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Large population of endangered dolphins found off Bangladesh
The world's largest population of vulnerable Irrawaddy dolphins -- famed as aquarium attractions -- has been found in Bangladesh's waters, according to a five-year wildlife study.
Until now, it was believed the small light-grey mammal was threatened and the International Union of Conservation of Nature had put five of its Southeast Asian populations on its list of critically endangered animals. The world's largest population of vulnerable Irrawaddy dolphins -- famed as aquarium attractions -- has been found in Bangladesh&... more -
Amazon river Dolphins
River dolphins are four living species of dolphin which reside in freshwater rivers and estuaries. River dolphins are now facing extinction due to habitat loss, hunting by humans, and naturally low numbers. River dolphins are four living species of dolphin which reside in freshwater rivers and estuaries. River dolphins are now facing extin... more
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Saving the Orangutan of Borneo
Documentary about the Orangutan of Borneo.
Orangutans are becoming increasingly endangered due to habitat destruction, and youngs are captured to be sold as pets, usually entailing the killing of its mother. Documentary about the Orangutan of Borneo. ... more -
Kenyan Environmentalists Fight to Save the Otter
A group of science teachers in Kisumu, Kenya, are working to protect an endangered mammal on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Otters [Fisi Maji in Swahili] were once a common sight along the shores of Lake Victoria in the morning and late afternoon. They have webbed feet, a fine streamlined body for rapid movement through the water, and a strong, muscular tail to help steer them.
Otters often travel up to 50 km in a night in search of food -- mainly fish and crustaceans like crabs and mollusks. But their numbers are thinning because of the encroachment of farmers into the wetlands and groups clearing the area in search of reeds and grasses for building houses and cottages along the beach. Otters are also killed by pollution, including industrial waste dumped into Lake Victoria – and by natural predators -- like crocodiles, pythons, and eagles.
Titus Mulwa is part of the Hippo Focus Group working to save the otter. Its original goal was to save the hippopotamus – also an endangered species at Lake Victoria.
Mulwa says humans are another predator that endangers otters:
“Traditional Medicine men in search of the otter believe eating the animal meat boost sexual potency in men. Solar dried pieces of otter meat are crushed and powder mixed in the body oils for women to apply as an ointment charm to attract the lover’s heart.”
Mark Origa is chairman of the Kisumu Science Teachers Otter Conservation Group. It’s working with the Hippo Focus Group and Kenya’s Department of Fisheries as part of a program to help protect the mammals.
Together, they’re working to promote conservation awareness, in part by starting conservation clubs for area youth. They also want to help develop the region as a tourist site. And they’ll look for ways to restore food sources for the otter. Its primary foods – like fish and crabs – are now harvested for commercial use
Mark Origa offers a solution, “Re-planting papyrus and fresh water mangroves and reinforcing of the government policies on the conservation values of the lake and wetlands through education would change the area status quo. “
A shortage of funds has limited the activities of groups doing research as well as buying papyrus, hippo grass and freshwater mangrove seedlings to plant. But the otter conservationists persist – they plan to create an otter clinic in Kisumu town. A group of science teachers in Kisumu, Kenya, are working to protect an endangered mammal on the shores of Lake Victoria. ... more -
New Pacific Iguana Discovered
A new iguana has been discovered in the central regions of Fiji. The colorful new species, named Brachylophus bulabula, joins only two other living Pacific iguana species, one of which is critically endangered. The scientific name bulabula is a doubling of bula, the Fijian word for ‘hello,’ offering an even more enthusiastic greeting.
Pacific iguanas have almost disappeared as the result of human presence. Two species were eaten to extinction after people arrived nearly 3,000 years ago. The three living Brachylophus iguana species face threats from loss and alteration of their habitat, as well as from feral cats, mongooses and goats that eat iguanas or their food source.
An important study finding for conservation of the genetic diversity in these iguanas is that, with only one exception, each of the 13 islands where living iguanas were sampled showed at least one distinct iguana genetic line that was not seen elsewhere.
The Fiji crested iguana, Brachylophus vitiensis, is gone from many islands it once occupied and is now listed as Critically Endangered on the “Red List” of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The IUCN is the largest global environmental network. “Unfortunately, this new study indicates that the other previously-identified Pacific iguana species, Brachyophus fasciatus, is probably critically endangered also,” Fisher said.
The mystery of how the Pacific iguanas originally arrived has long puzzled biologists and geographers. Their closest relatives are found nearly 5,000 miles away across the ocean in the New World.
“The distinctive Fijian iguanas are famous for their beauty and also their unusual occurrence in the middle of the Pacific Ocean because all of their closest relatives are in the Americas,” said Scott Keogh, an Associate Professor at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, and lead author of the study.
Realizing that scientists are just now describing the diversity in even such colorful and distinctive groups as Pacific iguanas is important in setting biodiversity targets for the Pacific Basin.
"This island basin is currently under attack by a number of invasive species such as the brown tree snake, various rat species and the coqui frog, which tend to reduce biodiversity," said Fisher. "Climate change may reduce coastal habitats and alter coastlines in the Pacific, further putting biodiversity at risk. A more accurate understanding of the patterns and processes that impact diversity in these unique island groups will help land managers set appropriate goals for conservation of these resources." A new iguana has been discovered in the central regions of Fiji. The colorful new species, named Brachylophus bulabula, joins only tw... more -
U.S./Mexico Border Wall Risks Endangered Species Extinctions
The border wall between U.S. and Mexico will do very little to stem the tide of undocumented immigrants coming from Mexico and points south to the U.S., though it will definitely impact many species of animals and plants who inhabit the desert region of the borderlands. Specifically large mammals like the ocelot, jaguarundi and Sonoran pronghorn antelope will find themselves cut off from other populations and be subject to genetic isolation and inbreeding. For species already suffering from low population numbers this is a recipe for extinction. The only reason for the border wall is to cover the politicians who want to appear to be "doing something" to stop undocumented immigration, though in reality they are doing very little besides causing species extinctions... The border wall between U.S. and Mexico will do very little to stem the tide of undocumented immigrants coming from Mexico and points ... more
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Bush Aims to Relax Endangered Species Rules
You thought Bush might try last effort to save his legacy, well, NO! Really hard to add to the title! so sad, so pathetic!
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Caribbean Monk Seal Extinct, U.S. Officials Declare
Federal officials in the U.S. have confirmed what biologists have long thought: The Caribbean monk seal has gone the way of the dodo.
Humans hunting the docile creatures for food, skins, and blubber left the population unsustainable, say biologists, who warn that Mediterranean and Hawaiian monk seals could be the next to go.
From the 1700s to 1900s the seals were killed mainly for their blubber, which was processed into oils, used for lubrication, and applied as a coating on the bottom of boats.
The seals once had a population of more than 250,000, but they became easy game for hunters because they often rested, gave birth, or nursed their pups on beaches.
Seal skins were used for trunk linings, clothing, straps, and bags.
The Caribbean seals were classified as endangered in 1967, and wildlife experts investigated several reported sightings over the past few decades. But officials determined the animals spotted were actually other seal types.
"We must act now to reduce threats to existing monk seal populations before it's too late," she said. "These animals are important to the balance and health of the ocean. We can't afford to wait."
Monk seals are particularly sensitive to human disturbance, and the creatures have been losing their food supplies and beach habitats, officials say. Federal officials in the U.S. have confirmed what biologists have long thought: The Caribbean monk seal has gone the way of the dodo. ... more -
Rare white lion cubs born in Germany
Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock, Germany, July 14, 2008—Three rare white lion cubs make their public debut at a wildlife park in north-central Germany.
The cubs are among of seven white lions born to two different mothers on June 30 in what park staff called a "giant surprise."
Despite their unusual look, white lions are actually African lions. A recessive gene causes their snowy white coats. About 30 white lions live in captivity worldwide. Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock, Germany, July 14, 2008—Three rare white lion cubs make their public debut at a wildlife park in north-centr... more -
7 pandas remain at famed breeding center in China
BEIJING - Only seven pandas remain at China's most famous breeding center, after a final group of 13 animals were transferred from the earthquake-damaged facility, an official said Tuesday.
Most of the pandas at the Wolong Nature Reserve, tucked in the lush mountains of Sichuan province, had already been moved following the powerful May 12 quake that rattled Sichuan province and killed nearly 70,000 people.
The quake killed at least one panda and left the Wolong center vulnerable to aftershocks and landslides.
The 13 giant pandas arrived at the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base in the Sichuan province town of Ya'an on Monday night, said Li Desheng, research director at Wolong. Only seven 1-year-old cubs remained at the center.
"This is because the staff at Wolong really loves pandas, and they wanted to keep some little ones," he said in a telephone interview. "They are the hope for the future reconstruction of the panda base."
There were 63 pandas living at the Wolong center when the quake struck. The others have been moved to Bifengxia and a breeding center in the provincial capital of Chengdu. Facilities in the Chinese capital of Beijing, the eastern province of Fujian and the southern province of Guangdong are also keeping Wolong pandas.
The Wolong reserve is at the heart of China's effort to use captive breeding and artificial insemination to save the giant panda, which is revered as an unofficial national mascot. Plans for the facility's reconstruction have not been decided, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, an 8-year-old panda evacuated from Wolong gave birth to a set of twins on Monday at her new home in Bifengxia, state broadcaster CCTV reported. News footage showed a staffer holding a newborn panda, hairless and squirming, in an incubator.
Only about 1,600 pandas live in the wild, mostly in Sichuan. An additional 180 have been bred in captivity, many of them at Wolong, and scores have been loaned or given to zoos abroad, with the revenues helping fund conservation programs. BEIJING - Only seven pandas remain at China's most famous breeding center, after a final group of 13 animals were transferred fro... more -
Leader of the Pack: The Fascinating Lives of Wolves
Wolves are remarkable animals yet misunderstood by humans. Wolves have been falsely accused of being wicked in human stories and fables. Perhaps through education we can learn to truly respect the space and grace of these amazing beasts. Wolves are remarkable animals yet misunderstood by humans. Wolves have been falsely accused of being wicked in human stories and fable... more
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Lovable Lorises: Their Eyes Look to You for Survival
Take a minute to get to know these amazing creatures before they are all gone.
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The Real Life of Kung Fu Panda
Giant Pandas are not only China's national treasure, but a priceless treasure of this planet as well.
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8 animals to be dramatically impacted by global warming
The National Wildlife Federation considers global warming to be "the most dangerous threat to the future of wildlife." Here are just some of the species being dramatically impacted by global warming.
Adelie Penguins
When many of us think of Antarctica, it is with visions of waddling, tuxedoed penguins. Today, however, these iconic creatures may be in peril as a result of changes to their climate. Rising temperatures are causing the amount of sea ice to diminish, which in turn causes the amount of algae in the water to decrease. Many tiny organisms, including the krill shrimp which forms the foundation of the Adelie penguin’s diet, cannot survive without this important food source.
Caribou
Almost everyone knows how annoying mosquitoes can be, but if you happen to be a caribou, these common summertime pests can have an even bigger impact. This is because warming Arctic temperatures have caused an explosion in these insects' populations. As caribou expend more energy shooing the pests away, they decrease the amount of food that they eat and energy that they conserve in preparation for the coming winter months. Female caribou are particularly at risk as the effort of birthing and raising the new generation takes enormous energy.
Monarch Butterflies
Brilliant orange and black monarchs are among the most easily-recognizable of the butterfly species which call the Americas home. Their migration takes them as far north as Canada and, during the winter months, as far south as Mexico City. It is here that changing conditions could cause their demise if current climatic trends continue into the future. In Mexico, the butterflies amass themselves in fir trees which provide shelter from rain and temperatures which often dip below freezing. As rainfall worldwide continues to increase, the protection that these trees provide may not be enough to shield the butterflies from these hazards. One mass die-off occurred in 2002; scientists fear that this is the first of many similar incidents.
Migratory Songbirds
The songs of many migratory birds, such as this Western tanager, are welcomed symbols of springtime. Warmer seasons worldwide may mean that you won’t be hearing some of those old familiar songs in years to come, however, as songbirds are particularly sensitive to changes to both temperatures and their habitats.
Learn how global warming affects the polar bear
Polar Bears
Polar bears, like their favored springtime prey the ringed seal, depend heavily on sea ice for their survival. Polar bears move from ice flow to ice flow in search of the young seals. With rising temperatures, the thinning ice leaves fewer places for both the polar bears to hunt and the seals to raise their young.
Trout
Coldwater fish, such as trout, depend on a frigid mixture of spring and glacier water to thrive. As North American temperatures continue to rise, trout stand to lose three-quarters of their current habitat. Before long, an enitre generation of Anglers will have lost the the ability to bond with friends and family while communing with nature. The National Wildlife Federation considers global warming to be "the most dangerous threat to the future of wildlife." Here ... more
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Endangered Animals
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Endangered Animals
