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Albert the Alligator’s Owner Sues New York State Agency in Effort to Be Reunited

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Tuesday, July 16, 2024

Buffalo, N.Y. — An upstate New York man whose 750-pound alligator was seized is suing the state Department of Environmental Conservation in an effort to get him back, saying the agency was wrong not to renew a license for the pet he looked after for more than 30 years. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Conservation officers entered Tony Cavallaro’s home in the Buffalo suburb of Hamburg in March, sedated the 11-foot alligator named Albert, taped his mouth shut and drove off with him, saying Cavallaro’s license to keep the reptile expired in 2021 and hadn’t been renewed. In his lawsuit filed with the state Supreme Court, Cavallaro says the agency’s denial of his license wasn’t “factually based,” his attorney, Peter Kooshoian, said Tuesday. “We’re hoping that he will get his license to have the animal reinstated, and from there we’d like to either negotiate or litigate to have the animal brought back to Mr. Cavallaro because we feel that he should have had a valid license at the time, as he’d had for the last 30 years,” Kooshoian said. The DEC does not comment on pending litigation, a spokesman said via email when asked for a response to the claims. It previously said Albert’s enclosure didn’t sufficiently ensure that he would not come into contact with people, and that the alligator was afflicted by “blindness in both eyes and spinal complications” — conditions Cavallaro disputes. Officers’ seizure of the alligator, caught on video, and Cavallaro’s videos and photos of him petting and kissing Albert in the custom indoor pool he built led to an outpouring of support for the duo. “Bring Albert Home” signs still dot some neighborhood lawns and more than 4,500 followers keep up with Cavallaro’s efforts on Facebook. “I’m hoping we get this thing resolved. That’s all I can do,” Cavallaro said of the decision to sue. “It’s overwhelming me. … It’s ruined my whole year, destroyed it.” Cavallaro bought the American alligator at an Ohio reptile show in 1990 when Albert was two months old. He considers him an emotional support animal and “gentle giant.” The license became an issue following a change in regulations for possessing dangerous animals adopted by the DEC in 2020. After Cavallaro’s license expired in 2021, the agency said he failed to bring the holding area into compliance with the updated standards to ensure the alligator did not pose a danger to the public. Cavallaro said the DEC failed to follow its own licensing requirements governing people who already owned a wild animal when the new regulations took effect. Albert was taken to Gator Country, a Beaumont, Texas, rescue facility where visitors can interact with the alligators and other reptiles. “You can interact with them in all different ways. It’s like a kick right in my teeth,” Cavallaro said.

An upstate New York man whose 750-pound alligator was seized is suing the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Alligator Seized

Buffalo, N.Y. — An upstate New York man whose 750-pound alligator was seized is suing the state Department of Environmental Conservation in an effort to get him back, saying the agency was wrong not to renew a license for the pet he looked after for more than 30 years.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

Conservation officers entered Tony Cavallaro’s home in the Buffalo suburb of Hamburg in March, sedated the 11-foot alligator named Albert, taped his mouth shut and drove off with him, saying Cavallaro’s license to keep the reptile expired in 2021 and hadn’t been renewed.

In his lawsuit filed with the state Supreme Court, Cavallaro says the agency’s denial of his license wasn’t “factually based,” his attorney, Peter Kooshoian, said Tuesday.

“We’re hoping that he will get his license to have the animal reinstated, and from there we’d like to either negotiate or litigate to have the animal brought back to Mr. Cavallaro because we feel that he should have had a valid license at the time, as he’d had for the last 30 years,” Kooshoian said.

The DEC does not comment on pending litigation, a spokesman said via email when asked for a response to the claims. It previously said Albert’s enclosure didn’t sufficiently ensure that he would not come into contact with people, and that the alligator was afflicted by “blindness in both eyes and spinal complications” — conditions Cavallaro disputes.

Officers’ seizure of the alligator, caught on video, and Cavallaro’s videos and photos of him petting and kissing Albert in the custom indoor pool he built led to an outpouring of support for the duo. “Bring Albert Home” signs still dot some neighborhood lawns and more than 4,500 followers keep up with Cavallaro’s efforts on Facebook.

“I’m hoping we get this thing resolved. That’s all I can do,” Cavallaro said of the decision to sue. “It’s overwhelming me. … It’s ruined my whole year, destroyed it.”

Cavallaro bought the American alligator at an Ohio reptile show in 1990 when Albert was two months old. He considers him an emotional support animal and “gentle giant.”

The license became an issue following a change in regulations for possessing dangerous animals adopted by the DEC in 2020. After Cavallaro’s license expired in 2021, the agency said he failed to bring the holding area into compliance with the updated standards to ensure the alligator did not pose a danger to the public.

Cavallaro said the DEC failed to follow its own licensing requirements governing people who already owned a wild animal when the new regulations took effect.

Albert was taken to Gator Country, a Beaumont, Texas, rescue facility where visitors can interact with the alligators and other reptiles.

“You can interact with them in all different ways. It’s like a kick right in my teeth,” Cavallaro said.

Read the full story here.
Photos courtesy of

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Would a ban on genetic engineering of wildlife hamper conservation?

Some conservation groups are calling for an effective ban on genetic modification, but others say these technologies are crucial for preserving biodiversity

The idea of genetically modifying wild lions divides opinionAndrewfel/Shutterstock Should we genetically modify wild lions? Of course not, might be your instant response. But what if lions were being wiped out by a devastating disease introduced by people? What if the genetic change was a tiny tweak that makes them immune to this disease, of the sort that might evolve naturally given enough time and enough dead lions? These kinds of questions are dividing conservationists, and matters are about to come to a head. In the coming week, at a meeting of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – the world’s leading conservation organisation – delegates will vote on a motion that would “pause” any form of genetic engineering of wildlife, including the introduction of modified microbes. “I have no idea how the vote will go,” says Piero Genovesi at the Institute for Environmental Protection and Research in Italy, who helped draft an open letter opposing the proposed motion. An IUCN moratorium on synthetic biology would have no legal force, but it could still have far-reaching effects. For instance, many conservation organisations might stop funding work involving genetic engineering, and some countries could make such a ban part of national laws. “The moratorium would certainly be problematic on many levels,” says Ben Novak at Revive & Restore, a US-based non-profit that aims to use biotechnologies to rescue endangered and extinct species. Why is this happening now? In a word, CRISPR. In 2014, it was shown that CRISPR gene-editing technology can be used to create gene drives – basically, a piece of DNA that gets passed down to all offspring, rather than the usual half. This means a gene drive can spread even if it is harmful and could, in theory, be used to wipe out invasive species. Gene drives could also be used to spread beneficial traits, such as disease resistance. At a conference in Hawaii in 2016, there was talk of using gene drives to get rid of the invasive mosquitoes that have wiped out half of Hawaii’s native bird species, says Genovesi. Some conservationists were enthusiastic; others were horrified. That triggered the events leading to the proposed moratorium. “Gene drives are being pushed quite strongly by some as the panacea for dealing with all sorts of environmental problems,” says Ricarda Steinbrecher at EcoNexus, a research organisation that is among those backing a moratorium. But the broad wording of the proposed motion applies to far more than gene drives. It would rule out most de-extinction efforts, for instance, and could also be seen as banning live vaccines. Steinbrecher says a moratorium is a pause, not a permanent block, and that there could be another vote to end it “when we have more data”. But some of those backing the ban are campaign groups opposed to any genetic engineering, so it is hard to see what would change their minds. “I am afraid it could be a very long ban,” says Genovesi. Take the idea of using gene editing to make wild animals resistant to diseases. Steinbrecher says gene editing could have unintended side effects. But the evidence we have suggests the risks are low – which is why several gene-edited foods are already being eaten, and why the first CRISPR treatment for people got approved last year. The same benefits-versus-risks considerations apply with conservation. Is it really better to stand by and watch coral reefs being wiped out by global warming than to, say, release genetically engineered algal symbionts that give corals more heat tolerance? A key issue is scalability, says Novak. Divers transplanting corals by hand are never going to save reefs. “This is where synthetic biology tools are vital,” he says. “The overall goals of restoring 30 per cent of land to nature, of saving species, etc, will not be attainable without synthetic biology.” Ultimately, this is about competing visions of nature. Some see nature as pristine and sacrosanct, and are appalled by the idea of any genetic meddling. But humans have been transforming nature ever since we wiped out most megafauna. We are already unintentionally meddling genetically by imposing all kinds of selection pressures. Hunting, pollution, pesticides, invasive species and introduced diseases are forcing many plants and animals to change to survive. Some elephant populations are nearly tuskless, for instance. Of course, this doesn’t mean that more meddling will make things better. There are indeed serious risks to releasing gene drives – for instance, gene drives designed to wipe out invasive species might spread to the native range of the target species. But researchers are very aware of the risks. And there are ways to reduce them, for instance by making gene drives self-limiting so they cannot just spread indefinitely. “We are facing a dramatic crisis of biodiversity,” says Genovesi. “We shouldn’t close the door to new tools that could help us combat some of the major threats.” Conservation and rewilding in the Central Apennines: Italy Journey into Italy’s Central Apennines region for a fascinating introduction to the concept and practicalities of rewilding.

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How Jane Goodall shaped generations of science and conservation in Africa

The late primatologist and advocate became a global face of and inspiration for field research and environmental protection across the continent.

British primatologist Jane Goodall, who died Wednesday at 91, fostered and wielded vast influence over science and environmental protection across Africa, researchers and conservationists said. She became a global face for issues that would shape the world’s view of the continent for decades.

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‘A remarkable ability to inspire’: global tributes pour in for Jane Goodall

Barack Obama, Prince William and Tanzanian president among many to mark death of primatologist at age of 91Word leaders, friends and former colleagues have been paying tribute to the primatologist Jane Goodall, who died in California on Wednesday aged 91.Goodall devoted her life to studying chimpanzees and other great apes, and became a global champion for primates and for conservation, helping to challenge the idea that the primates were vegetarian and that only humans could use tools. She died in her sleep from natural causes in Los Angeles while on a speaking tour, according to her institute, leading to an outpouring of dedications from around the world. Continue reading...

Word leaders, friends and former colleagues have been paying tribute to the primatologist Jane Goodall, who died in California on Wednesday aged 91.Goodall devoted her life to studying chimpanzees and other great apes, and became a global champion for primates and for conservation, helping to challenge the idea that the primates were vegetarian and that only humans could use tools. She died in her sleep from natural causes in Los Angeles while on a speaking tour, according to her institute, leading to an outpouring of dedications from around the world.“Jane Goodall had a remarkable ability to inspire us to connect with the natural wonders of our world, and her groundbreaking work on primates and the importance of conservation opened doors for generations of women in science,” said former US president Barack Obama. “Michelle and I are thinking of all those who loved and admired her,” he said.Prince William said the world had lost “an extraordinary voice”.“Her boundless curiosity, compassion and pioneering spirit transformed our understanding of the natural world. She challenged us all to make a difference and inspired me and countless others to work to protect our planet. Jane Goodall made a difference,” he said in a statement.The naturalist and broadcaster, Chris Packham, said: “Goodall was extremely determined. She was a do-it-yourselfer. She broke down barriers and wasn’t interested in broken or outdated conventions in science – she was bold and brave, an important inspiration to women wishing to enter science.Chris Packham described Goodall as bold and brave. Photograph: Everett/Shutterstock“She also became a powerful advocate for life, quiet, considered, clear and passionate. And critically tireless – she died on her job, trying to communicate the urgent need to confront climate breakdown and biodiversity loss. We have lost one of the greatest and most necessary voices for life on Earth ‘Tanzanian president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, said Goodall was a friend of the country and paid tribute to her decades of research on chimpanzees in Gombe national park. “With great sorrow, I have received the news of the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall. A renowned zoologist, primatologist, researcher and a friend of Tanzania, Dr. Goodall’s pioneering work at Gombe National Park transformed wildlife conservation, and placed our country at the heart of global efforts to protect chimpanzees and nature. Her legacy will live on. May she Rest in Peace,” she wrote on X.The University of East Anglia biologist Prof Ben Garrod, who worked closely with her for many years, said: “Jane Goodall was transformative. She was often the quietest person in the loudest room, who would have the greatest impact. She worked absolutely tirelessly to make the world better for everyone, whether you were young or old, rich or poor, human or any other animal. She worked non-stop, travelling 300 days a year, working every day I knew her, working to change the world.”Amanda Hurowitz, great apes programme director for Mighty Earth, said: “I will never forget listening to Jane Goodall pant hoot (a loud chimpanzee call that has an intro, build-up, climax and let-down) in a room at the US Capitol with members of Congress and other dignitaries. She inspired so many with her dedication to protecting our next of kin and teaching about how much we all shared.”American primatologist Russell Mittermeier, chief conservation officer for the NGO Re:wild, said: “There will never again be anyone like Jane,” said , who is . “I have known Jane for nearly 50 years, and have always been amazed by her boundless energy, her vision and her truly global impact. All of us will miss her,” he said.David Obura, the head of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem, said Goodall’s work inspired him as a teenager. “I devoured her books that were really an account not just of her science, which shone through brilliantly, but of living in, and really identifying with the nature that became her life. I wanted to emulate what she found. And then as an adult with her humility and purpose – it was all about the species, places and people that she brought to the world’s attention,” he said.Actor and conservationist Leonardo DiCaprio said Goodall was “his hero”.“Her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in Tanzania transformed our understanding of how our closest relatives live, socialise, and think – reminding us that we are deeply connected not only to chimpanzees and other great apes, but to all life,” he wrote on Instagram. “She never stopped,” he said.Apple CEO, Tim Cook, said Goodall was “a groundbreaking scientist and leader who taught us all so much about the beauty and wonder of our world. She never stopped advocating for nature, people, and the planet we share. May she rest in peace.”Leading environmental lawyer Farhana Yamin said Goodall was “an outstanding scientist and environmentalist. She helped us understand apes but also ourselves. Thanks to her outstanding observations we know that language, love and caring are core parts of the more than human world and we don’t own nature but are part of it.And the CEO of the African Wildlife Foundation, Kaddu Sebunya, said that the AWF “recommits to carrying forward the flame she lit, ensuring that Africa remains at the heart of global conservation, and that her vision of a just and thriving world for people and nature endures.” Sebunya added that: “On a personal note, I commend her for the path she charted, one that showed young girls everywhere, including my own daughter, that it is possible to dream boldly, to lead fearlessly, and to leave the world better than they found it.”

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Jane Goodall dies at 91 after transforming chimpanzee science and conservation

British primatologist Jane Goodall, who transformed the study of chimpanzees and became one of the world’s most revered wildlife advocates, has died at the age of 91, her institute announced Wednesday. Goodall “passed away due to natural causes” while in California on a speaking tour of the United States, the Jane Goodall Institute said in […] The post Jane Goodall dies at 91 after transforming chimpanzee science and conservation appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

British primatologist Jane Goodall, who transformed the study of chimpanzees and became one of the world’s most revered wildlife advocates, has died at the age of 91, her institute announced Wednesday. Goodall “passed away due to natural causes” while in California on a speaking tour of the United States, the Jane Goodall Institute said in a statement on Instagram. In a final video posted before her death, Goodall, dressed in her trademark green, told an audience: “Some of us could say ‘Bonjour,’ some of us could say ‘Guten Morgen,’ and so on, but I can say, ‘Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! That’s ‘good morning’ in chimpanzee.'” Tributes poured in from across the conservation world.  “Dr. Jane Goodall was able to share the fruits of her research with everyone, especially the youngest, and to change our view of great apes,” said Audrey Azoulay, director general of UNESCO, adding Goodall had supported the agency’s conservation work. “My heart breaks at the news that the brave, heartful, history-making Jane Goodall has passed,” actress Jane Fonda said on Instagram. “I loved her very much.” “I think the best way we can honor her life is to treat the earth and all its beings like our family, with love and respect,” added Fonda, herself a prominent environmental activist.  Groundbreaking discoveries Born in London on April 3, 1934, Goodall grew fascinated with animals in her early childhood, when her father gave her a stuffed toy chimpanzee that she kept for life. She was also captivated by the Tarzan books, about a boy raised by apes who falls in love with a woman named Jane. In 1957 at the invitation of a friend she traveled to Kenya, where she began working for the renowned paleontologist Louis Leakey. Goodall’s breakthrough came when Leakey dispatched her to study chimpanzees in Tanzania. She became the first of three women he chose to study great apes in the wild, alongside American Dian Fossey (gorillas) and Canadian Birute Galdikas (orangutans). Goodall’s most famous finding was that chimpanzees use grass stalks and twigs as tools to fish termites from their mounds. On the strength of her research, Leakey urged Goodall to pursue a doctorate at Cambridge University, where she became only the eighth person ever to earn a PhD without first obtaining an undergraduate degree. She also documented chimpanzees’ capacity for violence — from infanticide to long-running territorial wars — challenging the notion that our closest cousins were inherently gentler than humans. Instead, she showed they too had a darker side. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute to further research and conservation of chimpanzees. In 1991 she launched Roots & Shoots, a youth-led environmental program that today operates in more than 60 countries. Her activism was sparked in the 1980s after attending a US conference on chimpanzees, where she learned of the threats they faced: exploitation in medical research, hunting for bushmeat, and widespread habitat destruction. From then on, she became a relentless advocate for wildlife, traveling the globe into her nineties. Goodall married twice: first to Dutch nobleman and wildlife photographer Baron Hugo van Lawick, with whom she had her only child, Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick, who survives her.  That marriage ended in divorce and was followed by a second, to Tanzanian lawmaker Derek Bryceson, who later died of cancer. Message of hope Goodall wrote dozens of books, including for children. She appeared in documentaries, and earned numerous honors, among them being made a Dame Commander by Britain and receiving the US Presidential Medal of Freedom from then-president Joe Biden. She was also immortalized as both a Lego figure and a Barbie doll, and was famously referenced in a Gary Larson cartoon depicting two chimps grooming. “Conducting a little more ‘research’ with that Jane Goodall tramp?” one chimp asks the other, after finding a blonde hair. Her institute threatened legal action, but Goodall herself waved it off, saying she found it amusing. “The time for words and false promises is past if we want to save the planet,” she told AFP in an interview last year ahead of a UN nature summit in Colombia. Her message was also one of personal responsibility and empowerment. “Each individual has a role to play, and every one of us makes some impact on the planet every single day, and we can choose what sort of impact we make.” The post Jane Goodall dies at 91 after transforming chimpanzee science and conservation appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

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Remembering Jane Goodall in Photos: the Conservationist Renowned for Chimpanzee Research

Famed primatologist Jane Goodall has died at 91. Her pioneering chimpanzee research and global environmental advocacy reshaped conservation.

Famed primatologist Jane Goodall has died at 91. Her pioneering chimpanzee research and global environmental advocacy reshaped conservation.This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Photos You Should See – Sept. 2025

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