildlife.com/hunting/huntereducation or by calling the Hunter Education office at (706) 557-3355.
Public land: Georgia’s Wildlife Management Areas offer nearly one million acres of public hunting land. Dates and details for specific areas are at GeorgiaWildlife.com/allwmas. Full deer hunting information, including maps and meat processors, is at GeorgiaWildlife.com/deer-info.
Georgia deer firearms season opens Saturday – The Georgia Sun
‘It’s time to get a vaccine in place’: RFK Jr.’s views helped stall bird flu plan
The latest in the war on wildlife: Colorado considers ‘right to hunt’ amendment to constitution
Date: October 12, 2026Author(s): Kitty Block and Sara Amundson
We recently called out the Trump administration’s push expand access to hunting as an insult to animals and the wild spaces that all Americans share.
And in Colorado, we are seeing a similar war on wildlife play out with Amendment 83, which is on the ballot for voters to consider in November. The amendment seeks to enshrine a “right to hunt and fish” in the state’s constitution.
Hunting and fishing are already legal—so what’s the point of the amendment? The consequences of Amendment 83 go much further in undermining the public’s ability to protect animals from special interest groups who seek to bring back the cruelest hunting methods like trapping, bear hounding and baiting by undermining previous ballot measures that voters already passed.
And it raises that same fundamental question as President Trump’s recent executive order about hunting at the state level: Who gets to decide the future of wildlife?
Trophy hunters could undermine wild animal protections for generations to come
The public deserves to know what this so-called “right to hunt” amendment actually means.
Amendment 83 is dangerous proposal that could make it harder to protect wild animals from cruelty, and harder for Coloradoans to decide how wildlife is treated. Amendment 83 belongs to a much larger campaign to write hunting and trapping preferences into state constitutions. Its supporters include trophy hunting organization Safari Club International and the Wisconsin-based International Order of T. Roosevelt. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation is also actively supporting Colorado’s measure.
In other words, national trophy hunting special interests are setting their scopes on Colorado to promote a measure that could give their desires to bag wild animals through the cruelest methods constitutional force for generations to come.
‘Traditional’ methods include cruel and archaic practices that voters themselves have prohibited
Amendment 83 does not define “traditional methods.” That is by design. That ambiguity matters when the national trophy hunting interests promoting this approach expressly include trapping and chasing down wildlife with packs of trailing hounds as their vision of preserving “tradition.”
Coloradoans have used ballot measures to pass important protections for wildlife, including banning bear baiting and hounding and banning cruel leghold and body-gripping traps and snares on public lands.
Make no mistake: These methods are the height of cruelty.
Amendment 14, passed by voters in 1996, banned public lands trapping, including steel-jawed leghold traps that can hold animals in agony. Body-gripping traps intended to kill animals quickly often mis-strike, instead inflicting painful injuries. Neck snares can strangle them.
Proponents of Amendment 83 would also roll back a measure passed by 70% of voters in 1992 that prohibited the killing of bears when cubs are still nursing and disallowed the hunting of bears with packs of hounds and over bait piles. Supporters of human-wildlife coexistence stress how important it is to not feed black bears—but baiting bears with piles of jelly donuts for an easier kill is a method proponents of Amendment 83 have expressly declared they want to bring back. They also want to restore bear hounding, using packs of hunting dogs to chase animals until they are cornered, leaving them terrified for a close-range shot. These are the kinds of practices that we and anyone who cares about protecting wildlife work to restrict; that vague constitutional language could make cruelty harder to regulate.
People could lose power to protect wildlife
Amendment 83 could make future ballot measures prohibitively difficult for citizens. That’s because a law approved by voters must comply with the state constitution. Giving hunting and undefined “traditional methods” special constitutional preference would create a new basis for challenging voter-approved restrictions. Even after people gather signatures, organize a campaign and win an election, their decision could face a lawsuit asserting that it violates the new amendment.
The amendment would not eliminate Colorado’s ballot initiative process, but it could weaken what voters could accomplish through it. This amendment could silence voters who want more protections for animals.
Elected officials at Colorado’s capitol and wildlife officials also face a new constitutional test: The amendment’s language also narrows their authority to create new laws by requiring that legislation must be deemed “necessary” for specified purposes, including preserving hunting and fishing opportunities. Disputes over what qualifies as necessary will likely be decided in court, which could discourage officials from pursuing reforms in the first place to avoid costly litigation.
Amendment 83 may also stifle wildlife policy from being informed by the most relevant research. For example, in July, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted a proposal from Dr. Rebecca Niemiec, a conservation social scientist at Colorado State University, to replace unlimited recreational killing of 17 furbearer species (such as bobcats, foxes, beavers and other wildlife) with a daily limit of two animals per species per person. Her proposal brought the latest research on public attitudes into wildlife policymaking.
Considering scientific evidence alongside the public’s values is essential in shaping public policy. And it is yet another facet of wildlife protection that could be under threat if Amendment 83 passes. Under Amendment 83, opponents could argue that such recreational kill limits are not “necessary,” giving trophy hunters an additional constitutional basis to challenge animal protection policies.
Wildlife ‘management’ could default to a death sentence for animals
The most effective response to a wildlife conflict is preventing it from happening in the first place: securing food that attracts animals, protecting vulnerable areas or helping people coexist safely with wildlife.
The proposal also declares hunting and fishing the “preferred means” of managing fish and wildlife populations. That language would place a thumb on the scale before experts and communities have considered the circumstances. It also disenfranchises that majority who are wildlife watchers. In America, there are 10 times more wildlife watchers than hunters spending six times more money on this recreation, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data.
The numbers of Americans participating in hunting has been in rapid decline nationwide over the last several decades. Only 4.6% of Americans hold a hunting license; in Colorado it’s 6.3%.
Conservation should protect functioning ecosystems and the animals who depend on them for our children and our children’s children. Writing a favored management method into the constitution could make that work harder for decades to come.
Colorado voters can still stop this
We have helped defeat similar efforts to cement the “right to hunt” and trap in eight different states in 2026 alone. We know the proponents behind Amendment 83 are eyeing new states as future targets.
That’s why it’s so critical that Coloradoans vote no on this dangerous amendment. If you live in Colorado, please help us get the word out and share how disastrous this amendment would be for wild animals.
Kitty Block is president and CEO of Humane World for Animals. Follow Kitty Block on X. Sara Amundson is president of Humane World Action Fund.
Paid for by Humane World for Animals, Inc. Registered Agent: Aubyn Royall
FFS!!! (RE: Monkey torturer)
Be prepared for bird flu over summer
October 12, 2026 6:25 am in
Be prepared for bird flu over summer – bay 93.9
Share
We’re being told as summer approaches to do our bit to protect against bird flu.
Several birds and animals have died from H5 in the region in recent months.
DEECA says we should take extra steps in parks and around beaches to make sure we aren’t tracking diseases into the region.
Article continues after this ad
Advertisement
“Before and after your walk, check your boots, clothing and gear for soil, seeds and plant material,” they said.
“Clean equipment before visiting a new area , stay on designated tracks where possible, be on the lookout for sick wildlife or signs of disease and report sick or dead birds of any species in Victoria.
“Bushwalkers are often among the first people to spot changes in the environment, making them an important part of Victoria’s biosecurity system.
“By taking a few simple steps before you leave the trail or beach, you can help keep Victoria’s natural places healthy and limit the spread of pests and diseases.”
Anyone who suspects a case is urged to contact the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline.
