There Is One Animal That Is Not Afraid Of A Deadly Snake . . .
At the end of this video, the narrator says, “Rudyard Kipling would be proud.” Kipling was a British author who, in the late 1800′s wrote many stories about India’s people and wildlife. One of his stories, “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,” was about a pet mongoose who saves a human family from a family of huge cobras. It is well worth reading—or re-reading, if you have already enjoyed it!
The gray mongoose is a hero in its native India, specifically for its habit of fearlessly attacking poisonous snakes. It relies on speed and lightening reflexes to overcome the fast-striking reptiles. [click to continue…]
Despite the worldwide publicity garnered by Ric O’Barry’s Academy Award-winning documentary film, “The Cove,” Japanese fisherman continue slaughtering dolphins in the City of Taiji. So O’Barry and his crew have been back undercover as well as back behind the camera, and the results of their relentless exposure of the Cove’s horrors will be airing soon on Animal Planet.
When The Journalists Moved On, The Killing Of Bottlenose Dolphins & Pilot Whales Resumed
It should have been predictable, given the the world’s short attention span: The release a year ago of Ric O’Barry’s documentary movie, The Cove, sparked international outrage over the methodical killing of dolphins the film depicted. Journalists swarmed the fishing town of Taiji, where the slaughter was taking place, the Japanese suspended their dolphin-killing activities in response, and The Cove won an Oscar for Best Documentary.
Then, the reporters moved on to other things—and as soon as things were quiet, Taiji’s dolphin hunters went back to business as usual.
Fortunately for the dolphins, they have a stubborn friend in O’Barry. Determined to keep the pressure on, O’Barry has been back in Japan with his film crew, which now includes his son, Lincoln. He’s got new visual documentation of Taiji’s sins against sea mammals, and once again, he’s ready to show them to the world via Animal Planet.
Click here to visit the web page that showcases O’Barry’s latest investigative work and to find out how you can see his new footage in its entirety.
White-Sided Dolphins Killed In The Faroe Islands (Denmark) Between Iceland And Britain. Undated File Photo By Eric Christensen
A Year-Long ‘Cooling-Off’ Period Is Declared After Talks At The 88-Member International Whaling Commission Meeting Collapse
Anti-whaling groups are far from satisfied despite the fact that talks to lift a 25-year-old international moratorium on the killing of whales collapsed in disarray during last week’s meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Morocco.
Proponents of replacing the ban with a legal quota system—a group that included the US IWC commissioner—had claimed that strict quotas would curb illegal whaling and therefore result in fewer whales being killed each year. The proposal had the support of the handful of remaining whaling nations, while anti-whaling groups, in general, deplored it.
In addition to rejecting calls for a return to legal whaling, many conservation groups such as Greenpeace had been hoping the IWC would resolve to further reduce or even eliminate whaling altogether. For years, Iceland and Norway have been defying the moratorium, while Japan has harvested as many as 1,000 Minke and other whales a year through a loophole in the language of the ban. The total annual worldwide whale harvest has been as high as 2,000. [click to continue…]
A Minke Whale Surfaces For A Breath. Minkes Are The Whale Most Frequently Hunted. Photo:Wikipedia
Officials May Decide To Allow Commercial Whaling For The First Time In 25 Years. But That Might Be A Good Thing For The Whales
When the international body that governs whaling meets in Morocco next week, it may vote to lift a world-wide ban on whale hunting that has been in place for over 20 years. Many environmental groups are up in arms over the whale-hunting proposal that the International Whaling Commission (IWC) will be discussing, and which has the backing of the Obama administration, in spite of the fact that doing away with the moratorium could actually result in fewer whales being killed.
Currently, in spite of the whaling moratorium, around 2,000 whales a year are killed by whalers from Iceland, Norway and Japan. Iceland and Norway defy the ban outright, while Japan hunts whales by exploiting a loophole in the moratorium, which technically permits the killing of the large sea mammals for “scientific research” purposes. The whales killed for research are then sold as as food on the Japanese market.
The whale species currently targeted by hunters are not listed as Threatened or Endangered whales on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. However, whales reproduce slowly, and whale conservationists are concerned that the hunting of any whale species, regardless of whether it is officially endangered, could significantly damage its population.
The US and some of the other IWC nations hope that by restoring the legal hunting of whales, the three remaining whaling nations can be drawn into an agreement under which annual whaling quotas will actually be lower—perhaps by as much as 50 percent—than the number currently being harvested. [click to continue…]
An Oiled Gannet Gets A Bath In Dawn. Photo:International Bird Rescue Research Center
Over the past week, hundreds of birds oiled in the Gulf spill have begun rolling into rescue centers, most of them in Louisiana. A number of All About Wildlife.com readers have asked how they can help, and we turned to Eliza Russell, a volunteer coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation, for the latest information. According to Ms. Russell, officials are looking for helpers—especially people with experience caring for sick and injured creatures.
Aiding Birds And Animals Affected By The Oil
Ms. Russell writes (all emphasis is ours):
“This is a response that we are providing to individuals who are specifically looking to help wildlife—especially rescue or clean. As you know, working with wildlife, especially if they are in distress, requires specific skills and training. Individuals with the skills and training (especially certification) should register with NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research through the hotline. They have received a great response from individuals with the training and are utilizing these folks first.”
[The Deepwater Horizon Response Volunteer Request Line (hotline) number is 1-866-448-5816. Please be aware that if you do not have specific training or certification to work with birds or animals, they might not be ready to accept you as a volunteer. However, even if you don't have training, but you are local person living on the Gulf Coast, there might be a volunteer job for you.]
“It is important that your readers understand that this will be a long-term issue. Even after the oil is stopped, the impacts for wildlife and need for restoration will be long-term. We will need volunteers both in the short term but more for the long-term—when it is not on the news every day. [click to continue…]
Documenting The World's Wildlife Is Now More Important Than Ever.
In another 50 years, film documentary projects like this one may be all we have to remind us of much of the wildlife that now exists on the planet. We should all be grateful to the BBC and its many film teams for this painstaking, panoramic and loving group portrait of our world’s wild creatures.
Series Brings Vanishing Wild Places And Wild Creatures Into the World’s Living Rooms
BY PAUL GUERNSEY
It is a bittersweet irony that, even as much of our wildlife dwindles toward extinction, people around the world are able to get visually closer to wild animals, and to a greater variety of wild animals, than at any other time in history. That’s because filmmaking and editing technology, combined with the 21st century ease of travel, allow contemporary wildlife cinematographers to create breathtaking, intimate and informative documentaries—the best that have ever been filmed—by focusing on the shrinking remnants of formerly vast and pristine ecosystems.
The BBC television series, “Life,” which aired in the US in March and was recently released on DVD, is a case in point. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better or more ambitious wildlife series. This is in part a testament to the dedication and expertise of the dozens of film crews that the BBC sent around the globe to shoot wildlife footage in many of the planet’s most remote locations. But I’m grateful to the BBC itself for undertaking a project of this scope, with all it’s attendant logistics, liabilities and massive expenses. What they’ve accomplished is to document for future generations a world that is being lost, and the value of that accomplishment goes far beyond whatever it cost to create it, and whatever revenues it may bring to its maker.
The massive effort that the BBC put into making “Life” spanned 3 years and 3,000 shooting days on 7 continents. There were 70 film crews involved in capturing the life stories of 200 species, from the smallest insects to the largest mammals—ants, apes, orcas and, seemingly, just about everything else a wildlife lover would be interested in learning about. [click to continue…]
These Brown Pelicans Are Awaiting Treatment For Oil Damage. Photo: The International Bird Rescue Research Center
Gulf Tragedy: The Number Of Birds Covered In Oil Has Begun Climbing Steeply
It was bound to happen.
Despite the fact that the US Gulf Coast continues to experience and suffer from the largest oil spill in history, the number of birds and other wildlife visibly injured by the oil has remained surprisingly low—until now.
According to figures published by the disaster response coordinators, over the past week oiled birds, both dead and alive, have begun turning up in much larger numbers. Between June 2 and June 9, the total number of oiled birds collected alive along the coasts of the five affected Gulf states—but predominately in and offshore of Louisiana—rose from 82 to 442. During the same period, the number of birds collected both alive and dead increased from 604 to 1075. [click to continue…]
Find wild animal facts & top 10 endangered species info
This Week's Top Features
Dolphin-Safe Tuna: Some Disturbing Facts
Back in the 1980's, the tuna-fishing industry used fishing techniques that resulted in the deaths, as "by-catch," of tens of thousands of dolphins annually. Then, in the wake of a massive public awareness campaign, the industry changed its practices. As a result, the tuna industry now accidentally kills only a relative handful of sea mammals each year. Unfortunately, the most widely used "dolphin-safe" fishing methods have a serious drawback: Instead of killing dolphins, they kill vast numbers of fish other than the tunas that the fishermen are seeking. The sharks, rays, immature tunas and other species caught as by-catch are then discarded back into the ocean.
Read more about Dolphin-Safe Tuna.
New York Times Falls For Amazon Indians' Fish Story
They say that when you have a hammer in your hand, everything starts to look like a nail.
New York Times environmental reporter Elisabeth Rosenthal has written extensively about global climate change. So, when she discovered that a group of Indians in the southern part of the Brazilian Amazon were experiencing a steep decline in the numbers of river fish they were catching, Rosenthal immediately focused on climate change as the culprit.
But in viewing the problem through such a narrow lens, the reporter missed the big picture of changing environmental conditions in the upper Xingu River region, which is the fastest-growing corner of the Amazon. For one thing, she ignored the fact that around 10,000 small dams have been built on Xingu River tributaries over the last couple of decades—and that these dams undoubtedly have a major effect on fish populations.
Neither did the reporter quote any scientists on climate change and other factors that might be affecting the Upper Xingu as well as the Amazon at large. The researchers interviewed by All About Wildlife.com said she got a lot of things wrong.
But her most interesting mistake was to take the Indians at their word when they told her they were teetering on the edge of starvation. According to the American-born Brazilian rancher who accompanied the reporter to the Indians' village, the native people were for the most part just pulling her leg.
Read the entire article.
Monkeys Demonstrate Use Of 'Dental Floss' To Their Young
Wildlife researchers working in Thailand recently discovered that, not only do macaque monkeys use pieces of hair to floss their teeth, but they also demonstrate good oral hygiene technique to their youngsters. The scientists said that when youngsters approached an adult monkey that was using "floss" to clean its teeth, the adult would often slow down and exaggerate its flossing motions as if to show the younger primate how to do the job properly.
Read more about monkey flossing.
Where The Buffalo Will Roam
International conservationists are developing plans to restore American bison—popularly called "buffalo"—to significant portions of their former range on the US Great Plains.
Read more about Restoring Bison To America.
The "Good" Earthworm?
We tend to think of earthworms as being beneficial. However, most species that we now find in our yards and gardens are not native to America—they were brought here from Europe and Asia. This means that, not only have they displaced many American worm species, but they are capable of doing actual harm to some American ecosystems.
Read more about Alien Earthworms.
Outdoor Cats Pose a Major Environmental Threat
Habitat loss is clearly the main threat facing native birds in North America and elsewhere. In fact, some migrant species face shrinking habitat at both ends of their range: In North America, where they breed during the spring and summer, and it Central and South America, where they spend their winters.
But, among other problems birds must contend with, the problem of predatory house cats is also a serious one. According to estimates from some conservationists, in North America alone feral felines and pet cats that are allowed to roam outdoors kill around half a billion birds each year.
Read the entire article here.
An International List Of The Top 10 Endangered Species
Unfortunately, there really is not a group of animals that you can say with certainty are the "top 10 endangered species" in the world. That's because the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) lists over 1,100 mammals alone whose status ranges from "Vulnerable" to "Critically Endangered." When making a list, which animals do you choose, and which do you neglect? Organizations that assemble lists of top 10 endangered species tend to pick those species that they are directing the most resources toward saving, or those that they would like to begin working with.
The resulting list helps the organization focus on its mission—and also draws public attention and much-needed donations. So when you view our international list of the top 10 endangered species, please keep in mind that this is merely one small group of imperiled animals that we have a fondness for and that we would like to call attention to—and that there are hundreds of other animal species in the world that are just as deserving of the attention. And don't be surprised if the animals on our list change from time to time.
Koalas Struggle To Survive As A Species
Australian wildlife researchers recently made a disturbing discovery: Their population estimates for the number of wild koalas were more than 20 percent higher than the number of the koalas that actually remain in the country's forests. Revised estimates now put the population of Australia's emblematic animal at no higher than 80,000, and perhaps fewer than 50,000. The main cause is habitat loss, but other problems include run-ins with automobiles and dogs, as well as apparent global-warming-induced changes in the koala's main food source.
Read more about koalas here.
One Third Of All Amphibian Species Are In Danger Of Extinction
Amphibians—including frogs and salamanders—are among the most imperiled species on the planet, according to conservationists. In fact, some scientists say that as many as a third of all amphibian species are in danger of going extinct. Along with many of the same environmental problems faced by other types of animals, amphibians are also threatened by a fast-spreading and fatal fungal disease.
More about the amphibian crisis here.
Climate Change Hits Arctic Species, Including Polar Bears and Walruses
Global climate change is affecting the Arctic and Antarctic more dramatically and more quickly than any other parts of the earth. In the case of the Arctic, in recent years there has been less ice in the oceans at the top of the world—and the change is bringing hardship to some of the species that depend on ice for their survival. Polar bears, for instance, hunt seals on the ocean ice; when ice is scarce, the bears find it difficult to find food. Walruses, for their part, raise their young on ice. They also travel on the ice, allowing it to carry them to constantly fresh foraging grounds. US wildlife officials are currently looking a ways of helping species that are suffering due to climatic changes in their once-frozen environment. Read more about global climate change and polar bears as well as more about how Pacific walruses are affected by global warming.
Orangutans Losing Habitat
Indonesia has a number of volunteer-run facilities for taking care of orphaned and injured orangutans. Unfortunately, the number of orphans has been increasing over the past few years due to conflicts between orangutans and humans in the wild. Most of these conflicts come as people push deeper into the orangutan's rainforest habitat, cutting trees for timber and clearing vast tracts to make way for palm-oil plantations.
The goal of most orangutan rehabilitation facilities is to prepare the apes to return to the wild. But with so much Indonesian forest falling under the axe and the chainsaw, it is getting extremely difficult to find a place to release rehabilitated orangutans once they are ready to go.
Read our full article here.
Vampire Chickadees
This strange story comes from Eastern Europe, where researchers report murderous behavior among a bird that otherwise looks and acts a lot like an American chickadee. According to scientists working in Hungary, during the dead of winter when food is scarce, the bird, called the great tit, will sometimes enter caves full of hibernating bats—and kill some of the bats by pecking their heads open. The birds then drag the bats out of the cave and eat them. Read the rest.
Rhino Poaching Accelerates
The "urban legend" about rhino poaching is that it occurs because men in some Asian countries believe that eating a dash of powdered rhino horn will make them more potent. In fact, Asian folk healers use rhino horn because they think it will cure fevers. But in the end, it makes little difference to the rhinos, since they are just as dead regardless of the motives behind their illegal slaughter.
All rhinos—including the two species (black and white) in Africa and three (Indian, Javan, Sumatran) in Asia are either critically endangered or threatened. And a recent upsurge of rhino poaching seems likely to push them all toward extinction. Click here to read our full story on rhino poaching.
Don't Accessorize Your Life With Wildlife
With the possible exception of a few very common tropical fish species, it is almost never a good idea to turn a wild animal into a pet. Not only do wild animals simply belong in their own habitat, but collection for the pet trade is pushing many vulnerable species onto top 10 endangered species lists and closer to the brink of extinction in the wild.
In response to concerns by conservation organizations, the US Fish & Wildlife Service is currently considering giving Endangered Species Act protection to a number of non-US tropical bird species in order to prevent them from being imported into the country.
Read our full article about endangered species and the pet trade.
Can Bats And Wind Turbines Coexist?
The downside to the worldwide push toward wind power as an alternative energy source is that the the huge turbines on wind farms kill birds and bats. Not only do the creatures die in collisions with the spinning turbine blades, but they can be killed without even coming into contact with the devices: the change in air pressure explodes their lungs.
At least in the case of bats, however, a team of researchers has come up with a tentative solution. It appears that certain radar frequencies may discourage the flying mammals from going near the windmills.
Read more here.
Inbreeding Threatens The Siberian Tiger
About 500 Siberian tigers remain the the wild, all of them in Far Eastern Russia. Normally, a population of this size would be genetically viable—that is, it would contain a large-enough gene pool to continue producing healthy, adaptable tigers for the rest of eternity, provided they were protected from poachers and other human-related dangers.
However, researchers recently made the unsettling discover that the Siberian—or Amur—tiger gene-pool is actually quite small, with a diversity of genes that would normally be found in a population no larger than 30 animals. The problem undoubtedly stems from the fact that all of today's Amur tigers are the descendants of the 40 or so tigers that were all that remained of the species in the 1930's before the Russian (Soviet) government began to protect them.
Read the whole article here.
Pink Dolphin Video
Which animals live in rainforests? Pink dolphins do. Recently we've been receiving a lot of top 10 endangered species questions about rainforest animals, particularly the pink dolphins of the Amazon.
In this excellent video, Jean-Michel Cousteau explains a great deal about these mysterious aquatic Amazon rainforest creatures.
Pythons And Floridians Stalk One Another
South Florida has been invaded by aliens (otherwise known as invasive species):
As many as 100,000 Burmese pythons are slithering through the Everglades, gobbling up native wildlife and posing a potential threat to humans—especially small, slow-moving ones. In response, the state recently began issuing permits to hunt them in hopes of at least reducing the invasive population.
But has this measure come too late? Read the full article here.
