2012 has been a roller coaster of a year for animal news. Here we've rounded-up the top stories for successes in conservation, discoveries and extinctions of species, red alerts for worrying trends we can turn around if we act quickly, and the best photo galleries of animals living and extinct. Thankfully there is more good news than bad news rounded up here.
So don't be discouraged with the troubling news -- keep clicking through the slides because there is lots to be happy about despite the losses we've endured during 2012.
Bad News
credit: Franco Folini
As the planet gets hotter, a minimum of 9 percent of animals in the Western Hemisphere -- and up to 40 percent in some areas -- will not be able to migrate quickly enough to new, suitable habitat. They literally won't be able to outrun climate change.
Good News
credit: USFWS Southeast
Green sea turtle numbers are showing signs that years of conservation efforts are starting to pay off. Conservation International has announced that over 1.4 million green turtle eggs were laid last year in 14,220 nests on Baguan Island of Turtle Islands, Tawi-Tawi. This is an all-time high since 1984 when recording began.
Red Alert
credit: dodsport
KittyCam is a project put together by University of Georgia and the National Geographic Society's Crittercam, the same technology used for tracking wildlife as diverse as elephant seals and sea turtles. This time, instead of wild animals the technology was applied to our domestic cats -- the lap-sized lions that hunt untold numbers of birds.
News in Photos
credit: Unknown photographer, 1933
It's amazing the unique and interesting species that we can now see only in these old, faded photographs. Check out this slideshow featuring some phenomenal lost species.
Though the total population is comprised of 179 individuals living in zoos, and 226 living in the wild, the progress that has been made so far to save this species is encouraging. However, the condor is not out of the woods yet.
Bad News
Imagine we halted Amazon deforestation today. Even if this miracle were to happen, a new study shows there are still many species that have been impacted by habitat loss so severely that we cannot save them from extinction.
Good News
credit: David Berkowitz
Five key nations pulled together in an unprecedented alliance to create the world's largest conservation area. Thanks to this new protected zone, wildlife in Africa will be able to get around much more freely -- and safely.
News in Photos
credit: Rebecca Jackrel
Conservation photographer Rebecca Jackrel visited Florida in February to spend time with these gentle giants. Here are some of her fantastic photos documenting manatees and their plight.
Red Alert
credit: Rod Mast
According to a new survey, the tropical waters of the Eastern Pacific may represent the next epicenter for marine extinctions.
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