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Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Yahoo
Those De-Extinct Dire Wolves Were a Warning. Well, the Next Phase Is Coming.
Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. New Zealanders are engaged in a daily struggle to protect their isolated islands at the edge of the world. Visitors pass through a biosecurity gantlet at the airport, with specially trained beagles sniffing out such contraband as seeds, fruit, vegetables, meats, or honey. Border agents spray camping gear to kill contaminants. On a larger scale, the government's Predator Free 2050 campaign aims to eradicate all introduced predators by 2050 to allow native fauna and flora to thrive. As the in-flight Air New Zealand video announces before you land, 'This fragile place is all we've got. …That's why we guard it.' There's a reason we're so defensive. Before humans, flightless birds like the kākāpō and kiwi thrived. The only native mammal was a bat. When the Māori arrived 800 years ago, they brought dogs and rats. Then, Europeans made things worse. They imported possums for fur, rabbits to hunt for sport, then ravenous stoats to control the rabbit population. (Stoats look like ferrets and kill not just one bird at a time, but entire nests.) So-called 'acclimatization societies' introduced hedgehogs to make New Zealand feel more like Great Britain. Today, the New Zealand Department of Conservation calls the hedgehog 'our most underrated predator,' noting that just one of them 'can cause an entire colony of endangered black-fronted terns to abandon their nests.' Together, these imported creatures caused a mass extinction; nearly half of New Zealand's vertebrate species have disappeared since their arrival on the islands. Predators destroy an estimated 25 million birds, chicks, and eggs a year, while 30 million possums gobble up 21,000 tons of vegetation a night, depleting the food supply for native animals. Today, largely due to non-native animals, New Zealand has one of the highest extinction rates of native species in the world. No wonder the federal government launched Predator Free 2050 in 2016 with an initial investment of $28 million. Since then, the initiative has attracted more funding and passionate participation, from the North Island to the South. While no city is free of predators, more than 100 offshore islands are, and more than 80 eco-sanctuaries protect native ecosystems. I live in Dunedin, a city on the South Island, and have seen firsthand how effective the war against predators has been. As a journalist and a volunteer, I've set and checked traps called 'Trapinators' and 'Mammalian Corrections Units' with Predator Free Dunedin, a conservation collective that has battled possums, rats, hedgehogs, and stoats since 2018. Since then, more than 6,300 traps have been set in and around the city, and more than 50,000 individual predators have been eliminated. We know these animals are not malevolent, just trying to survive, and so the traps dispatch them with as little suffering as possible. They work: The long finger of the Otago Peninsula, once overrun with possums, is now almost free of them. Native birds such as kererū and tūī are returning to the city. Setting and checking traps, replanting native bush, checking corflute for teeth marks and the ground for scat—it's muddy and exhausting work, and the road to a predator-free 2050 is long. But we're winning. So we should be wary of the shiny offer from Texas-based biotech firm Colossal Biosciences, which announced in July that it intends to 'de-extinct' the moa, a gigantic wingless bird that was killed off about 600 years ago. This is the same company that 'brought back' the ice-age dire wolf with financial help from Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin. This project also has a high-profile partner in Sir Peter Jackson, the New Zealand film director behind Lord of the Rings. In a slick promotional video, Jackson says that 'being extinct isn't really the end of the story.' Various narrators explain that the 'nearly mythological' moa inspires the imagination. Its return will be 'empowering' and restore 'hope' as it supercharges conservation efforts and rehabilitates a vital piece of Māori cultural heritage. All that from a moa. Except it won't be a moa. In the case of the allegedly de-extincted 'dire wolves,' what Colossal Biosciences actually produced were some gray wolves with 20 gene edits to make them look more like dire wolves. The company's chief science officer, Beth Shapiro, has explained that they employ the morphological species concept, which basically means: 'If they look like this animal, they are this animal.' In other words, if I paint my cat to look like a fox, it is a fox. But, no, Sir Peter—extinction really is the end of the story. The laboratory 'moa,' like the 'dire wolf,' would similarly be a hybrid animal, not a clone. Colossal Biosciences would again edit the genes of a close living relative, such as the emu or tinamou, and call it a moa. This will be a new creature, not an animal with native roots in New Zealand. This makes it yet another introduced species like the rat or stoat, with unpredictable behavior. Colossal Biosciences does not intend to unleash the 'moas' into the wild. The 'dire wolves' live on a 2,000-acre preserve enclosed with zoo-grade fencing. The flock of genetically engineered birds will be given, in Jackson's words, 'a natural environment as big as we possibly can.' This is in a country the size of Colorado, and will effectively take space away from native species for what amounts to a roadside attraction. Meanwhile, beyond the gates and gawking tourists, stoats will gobble kiwi eggs and possums will devour our rata leaves. Colossal Biosciences insists that what they are doing with their de-extinction projects is conservation. The fake moa effort isn't conservation at all. At best, it's a cheap (or, rather, expensive) distraction. I wonder if Colossal Biosciences has considered the possibility of their Frankenbird escaping the enclosure they envision. If an animal the size of a hedgehog can devour our native plants and insects, including the endemic and endangered wētā (a large flightless cricket), imagine what a mixed-gene bird the size of an emu could do as it crashes around the bush. Colossal Biosciences views Māori people as primary beneficiaries of the moa's promotional video shows Māori performing a traditional poi dance and the haka, a ceremonial war dance, as project leaders laud the 'complete partnership' between Māori and Colossal Biosciences. Yes, the company is working with the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, whose 18 researchers and lecturing staff foster Indigenous scholarship. However, Māori as a group constitute almost 18 percent of New Zealand's population. Do all Māori want the moa to return? Most Māori live in towns or cities, and in communities that often face challenges such as housing deprivation and low life expectancy. Does the moa mean the same thing to them in 2025 that it did 800 years ago, when it was an important source of food and material for making ornaments and tools? Claiming the moa is vital to Māori identity is like saying all Americans have a deep cultural connection to the flat-headed peccary that once roamed the Great Plains. As we head into our planet's sixth mass extinction, species nostalgia is understandable. We mourn what's lost. For some, de-extinction glows like a magic reverse button, a way to skirt tedious conservation efforts, an excuse to ignore the Endangered Species Act (as Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, a fan of Colossal Biosciences, has suggested we do), and relax. But we can't get back to the garden. The best we can do is try to keep what we've got, even if that means the unglamorous work of setting and checking traps, planting native bush, and requiring extra steps at the airport to make sure no one's smuggling in an unwanted creature. Solve the daily Crossword
CNET
30-07-2025
- CNET
Travel With a Burner Phone to Protect Your Private Data, Especially Going Into the US
Border agents in the US are reportedly increasing the frequency and intensity of device searches, including phones belonging to American citizens returning home. Such searches aren't illegal, but they're intrusive. Some businesses are even recommending that their employees use simple "burner" phones to keep sensitive information safe. But a burner isn't just for crossing borders. It can also be a useful tool for everyday situations where you want to stay connected without sacrificing privacy or convenience. Whether you're trying to cut back on screen time or protect your personal details, or you just want a break from the constant ping of notifications, a no-frills device can help. Conan O'Brien swears by his for staying focused. If you've ever felt like your smartphone knows a little too much, it might be time to consider giving it a vacation of its own. Read more: Best Prepaid Phone of 2025 Although carriers have offered prepaid phones since the '90s, the term "burner phones" or "burners" essentially became popular in the 2000s because of their use in the celebrated HBO series The Wire, in which characters use burner phones to avoid getting caught by the police. Though often portrayed in that light, burners are not popular only among criminals. With privacy concerns rising, you might consider using a burner phone yourself. So, what exactly is a burner phone, and how does it work? Below, we explain everything you need to know about burners and how to get one. What is a burner phone? Simply put, a burner phone is a cheap prepaid phone with no commitments. It comes with a set number of prepaid call minutes, text messages or data and is designed to be disposed of after use. Burners are contract-free, and you can grab them off the counter. They're called burner phones because you can "burn" them, i.e., trash them after use, and the phone cannot be traced back to you, which makes them appealing to criminals. Burner phones are typically used when you need a phone quickly, without intentions of long-term usage. Burners are different from getting a regular, contract-bound cellphone plans that require a lot of your information to be on file. Why should you use a burner phone? Diy13/Getty Images Burner phones are an easy way to avoid pesky cellphone contracts or spam that you may be getting on your primary phone number. Burners are not linked to your identity, so you can avoid getting tracked down or contacted if that's what you need. However, you don't have to dispose of it after use -- you can just add more minutes and continue using it. Burner phones can still function as regular phones, minus the hassle of getting a phone with a contract. You can also get a burner phone as a secondary phone for a specific purpose, like having a spare phone number for two-factor authentication texts, for business purposes, or to avoid roaming charges while traveling. You can get a burner phone for any privacy reasons you may have. Read more: The Data Privacy Tips Digital Security Experts Wish You Knew Burner phones, prepaid phones, smartphones and burner SIMs: What's the difference? Burner phones are typically cheap feature phones and usually don't come with the bells and whistles of a smartphone. Because these are designed to be cheap and disposable, you only get the essentials and very simple designs. The flip phone is a common sight in the burner phone market. All burner phones are prepaid phones, but not all prepaid phones are burners. What sets a burner apart is that you will not have to give away any personal information to get one, and it won't be traceable back to you. Also, it will be cheap enough to be trashed after use. Prepaid smartphones are generally low-end models to begin with, and burners are the cheapest prepaid phones you can get. However, you can use any unlocked smartphone with prepaid SIM cards, essentially making it a prepaid phone. If you want to get a burner, you don't necessarily have to buy a new phone. You can get a burner SIM and use it with an existing phone as well. Burner SIMs are prepaid SIMs you can get without a contract or giving away personal information. Where can you buy a burner phone? Burner phones are available at all the major retailers. Shelby Knowles/Bloomberg/Getty Images Burner phones are available at all major retail outlets. You can pick them up from Best Buy, Target, Walmart and other big retailers. They're also often available at convenience stores like 7-Eleven, local supermarkets, gas stations and retail phone outlets like Cricket, Metro and others. You can get a burner phone with cash; a typical burner should cost between $10 and $50. It may cost more if you get more minutes and data with the phone. If you're getting a burner phone specifically to avoid having the phone traced back to you, it makes sense to pay with cash instead of a credit card. If you just want a prepaid secondary phone, you can pay for one with a credit card. Credit cards will leave a paper trail that leads back to you but that shouldn't be an issue unless you really don't want the burner phone linked back to you. There are also many apps that let you get secondary phone numbers, including Google Fi and the Burner app. However, these cannot quite be called burners in the ideal sense because these providers will typically have at least some of your personal information. If you're just looking to get a solid prepaid phone without anonymity, you can check out our full guide for the best prepaid phone plans available currently. We also have a guide for the best cheap phone plans you can get.
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Daily Mail
New York realtor plays the victim after he was filmed having huge meltdown at airport immigration desk
An American man will be removed from Colombia and will not be allowed to enter the country for 10 years after he destroyed an immigration cubicle at an airport. Emmanuel Hernández costly meltdown came while he was waiting to have his passport stamped by border agents at Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena last Thursday. The 42-year-old Tampa, Florida resident was filmed cursing at everyone around him and punching a cubicle's plexiglass window when agents arrived and tried to calm him down. The hulking realtor did not relent and lifted a computer screen and slammed it to the ground before he was subdued and placed under arrest. Hernández, a New York native, told Colombian online news outlet Impacto News that he traveled to Cartagena to celebrate his father's birthday and blamed his outburst on not feeling well. 'I was coming from a long trip from Orlando. The trip was postponed for two days, and I had to stay in a hotel. I was in Panama for two hours,' he said. 'When I arrived in Cartagena, there was a very long line, I felt sick, and I was very hot.' Hernández explained that he decided to remove his shirt while he waited at the cramped passport control area to make himself feel better. A Colombia Migration agent and other workers began to film him before he lost his cool. 'I told them to please stop, I told them it was part of my privacy, not to record me,' Hernández recalled. 'They started taking out cell phones and recording me,' he said. 'Instead of asking how I was, they recorded me.' At one point Hernández could be heard shouting, 'F*** you. You think you can f*** around with the wrong motherf*****.' After punching the counter's window, he screamed, 'Now f*** everybody.' Hernández is staying with his parents and is now waiting for an airline that will allow him to board their aircraft for his return to the United States. However, not have agreed to do so. 'I am deeply sorry and I apologize to all the authorities,' he said. 'What someone else does against you shouldn't disturb your peace of mind. That was my mistake.' Emmanuel Hernández, pictured with his mother, has been ordered to be removed from Colombia following last week's incident in which he destroyed a counter in the passport control area at Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena What pains him the most is that he will have to wait 10 years before he can reunite with his parents in Colombia, where he spent part of his youth. 'My entire family lives here,' Hernández said. 'In the United States, I basically have no one. It hurts me not to see my parents in Colombia again for ten years.' Hernández vowed to cover the cost of the damages the he caused. 'US citizen Emmanuel Andres Hernandez assaulted officers of this entity and caused material damage to an immigration control module, which disrupted the normal operation of the service," Colombia Migration said in a statement.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Yahoo
Woman jailed after disturbing find inside 62,000kg of Thai food sent to Australia
An attempt to illegally import 62,000kg of exotic foods into Australia has landed a woman in jail. Inside mislabelled polystyrene boxes, border agents found a variety of packages, some containing ingredients that seldom make local menu listings like frozen frogs. Other boxes included prawns, fresh produce infested with insects, and pork. All were sent from Thailand and destined for Sydney's black market, but her plan came unstuck after authorities were tipped off by a confidential source. Had the boxes not been intercepted, the products inside could have threatened both wildlife and the agriculture industry. Looking generally at the threat posed by undeclared foreign goods, frogs can carry diseases like chytridiomycosis, which has already caused the decline or extinction of over 500 amphibian species around the world. Prawns can be infected with a highly contagious virus called white spot disease, and pork can be contaminated by an array of illnesses not seen in Australia, like African swine fever. When it comes to invasive insects, once they breach our borders, state and federal authorities seem unable to stop their spread. The varroa mite has had a severe impact on honey production, fire ants are marching down Australia's east coast, while over in Perth the shot-hole borer has killed thousands of trees and crippled the local plant trade. There are stringent laws designed to stop pests and diseases from entering Australia, and anyone who breaches them faces fines of up $1.6 million and 10 years in jail. On Thursday, Australia's Department of Agriculture (DAFF) revealed a woman connected to the 62,000kg importation plan had been sentenced to two years' jail and ordered to serve 150 hours of community service. The sentence was handed down by a judge on June 11, after she was convicted of nine counts against the Biosecurity Act. 😳 Australia's sky could change forever after winter ends 🌏 'Shocking' jellyfish find could change the way Aussies visit the beach 🔍 Rare find inside ancient cave after tourists banned for years DAFF's deputy secretary of biosecurity Justine Saunders said because the haul was so large, it presented 'numerous biosecurity risks to Australia'. 'Australia is free from many of the pests, weeds and diseases that impact agricultural productivity and the environment in other parts of the world. Our biosecurity officers work tirelessly to keep these pests out,' she said. 'Illegal activity can undermine Australia's animal, plant and human health status and our excellent global reputation.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
