Land Habitat
Damage to planet ‘dire’ says UN report
(CNS): A dangerous combination of climate change, pollution, mass extinctions and a growing human population are described in the latest disturbing report from the United Nations, as world leaders met in Kenya for the 4th Environmental Assembly this week. The report states that “damage to the planet is so dire that people’s health will be […]
Cull off target as iguanas set to breed
(CNS): Cullers have exterminated almost 450,000 green iguanas since October, when the nationwide initiative to get the exploding population of pests under control was launched. But the early targets set by the Department of Environment are now falling off just as the summer breeding season approaches. From an estimated 1.5 million greens roaming Grand Cayman […]
Fossils reveal unique Cayman mammal species
(CNS): Ancient remains of animals eaten by crocodiles here in the Cayman Islands have revealed three species of previously unknown mammals that were indigenous to these islands, however the small furry creatures have been extinct for around 300 years. The fossilised bones were collected from caves, sinkholes and peat deposits across the islands between the […]
NCC presses on with land protection
(CNS): The National Conservation Council has recommended another ten environmentally important sites, nominated by the community, be protected under the conservation law, following a public consultation period. The ten sites cover all three islands and include a diversity of natural habitats, from wetlands to primaeval forest. Following Wednesday’s meeting, the council voted to present the […]
Quarries threaten protected wildlife pond
(CNS): Meagre Bay Pond in Bodden Town, an important feeding site for resident and migratory herons, egrets, waders, ducks and other water birds, is being “adversely affected” by two quarries because access routes between them and the pond are being inundated with water from the quarries, the Department of Environment has warned in detailed submissions […]
New cullers swell ranks but count off target
(CNS): Another 115 people signed up to take part in the island-wide green iguana cull on Grand Cayman following the latest registration call. but the daily target of around 6,000 being culled is still not being met just a few months after the start of the species’ breeding season. The carcasses of around 400,000 iguanas […]
Thermal cameras on drones seek out iguanas
(CNS): The invasive green iguana may be a cold-blooded reptile but the Department of Environment has been ferreting them out using thermal cameras mounted on drones. The DoE Terrestrial Resources Unit, which is partnering with researchers at Harrisburg University and Elizabeth Town College for this initiative, revealed in the latest edition of its magazine, Flicker, how the […]
Oxitec packs up but evaluation not complete
(CNS): The controversial research project which saw genetically modified sterile male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes released into an area of West Bay in a collaboration between the Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) and the bio-technology company Oxitec has come to a formal end. However, details of what happened, what went right or wrong, why the government went […]
Listen Up! Barkers under threat
(CNS Podcast): In this pilot episode of the CNS podcast “Listen Up!”, which will be a frequent but not necessarily regular feature on Cayman News Service, we take a closer look at what’s happening at Barkers Beach. The proposed development in this area has been in the news lately and has caused quite a stir […]
More hands needed to keep iguana cull on track
(CNS): The Department of Environment is making another call for more registered green iguana cullers, as the number of the invasive species being killed has begun to decline. The current group of cullers has managed to remove around 350,000 iguanas during the island-wide effort to massively diminish the population and reduce the negative impact they […]
Blues get over $200k for future conservation
(CNS): The Blue Iguana Recovery Programme, which has saved Grand Cayman’s iconic and endemic iguana from extinction, has received a welcome grant of over CI$212,000 as it moves into Phase II of this critically important conservation project. The money has come from the the Darwin Plus Initiative, a UK-based grant scheme that helps to protect biodiversity and […]
