(Oranjestad)—In October, Aruba Conservation Foundation (ACF) received a team of experts from The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium for a survey of the Rattlesnake population on our island. This visit was unique, as for the first time, a new method was introduced to observe the Rattlesnake in the wild — the use of a thermal drone, which provides a better indication and understanding of where the Rattlesnake lives and how it moves around during the day.

The Toledo Zoo is a zoological park and conservation foundation based in Ohio, USA, with more than 125 years of operation. The park houses over 10,000 individual animals from 720 species and participates in nearly 80 species survival programs. The collaboration between the Toledo Zoo and Arikok Park began back in the 1980s, as the experts explained. This year, ACF and the Toledo Zoo are strengthening their partnership and continuing the work already in progress.

Nick Gordon, Manager of Herpetology at The Toledo Zoo, was among several experts—including Dr. Jeff Goessling, who has 15 years of experience conducting research on Aruba’s reptiles—who visited for the rattlesnake survey. Gordon oversees a massive and diverse collection of venomous reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates, including certain insects and desert or dry-climate species like scorpions, at The Toledo Zoo. He is also the coordinator of the species survival plan for Aruba’s Rattlesnake. As he explained, during the 2000s, Rattlesnakes were found outside the limits of the park in areas not considered part of their natural habitat. Since those locations were not suitable habitats, to prevent their death, the snakes were taken to Toledo, where experts could keep them in captivity and breed them for genetic diversity.

He explained that there are several reasons for this. The main reason is to maintain a Rattlesnake population that can function as a “safety net” in case the wild population in Aruba were to go extinct. In such an extreme case, they could technically reintroduce the species to Aruba, although he emphasized that this also comes with challenges. This conservation method is not unique to ACF, as the organization is also working with other partners in the Netherlands to assist in breeding the Lora (Aruban parrot), part of a reintroduction program for the species that was once extinct on the island. However, for the Rattlesnake, the main goal is to preserve the existing population in Aruba. And this has its benefits, as Dr. Matt Cross, conservation biologist at The Toledo Zoo, emphasized: “Conservation actions influence everything,” he said, “because what’s good for the Rattlesnake tends to be good for all organisms living on the island.”

Another aspect of the project is to provide education about the Rattlesnake, both for Aruba’s visitors and for biologists. According to Park Ranger Roger Solognier—who is a terrestrial biodiversity conservation ranger with ACF—there is still a lot that science doesn’t know, especially about the Rattlesnake. Collecting and tagging them helps experts study the species continuously, as the data gathered each year may change. With this project, ACF and The Toledo Zoo are studying the Rattlesnake’s ecology. According to them, the animals are crepuscular, meaning they are most observable early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the sun is lower. Another part of their research focuses on the endemic snake’s feeding habits, daytime movements, hiding spots during dry and hot seasons, the challenges they face in the wild, and their breeding patterns.

To support this, the experts from The Toledo Zoo will begin taking blood samples from Rattlesnakes to check for traces of inbreeding, considering the small population concentrated in one part of the island. Gordon explained that what they learn about Rattlesnakes in captivity can help apply conservation techniques in the wild. As he mentioned, the goal is to keep the population stable.

This particular visit was unique because it introduced a new method in Aruba for surveying Rattlesnakes: the use of a special drone that helps detect the snakes and their movements. Dr. Paul Keenlance from the Department of Biology at Grand Valley State University explained that he has been working for several years on different ways to use drones to study wildlife. The drone used in the recent Rattlesnake survey was equipped with two cameras—a normal one and a thermal one. The thermal camera was more effective during the day because, when it gets hot, the Rattlesnakes remain hidden until the sun goes down. The thermal camera detects them through sensors that can distinguish temperature levels. As Keenlance explained, many times the Rattlesnake is cooler than the ground, making it appear as a lighter color on the camera. Keenlance predicted that this type of technology will become increasingly common in conservation work.

Although new technologies can provide a deeper view of our ecosystems, the experts emphasized that the human aspect remains important. As Cross said, “Conservation is a human issue. We need to influence our own behavior, and we’ve seen that humans have a major impact on conservation, for better or worse.”

That’s why awareness remains a major mission in the world of conservation—because people need to understand what kinds of actions they should take, as Solognier emphasized. And these can be simple actions, such as watching your step or avoiding damage to habitats. It’s also important to change the narrative about human intervention. It’s known that humans can pose the biggest threat to nature, but they can also be its greatest guardians and defenders. We should be proud and celebrate the fact that we have a unique species like the Rattlesnake on our island, instead of seeking ways to capture or take their rattles. Appreciate the rare experience of seeing a Rattlesnake, as they are very uncommon, especially in populated areas. The experts encourage people to cherish these moments and take care not to disturb the animal or its habitat.

People can also help protect the Rattlesnake and other wildlife on our island by using ACF’s Wildlife Hotline. The organization urges people to contact them via the hotline when spotting a rattlesnake, especially in areas where they are not typically seen. All such data can be useful for further research.

You can contact ACF through the hotline at 592-4476. The organization explained that they do not take calls via WhatsApp because the ranger in contact may be occupied with park duties or may not have connection inside the park. In emergency cases, it is advised to call the ACF department directly.

Photos courtesy of ACF.

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For today we received a lovely message from Ron and Kathy Chase and Kathy’s sister, Maureen Moroney from Massachusetts, USA.

They wrote to us saying: Aruba to us is beautiful people and beaches. We have visited Aruba 46 times and have enjoyed every moment of it. We appreciate the hard working and honest people of Aruba and offer our kudos to the staff at our hotel who have made us feel like home away from home.”

Thank you for sending us this wonderful message sharing what Aruba means to you with us and our readers!

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County has reached a tentative $828 million agreement to settle more than 400 additional sexual abuse claims against county employees, months after approving the largest sexual abuse settlement in U.S. history, officials said Friday.

The agreement still needs approval from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The county approved the historic $4 billion settlement in April for thousands of claims of sexual abuse in juvenile facilities since 1959, officials said.

It also comes as the county investigates allegations that some people included in the $4 billion settlement were paid to file claims. A Los Angeles Times investigation reported that nine plaintiffs said they were paid to sue, and four of them have said they made fraudulent claims.

County officials said in announcing the new settlement for 400 additional claims that “the credibility of every individual claim will be reviewed, and plaintiffs determined to have submitted fraudulent claims will receive no money from the settlement.”

The plaintiffs were able to sue because of a California law that took effect in 2020 that suspended the statute of limitations for childhood sex abuse victims to bring cases for three years.

The lawsuits filed by thousands of people alleged they were mistreated and sexually abused in foster care and juvenile detention facilities in the county.

Initially the $4 billion agreement was to settle 7,000 claims but that grew to 11,000, officials said. The county said it now faces as many as 2,500 additional cases beyond those covered by the two settlements and that the total number of claims could run as high as 14,000 or more. Officials said the settlements were causing financial strain for the county.

Under the $4 billion settlement, the amount paid to each plaintiff could range from $100,000 to $3 million. If the latest settlement is approved, individual awards will be determined based on factors including the severity of abuse alleged.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said the system is vulnerable to fraud but officials are strengthening their review process to ensure settlement money only goes to victims.

To prevent fraud, the county said every plaintiff must complete a detailed, multipage summary, under penalty of perjury, of the abuse suffered, and additional proof may be requested.

Claims brought by the law firm Downtown L.A. Law Group, or DTLA, in the April settlement will undergo additional scrutiny, officials said.

Some of the plaintiffs represented by the firm told the Los Angeles Times that people they met outside a county social services office offered them money to submit claims, drove them to the DTLA firm and then paid them amounts ranging from $50 to $200 each.

California law prohibits non-attorneys from soliciting people to sign up for lawsuits with a firm.

DTLA denies any wrongdoing. Those plaintiffs could be asked to do additional interviews and provide more proof of allegations, depending on the nature of the claim and the suspected fraud, the county said.

The county may also refer attorneys accused of paying for claims to the state bar for possible disciplinary action, officials said.

“The conduct alleged to have occurred by the DTLA firm is absolutely outrageous and must be investigated by the appropriate authorities. Not only does it undermine our justice system, it also deprives legitimate claimants of just compensation,” said Dawyn R. Harrison, the county’s counsel. “While both settlements have protections to ensure that this is not a windfall for fraudulent plaintiffs, legislative protections must be put in place to ensure unscrupulous lawyers don’t get windfalls at the expense of survivors of abuse.”

DTLA Law Group said in a statement that it filtered through nearly 13,000 inquiries and only accepted a fraction of the cases.

“We do not pay our clients to file lawsuits, and we strongly oppose such actions. If we ever became aware that anyone associated with us, in any capacity, did such a thing, we would end our relationship with them immediately,” the firm said. “We want justice for real victims.”

The county’s ability to assess the validity of allegations was hampered by a lack of records, the sheer number of cases and court ordered limits on legal discovery, officials said.

The county has also put into place more safeguards to prevent abuse and act quickly if it does occur. That includes a new hotline for reporting child sexual abuse allegations against county employees that is expected to be in place by year’s end.

The $4 billion settlement in April far surpassed a $2.6 billion settlement reached in 2022 with Boy Scouts of America that was the largest aggregate sexual abuse settlement in U.S. history at the time.

By The Associated Press

People in Russia and Ukraine on Friday hoped for progress but anticipated no major breakthrough on ending their war at an upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The two leaders agreed in a phone call Thursday to meet in Budapest, Hungary, in the coming weeks, according to Trump, who was scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House later Friday.

“When (Trump and Putin) meet, I don’t think anything will be achieved quickly,” 36-year-old Moscow resident Artyom Kondratov told The Associated Press.

At a previous Trump-Putin summit in Alaska in August, Putin didn’t budge from his demands and has raised objections about some key aspects of U.S.-led peace efforts. Three rounds of direct peace talks in Istanbul yielded no major breakthroughs.

“There will be some progress (in Hungary), yes, again, regarding prisoner exchanges and the return of children from both sides, but I’m sure there won’t be any concrete action in the coming days,” Kondratov said.

Another Moscow resident, 58-year-old Alexander Fedotov, reckoned Trump’s peacemaking efforts could bear fruit.

“Trump isn’t going to Europe for nothing. It’s a big trip for him after all,” he said. “I think there will be progress.”

More than three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor began and more than 10 years after it seized Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula, many are weary of the war.

“I wish everyone well and peace. We’re all waiting for this, all Russians want it,” 55-year-old Svetlana, who didn’t give her last name, said in Sevastopol, Crimea’s largest city.

The mood in Kyiv was less hopeful.

“There are no expectations from any of these meetings, because the previous meetings showed that they are not productive,” Marichka Fartushna, an army medic, told the AP.

“Trump has clearly shown his position. He is not for Ukraine,” she said.

Ukrainian veteran Ivan Balatskyi said that amid the intense diplomatic maneuvering he expects the U.S. to stand by Ukraine.

“We showed the whole world that we can fight and we are ready to fight until the end,” he said. “And we expect support from our friends, Americans, from the American people.”

By CHRISTINE FERNANDO

Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Troubled by clashes between agents and the public, a judge on Thursday said federal immigration officers in the Chicago area will be required to wear body cameras, and she also summoned a senior official to court next week to discuss an enforcement operation that has resulted in more than 1,000 arrests.

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis said she was a “little startled” after seeing TV images of street confrontations that involved tear gas and other tactics during an immigration crackdown by President Donald Trump’s administration.

“I live in Chicago if folks haven’t noticed,” Ellis said. “And I’m not blind, right?”

Separately, hours later, a federal appeals court ruled against the Trump administration and said a lower court’s temporary ban on deploying the National Guard to assist immigration officers in Illinois would stay in place while the government pursues an appeal.

Community efforts to oppose U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have ramped up in Chicago, where neighborhood groups have assembled to monitor ICE activity and film incidents involving agents. More than 1,000 immigrants have been arrested since September.

An immigration enforcement building in Broadview, outside Chicago, has been the site of regular protests. The Trump administration has tried to deploy Guard troops, in part to patrol at the Broadview location, but the strategy was halted on Oct. 9 for at least two weeks by a different federal judge.

Ellis last week said agents in the area must wear badges, and she banned them from using certain riot control techniques against peaceful protesters and journalists.

“I’m having concerns about my order being followed,” the judge said.

“I am adding that all agents who are operating in Operation Midway Blitz are to wear body-worn cameras, and they are to be on,” Ellis said, referring to the government’s name for the crackdown.

U.S. Justice Department attorney Sean Skedzielewski laid blame with “one-sided and selectively edited media reports.” He also said it wouldn’t be possible to immediately distribute cameras.

“I understand that. I would not be expecting agents to wear body-worn cameras they do not have,” Ellis said, adding that the details could be worked out later.

She said cameras would provide evidence to back up how agents handle confrontations with protesters. Ellis said the field director of the enforcement effort must appear in court Monday.

Gov. JB Pritzker praised the judge’s ruling, saying the government’s statements about arrests and other incidents, including last month’s fatal shooting of a suburban Chicago man, have often been inaccurate.

“They clearly lie about what goes on,” he told reporters. “It’s hard for us to know right away what the truth is.”

In 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement began deploying about 1,600 body cameras to agents assigned to Enforcement and Removal Operations.

At the time, officials said they would be provided to agents in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo, New York and Detroit. Other Homeland Security Department agencies require some agents to wear cameras. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released body-camera video when force has been used by its agents or officers.

Earlier this week, a Cook County judge barred ICE from arresting people at courthouses in Chicago and the suburbs.