tagged w/ Endangered Species Videos & Endangered Species News
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FACTS:
Cole Bros. Circus has failed to meet minimal federal standards for the care of animals used in exhibition as established by the Animal Welfare Act.
The USDA has repeatedly cited Cole Bros. for failure to provide veterinary care to animals, including elephants who have shown extreme weight loss, and failure to provide adequate space to animals.
The USDA filed formal charges of AWA violations against Cole Bros. because the elephants showed signs of being abused with sharp metal bull-hooks, a New Jersey humane society charged the circus with cruelty to animals for overloading and overworking an elephant, and two elephants—who were described as malnourished and neglected—died suddenly within a two-week period.
In five separate incidents, Cole Bros. elephants have killed two members of the public, injured more than a dozen others, and rampaged during performances, which caused tens of thousands of dollars in property damage.
More info at http://www.circuses.com/pdfs/fact-cole_bros.pdfPlease follow linked page & let me know!
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FACTS:
Cole Bros.... more
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Malaysia, the country with the fastest rate of greenhouse gas emissions growth since 1990 among middle and upper income countries, will allow logging to proceed in a contested rainforest area in Sarawak, on the island of Borneo.
The government of Sarawak said it will not recognize the status of a rainforest "peace park" established last month by Penan tribesmen. The park was declared by the Penan as a means to draw attention to their complaints that logging companies continue to decimate their traditional lands. The peace park lies within a zone slated for logging.
Sarawak state forest director and Acting Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Planning and Resource Management, Len Talif Salleh said international media coverage of the peace park "tainted Sarawak's image." He claimed the Penan are being "instigated and manipulated by foreign non-governmental organizations" which displayed a "post-colonial mentality" and have "hidden" agendas.
Headman Jawa Nyipa (center) of Long Ajeng presents a map with the boundaries of the new "“Penan Peace Park"
"The establishment of Penan Peace Park announced by 17 Penan communities at Long Ajeng has no legal basis and is not recognized by the state government," reported The Borneo Post* after a conversation with Len.
The peace park covers some 163,000 hectares of tropical forest in Sarawak's Upper Baram region. The Penan had hoped the park could become a model for community-managed protected areas, according to the Bruno Manser Fund, an NGO that has been supporting the Penan's efforts to fight logging in Sarawak.
* The Borneo Post is owned by the Malaysian KTS logging group, according to the the Bruno Manser Fund.
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FYI: The indigenous peoples are not the only ones falling victim... There is a huge demand in the black market for endangered species. Primates, small mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians...
Wildlife caught in the (illegal) animal-trade are:
- sold as 'pets'
- killed for use in 'traditional' medicines/remedies
- held captive for entertainment (unregulated zoos, circuses)
- sold to research facilities (animal testing laboratories).
FACT: The oil palm industry is responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of orangutans. Killing a single orangutan is illegal in Indonesia, which makes you wonder why not one oil palm company has been prosecuted for the mass slaughter which continues to this day.
HELP SAVE OUR PLANET JUST BY CHOOSING TO BE
A COMPASSIONATE & EDUCATED CONSUMER!
KNOW WHERE WOOD DERIVED PRODUCTS ARE SOURCED (FURNITURE, PHOTO FRAMES, BUILDING MATERIALS, PAPER,...) BEFORE YOU BUY.
http://news.mongabay.com/2009/1216-penan.htmlMalaysia, the country with the fastest rate of greenhouse gas emissions growth since... more
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RWANDA, Africa - A forest fire has destroyed nearly 10 hectares of prime forest inside the famed Parc de Volcanoes, home to the mountain gorillas found along the border triangle of Rwanda, Uganda, and the DR Congo.
Local authorities are said to have successfully mobilized most of the local residents, many of whom are direct beneficiaries of tourism to the area, who set out to combat the fire on the ground. This assisted the efforts by the fire brigade and security services greatly and underscored the conservation mindset of communities living near the park.
At one point, the fire threatened to cross over to the Ugandan side of the border transcending national park but was eventually contained in Rwanda but not the Ugandan side of the border.
According to reports from the ground, no gorillas were affected directly by the fire although other wildlife and birdlife has been displaced from the affected area, while a number of beehives were also said to have been destroyed.RWANDA, Africa - A forest fire has destroyed nearly 10 hectares of prime forest inside... more
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“Titus was still a strong leader of his group until the end, but the stress was too much for him at his age,” says Karisoke’s Gorilla Program Coordinator Veronica Vecellio. “We will remember him as a most special silverback."“Titus was still a strong leader of his group until the end, but the stress was... more
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*One fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation. Left intact, the tropical rainforests of the Congo, the Amazon, and Inonesia act like a mighty set of planetary lungs, absorbing CO2 from human activity.
HONORING A TRUE HERO!
René Ngongo recieves award for his work to save the forests of the Congo.
René Ngongo, Greenpeace Africa Political Advisor and civil society activist for 18 years, today received the Right Livelihood Award at the Swedish Parliament for his dedicated, and at times dangerous, work in defending the rights and livelihood of Democratic Republic of Congo’s forest communities.
The Right Livelihood Award Foundation recognised Ngongo "for his courage in confronting the forces that are destroying the Congo's rainforests and building political support for their conservation and sustainable use."
Accepting his award, René said “I humbly receive this honour on behalf of many of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s poor communities for whom the forest is a source of livelihood, a supermarket, a pharmacy and an heirloom. If we do not continue to raise our voices against the destruction of these ancient forests, their future and our very own existence is at stake”.
Wars in the forest
Ngongo has dedicated his life to activism. In the midst of raging conflict, he tirelessly pushed for an end to illegal exploitation of his country’s natural resources, collecting abundant evidence on timber and mineral extraction under sometimes life-threatening conditions. In 1994, Ngongo founded the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s influential environment organisation, OCEAN. Ngongo has been able to build a strong network and momentum for better protection of the world’s second largest rainforest.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/congo-right-livelihood041209*One fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation. Left intact, the... more
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Protect the Bears of the Great Bear Rainforest - Stop the trophy hunting of bears in the Great Bear Rainforest ahead of the 2010 Olympics!
British Columbia, Canada, is the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics. It is also home to the Great Bear Rainforest—one of the last tracts of temperate rainforest on earth.
You might think that here, bears could live in peace. But each year, trophy hunters slaughter black and grizzly bears with rifles and crossbows for entertainment.
Unless we act now, there may one day be a Great Bear Rainforest without bears.
With the 2010 Olympic Games fast approaching, the eyes of the international community are on the province of British Columbia.
The trophy hunting of bears in the Great Bear Rainforest is opposed by 78 percent of British Columbians—including the indigenous peoples of Coastal First Nations—and the government's refusal to stop the cruel kill is damaging Canada's international reputation.
Please stand with Humane Society International and First Nations to protect the bears.
Contact the government of British Columbia and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games—let them know that you will consider avoiding the Olympic Games as long as trophy bear hunting continues in the Great Bear Rainforest.
Please act now—your voice is vital to saving the bears.
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/hsi_bc_bears_olympicsProtect the Bears of the Great Bear Rainforest - Stop the trophy hunting of bears in... more
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While mention of the DMZ conjures images of stone-faced soldiers, barbed-wire fences, guns and guard towers, the area between North and South Korea has remained virtually untouched by humans for more than 55 years.
As a result, the DMZ has essentially become a 2.5-mile-wide, 155-mile-long nature park that is home to more than 50 species of mammals, roughly 200 kinds of birds and in excess of 1,000 plant species. Some of the birds and animals that live or visit here are threatened or endangered.
Now a movement is under way to protect the natural wonders of the DMZ from perhaps their greatest threat — peace and the reunification of the peninsula.
full article at link
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66049While mention of the DMZ conjures images of stone-faced soldiers, barbed-wire fences,... more
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'Extinct' bird photographed for the first time ever... before it is sold for 10p and EATEN
Worcester's buttonquail: This picture was taken by a film crew before the bird was sold for 10 pence, cooked and eaten
A bird believed to have been extinct for decades was captured on film in a remote mountainous area of the Philippines... before it was sold at a market for 10 pence and eaten.
Scientists believed the Worcester's buttonquail had died out years ago and the only evidence of its existence was in illustrations based on dead specimens discovered centuries ago.
However, a television crew inadvertently filmed a one of the birds while recording a documentary on traditional methods of bird trapping in the mountains of Luzon in the Philippines.
Neither the film crew or the bird trappers realised the creature was rare and after filming it was sold at a poultry market - as food.
By the time the film was spotted by a stunned ornithologist from the World Bird Club of the Philippines, the bird had already been sold, cooked and eaten.
Club president Mike Lu said: 'We are ecstatic that this rarely seen species was photographed by accident.
'It may be the only photo of this poorly known bird. But I also feel sad that the locals do not value the biodiversity around them and that this bird was sold for the cooking pot.
'What if this was the last of its species?'
The bird, which only lives in the Philippines, is believed to have fetched the equivalent of 10 pence.
Desmond Allen was the sharp-eyed World Bird Club of the Philippines member who spotted the Worcester's buttonquail in the bird trapping documentary - appropriately entitled Bye-Bye Birdie.
The Worcester buttonquail is listed as 'data deficient' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's 2008 Red List. Scientists believed it could have been extinct.'Extinct' bird photographed for the first time ever... before it is sold for... more
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Malaysian wildlife authorities said they have rescued 130 pangolins and arrested two men attempting to smuggle the protected species, destined to be sold to restaurants and medicine shops.
Officials from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks said the two men were detained at a cemetery in central Pahang state, national news agency Bernama said late Saturday.
"The cemetery is believed to be the transit point before the animals are taken to (southern state) Johor and illegally exported to China, Japan and Hong Kong," state department head Khairiah Mohamad Shariff told Bernama.
He added the 130 pangolins seized were worth 40,000 ringgit (11,500 dollars).
Malaysian marine police on Thursday rescued 62 pangolins.
Pangolins are indigenous to the jungles of Indonesia, parts of Malaysia and areas of southern Thailand. The animal's meat is considered a delicacy in China, but it is classified as a protected species under the UN's Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.Malaysian wildlife authorities said they have rescued 130 pangolins and arrested two... more
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Conservation Groups Demand Immediate Protection for Sea Turtles Jeopardized by Commercial Bottom Longline Fishing off Florida's West Coast
Caribbean Conservation Corporation, Center for Biological Diversity,
Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Gulf Restoration Network,
Turtle Island Restoration Network
A coalition of conservation groups notified the federal government's National Marine Fisheries Service today of their intent to sue if the agency does not act immediately to protect imperiled sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico. The groups' action comes after fisheries observer data revealed that the Gulf of Mexico bottom longline fishery, which targets reef fish like grouper and tilefish, resulted in the capture of nearly 1,000 threatened and endangered sea turtles between July 2006 and the end of 2007. The coalition asks that the commercial bottom longline fishery be suspended until the National Marine Fisheries Service meets its legal obligations under the Endangered Species Act to ensure that the fishery does not imperil sea turtles and other threatened species in the Gulf of Mexico.
Allowing this fishery to continue to kill threatened and endangered turtles while the government studies the problem is irresponsible and illegal.
Of particular concern for the groups are loggerhead sea turtles, which accounted for 799 of the 974 captured turtles in the government analysis. This is more than three times the number of loggerheads the Service authorized the fishery to take in 2005 and may well jeopardize the species. Loggerhead nesting populations in Florida have dropped by over 40 percent over the past 10 years. The large number of juvenile and reproductive adult turtles injured or killed by the bottom longline fishery is likely contributing to this steep decline.
It's devastating to think about all the hard work and progress we've made safeguarding Florida's loggerheads and their nesting beaches being destroyed by this rampant level of take.
The Gulf of Mexico bottom longline fishery operates primarily off the west coast of Florida, an area that also provides key habitat for several sea turtle species, including loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and green turtles. Bottom longline gear generally consists of a four- to 10-mile-long mainline made of steel cable or monofilament with up to 2,100 hooks. Sea turtles are caught on the lines when they attempt to eat the bait from hooks or become entangled when swimming near a line. Unable to surface for breath, they suffer injury or death.
The use of longlining in the Gulf of Mexico is tragic. Loggerheads, Kemp's ridleys and other sea turtles die caught by a fishing method that has no regard for the waste it entails and the death of endangered species. It reminds many of us of the slaughter of sea turtles drowning in shrimp trawls before Turtle Excluder Devices were required.
Even though the bottom longline fishery has far exceeded the number of turtles it is allowed to take under the Endangered Species Act, the National Marine Fisheries Service has refused to close the fishery while it studies options for reducing turtle take.
Now that the National Marine Fisheries Service knows the longline fleet is jeopardizing the future of the turtle populations they have a duty to act immediately, There are other ways to catch the same fish without killing turtles. The fishery is also known to catch endangered smalltooth sawfish and could affect staghorn and elkhorn coral, which are also protected under the Endangered Species Act.
The National Marine Fisheries Service is responsible both for managing fisheries and for protecting endangered species (responsibility for the sea turtles threatened by longline fishing).Conservation Groups Demand Immediate Protection for Sea Turtles Jeopardized by... more
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The Marine Mammal Center reminds coastal residents and visitors to “Leave Seals Be”.
Or, to call The Center’s 24-hour response hotline (listed below by region).
The goal of the campaign is to discourage illegal pick-ups of newborn harbor seal pups on beaches that many members of the public mistakenly believe have been abandoned by their seal mothers.
While the Center is able to rehabilitate orphaned and injured harbor seal pups, there is no substitute for the care and feeding these pups receive from their mothers as mother’s milk contains important antibodies that help build the young pup’s immune system.
Therefore, well-meaning beachgoers who attempt to help these pups by taking them home, returning them to the water, covering them with a blanket, or approaching them too close, actually are doing more harm then good.
Also, harbor seals, along with all marine mammals, are protected under The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 making it illegal and punishable by law to “take” marine mammals without a permit or to harm or harass them.
What YOU can do for a Stranded Marine Mammal
If you see a seal in distress, call our rescue and response Hotlines. After your call is placed, the Center will monitor the pup for 24-hours or more, depending on the situation, and if necessary trained volunteers and staff will rescue it safely.
Call The Marine Mammal Center at 415.289.SEAL (.7325) with as much information as you have.
In Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, call 831.633.6298.The Marine Mammal Center reminds coastal residents and visitors to “Leave Seals... more
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A DEADLY flesh-eating disease has spread among possums, with the RSPCA getting an average of two infected animals brought in every week.
RSPCA wildlife expert Janet Gamble said the disease was found in about one quarter of all possums brought into the refuge.
"It's pretty ugly. Their faces get eaten away and they often go blind. We then have to euthanase them," she said.
"It's some sort of flesh-eating bacteria and it affects mostly brushtails and some ringtails although we haven't seen it in gliders."
Ms Gamble said the disease seemed to spread within the possum community much as chlamydia did with koalas.
Initial thoughts were that the disease might have something to do with the density of possums, especially in built-up areas.
"They are territorial but if they keep running into each other, it adds to stress and might effect their immunosuppression abilities," she said.
"It might even be something to do with climate."
Ms Gamble said the disease had been recorded from Sydney to Townsville.
People could be inadvertantly helping to move the disease about by trapping possums around their homes and then relocating them.
Ms Gamble said the disease was first noticed in 2003.
"It seems like some sort of dermatitis and maybe they become infected when scratched from fighting or being trapped," she said.
"We're getting over 100 a year brought in and it's usually fatal. We've been treating them with antibiotics but many are too far gone and have to be put down."A DEADLY flesh-eating disease has spread among possums, with the RSPCA getting an... more
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Rare footage of the Hispaniolan solenodon, one of the world's most strange and elusive mammals, has been captured by scientists.
Large, and with a long, thin snout, the Hispaniolan solenodon resembles an overgrown shrew; it can inject passing prey with a venom-loaded bite. Little is known about the creature, which is found in the Caribbean, but it is under threat from deforestation, hunting and introduced species.
Researchers say conservation efforts are now needed.
The mammal was filmed in the summer of 2008 during a month-long expedition to the Dominican Republic - one of only two countries where this nocturnal, insect-eating animal (Solenodon paradoxus) can be found (the other is Haiti). The researchers from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Ornithological Society of Hispaniola were able to take measurements and DNA from the creature before it was released.
Dr Richard Young, from Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, said: "My colleagues were excited and thrilled when they found it in the trap. "But despite a month's worth of trapping effort, they only ever caught a single individual."
The Hispaniolan solenodon is one of the creatures highlighted by the Zoological Society of London's (ZSL) Edge of Existence programme, which focuses its efforts on conservation plans for animals that are both endangered and evolutionarily distinctive.
Hispaniolan solenodon (Gregory Guida)
Dr Sam Turvey, a ZSL researcher involved with the programme, told BBC News: "It is an amazing creature - it is one of the most evolutionary distinct mammals in the world.
"Along with the other species of solenodon, which is found in Cuba (Solenodon cubanus), it is the only living mammal that can actually inject venom into their prey through specialised teeth.
"The fossil record shows that some other now-extinct mammal groups also had so-called dental venom delivery systems. So this might have been a more general ancient mammalian characteristic that has been lost in most modern mammals, and is only retained in a couple of very ancient lineages."
Dr Turvey and other scientists working for the Edge programme recently discovered a population of solenodons living in a remote corner of Haiti. The researcher said that the team was surprised to find them; previously it had been feared that the creatures had become extinct in this country because of extensive deforestation, recently introduced mongoose and dogs, and hunting by humans for food.
He said: "They are still incredibly vulnerable and fragile. So it is really important to get back out there to work how how these animals are surviving."
[Credit: BBC News]
Video at the link.Rare footage of the Hispaniolan solenodon, one of the world's most strange and... more
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PHOTO: Playmates 'June' and 'Junior'. They are rescued infant orang-utans being care for at "The Infant Care Unit for Orang-utans in Bukit Merah". The non-profit rescue facility is the only one of it's kind. Please note, the missing hair covering the bodies due to burns. June was found still clinging to her burned (and deceased) mother.
A team surveying forests nestled on the eastern edge of Borneo island counted 219 orangutan nests giving a rare boost to one of the world's most endangered great apes.
Experts say at the current rate of habitat destruction, the animals could be wiped out within the next two decades.
The countries are the world's top producers of palm oil, used in food, cosmetics and to meet growing demands for "clean-burning" fuels in the U.S. and Europe. Rain forests, where the solitary animals spend almost all of their time, have been clear-cut and burned at alarming rates to make way for lucrative palm oil plantations.
The steep topography, poor soil and general inaccessibility of the rugged limestone mountains appear to have shielded the area from development, at least for now, said Meijaard. Its trees include those highly sought after for commercial timber.
Birute Mary Galdikas, a Canadian scientist who has spent nearly four decades studying orangutans in the wild, said most of the remaining populations are small and scattered, which make them especially vulnerable to extinction.
"So yes, finding a population that science did not know about is significant, especially one of this size," she said, noting that those found on the eastern part of the island represent a rare subspecies, the black Borneon orangutan, or Pongo pygmaeus morio.
The 700-square mile (2,500-square kilometer) jungle escaped the massive fires that devastated almost all of the surrounding forests in the late 1990s. The blazes were set by plantation owners and small-scale farmers and exacerbated by the El Nino droughts.PHOTO: Playmates 'June' and 'Junior'. They are rescued infant... more
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Lemurs butchered in Madagascar - Endangered lemurs illegally killed by poachers in Madagascar to be sold to restaurants as a "luxury" product. These animals are the golden crowned sifaka, Propithecus tattersalli.
Conservation International is working with local NGO Fanamby to call for more support from the international community to protect Madagascar's endangered wildlife.
Washington, DC – A set of shocking new pictures show a massive upsurge in the illegal hunting of lemurs in Madagascar that threatens the survival of many species, and the international community must act immediately to stop the pillage of the island – Conservation International (CI) said today.
Madagascar’s unique biodiversity is being wiped-out on a shocking scale by criminal gangs who are taking advantage of a break-down in law and order after the recent coup. After numerous reports of illegal logging and export of hardwoods, the latest scandal is the sale of lemurs (see attached pictures) as bushmeat to restaurant owners who have been ordering the killing of the animals – 15 people have been arrested on the island for this offense.
After the island’s coup earlier this year many international bodies including the World Bank and the US government suspended conservation and development work in Madagascar, providing only “life-saving” aid. This withdrawal of international support has weakened environmental governance in the country and has created the perfect conditions for criminals to profit from the situation. Since March 2009, there have been a set of environmental catastrophes in one of the world’s most important countries for biodiversity conservation ranging from the illegal felling of trees in national parks for export to Asia, collection of animals for the pet trade, and now the hunting of lemurs for bushmeat, the first evidence we have had of this since the coup.
CI president Dr Russ Mittermeier, one of the world’s leading authorities on lemurs, said: “What is happening to the biodiversity of Madagascar is truly appalling, and the slaughter for these delightful, gentle, and unique animals is simply unacceptable. And it is not for subsistence, but rather to serve what is certainly a “luxury” market in restaurants of larger towns in the region. More than anything else, these poachers are killing the goose that laid the golden egg, wiping out the very animals that people most want to see, and undercutting the country and especially local communities by robbing them of future ecotourism revenue.
He added: “In the last week Madagascar has taken important steps towards resolving its political crisis and move towards the restoration of democracy. It is counterproductive of the international donor community to continue denying conservation and development funding because this only encourages poor governance of the country’s natural resources. The world community must act now to support the dedicated local wildlife authorities who are battling to prevent this globally important resource from being destroyed.”
The protection of Madagascar’s ecosystems and endangered wildlife is important for more than just its scientific value. The island’s 20 million inhabitants are hugely reliant on ecotourism – an industry that has collapsed since the coup, but can be quickly reinvigorated when the situation is resolved. The forests of Madagascar are also important in the battle against climate change and several demonstration projects run by CI on the island have shown how protection of standing forest and reforestation of degraded areas can bring significant benefits to local communities as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Dr Mittermeier concluded: “This is what happens when the global community attempts to punish a nation’s leaders by cutting virtually all aid. We need to rethink the global response to political upheavals in the future, and not to place the greatest burden on those most in need.”Lemurs butchered in Madagascar - Endangered lemurs illegally killed by poachers in... more
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Do not let that happen!
"LONDON - Conservationists should “pull the plug” on giant pandas and let them die out, according to BBC presenter and naturalist Chris Packham.
“Here’s a species that, of its own accord, has gone down an evolutionary cul-de-sac,” Packham told Radio Times magazine.
The 48-year-old believes that money spent on conserving the panda would be better invested in other animals as the species is not strong enough to survive alone.
“It’s not a strong species. Unfortunately it’s big and cute and it’s a symbol of the WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature) — and we pour millions of pounds into panda conservation.”
“I reckon we should pull the plug. Let them go, with a degree of dignity ...”
Giant pandas are confined to forest areas high in the mountains of southwestern China and have to consume large quantities of bamboo to survive.
They number around 1,600 according to the WWF (www.wwf.org.uk), and are threatened by agriculture, logging and China’s increasing human population."
I say:
What a shameful statement!Do not let that happen!
"LONDON - Conservationists should “pull the... more
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A Japanese non-governmental organization, the Save the Dugong Campaign Center,SDCC (sdcc.jp) joined the 4th World Conservation Congress held by UCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (iucn.org/).
During the congress, a recommendation to protect the Okinawa Dugong was adopted.
CGR4.MOT027 Promotion of Dugong during the UN 2010 International Year for Biodiversity
The Japanese and the US governments has been planning to construct a US Marine base at the coast of Okinawa, the last habitat of the Okinawa Dugong.
This video explains the situation in Okinawa, what SDCC has done to appeal this situation in the other part of Japan and during the congress and the meaning of this recommendation.A Japanese non-governmental organization, the Save the Dugong Campaign Center,SDCC... more
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Manatee Supporters: We Need Your Help!
Please Ask Governor Crist to Put Florida Forever Funding in His Budget!
The Issue:
In 2008, the Florida Legislature passed legislation that was signed into law by Governor Charlie Crist, approving $300 million annually for the next 10 years to fund Florida Forever. Unfortunately, despite this legislative authorization, no money was allocated to Florida Forever during the 2009 legislative session for fiscal year 2009-2010. With your help, we’re hoping to get Florida Forever back in the governor’s budget for 2010-2011.
A very small appropriation can ensure the following: that Florida Forever will continue, that landowners will be able to negotiate with the state in full faith, and that the most critical pieces of wild Florida will continue to be protected. A commitment of $15 million from the governor (a mere 0.0002% of his $66 billion budget), would allow the state to borrow up to $300 million to allow Florida Forever to continue protecting Florida’s wild places.
A commitment of only $5 million would allow the state to borrow up to $100 million for Florida Forever. With land prices down, there has never been a better time to purchase conservation land in Florida and we need to take advantage of this opportunity!
(please follow linked page to read & sign)
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5215/t/2606/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2315Manatee Supporters: We Need Your Help!
Please Ask Governor Crist to Put Florida... more
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BRISTOL TOWNSHIP - A dead manatee was found earlier this week near the banks of the Delaware River in Croydon.
The mammal, an endangered species concentrated in Florida, was spotted in cold waters Sunday in Neshaminy State Park near the park's marina ramp in Bristol Township.
Rescuers worked for more than an hour Monday morning removing the manatee from the river bank, according to Josh Swartley, the park's manager.
This is the first for Neshaminy State Park, he said. While manatee sightings up north are becoming more common, a Florida nonprofit organization confirmed that manatees swimming around Pennsylvania waters are rare.
Swartley said the manatee was not full-size. The average adult manatee grows to about 10 feet long and weighs between 800 and 1,200 pounds, according to Save the Manatee Club, a national nonprofit organization established by former Florida governor and U.S. senator Bob Graham and singer Jimmy Buffet.
Katie Tripp, the organization's director of science and conservation, said that despite a manatee's large size, the mammals often develop immune system problems when in water below 68 degrees.
“It almost becomes a hypothermia-type situation,” she said.
Although it's not clear if that's what happened here, the National Weather Service said the Delaware River's temperature has been about 46 or 47 degrees.
There's been an increase in manatee sightings in the Northeast lately, according to Save the Manatee Club. A manatee was rescued Oct. 11 from Sesuit Harbor in Dennis, Mass., but died the next day en route to a medical treatment facility at SeaWorld Orlando. Other sightings include manatees around Baltimore and in North Carolina.
“Something seems to be changing. Either that, or we're just seeing them more,” Tripp said.
“These recent sightings highlight the importance of public involvement in locating wayward manatees and coordinating with authorities in an effort to ensure timely rescues,” she said.
According to the organization, 264 manatees died through Oct. 12 from a variety of causes. Of those, 71 were attributed to watercraft accidents, which account for about 25 percent of all manatee deaths, experts say.
Although they are listed as endangered, manatee populations are growing, some researchers say. The highest population count was taken in 2002, when about 3,300 manatees were counted in Florida.
BRISTOL TOWNSHIP - A dead manatee was found earlier this week near the banks of the... more
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