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7 Yr Old Boy Kills 13 Animals at Zoo | BBC NEWS
Story Details for the post: http://current.com/items/89366344_boy_fed_zoo_reptiles_...
A seven-year-old boy has been filmed going on the rampage at a popular zoo in Australia, killing rare reptiles and feeding live ones to a crocodile.
Footage from the security cameras at Alice Springs Reptile Centre caught the child smiling as he killed a total of 13 animals. During his 30-minute spree, he was seen hurling the animals over the security fence into the crocodile enclosure.
Zoo officials described the boy's actions as "unbelievable". They are considering suing the parents as the boy is too young to be prosecuted.
'Difficult to replace'
The attack happened on Wednesday morning after the boy entered the zoo by jumping over the security fence and evading sensor alarms.
Over the next half hour, he bludgeoned some of the animals to death with stones and hurled others over the two fences surrounding the crocodile enclosure. At one point, he tried scaling the outer enclosure himself to get to "Terry", the 11ft (3.3m) saltwater crocodile.
A turtle, four Western blue-tongued lizards, two bearded dragons, two thorny devil lizards and the zoo's 20-year-old goanna were among those killed. Zoo director Rex Neindorf said many of the animals were rare or mature and would be difficult to replace.
"The fact a seven-year-old can wreak so much havoc in such a short time, it's unbelievable," he told Reuters news agency. Mr Neindorf said the boy had "clammed up" when questioned by police.
As children under the age of 10 cannot be held accountable for their actions in the Northern Territory, the zoo would be seeking to take action against the parents. "We'll be looking at suing the parents, who were supposedly in control of him at the time," he said. Story Details for the post: http://current.com/items/89366344_boy_fed_zoo_reptiles_to_crocodile ... more -
Conservation at Her Majesty's Pleasure
Prison inmates around the UK are using their time to create paradises of conservation for rare species such as kingfishers, barn owls and slow-worms within the grounds of jails.
Nine of the UK's 140 prisons are now internationally recognised sites of special scientific interest; 2 are European special areas for conservation, and one is an 'internationally important wetland'.
The initiative, which costs next to nothing to run, has been found to reduce reoffending rates among prisoners, and has even drawn support from individuals campaigning for tougher sentencing conditions. Prison inmates around the UK are using their time to create paradises of conservation for rare species such as kingfishers, barn owls ... more -
6 Magnificent but Endangered Primates
Primates are amazingly varied, coming in all shapes, sizes and species ranging from one ounce to hundreds of pounds. Many primates have amazingly complex social structures, long evolutionary histories and, unfortunately, many also have harrowing tales of near-extinction in their various microhabitats around the world - often at the hands of the most infamous and far-spread primates: humans. Primates are amazingly varied, coming in all shapes, sizes and species ranging from one ounce to hundreds of pounds. Many primates hav... more
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Threatened monkey populations surprisingly large
A new census in Cambodia reveals remarkably large populations of two monkey species that are threatened with extinction.
The monkey tally, announced today, represents the largest known populations of these species in the world.
Scientists with the Wildlife Conservation Society counted 42,000 black-shanked douc langurs and 2,500 yellow-cheeked crested gibbons in Cambodia's Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, which is about the size of Yosemite National Park.
The WCS surveys were conducted with the Royal Government of Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The two primate species are found in much lower numbers at other sites in Cambodia and Vietnam. Before the recent discovery, Vietnam was thought to be home to the largest known populations of both species, with 600 black-shanked douc langurs and 200 yellow-cheeked crested gibbons.
The report comes in the same month as a WCS announcement of the discovery of 125,000 western lowland gorillas in northern Republic of Congo.
Read more at the hyperlink.
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What a sight to behold in the face of worldwide threats affecting so many endemic species. It just proves that Nature is still strong and will fight on, with or without humankind. A new census in Cambodia reveals remarkably large populations of two monkey species that are threatened with extinction. ... more -
Industry Groups Suing To Reverse Polar Bear Protection
The embattled polar bear is on thinner ice than it's ever been. Five industry groups, including the American Petroleum Institute, filed suit Thursday against Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall in an attempt to reverse listing the polar bear as a threatened species.
This give Alaska Gov. (and vice-presidential hopeful) Sarah Palin's administration's own lawsuit opposing the polar bear's listing a boost. On August 4, the state of Alaska argued that the animal's populations are stable and that melting sea ice isn't an immediate threat to their survival.
The petroleum institute was joined in the lawsuit by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Mining Association, the American Iron and Steel Institute, and the National Association of Manufacturers, the last of which recently praised Palin's Republican vice-presidential nomination because of her support of Alaskan oil and gas exploration.
The industry groups' main objection is to what they call the "Alaska Gap," a special rule issued by the federal government meant to prevent the polar bear's protected status from being used to impose greenhouse-gas limits. Because the ruling exempts projects in all states except Alaska from undergoing emissions reviews, NAM vice president Keith McCoy says it unfairly subjects Alaskan industry to greenhouse-gas controls and may open a backdoor for tighter emissions regulations nationwide.
"This could significantly curtail oil and gas exploration," especially on Alaska's North Slope, he's quoted in The Washington Post as saying. "It's discrimination against the state of Alaska. During a time when gas prices are high and we need to look at all options, to issue something that shuts off a viable resource" is ill-advised.
To add insult to injury, Palin chose the grizzly bear over the Arctic resident for the state's commemorative quarter, which was released into circulation last week. The embattled polar bear is on thinner ice than it's ever been. Five industry groups, including the American Petroleum Institute,... more -
10 Species You Can Kiss Goodbye
Think the polar bear has it bad? Here are 10 critters who are even worse off than our favorite threatened Arctic resident. Listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List as critically endangered, meaning they face an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future, these animals may not live to see the end of the next decade without the a similar effort of human intervention that brought them to the brink in the first place. Think the polar bear has it bad? Here are 10 critters who are even worse off than our favorite threatened Arctic resident. Listed on t... more
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Mixed fortunes for world's whales
The latest global assessment of cetaceans shows that the marine mammals throughout the world's oceans have experienced mixed fortunes.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species reveals that some large species, like humpbacks, have seen numbers increase. However, it warns that smaller species, including river dolphins, have declined as a result of human actions. The IUCN added that it was unable to assess more than half of the world's cetaceans because of a lack of data. "It shows that if you protect these animals then they can recover," said Randall Reeves, chairman of Cetacean Specialist Group for the IUCN, the global conservation body.
"I'm encouraged by the fact that several of the large whale species that had been in trouble for a long time have shown steady increases over recent decades." The latest assessment has down-listed the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) from Vulnerable to Least Concern. The southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) was another species that was deemed no longer at risk of extinction.
Both animals had recorded increased numbers across much of their range, primarily because they had been protected from commercial whaling, Dr Reeves explained. "Humpbacks have really shown an ability to recover strongly from extremely intensive hunting," he added.
(continued at link) The latest global assessment of cetaceans shows that the marine mammals throughout the world's oceans have experienced mixed fort... more -
Animals Matter to Me
A Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare:
http://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/1706_animals_matter.cfm
The scale of suffering for animals in the world today is unprecedented.
Join the more than 1 million who have already signed.
Help us reach 2 million in 2008.
Every day millions of animals are born into lives of unspeakable suffering. Every day millions more suffer terrible deaths.
The only way to stop this cycle of cruelty is to get Governments to agree to end it. That is what a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare is all about and why you should vote to support it.
By signing the petition you will be conveying to your Government that animals – and their welfare – matter to you.
Please add your name to the million already collected. Governments are beginning to listen. Soon they will act. Every vote counts.
Help us achieve global recognition that animals matter, that they can feel pain and can suffer and that we have a responsibility to put an end to cruelty around the world. We seek 10 million signatures to let the governments of the world know we are serious about achieving a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare at the United Nations. A Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare: http://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/1706_animals_matter.cfm ... more -
Taiping 4 Gorilla “Oyin” Dies
< Press Releases
Taiping 4 Gorilla “Oyin” Dies
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
(Cape Town, South Africa – 04 June 2008) Oyin, one of the “Taiping Four” gorillas died of unknown causes in Cameroon yesterday the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW – www.ifaw.org) announced this evening.
“We are extremely upset by the news that Oyin, one of the gorillas relocated to Cameroon from South Africa in December 2007, has passed away. She had apparently been sickly for about 10 days. At this stage it is unclear what caused her illness and, following an autopsy, blood and tissue samples have been sent to appropriate laboratories to ascertain the cause of death,” said Christina Pretorius, Campaign Manager of IFAW Southern Africa.
“We are extremely grateful to the Limbe Wildlife Centre (LWC) which has been caring for Oyin and Tinu, Izan and Abbey – all Western Lowland Gorillas – since we were able to return them to Cameroon last year.
“We also extend our deep sympathy to the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa and their staff who provided great care and affection for the gorillas for so many years,” said Pretorius.
Pretorius said IFAW would announce the results of the cause of death as soon as they became available.
The return of the so-called “Taiping Four” to Cameroon marked the end of a saga in which the gorillas became ensnared in the politics of several nations and international law and became a high profile example of the rampant illegal trade in endangered species.
The gorillas, a male and three females, first made international headlines in 2002 after being smuggled to Malaysia using forged documents. DNA tests later confirmed that the animals were captured from the wild in Cameroon prior to being exported to Malaysia. In 2004, after being confiscated by Malaysian authorities, they were sent for safekeeping to the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria.
Over the last five years IFAW represented the NGO community including the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA), the International Primate Protection League (IPPL), the Last Great Ape Organisation (LAGA) and the Pandrillus Foundation, all of whom lobbied exhaustively to ensure that the various governments involved upheld the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to have the gorillas returned to their home country.
* Please visit my other posts for links on how you can help this incredible creature...
Or contact me directly & I will send them to you.
Thank you!
http://www.worldwildlife.org/gorillas/
http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/2008/05/16/video-tshi...
http://getinvolved.conservation.org/site/PageServer?pag...
http://www.wcs.org/international/Africa/gorilla
http://www.igcp.org/gorillas/gorillas.htm
http://mgvp.32ad.com/
http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/2008/05/16/video-tshi...
http://www.gorillas.org/
http://www.conservation.org/fmg/pages/videoplayer.aspx?...
www.uwa.or.ug/
www.iccnrdc.cd/
www.wildlifedirect.org/blogAdmin/gorilladoctors < Press Releases Taiping 4 Gorilla “Oyin” Dies Wednesday, June 04, 2008 ... more -
Animal Rescue - Animal Welfare, Save The Whales, Save Animals - IFAW.org
IFAW documents Canada's 2008 commercial seal hunt
Observers with IFAW have returned after witnessing the slaughter of harp seal pups during this year’s commercial seal hunt.
The team observed and documented sealers on the ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence hunting with hakapiks on the opening day of the hunt.
http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=474 IFAW documents Canada's 2008 commercial seal hunt ... more -
eBay Still Selling Illegal Ivory
llegal Ivory Trade Thrives on eBay Despite Year-Old “Ban”:
Despite eBay Inc.’s announcement exactly one year ago today of a global ban on all international trade in elephant ivory, investigators with IFAW have found that auctions of illegal or potentially illegal ivory have skyrocketed on eBay in the U.S. Further, eBay Canada faces persistent challenges as U.S.-based sellers of ivory list their contraband on the Canadian site.
In response to these developments, IFAW today is renewing its call for eBay, Inc. to institute a full and complete ban on all elephant ivory products worldwide.
“eBay’s affiliates in countries including Germany, Australia, France and China have virtually eliminated the illegal ivory trade on their Web sites thanks to severe restrictions and outright bans, ” said Jeff Flocken, IFAW’s Washington, DC, Office Director. “Unfortunately, according to the findings of IFAW’s investigations, it seems that this deadly trade has shifted to North America.”
“The ivory trade is directly responsible for the slaughter of over 20,000 elephants each year,” according to Peter Pueschel, Director of IFAW’s Wildlife Trade program. “As the world’s largest online marketplace, eBay is one of the more significant conduits for illegal trade in wildlife products on the Internet. This puts eBay in a unique position to set an example for the rest of the industry by implementing and enforcing a comprehensive ban on ivory,” says Pueschel. In fact, such a step is not unprecedented, as eBay, Inc. already prohibits the sale of other contraband such as firearms and ammunition.
With its nearly unlimited scope, largely unregulated access and relative anonymity, the Internet is emerging as the preferred method for the illicit trade in ivory and other endangered animals and their parts.
“Banning all ivory sales would give eBay an opportunity to become a conservation leader and take immediate action to protect elephants and other illegally traded species,” said Flocken. “IFAW stands ready to offer any assistance to eBay necessary to quickly develop and implement a strict and clear global policy banning ivory and to jointly inform and educate the public.”
http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=22954... llegal Ivory Trade Thrives on eBay Despite Year-Old “Ban”: ... more -
10,000+ Elephants on an Auction Block
Going once, going twice: Remnants of 10,000 elephants may be on the auction block
For the first time in nearly a decade, the international sale of ivory from endangered African elephants has been authorized by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) Secretariat. An estimated 119 tons (108 tonnes) of ivory, put up for sale from four southern African nations, which was in part conditionally approved in 2002, has been audited and verified by the CITES Secretariat. This sum represents the deaths of over 10,000 African elephants.
Japan is the sole country yet approved by CITES as a trading partner for these ivory stocks while China is up for consideration at CITES SC57 next month. “China is the single largest destination for illegal ivory and to accept them as an importer for these legal stocks will only sustain the rampant poaching that African nations are faced with today,” says Michael Wamithi, Director of the global Elephants Program at International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW – www.ifaw.org), and former Director of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
“Furthermore, each day rangers are putting their lives on the line to defend elephants and other wildlife. Poor African nations do not have the resources to endure the level of ivory poaching being experienced today. There are an estimated 20,000 elephants slaughtered each year for their tusks. And, the bloodshed extends to human lives as well. There are countless rangers continuously killed in the line of duty. How many lives must be lost to realize the gruesome reality and reach of the elephant ivory trade?”
http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=22964... Going once, going twice: Remnants of 10,000 elephants may be on the auction block ... more -
From Cage to Consumer report - World Society for the Protection of Animals
The global trade in bear parts from China to Asia and beyond
A new report by the World Society for the Protection of Animals uncovers evidence of the ongoing illegal trade in bear bile products. From Cage to Consumer summarizes the results of an extensive undercover investigation conducted in 2006 and 2007. Bear gall bladders and bear bile products were found on sale in Traditional Asian Medicine (TAM) shops across the United States as well as in cities in Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
With more than 14,000 bears suffering on bear farms in Asia so that their bile can be extracted for use in traditional remedies and non-essential products such as shampoo and wine, WSPA will use this data to help us end bear farming.
Results of global investigation:
% of stores surveyed selling bear bile:
Japan 75%
Taiwan 42%
Korea 33%
Singapore 22%
United States 15%
Canada 14%
New Zealand 9%
Australia 4%
Results of U.S. investigation:
% of stores surveyed selling bear bile:
Boston 50%
Chicago 27%
New York City 20%
Seattle 14%
San Francisco 12%
Los Angeles 4%
Washington D.C. 0%
Portland, OR 0%
Highlights from the U.S. investigation:
Illegal bear products were found for sale in 6 of 8 U.S. cities examined: Boston, New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
Intact gall bladders made up 63% of all bear products found for sale in the U.S.
$2800 was the price tag on a gall from a wild U.S. bear offered for sale in Los Angeles.
A Boston shop offered 30 galls for sale.
Bile from wild bears is considered to be more potent and therefore demands a higher price.
Help End Bear Farming!
Please Visit: http://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/29_bear_farming.cfm The global trade in bear parts from China to Asia and beyond ... more -
The Bear Protection Act - World Society for the Protection of Animals
WSPA uncovered evidence of the illegal trafficking of bear bile in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand in 2006.
Illegal bear products were found for sale in traditional Asian medicine shops in 6 of 8 U.S. cities examined: Boston, New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
Intact gall bladders made up 63% of all bear products found for sale in the U.S.
$2800 was the price tag on a gall from a wild U.S. bear offered for sale in Los Angeles.
A Boston shop offered 30 galls for sale. A U.S. bear gall was offered for sale in a traditional medicine shop in Taiwan.
One of the biggest threats faced by bears in the United States today is an illegal yet thriving trade in bear parts, including bear gallbladders. Each year wild bears are killed so that their parts can be sold in Traditional Asian Medicine (TAM) shops in the United States and internationally. In our recent undercover investigation, WSPA found that the trade in intact gallbladders had actually increased since our previous investigation in 2000.
Unfortunately, state laws pertaining to the trade in bear parts are inconsistent and, in some cases, non-existent. The solution is clear: a unifying federal law is the only viable solution for bears.
U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) recently re-introduced H.R. 5534, the Bear Protection Act of 2008, to protect North American bears. The Act specifically bans the import, export and interstate trade of all bear parts and products, while closing loopholes in existing state laws.
PLEASE SIGN THIS LETTER & HELP SAVE BEARS FROM THIS TORTURE!
http://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/2101_support_the_bear_pro...
http://capwiz.com/wspausa/issues/alert/?alertid=1110940...
Please visit:
http://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/29_bear_farming.cfm
http://www.cites.org/gallery/species/mammal/mammals.htm...
For more information on bear welfare (& many other animals!) visit:
http://my.care2.com/julesrs007
Thank you all for reading this! WSPA uncovered evidence of the illegal trafficking of bear bile in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Australia and Ne... more -
The Denver Gorilla Run
5th Annnual
Denver Gorilla Run
2008
Do Halloween this year as a Mountain Gorilla
and help save these animals from extinction.
GET READY........GET SET.............GO...............rilla!
9:00am Registration Open
11:00am Start time
Saturday, October 25, 2008
5.6K RUN
"Most Creative" Gorilla Contest 10:30am
The Denver Gorilla Run is a charity fun run with a difference. Everyone who takes part wears a full gorilla costume - from fluffy head to furry toe - and helps raise funds for the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund, the international charity working to save the world's last remaining mountain gorillas and keeping Dian Fossey’s dream alive for the past 23 years.
You can run, jog, walk, rollerblade or skateboard around the 5.6K route that weaves its way around the City of Denver, Colorado. Or if you like, you can do it gorilla style: on all fours!
With your entry, we will provide the gorilla suit (which you may keep afterwards), the spectators, t-shirt and all kinds of entertainment. All you have to do is get registered, be assigned to a gorilla team, get fit and have some fun!
Every participant in The Denver Gorilla Run will represent a group of real live gorillas in the wild. You will be assigned to either the Amahoro Group, Mubare Group, Sabinyo Group or the Rushegura Group - so with limited entries available you must register soon to secure your place.
Also visit: http://www.saveagorilla.org/ for more information. 5th Annnual Denver Gorilla Run 2008 Do Halloween this year as a Mountain Gorilla and help save these animals from extinction. ... more -
Mountain Gorillas Fading into Mist| GorillaDoctors.wildlifedirect.org
'On Day 15 of the Susa Group respiratory outbreak, a cool, rainy morning, I stood in one place for two hours watching three sick gorillas. The longer I stayed, the more I worried about what we’d find the next day. Ururabo, a first-time mother with a three-month-old baby, coughed and picked her nose. Her baby coughed and sneezed; white fluid ran down from each nostril. He breathed through his mouth through pursed lips. Poppy, the oldest female in the family, sat motionless, huddled with her two older offspring. She’d been sick for almost two weeks.'
From: http://gorilladoctors.wildlifedirect.org/2008/06/03/uru...
There are less than 700 Mountain Gorillas...that is unbelievably sad. Especially, when taking into consideration, that the 'discovery' of this magnificint & gentle creature was only ~100 years ago.
Please see the following links (as well as this page) on how you can help this extremely threatened species:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/gorillas/
http://www.worldwildlife.org/gorillas/
www.iccnrdc.cd/
www.wildlifedirect.org/blogAdmin/gorilladoctors
http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/2008/05/16/video-tshi...
http://getinvolved.conservation.org/site/PageServer?pag...
http://www.wcs.org/international/Africa/gorilla
http://www.igcp.org/gorillas/gorillas.htm
http://mgvp.32ad.com/
http://mgvp.32ad.com/default.aspx
http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/2008/05/16/video-tshi...
http://www.gorillas.org/
http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/2008/05/16/video-tshi...
http://www.conservation.org/fmg/pages/videoplayer.aspx?...
www.uwa.or.ug/
www.rwandatourism.com/home.htm
discovery.blogs.com/quest
www.wildlifedirect.org/blogAdmin/gorilladoctors
Videos:
http://www.conservation.org/fmg/pages/videoplayer.aspx?...
http://www.conservation.org/fmg/pages/videoplayer.aspx?...
http://www.conservation.org/fmg/pages/videoplayer.aspx?...
* Please contact me directly for more info & links. 'On Day 15 of the Susa Group respiratory outbreak, a cool, rainy morning, I stood in one place for two hours watching three sick ... more -
Caribbean monk seal confirmed extinct; Hawaiian and Mediterranean monk seals next?
The U.S. agency focused on the condition of the oceans says the Caribbean monk seal has gone extinct.
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Services has confirmed what many biologists have long suspected: the only subtropical seal native to the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico is extinct. It also warns that the Hawaiian and Mediterranean monk seals could be next.
The last confirmed sighting of the Caribbean monk seal was in 1952 at Seranilla Bank, between Jamaica and the Yucatan Peninsula.
Biologists say humans left the population unsustainable after over hunting them.
Today, there are fewer than 1,200 Hawaiian and 500 Mediterranean monk seals remaining.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jG7KS792s_njtUMaxoi6... The U.S. agency focused on the condition of the oceans says the Caribbean monk seal has gone extinct. ... more -
'Gorillas in the Mist' National Park victim of severe illegal forest cle...
"Over the last two months, nearly 4,000 acres of prime mountain gorilla habitat has been cleared by illegal settlers in Africa's Virunga National Park, a World Heritage Site and site of Dian Fossey's groundbreaking gorilla research. World Wildlife Fund is calling on government officials there to take immediate action to protect the park.
Located in DRC on the border with Rwanda and Uganda, Virunga National Park is home to more than half the world's 700 remaining mountain gorillas - one of the most critically endangered species on the planet.
According to information received by WWF, the Wildlife Conservation Society and their conservation partners, most of the destruction took place from early May to June. Several thousand people moved in to the area to farm illegally in Virunga, with support from influential local individuals who sold plots of land within the national park. The forest was clearcut and turned into timber or charcoal before crops were planted.
WWF and its partners are working to improve the livelihoods of local people around Virunga through community projects - destroying the park is not a solution and in the long- term will cause even more suffering to people as well as gorillas
WWF is urging the Congolese and Rwandan governments to take measures to enforce the UN World Heritage Convention that protects this unique site. WWF is also calling on the international community to fund park patrols, the peaceful evacuation of illegal settlers, and the restoration of destroyed areas.
"What is happening in Virunga is a disaster," says Marc Languy, coordinator of WWF's program in the Albertine Rift. "Thanks to conservation efforts during the past decades, the mountain gorillas have survived civil unrest and war in the region. Loss of habitat is however the worse threat to this species. It is also a loss for the local communities as the forest provides many ecological and economical services to the neighboring population, and many local people benefit from gorilla tourism revenues"."
By Jan Vertefeuille
Read more about issues affecting gorillas:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/gorillas/
http://www.worldwildlife.org/gorillas/
www.iccnrdc.cd/
www.wildlifedirect.org/blogAdmin/gorilladoctors
http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/2008/05/16/video-tshi...
http://getinvolved.conservation.org/site/PageServer?pag...
http://www.wcs.org/international/Africa/gorilla
http://www.igcp.org/gorillas/gorillas.htm
http://mgvp.32ad.com/default.aspx
http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/2008/05/16/video-tshi...
http://www.gorillas.org/
http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/2008/05/16/video-tshi...
http://www.conservation.org/fmg/pages/videoplayer.aspx?...
www.uwa.or.ug/ "Over the last two months, nearly 4,000 acres of prime mountain gorilla habitat has been cleared by illegal settlers in Africa�... more -
Understanding 'Respect and Honour' - wildlife rangers
"I had to guide you all to a link that really hit home with me. I knew that the World Press Photo had recently chosen it's winners for best photo in various categories and posted video interviews of each winner on their website. I had even watched the interview of Platon, the photographer who shot a portrait session of Vladimir Putin for Time Magazine. I thought that was a really cool story, but it did not compare to the impact that Brent Stirton had on me with his shot of a dead mountain gorilla in the Eastern Congo.
His story of the original assignment for Newsweek magazine covering the rebel fighting in the DRC morphed into a story of gorilla conservation tied inextricably to the the resilience of the human spirit that made me truly inspired and near tears. I was also hugely impressed by his efforts and ingenuity to secure a shot showing the epic effort of these Rangers who's job it was to extract the murdered Silverback Gorilla from deep in the volcanic jungle.
This is what the World needs to see more of.
In the face of unimaginable hardships and uncertainty, that a group of underpaid and overworked Rangers, who have massive risks to their own life on a daily basis, would continue to stand up to the violence and death imposed by the rebel factions fighting for genocidal ideals. These men are true Heroes and so is Brent Stirton for showing us this story in such a respectful and honourable way, and at no small risk to his own life as well. I have no words of praise worthy enough for this." "I had to guide you all to a link that really hit home with me. I knew that the World Press Photo had recently chosen it's w... more -
WildAid: A global pledge for wildlife
ACAP and WildAid are working with the governments, media, celebrities, non-profits, communities, and corporate leaders of the world to create a comprehensive and coordinated effort to stop the illegal wildlife trade for good.
Most importantly, ACAP is working to educate and engage consumers - the most crucial constituency of this campaign, since consumer demand for endangered species products is ultimately what drives the illegal trade.
Please join us in our fight to end the illegal wildlife trade by personally pledging never to knowingly purchase or consume endangered species products. We are seeking 25 million signatures worldwide by 2008 to urge our leaders to work together to preserve our world's wildlife and habitats.
There is nothing more important in this campaign than your voice - please make it heard by signing now and by helping us get the word out to your friends and local community.
http://www.wildaid.org/globalpledge ACAP and WildAid are working with the governments, media, celebrities, non-profits, communities, and corporate leaders of the world to... more
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Threatened Species
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Threatened Species
