Results tagged “wildlife”

When a friend of ours visited Kenya a few years ago she stopped by an elephant orphanage operated by The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and fell in love with the cause. In particular she connected with an adorable little blind baby elephant named Ndolo --who was later profiled on 60 Minutes -- and she was deeply moved by the dedication of the people working with the animals and for the Trust. The Trust operates primarily in Tsavo National Park rescuing and raising both elephant and rhino orphans upholding the ivory ban, de-snaring operations, a mobile veterinary project, animal welfare, and general conservation initiatives. more ›

Things are a mess at the Caterpillar plant in Rockdale (near Joliet) this morning after a holding tank overflowed, sending 65,000 gallons of oil sludge spilling out into the surrounding area. Of that, 6,000 gallons wound up in the Des Plaines River. By Sunday night, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency officials claimed the spill had been contained and, according to spokeswoman Maggie Carson, "there is no evidence of a fish kill or harm to water fowl." Ginny Narsete, a spokeswoman for the U.S. EPA, said there was not enough oil or sludge in the water to cut off the oxygen supply to any fish in the river, the biggest danger in these situations. Of course, it was a three mile stretch of the Des Plaines that was affected, so while it's not out of the question there wasn't much harm to wildlife, it's still 6,000 gallons of oil sludge; that's going to mess with some part of the eco-system, right? Officials insist there is no eminent danger to any humans living in the area, though. more ›