Groundbreaking research provides a science-based foundation for leopard conservation, sustainable management, and future monitoring.

SCI Foundation has completed the first national-scale assessment of leopard density and distribution across Botswana, providing critical new data to support science-based wildlife management.

From September 2022 through December 2024, SCIF and its partners caried out an unprecedented field effort across Botswana, surveying 20 sites with more than 1,000 trail camera stations. Researchers recorded 1,424 leopard detections and identified 434 individual adult leopards, making this one of the most comprehensive leopard research efforts conducted in the country.

Following completion of the fieldwork, the data underwent rigorous scientific analyses to estimate leopard density, evaluate patterns in distribution, and better understand the ecological factors influencing leopard populations. This work culminated in the completion of the final report in August 2026, providing Botswana with a strong scientific foundation to support long-term leopard conservation and management.

The study estimated leopard density at 19 sites and found that abundance varied widely across Botswana, ranging from 0.15 to 2.74 leopards per 100 square kilometers. These results show why local data is essential for responsible management decisions, rather than relying on a single nationwide assumption.

Using the survey data, SCIF researchers also developed national maps of predicted leopard abundance and distribution. The model estimated Botswana’s leopard population at approximately 6,262 leopards, with a likely range of 5,676 to 6,849. The findings confirm that leopards remain widely distributed across Botswana while also identifying areas that may serve as important population strongholds and movement corridors.

Importantly, the study provides direct density estimates for 19 sites across the country, along with measures of certainty for each estimate. This gives wildlife managers practical, site-specific information that can help guide population management decisions while also providing a broader understanding of leopard abundance, distribution, and connectivity across Botswana. Read more

On the morning of Oct. 1, a landowner in the Trego area shot and killed a male grizzly bear. Fortunately, the landowner was uninjured in the encounter.

The landowner had gone outside to investigate noises coming from his property when he encountered the bear at close range. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, responded to the scene.

“We are thankful to know the landowner was unharmed in this incident,” said FWP Director Christy Clark. “We understand that an encounter like this can be unsettling. Fall is an especially active time for bears as they move more in search of food, which can increase the potential for bear-related conflicts. Our staff remains committed to supporting communities and landowners to help people stay safe.” Read more

Safari Club International (SCI) expressed profound disappointment with a Los Angeles County Superior Court ruling that dismissed SCI and its litigation partners’ claims against the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Catalina Island Conservancy in relation to a permit that authorizes the eradication of Catalina Island’s mule deer population.

The court rejected SCI’s California Environmental Quality Act challenge as untimely and rejected claims concerning wildlife trust responsibilities, agency authority, public nuisance, and the validity of the Restoration Management Permit issued to the Conservancy.

“SCI disagrees with the court’s decision,” said SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin. “We’re disappointed because the public deserved a transparent process. The fact is that out of more than 100 permits issued under this program, only the Catalina Island Conservancy received different treatment. For a project that would completely eliminate a long-established deer population, we believe a full environmental review and greater public scrutiny were not just appropriate, they were necessary.”

SCI and its co-petitioners HOWL For Wildlife and the Coalition to Save Cataline Island Deer challenged the Department’s approval of the Catalina Island Restoration Project, arguing that the agency improperly exempted the project from California Environmental Quality Act review and failed to adequately consider the broader impacts of permanently eliminating the Island’s mule deer herd. This deer population was a popular educational and wildlife viewing resource, as well as a source of sustainable big game hunting opportunities in the Los Angeles area. With the deer’s eradication, all those opportunities are lost for California residents.

“At its core, this case is about whether the public was given a voice before an entire deer population was slated for removal,” Hamberlin said. “We believe decisions with consequences this significant demand transparency, accountability, and a hard look at the science. Californians deserved a full review and open process. SCI is evaluating appellate options and will continue fighting for a fair and transparent approach to wildlife management.” Read more

On Sept. 28, 2026, the Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint regarding an 85-year-old male who had been reported missing. The subject was known to have dementia and short-term memory issues.

Through contact with the family and the investigation, deputies determined that the subject had left the area in his vehicle. He was last known to have been seen leaving the Onaway area at approximately 2:30 p.m.

Family members advised that the subject enjoyed traveling on two-tracks and visiting parks whenever possible. His cell phone, wallet and identification had been left at his residence.

The initial focus of the investigation was to locate the subject’s vehicle, as locating the vehicle would provide search personnel with a starting point and potentially narrow the search area.

Search efforts continued throughout the night of Sept. 28 with no immediate indication of the subject or his vehicle being located. On Sept. 29, the search continued with assistance from the Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Office and Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers. Additional resources were utilized, including trucks, side-by-sides, four-wheelers and dirt bikes, allowing search personnel to access difficult-to-reach two-tracks and remote areas.

During the afternoon of Sept. 29, first responders contacted citizens who were riding dirt bikes in the area. The riders reported that they had observed a vehicle matching the description earlier, but no person was around the vehicle at the time. Read more

Starting Thursday, the DNR will begin accepting applications for its next Conservation Officer Training Academy, which starts in April. Applications will be accepted until Nov. 3.

This is a precertified law enforcement academy, meaning that qualified applicants must be at least 21 years old (by the time of hire) and meet one of the following requirements:

• Hold a current Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards license.
• Be eligible for immediate licensure upon employment.
• Be a licensed law enforcement officer in another state and meet MCOLES requirements.

Out-of-state applicants must be Michigan residents by the time training ends.

The academy will take place April 25-July 15 in Lansing. Training will include laws and rules specific to fish and game, species identification, and safe, legal operation of boats, off-road vehicles and snowmobiles. Read more

Whitetail Watch is an anti-poaching initiative created by Whitetails Unlimited to improve hunter/landowner relations and reduce the crime of poaching. To curb this illegal activity, participating landowners will post Whitetail Watch signs on their property. These signs will serve as visible reminders to poachers that citizens are on the watch and suspicious activity will be reported to the wildlife law enforcement.

Whitetail Watch property signs are made from PVC, measuring 11.25 inches on a side, and are white with red and black printing. Decals matching the sign, measuring 3.5 inches on a side, are also available. The signs and decals are suitable for use anywhere in the United States.

The recommended posting distance for Whitetail Watch signs is one sign for every 300 feet of road frontage or four signs per 40 acres. Read more

Game Warden K9 Lucy and Game Warden Dory Kulis located a missing Montville man early this morning (Monday).

At approximately 10:20 pm on 9/27/2026 Game Wardens were notified that Michael McCoy, age 46 of Montville was missing after he left his residence on foot with his two dogs at approximately 5:45pm and did not return. Later that evening, one of the dogs returned home without McCoy. Friends and neighbors were originally called and helped search but with no luck. Maine State Police also arrived on scene and assisted with a search of the residence.

Game Warden K9 teams arrived on scene and began searching the wooded area around the property. Heavy rain and winds came upon the area. At approximately 2:10 am on 9/28/2026, Warden Dory Kulis and her K9 Lucy located McCoy in a wooded area approximately 3/4 of a mile from the residence. McCoy was alive and with his other dog, uninjured but soaked from the driving rain. Warden Kulis escorted McCoy back to his residence. Medical treatment was not necessary.

Sept. 28, 2026

Contact: Kerry Heckman (DNR), 517-643-1256 or Nathan Christie (Lyme), 906-789-9076

Straddling the Lake Superior and Lake Michigan watersheds and encompassing a wide range of forests, habitats, trails, rivers, lakes and trout streams, the Great Lakes Basin project is a truly exceptional part of Michigan.

It is for these reasons that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is working with the current landowner, Lyme Great Lakes Timberlands, to potentially protect this area through a working forest conservation easement.

At around 152,000 acres, the Great Lakes Basin project covers parts of the central and southern Upper Peninsula. It includes 231 miles of rivers and streams, 91 acres of lakes, 11,500 acres of wetlands, more than 20,400 acres of critical deer wintering complex, habitat for species on the federal and state threatened or endangered species lists, and important habitat for black bear, bobcat, pine marten, fisher, ruffed grouse, eagles, brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, steelhead, Chinook salmon, walleye, bass and northern pike.

If successful, land in the the Great Lakes Basin conservation project would continue to be privately owned by Lyme. The DNR would hold conservation easement rights on behalf of Michigan’s residents. This would ensure that the property would be sustainably managed as a working forest, protect wildlife habitat, prevent development or subdivision of the property and ensure public recreational access forever.

Learn more about the proposed Great Lakes Basin project and keep updated on its progress. 

Sign up to tour the property

The public and interested stakeholders are invited to learn more about the Great Lakes Basin project and see the property for themselves during two upcoming property tours:

• Thursday, Oct. 8, at 12:45 p.m.: Meet in the dirt parking lot on the east side of the Circle K located at the intersection of M-28 and NF-13E 9721 M-28, Wetmore. RSVP by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6
• Thursday, Oct. 15, at 12:45 p.m.: Meet at the MDOT Park & Ride located on the north side of U.S. 41, intersection of U.S. 41/M-69 at Bark River. RSVP by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13. Read more

Acclaimed biologist, conservation journalist, author and filmmaker Chris Dorsey travels to the Canadian Arctic to investigate whether polar bear policy is being driven by science—or caught in a global climate advocacy and fundraising war

Few animals on Earth evoke more emotion than the polar bear. For decades, images of bears standing on shrinking ice, struggling through Arctic landscapes or seemingly threatened by a warming planet have become among the most recognizable symbols of global climate change.

But is the story Americans have been told the whole story?

Outdoor Channel examines that question in the new one-hour investigative television special, “Chris Dorsey Reports: The Truth About Polar Bear Hunting,” premiering this October 2nd at 8pm & 11 pm, with additional airings Saturday 10/3 at 9 pm, Saturday 10/10 at 10 pm, and Friday 10/16 at 10 pm. Read more