Latest news with #ABQBioPark
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
How ABQ BioPark is working to save Rio Grande silvery minnows
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) — They were once found all throughout the Rio Grande, but they now inhabit less than 7% of their historic range. The Rio Grande silvery minnow is considered one of North America's most endangered freshwater fish, and the ABQ BioPark is playing its part in making sure the minnows don't go extinct. Story continues below Community:ABQ bus driver speaks out on her experience of safety issues on Central route News:Homeland Security: 11 people arrested at New Mexico dairy were 'undocumented' Trending:Mexican gray wolf Asha gives birth to litter of pups Food: Two Albuquerque restaurants make Yelp's 'Top 50 Cheap Eats' list Prior to the rain, parts of the Rio Grande had begun drying out. This threatened to strand and kill native fish as temperatures increased and water receded. BioPark biologists worked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists to rescue fish, including reproductively-ready silvery minnows, from isolated pools. Those fish were brought to ABQ BioPark's Aquatic Conservation Facility where they successfully spawned. Half of the eggs were hatched, and 30,000 minnows are now growing at ACF. The remaining eggs were sent to the Southwestern Native Aquatic Resources and Recovery Center. 'We're up against the realities of climate change — and this year shows just how important it is to be ready to act under any conditions,' said BioPark Director Brandon Gibson. 'Whether the river is running low or rising fast, we're doing everything we can to support silvery minnow recovery.' Back in early May, a temporary release of irrigation water mimicking natural spring floods was coordinated – also known as a 'pulse flow.' This pulse alongside the rain sparked a spawning event and 46,000 eggs were collected from the river. 'These fish form the base of the food web and indicate the health of the entire river ecosystem,' the BioPark stated in a news release. 'If lost, far more than a single species is impacted.' The efforts are part of a long-term recovery program which has seen over 1 million silvery minnows hatches and released. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
City of Albuquerque proposes Renters' Bill of Rights to hold landlords accountable
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque city leaders are considering new rules to help hold rental landlords' feet to the fire over hidden costs and complicated contracts. The city said the rules would force landlords to be clear about charges and better enable the city to check in on bad properties through a registration system. Story continues below News: UNM researchers make new discovery about Yellowstone National Park supervolcano New Mexico Strange: A dive into the Painted Lady's violent past, haunted present Community: Major renovation' planned for ABQ BioPark Children's Fantasy Garden New Mexico Crime Files: A deputy tazing a high school student goes too far 'We know a lot of families are living in unsafe or unpredictable conditions. This ordinance is a response to that. This is really another response to the housing crisis. It's about giving renters basic transparency protections and some stability,' said Shanna Schultz with the CABQ Office of Policy & Government Affairs. City leaders are calling the idea the RENT ordinance, which stands for 'Renter's Empowerment and Neighborhood Transparency.' Among the ideas, landlords would be forced to review applications first-come, first-served. It would also stop 'pet rent,' where people are charged extra each month for having an animal. The city also wants landlords to accept all kinds of rent payments with no fees or extra charges, whether it's cash, check, or electronic. 'Addressing the housing crisis is not just about building more units, it's also about making sure that homes people already have are fair, safe, and secure conditions,' said Schultz. The new rules also look to require landlords to clearly list costs tenants could face upfront before getting locked into a lease. There's also a push to make what would be the city's first rental registration system, so the city has contact info for landlords. The bill is being introduced in Monday night's Albuquerque City Council meeting, but it could go up for a final vote in two weeks before the council takes the month of July off. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Drivers asked to avoid area near Lomas and Central due to flooding
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Flash flooding has been reported in a neighborhood near Lomas Boulevard and Central Avenue in Albuquerque Monday afternoon following heavy rainfall. Story continues below News: UNM researchers make new discovery about Yellowstone National Park supervolcano New Mexico Strange: A dive into the Painted Lady's violent past, haunted present Community: Major renovation' planned for ABQ BioPark Children's Fantasy Garden New Mexico Crime Files: A deputy tazing a high school student goes too far Several roadways in the area are currently impacted by high water, and the city is urging commuters to avoid the area, seek alternate routes, and not drive through flooded intersections. The City of Albuquerque said crews are working to assess and mitigate the flooding. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Albuquerque BioPark building new endangered wolf facility
May 5—People living next door to the Albuquerque botanic gardens might hear howling wolves in their neighborhood come winter. The ABQ BioPark is increasing its capacity to care for and breed endangered Mexican gray wolves with a new behind-the-scenes facility near the botanic garden and adjacent to the bosque. The BioPark has been working on Mexican gray wolf conservation since 1976. "We want to be champions of New Mexico conservation, and the wolf is a keystone species here. It's iconic," said BioPark Director Brandon Gibson. Seven of the endangered wolves call the zoo home, and 79 wolf pups have been born at the BioPark. The last litter of wolf pups was born at the zoo in 2020. The BioPark has a main wolf exhibit and two back holding areas. The five-acre area will have several layers of fencing and three foot cement dig barriers. The initial habitat fence is under construction, and the facility is slated to be finished in August, said Lynn Tupa, BioPark associate director. The $3.3 million facility is being funded by $400,000 from Fish and Wildlife and money collected from a gross receipts tax, which was approved by voters in 2016. The amount collected through the city-based tax varies depending on Albuquerque's economy. The BioPark anticipates collecting $22 million this fiscal year, Gibson said, but a few years ago it was $16 million. The wolf facility will have five large pens that could be further divided into eight holding pens, potentially allowing the zoo to house four to eight breeding pairs. Captive breeding of the wolves is carefully coordinated with U.S. Fish and Wildlife and other zoos to ensure any wolf pups born have adequate space and can potentially be released into the wild. Fish and Wildlife has a cross fostering program where pups born in captivity are introduced to a wild litter of pups in the experimental population area, which straddles central New Mexico and Arizona, to help grow the wild wolf population. "They're finding it's more successful that way than introducing adults, because adults, it takes a skill to learn how to hunt and kill. They get the natural learning from the ground up," Tupa said. Logistically, it's easier to move wolf pups from the Albuquerque BioPark to the experimental population area than from other breeding zoos like the Brookfield Zoo in New York, Tupa said. The new facility is away from the public, because even hearing human voices can taint a wolf's ability to succeed in the wild, Tupa said. The holding pens will also provide more space for the BioPark to care for injured wolves. The BioPark's veterinary team has treated four wild wolves since December. The most recent was a yearling female wolf who had been trapped in a leghold. Ranchers sometimes leave leghold traps for coyotes that the endangered wolves can inadvertently be caught in, said the BioPark's head veterinarian Dr. Carol Bradford. The wolf's leg had to be amputated. "Amputated wolves have done successfully in the wild. They hunt in a pack, so they have their friends and family helping them hunt, and they've even reproduced after amputation," Bradford said. Unlike animals who call the zoo home, wild animals have to be released quickly, and balancing the need for speedy treatment with medical care can be a challenge. "We understand the biologists' need and desire to get them out as soon as possible, so that their pack doesn't move on, or so that they're not too accustomed to people," Bradford said. The yearling wolf was brought to the zoo in mid-March and was back in the wild by March 25. "I love taking care of BioPark animals, but to be part of conservation projects and to contribute to a critically endangered species and to help them survive, to me, that's extremely fulfilling and rewarding," Bradford said.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
ABQ BioPark mourns loss of popular gibbon
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The ABQ BioPark made a tragic announcement this week. Makaio, an eight-year-old white-cheeked Gibbon, has passed. Makaio arrived at the BioPark in April 2024 and quickly became a favorite. His animal care team discovered him in his habitat early Thursday morning. ABQ BioPark welcomes Cape vulture chick Zoo officials say at this time, the cause of death is unknown but they are investigating. White-cheeked gibbons are a critically endangered species, facing grave threats in the wild, including habitat loss, illegal hunting, and the pet trade. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
