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Record warmth in the Arctic this month could yet prove to be a freak occurrence, but experts warn the warming event is unprecedented

A single mutation in an immunity gene called Sting might be one reason why bats can resist the worst effects of harmful viruses such as Ebola.

The 2nd Philippine Environment Summit is a celebration of the Philippine environmental movement showcasing programmes and projects that contribute to social and economic advancement, while taking into account the need to protect the environment.

The theme for next month’s World Wildlife Day being celebrated around the world on 3 March will be “Big Cats: Predators under Threat”. World Wildlife Day, led by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), brings together a coalition of conservation organizations – joined this year for the first time by African Parks, Panthera and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The campaign will stress the importance of actions – at the international, national and personal level – to ensure that big cat species survive in the face of a range of largely human-induced threats.

CMS Executive Secretary, Bradnee Chambers has been attending the biennial meeting of the Polar Bear Ranges States, which was held on this occasion in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. The Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) was added to Appendix II of CMS at the 11th Conference of the Parties in Quito in 2014. Appendix II listing means that Range States are encouraged to conclude agreements for the benefit of the species involved; the Polar Bear Agreement meets the criteria laid out in Article V of the Convention.

The CMS Secretariat is pleased to announce that the Roadmap for the Conservation of the African Wild Ass has been published as part of our Technical Series documents.

In accordance with Article XI, paragraph 5 of the Convention text, the amendments to the Appendices agreed at COP12 have now entered into force.

It is a common misconception to think of nature being confined to the countryside with urban areas being bereft of wildlife – foxes are not an uncommon sight in London, there are goshawks in Berlin, Peregrine Falcons can often be seen flying round and even perching on the UN building in Bonn and giraffes and rhinos roam in the Nairobi National Park against the backdrop of the city’s skyscrapers just a few kilometres away.

The 2nd meeting of the Northern Indian Ocean Marine Turtle Task Force (NIO-MTTF) established by the CMS IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU took place 29-30 January hosted by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Sri Lanka in Colombo. Opened by Secretary Douglas Nanayakkara of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Wildlife, the meeting’s main aim was to reach agreement on concerted regional actions to conserve marine turtles.

We are happy to announce the publication of the Roadmap for the Conservation of the African Wild Ass (Equus africanus). The object of this Roadmap is to outline in broad terms the geographic range, population, habitat and ecology of African Wild Ass and the threats that they are facing. This Roadmap builds on information discussed at the Range State meeting held in March 2017 in Bonn, Germany, and a commenting process that followed.