A cloud of Brazilian free-tailed bats emerges from a cave in Texas at dusk. 🦇
Thanks for submitting such a cool bat picture, Becca Stallings!
Submit your own photos for a chance to be featured: dfnd.us/4ed0TlN 📸
Sometimes when you’re looking for wildlife, wildlife finds you first...
Thanks for your Photo Contest submission, Clint McKnight!
We've filed a lawsuit against the God Squad.
After their unprecedented and unlawful decision to allow unchecked drilling in the Gulf of Mexico through a blanket exemption of Endangered Species Act protections, we decided to take legal action to overturn it.
Read more: dfnd.us/4tPTuNE
Our first Winner of the Week goes to Debbie Hall! Her photo of a curious raccoon gets the Most Intrepid Explorer award. Thanks for joining our USA 250: Shaped by the Wild Photo Contest!
Winners will be announced biweekly – don’t forget to submit!
dfnd.us/4c1Yt6G
Enjoy a magical moment with us...
Good news!
We’re celebrating the historic translocation of two Mexican gray wolf families in Durango, Mexico, almost 50 years after the last wolves were removed from the state to begin the captive breeding program that saved this wolf from extinction.
Read more: dfnd.us/4ssV72x ⬅️🐺
Don’t forget to submit your favorite wildlife photos for a chance to win and be featured on our socail pages for our USA 250: Shaped by the Wild Photo Contest!
Submit your photos, here: dfnd.us/4c1Yt6G 📸
What have honeybees been up to?
Honeybees spend the winter huddled together inside their hive, placing the queen in the center, keeping her warmest.
Talk about snug a bug in a rug...
We see ourselves in our wild neighbors.
Like them, we push boundaries, we create community, we go the distance, and so much more.
But unlike them, we fight for their future and their safety.
Why do we do what we do?
So we can all live in a world that is truly full and inspiring!
🦬🦋🦉🦎🦇🦫🐜🐻❄️🦚🦌🐋🦅🐺🐝
In a major victory for North Carolina’s Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests, a federal court ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Forest Service violated the Endangered Species Act when creating their controversial forest management plan.
Learn more! dfnd.us/4vaERps 🌲
America was shaped by the wild. And throughout history, we have recognized the importance of protecting wildlife and wild lands – this is our shared heritage.
While our country may not always see eye to eye, when it comes to our love for wildlife, we know we’re united.
A photo of two baby sea turtles on a pebbly beach with a mound out of focus in the background. White text above them reads "Wildlife is ready for their closeup." and below that is text against a blue oval that reads "Submit your photo." In the top left, is the Defenders logo and an orange ribbon coming out from it to the right with white text that reads "USA 250: Shaped by the Wild Photo Contest." Photo credit to Mark Sullivan/NOAA in the bottom left.
Submit your best wildlife photos for a chance to win our USA 250: Shaped by the Wild Photo Contest!
dfnd.us/4c1Yt6G
In celebration of America 250, we are featuring our favorite wildlife photos from your submissions over the next few months with winners chosen weekly and photos posted bi-weekly.
This morning, our staff went to the Department of the Interior building in Washington, DC to protest illegal action by the “God Squad” and to demonstrate our support for vulnerable wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico.
We will continue to fight this injustice every step of the way.
Good news!
Last week, we achieved a court victory in Florida with a ruling that the federal government, not the state, will remain in charge of overseeing development permits to build in Florida’s wetlands. When agencies follow the law, we all win, wetlands and wildlife included.
dfnd.us/4lZ4GEV
Our friends are right – it feels great after you clean out your burrow.
Savoring the last drops of your morning cup of coffee?
Then, there might be some animals that you need to thank!
Without certain species, we’d never get to enjoy some of life’s great gifts like coffee, honey, and even tequila. Learn about some foods we get with a little help from wildlife!
For recovery to succeed, Mexican gray wolves must be allowed to run naturally across the landscapes where they belong. Every young wolf who leaves its pack has the potential to start a new family, creating a stronger future for the animal and the species.
Read more: dfnd.us/40S2FRl #LoboWeek
The Trump admin plans to resurrect the “God Squad.” So named for its power to decide which vulnerable species live or die, the God Squad could bypass ESA protection to support the “drill, baby, drill” agenda.
Soon, they’re expected to make a decision.
Send a message today: dfnd.us/41pFduO
How do we help Mexican gray wolves? With the Mexican Wolf Recovery program!
In collaboration with wildlife agencies, we provide support with field technician sponsorships to assist with monitoring, conflict reduction and management, while providing field techs with hands-on experience.
In 1982, school children selected the Florida Panther as the official state animal!
To save the Florida panther, we have been hard at work providing coexistence tools and opportunities to farmers, ranchers, agencies and communities across Florida for many years.
Learn more: dfnd.us/4sUsXOJ
Spring has sprung! Oh no, too much springing too, much springing!
Happy First Day of Spring 🌹🌷🌼🌹🌷🌼🌹🌷🌼🌹🌷🌼
The Trump Administration intends to convene the Endangered Species Committee – AKA the “God Squad” – to consider an ESA exemption for oil and gas development in the Gulf. The Trump admin plans to bend over backwards to benefit Big Oil at the expense of our shared wild heritage.
➡️ dfnd.us/4rJBFyn ⬅️
Have you noticed?
Noticed what?
The world around you 🌺
Did you know that there are about 250 dedicated wildlife crossings in Florida? 70 of those overlap with Florida panther habitat, but we need more.
Over the last decade, vehicle strikes were responsible for over 80% of Florida panther deaths.
Wildlife crossings save lives! 🐾🚸
As we celebrate another year of the National Wildlife Refuge System, let’s explore five refuges that highlight the importance of this great institution.
We encourage you to find and explore a refuge near you!
Read more: dfnd.us/3NwUUgu
A mission blue butterfly on a twig. Photo credit to Patrick Kobernus/USFWS.
Mission blue butterflies depends heavily on lupine – a plant with a tall cone of colorful flowers with sprawling leaves – throughout their life.
When eggs hatch, their caterpillars feed on the leaves then enter a dormant state, which is perfectly timed with the lupines shift from leaves to flowers!
When working in wildlife conservation and recovery, you get moments that make it all worth it.
Thank you to the black-footed ferrets, the manatees, the eagles, the beetles, and the salamanders that make those moments happen.
Find your moment fighting for wildlife!
