tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102045062024-03-13T18:43:56.912+05:30Tahrcountry MusingsA blog dedicated to wildlife conservationMohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.comBlogger1575125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-6332510218979008512018-10-03T11:33:00.001+05:302018-10-03T11:38:48.520+05:30Flying SpiceJet? Be wary of booking months in advance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We usually book flight tickets in advance to take advantage of price factor. In the era of dynamic pricing the early bird gets the advantage of lower fares.<br />
In the case of SpiceJet, you are in for a surprise. I had booked a ticket for October couple of months in advance. Now I find that the same ticket is available for almost half the price on the same flight. It's akin to hitting below the belt of customers. When I contacted the SpiceJet people they had a strange explanation. It's part of dynamic pricing they say. World over in the case of dynamic pricing, the fares go up towards the travel date. In the Quixotic world of SpiceJet, passengers who book in advance pay more while those who book last minute pay less.<br />
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So guys, if you are planning to fly SpiceJet, don't book months in advance. You will be in for an unpleasant jolt. Better still, go for other airlines that does not follow skwed policies. My experience with Indigo has been great. I regret not booking with them .When I did the booking they had some technical glitches and I was not able to do the booking.<br />
Guys, be on your guard against SpiceJet.</div>
Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-49504274608616490592018-08-05T22:44:00.000+05:302018-08-05T22:44:17.037+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Book Review.<div>
On Jim Corbett's Trail and Other Tales From The Jungle by A.J.T Johnsingh.</div>
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I have just finished reading this magnificent book by Dr A.J.T Johnsingh and I am sipping my weekend whisky and reminiscing about what I have read.</div>
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The book is a feast for those interested in India's rich natural history. Dr Johnsingh, India's first field biologist to do a PhD on a free ranging large mammal, has in his inimitable ways laid bare the intricacies of the natural world, a world he loves and has crisscrossed many times. Chapter by chapter the eminent biologist reveals the past and present scenario of India's natural world. The endnotes at the end of some chapters, is a sure fire remedy for many of our ills and has to be followed up by our administrators. Packed with fascinating snippets, the book gives us rays of hope for the future. As Dr John Seidensticker says, through his stories, we can all begin to experience Dr Johnsingh's passion and his joy in experiencing nature and being the master naturalist that he is.</div>
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I recommend this engaging, informative book unreservedly. The book is beautifully presented and produced. It is a great addition to the natural history writings of India Go ahead and buy it. You will treasure it for years to come.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-4609927860617924612018-06-05T22:48:00.001+05:302018-06-05T23:01:23.347+05:30Attempts by coterie to run down others work<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The coterie is also in to, attempts, to run down the achievements of others.<br />
I am also a victim of this nefarious attempts. I have never staked claim to anything I have not done, but with pride I can say I have contributed significantly to Periyar and Eravikulam.<br />
One of my boys in Periyar had overstepped, in his attempts at protection. He was a great forester and I deliberately owned up the whole thing to protect him. If I had not done it he would probability have ended up behind the bar. I had to do a tight rope walk for months to come out of the incident unscathed. It was mental and physical agony for months. The guy involved is still greatful to me, but the coterie says I have usurped credit for what this guy has done and that too after all these years.<br />
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Similarly I can unabashedly say that in Eravikulam it was I, who ended the poaching. Even before the rest of the country had even thought about it, I had made Eravikulam a litter free, plastic free park. Sorry guys, to bring in all this stuff here. I was forced to do this as the coterie was propagating falshood. </blockquote>
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Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-73321715552466361562018-04-29T12:21:00.002+05:302018-04-29T12:23:53.210+05:30More on the coterie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The coterie and their associates are a determined lot. Here is another taste of their misdemeanor. A photographer from Kochi had submitted a proposal for a photodocumentation of Munnar flora and fauna. The estimate was a mere 6 lakhs. This was rejected. Now to the utter consternation of this photographer, some associates of the infamous coterie, has come up with the same proposal for an outrageous 42 lakhs. The front for the coterie is Cdit. The new propsal is a straight lift from the Kochi photographers proposal. Some sentences have been reproduced verbatim . In two sentences there were two spelling mistakes. Even this has been reproduced verbatim. Now the coterie is using it's influence to get the project okayed. Where is biodiversity conservation in Kerala headed?<br />
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Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-41361497698860969182018-04-17T21:32:00.001+05:302018-04-18T11:27:24.795+05:30A piece of advice to the coterie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In my previous post I had indicated the disturbing trend that is sweeping Kerala, when it comes to taking decisions about wildlife affairs. I have a small piece of advice for the coterie.<br />
What thet coterie wants is to hog the limelight. By this overeagerness to hog the limelight the coterie members are stifling the creativeness in the younger set of officers in wildlife. You can certainly be the advisors, buy do it unobstrusively without creating any problems for the younger guys. Couple of officers have complained to me about the proclivity of the coterie members to thrust decisions on the officers, using their clout in the department. This has hamstrung the younger officers .<br />
So my dear coterie members please don't try to hog the limelight. Be an inspiration to the young set of officers and groom them to take right decisions. Right now you are doing a great disservice to wildlife by your ham-handed ways. I practice what I preach. I chip in with help whenever the officers ask for it, but I make them do the hardwork based on my inputs. This has helped in grooming the younger guys and they feel elated by the work. Giving credit where it is due really pays.<br />
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Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-36739015892731997462018-01-16T20:15:00.001+05:302018-01-16T20:15:18.789+05:30Tahrcountry Musings: The coterie that runs wildlife decisions in Kerala<a href="http://tahrcountry.blogspot.in/2018/01/the-coterie-that-runs-wildlife.html?m=1">Tahrcountry Musings: The coterie that runs wildlife decisions in Kerala</a>Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-44353024442176909642018-01-15T21:13:00.000+05:302018-01-15T21:31:32.871+05:30The coterie that runs wildlife decisions in Kerala<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Kerala is famous for inclusiveness, when it comes to wildlife management. Decisions are taken based on views of experts and this has paid rich dividends for the department.<br />
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A recent disturbing development is the emergence of a coterie. It's this coterie that decides who should be included and who should be excluded from deliberations. A case in point is the experience of Dr Rajan Verghese. Dr Rajan Verghese is a pioneer when it comes to introduction of modern census techniques in Kerala. Recently the coterie decided that he has to be dispensed with. He was not invited for any deliberation. If the coterie wanted to hog the limelight this was not the way to go. They should have invited him and discussed with him, their new plans, if any. A very upset Dr Rajan Verghese said if the coterie wants to take credit let them do it , but they should not do away with inclusiveness, which is the hallmark of Kerala. I think, Dr Rajan Verghese has a point here. For the first time since the inception of Nilgiri tahr census I was also not informed about it, last year. Obviously the coterie is powerful and has a stranglehold. This does not auger well for wildlife.</blockquote>
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Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-25813377210438840412017-04-30T08:06:00.000+05:302017-05-03T19:31:21.661+05:30Emerging digital threat to wildlife<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The digital technology, in recent years, has given a huge boost to wildlife research and conservation, but sadly the technology has started doing the Frankenstein act, with the advent of cyber poachers. Poachers and wildlife smugglers are pouncing on the technology with glee, in pursuit of their nefarious practices. Unwittingly social media is also lending a helping hand to the criminals. Data mining on social sites has become very easy. Internet has become the scouting ground of the scoundrels indulging in cyber poaching. What a travesty<br />
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When pictures of rare wildlife are posted on social sites like facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram, it leaves behind enough data for the cyber criminals to latch on to. They can easily hack and find the area where the pictures were taken. Modern cameras and smartphones add geotags to the pictures and the digital data naturally goes up with the uploading. TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade-monitoring network has recently reported that transactions for illegal wildlife products, particularly ivory, were shifting away from online retailers and onto social media platforms.<br />
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A few days back the social media sites were agog with the pictures of two lovely pygmy elephants of Sabah, Malysia.. One of the elephants had an unusually long curved tusk. The poachers had no difficulty in finding out the area where the pictures were taken. They massacred the poor creatures to get the ivory. The conservation world is still reeling from shock waves of this sad incident.<br />
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In the latest issue of journal conservation biology, Professor Steven Cooke of Carleton University, Ottawa, has graphically described the modus operandi of the cyber poachers. The professor says the very tools that were used to further the conservation efforts of endangered species are being hijacked to do just the opposite. Even though the threat is increasing alarmingly, right now there is no data to quantify the menace. Dr Cooks advises encystations of data and limiting the use of telemetry tools for non-research activities, as an immediate solution. What we should go for is in fact military style encystations of wildlife data, if we are really serious about containing the cascading threat. Reputed scientific journals have already implemented the policy of not disclosing the sites of newly discovered species. In India we had a sample of cyber poaching when attempts were made to hack GPS collars of tigers. In some countries wildlife tour operates also have been guilty of accessing the digital data on the sly. Tags send out pings that can be easily accessed with cheap radio receivers. Instead of waiting for the animal you can easily stalk the animal.<br />
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All individuals can join the effort to free the cyber space from criminals. When you intend to upload pictures of rare wildlife, turn off geotaging before taking pictures and never disclose the exact site. The picture of pine marten taken in Munnar is a good example. All the photographers were keen to disclose the exact site where the picture was taken and naturally there was a rush to grab a picture of the rare animal. If you are a researcher, wildlife manager or a conservation photographer never discloses the sites of, rare, newly discovered wildlife. Use broad term like Western Ghats, instead of specifying the exact place of discovery. The threat is not restricted to big animals. Rare snakes, tortoises and frogs are on the list of cyber criminals. Researchers have reported that some of the recently discovered frogs have very limited range, all the more reason to exercise abundant caution. The threat is real and increasing. Time to act is now. In June scientists are assembling in Australia to take stock the situation and come up with remedial measures on a war footing.</div>
Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-20007656908689831962016-10-12T09:49:00.003+05:302016-10-12T09:51:11.091+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-15759763088076034592016-10-12T09:49:00.001+05:302016-10-12T09:51:06.199+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi Guys,<br />
Due to paucity of time and other imponderables, I am not in a position to blog regularly. I have started a WhatsApp group called Wilderness unplugged to post wildlife news. This allows me to post on the go. If you are interested in joining the group send me a request.<br />
Have a great day<br />
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Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-44428453987822370712016-08-22T11:15:00.001+05:302016-08-22T11:15:09.756+05:30No updates for some more time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi guys,<br />
Due to personal constraints I am not in a position to post regular updates. Hope to see you soon. Have a great time.</div>
Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-33115785361439944082016-07-29T10:37:00.004+05:302016-07-29T10:37:49.588+05:30Taking a break<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi Guys,<br />
I am taking a break for 15 days. There wont't be any updates during this period</div>
Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-26581565364340701692016-07-26T09:25:00.002+05:302016-07-26T09:25:57.655+05:30Adult female ungulates: The importance getting to know about lambing habitat: Parturition, nursery, and predation sites.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Desert
bighorn sheep lambing habitat: Parturition, nursery, and predation sites<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Rebekah
C. Karsch,James W. Cain,Eric M. Rominger and Elise J. Goldstein<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Journal of
Wildlife Management</i><span style="color: #5d5d5d;">,</span></span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; line-height: 15.6pt;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none; padding: 0in;">Volume 80</span></b><span style="border: 1pt none; padding: 0in;">, </span><b><span style="border: 1pt none; padding: 0in;">Issue 6</span></b><span style="border: 1pt none; padding: 0in;">, </span></span><b style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 15.6pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; padding: 0in;">pages 1069–1080</span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 15.6pt;">, </span><b style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 15.6pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; padding: 0in;">August 2016</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Fitness
of female ungulates is determined by neonate survival and lifetime reproductive
success. Therefore, adult female ungulates should adopt behaviors and habitat
selection patterns that enhance survival of neonates during parturition and
lactation. Parturition site location may play an important role in neonatal
mortality of desert bighorn sheep (<i>Ovis canadensis mexicana</i>) when lambs
are especially vulnerable to predation, but parturition sites are rarely documented
for this species. The objectives of the researchers were to assess
environmental characteristics at desert bighorn parturition, lamb nursery, and
predation sites and to assess differences in habitat characteristics between
parturition sites and nursery group sites, and predation sites and nursery
group sites. They used vaginal implant transmitters (VITs) to identify
parturition sites and capture neonates. We then compared elevation, slope,
terrain ruggedness, and visibility at parturition, nursery, and lamb predation
sites with paired random sites and compared characteristics of parturition
sites and lamb predation sites to those of nursery sites. When compared to
random sites, odds of a site being a parturition site were highest at
intermediate slopes and decreased with increasing female visibility. Odds of a
site being a predation site increased with decreasing visibility. When compared
to nursery group sites, odds of a site being a parturition site had a quadratic
relationship with elevation and slope, with odds being highest at intermediate
elevations and intermediate slopes. When the researchers compared predation
sites to nursery sites, odds of a site being a predation were highest at low
elevation areas with high visibility and high elevation areas with low
visibility likely because of differences in hunting strategies of coyote (<i>Canis
latrans</i>) and puma (<i>Puma concolor</i>). Parturition sites were lower in
elevation and slope than nursery sites. The researchers signs off stating that
understanding selection of parturition sites by adult females and how habitat
characteristics at these sites differ from those at predation and nursery sites
can provide insight into strategies employed by female desert bighorn sheep and
other species during and after parturition to promote neonate survival. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-32398968821303889952016-07-24T10:21:00.001+05:302016-07-24T10:28:39.776+05:30Getting to know how the spatial configuration of residential development affects the foraging behavior and prey habits of top predators<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Spatial
characteristics of residential development shift large carnivore prey habits<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Justine
A. Smith,Yiwei Wan and Christopher
C. Wilmers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The
Journal of Wildlife Management</i></span><span style="color: #5d5d5d; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, </span></b><b style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 15.6pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; padding: 0in;">Volume 80</span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 15.6pt; padding: 0in;">, <b>Issue 6</b>, <b>pages 1040–1048</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 15.6pt;">, <b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">August 2016</span></b></span></div>
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Understanding how anthropogenic development affects food
webs is essential to implementing sustainable growth measures, but we have very
little knowledge about how the spatial configuration of residential development
affects the foraging behavior and prey habits of top predators. The researchers
examined the influence of the spatial characteristics of residential
development on prey composition in the puma (<i>Puma concolor</i>). They
located the prey remains of kills from 32 pumas fitted with global positioning
system (GPS) satellite collars to determine the housing characteristics most
influencing prey size and species composition. They examined how differences in
housing density, proximity, and clustering influenced puma prey size and
diversity. They found that at both local (150 m) and regional (1 km) spatial
scales surrounding puma kill sites, housing density (but not the clustering of
housing) was the greatest contributor to puma consumption of small prey,which
primarily comprised human commensals or pets. The species-specific
relationships between housing density and prey occupancy and detection rates
assessed using camera traps were not always similar to those between housing
density and proportions of diet, suggesting that pumas may exercise some diet
selectivity. The influence of development on puma diet may affect puma disease
risk, energetics, and demographics because of altered species interactions and
prey-specific profiles of energetic gain and cost. The researchers say their
results can help guide future land-use planners seeking to minimize the impacts
of development on wild species interactions and community dynamics.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-56043689786821693892016-07-22T16:49:00.001+05:302016-07-22T16:49:29.888+05:30Want protection from malaria? Here is an unlikely recipe. Sleep with a chicken next to your bed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A study by Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
and Addis Ababa University, reported in the open access <i>Malaria Journal</i>,
has shown that malaria-transmitting mosquitoes actively avoid feeding on
certain animal species such as chickens, using their sense of smell. The
scientists say odours emitted by species such as chickens could provide
protection for humans at risk of mosquito-transmitted diseases.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To find out which species the mosquitoes prefer, the
research team collected data on the population of human and domestic animals in
three Ethiopian villages. They also collected blood-fed mosquitoes to test for
the source of the blood that the mosquitoes had fed on. People living in the
areas in which the research was conducted share their living quarters with
their livestock. The researchers found that while <i>Anopheles arabiensis</i> strongly
prefers human over animal blood when seeking hosts indoors, it randomly feeds
on cattle, goats and sheep when outdoors, but avoids chickens in both settings,
despite their relatively high abundance.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-90270663928846235102016-07-21T16:53:00.002+05:302016-07-21T16:53:23.483+05:30Scientists urge replacement of animals in antibody production<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The global antibody industry is worth 80 billion dollars and
relies heavily on animals to produce the antibodies that are used to detect the
vast range of molecules indicative of state of health, safety or the
environment.Scientists from the Universities of Nottingham, Toronto, Utrecht
and Lund in Sweden say millions of animals are still being authorised for routine
scientific procedures when there is a tried and tested alternative.
They add that the use of animals in consumer society is effectively 'hidden'
and products assumed to be 'animal-friendly' are mere ruse. Animal friendly
antibody production technique using bacteriophage viruses instead of live
animals is being overlooked.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The scientists are proposing a seven point EU led action
plan by the wider scientific community and biotechnology industry.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• The replacement of animal immunisation methods for
antibody production, including the import of antibodies and antibody-containing
products unless it can be demonstrated on a case-by-case basis that Animal
Friendly affinity reagents (AFAs) cannot be applied.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• An expert working group should be established to set up a
roadmap for moving away from animal immunisation-based techniques for antibody
production, in light of the scientific feasibility and commercial availability
of AFAs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• Implementation programmes should be set up to facilitate
the transfer of establishments to the new technology. These should include
centres of excellence for training in AFA-based technologies to ensure that
antibody producers are fully supported.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• Measures should be taken to ensure that animal-derived
antibodies manufactured outside the EU adhere to European standards to avoid
ethics dumping in regions where animal welfare is less well regulated.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• The European Union Reference Laboratory for alternatives
to animal testing (EURL ECVAM) should extend its field of activities with its
international collaborative partners to include the production of AFAs and
their subsequent use.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• EU and national agencies who are committed to the 3Rs and
who execute EU regulations at an operational level for the commercial
production of cosmetics, medicines, household products, and food or to
safeguard our health or the environment should reinforce this action and no
longer permit the import or use of animal-derived antibodies and
antibody-containing products aimed to monitor, detect, diagnose, or extract
targets of interest.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• Subsequent reports from the Commission to the Council and
the European Parliament on the statistics on the number of animals used for
experimental and other scientific purposes should include data on the use of
animals for antibody production as an independent category.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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Details appear in the latest issue of journal <i>Trends in
Biotechnology.</i> Read it <a href="http://www.cell.com/trends/biotechnology/fulltext/S0167-7799(16)30063-4">HERE</a><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-52262902619066488812016-07-20T11:54:00.001+05:302016-07-20T11:54:11.286+05:30Urban pigeons might come in handy to detect lead and other toxic compounds in cities<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A new study of pigeons by Fayme Cai and Rebecca Calisi
in New York City shows that levels of lead in the birds track with
neighborhoods where children show high levels of lead exposure. In their study
the researchers used feral pigeon (<i>Columba livia</i>) as a lead bioindicator
in New York City.<span style="background: white; color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span>They collected blood lead level records from 825
visibly ill or abnormally behaving pigeons from various NYC neighborhoods
between 2010 and 2015. They found that blood lead levels were significantly
higher during the summer, an effect reported in children.<span style="background: white; color: #2e2e2e; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span>Even
miniscule amounts of lead are extremely detrimental to child health. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The researchers provide support for the use of the feral
pigeon as a bioindicator of environmental lead contamination for the first time
in the U.S. and for the first time anywhere in association with rates of
elevated blood lead levels in children. They say this information has the
potential to enable measures to assess, strategize, and potentially circumvent
the negative impacts of lead and other environmental contaminants on human and
wildlife communities. The research provide a powerful example of how monitoring
pigeon biology may help us to better understand the location and prevalence of
lead, with the aim of providing greater awareness and devising prevention
measures.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Details appear in the latest edition of journal <i>Chemosphere</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-66203253617017223472016-07-16T10:43:00.000+05:302016-07-16T10:44:33.552+05:30Using an incentive-based strategy as a complement to command-and-control, community- and norm-based strategies may help achieve greater conservation effectiveness <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Effects of payments for ecosystem services on wildlife habitat recovery</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mao-Ning Tuanmu,Andrés Viña,Wu Yang,Xiaodong ChenAshton M. Shortridge and Jianguo Liu<sup><o:p></o:p></sup></div>
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<i>Conservation Biology</i>, Volume 30, Issue 4, pages 827–835, August 2016<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Serous debates on policies that might simultaneously promote sustainable management of protected areas and improve the living conditions of local people have been going on round the world. This has been engendered by conflicts between local people's livelihoods and conservation that has stymied many well intended conservation measures. The authors of this paper say, few empirical assessments of the effectiveness of government-sponsored payments-for-ecosystem-services (PES) schemes have been conducted, and even fewer assessments have directly measured their effects on ecosystem services. Here the researchers conducted an empirical and spatially explicit assessment of the conservation effectiveness of one of the world's largest PES programs through the use of a long-term empirical data set, a satellite-based habitat model, and spatial autoregressive analyses on direct measures of change in an ecosystem service (i.e., the provision of wildlife species habitat). Giant panda (<i>Ailuropoda melanoleuca</i>) habitat improved in Wolong Nature Reserve of China after the implementation of the Natural Forest Conservation Program. The improvement was more pronounced in areas monitored by local residents than those monitored by the local government, but only when a higher payment was provided. The results suggest that the effectiveness of a PES program depends on who receives the payment and on whether the payment provides sufficient incentives. As engagement of local residents has not been incorporated in many conservation strategies elsewhere in China or around the world, the results also suggest that using an incentive-based strategy as a complement to command-and-control, community- and norm-based strategies may help achieve greater conservation effectiveness and provide a potential solution for the park versus people conflict.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<sup>\</sup></div>
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Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-69756459514432729242016-07-15T09:54:00.001+05:302016-07-15T09:55:41.631+05:30American black bears may be able to recognize from photographs things they know in real life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Many animals show
what is called “picture-object recognition”, in which they respond to pictures
and their corresponding real-life objects in similar ways .A study which
involved a black bear (<i>Ursus americanus</i>), called Migwan and a computer screen has come up with the
finding that American black bears may be able to recognize things they know in
real life, such as pieces of food or humans, when looking at a photograph of
the same thing. The study was led by Zoe Johnson-Ulrich and Jennifer Vonk of
Oakland University in the US.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Migwan was first presented with two sets of objects new to
her. Her ability to recognize these later, when presented with photographs
including the items she had learned, was then assessed. In a reverse task, she
was also trained on the photographs of two different sets of objects and tested
on the transfer to real objects.<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span>Migwan
was able to recognize, on a photograph, the visual features of objects or
natural stimuli she already knew. It is an ability that bears share with hens,
rhesus monkeys, pigeons, tortoises and horses.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Johnson-Ulrich and Vonk however caution that the ability of
bears to recognize features of real objects within 2D-images does not
necessarily mean they understand the representational nature of photographs. It
is also still uncertain how well bears are able to recognize tangible objects
which they first saw on a photograph before being introduced to the real thing.
Further research using other bears is therefore needed to verify if the animals
can transfer information from pictures to objects, too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Details appear in the latest edition of journal <i>Animal
Cognition.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<br />
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The above post is prepared from materials provided
by Springer. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-62100842711909695312016-07-14T09:49:00.002+05:302016-07-14T09:50:24.028+05:30The role of behavioral ecology in improving wildlife conservation and management<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A systematic survey
of the integration of animal behavior into conservation<o:p></o:p></div>
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Oded Berger-Tal,Daniel T. Blumstein,Scott Carroll,Robert N.
Fisher,Sarah L. Mesnick,Megan A. Owen,David Saltz,Colleen Cassady St. Claire
and Ronald R. Swaisgood<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Conservation Biology</i>,Volume 30, Issue 4, pages 744–753, August
2016<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The role of behavioral ecology in improving wildlife
conservation and management has been the subject of lot of discussions in
recent years. Here the researchers sought to answer 2 foundational questions
about the current use of behavioral knowledge in conservation: To what extent
is behavioral knowledge used in wildlife conservation and management, and how
does the use of animal behavior differ among conservation fields in both
frequency and types of use? They searched the literature for intersections
between key fields of animal behavior and conservation and created a systematic
heat map (i.e., graphical representation of data where values are represented
as colors) to visualize relative efforts. Some behaviors, such as dispersal and
foraging, were commonly considered (mean [SE] of 1147.38 [353.11] and 439.44
[108.85] papers per cell, respectively). In contrast, other behaviors, such as
learning, social, and anti-predatory behaviors were rarely considered (mean
[SE] of 33.88 [7.62], 44.81 [10.65], and 22.69 [6.37] papers per cell,
respectively). In many cases, awareness of the importance of behavior did not
translate into applicable management tools. Their results challenge previous
suggestions that there is little association between the fields of behavioral
ecology and conservation and reveals tremendous variation in the use of different
behaviors in conservation. They recommend that researchers focus on examining
underutilized intersections of behavior and conservation themes for which
preliminary work shows a potential for improving conservation and management,
translating behavioral theory into applicable and testable predictions, and
creating systematic reviews to summarize the behavioral evidence within the
behavior-conservation intersections for which many studies exist.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-54787834589252560722016-07-13T09:45:00.000+05:302016-07-13T09:45:04.589+05:30Latest Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) analysis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Latest Elephant
Trade Information System (ETIS) analysis, prepared by TRAFFIC on behalf of
Parties to CITES is now available<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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ETIS is a comprehensive information system to track illegal
trade in ivory and other elephant products. It shares the same objectives as
those set out for MIKE in <a href="http://www.cites.org/eng/res/10/10-10R16.php">Resolution Conf. 10.10
(Rev. CoP16)</a>, with the difference that its aim is to record and analyse
levels and trends in illegal trade, rather than the illegal killing of
elephants. The central component of ETIS is a database on seizures of elephant
specimens that have occurred anywhere in the world since 1989. The seizure
database is supported by a series of subsidiary database components that assess
law enforcement effort and efficiency, rates of reporting, domestic ivory
markets and background economic variables. These database components are
time-based and country-specific and are used to mitigate factors that cause
bias in the data and might otherwise distort the analytical results. The
subsidiary database components also assist in interpreting and understanding
the results of the ETIS analyses. Since its inception, ETIS has been managed by
TRAFFIC on behalf of the CITES Parties and is currently housed at the TRAFFIC
East/Southern Africa office in Harare, Zimbabwe.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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Read the report <a href="https://cites.org/sites/default/files/eng/cop/17/WorkingDocs/E-CoP17-57-06.pdf">HERE</a><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-47915053643964460492016-07-08T14:07:00.001+05:302016-07-08T14:07:02.916+05:30‘Coexistence with wildlife'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As the population of human being burgeons most species of
large carnivores and large herbivores depend on being able to occupy
human-dominated landscapes for survival. This invariably leads to conflicts
between humans and wildlife. Researchers
Neil Carter, assistant professor in the Human-Environment Systems
Research Center in the College of Innovation and Design at Boise State, and
John Linnell, a senior research scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Nature
Research, say, there is a need to develop a more nuanced and realistic
understanding of what this state looks like. They have recently published a
paper titled “<i>Co-Adaptation Is Key to Coexisting with Large Carnivores”</i> in the journal <i>Trends in Ecology and
Evolution</i>. The paper is based on real life situations in North
America, Europe and Asia on species such as wolves, tigers, leopards, lynx and
bears. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The researchers note that large carnivores need larger
ranges than many protected areas afford. This means that carnivores often come
in contact with human populations that are sometimes less than welcoming. They suggest
that mutual adaptations is the key to success, implying that not only do wild
animals have to behaviourally adapt to the presence of humans, but humans also
have to adapt their behavior to the presence of wild animals.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Studies conducted by the authors and their colleagues have
shown that many species of large carnivores show an incredible ability to
occupy heavily modified human-dominated landscapes. Many human societies also
show a wide range of adaptations to the proximity of large carnivores. This
includes changes to the way they keep livestock and the adoption of cultural or
religious practices to "negotiate" their relationship with their wild
neighbours.<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span>However, in many areas these
adaptations have been lost, either due to a temporary absence of large
carnivores or in the face of changing social-economic situations. The result is
often severe conflicts of both an economic and social nature.The necessity of
adaptation by both humans and the carnivores is a key first step towards
transforming conflict to coexistence. Conservation efforts that fail to focus
on both halves of the equation are doomed to fail.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A factor for success has to do with realising that a state
of coexistence does not involve an idealized absence of conflict. Rather than
trying to eliminate all risk, which can mean eliminating a species, the authors
explore ways to keep risks below tolerable levels. That involves understanding
what factors influence tolerance. While some communities may not tolerate any
risks from carnivores, others may tolerate high risks because they attribute
carnivores with ecological and cultural benefits that exceed those risks. In
many communities, the priorities of various stakeholder groups are still
sometimes at odds, and there is a reduced trust in authorities. Interventions
such as new policies must take into account local concerns, the authors say,
such as the adoption of novel decision-making strategies that give voice to
varying viewpoints.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The researchers believe that the challenges are surmountable
through the help of community leaders, conservation organizations, and state or
federal agencies. Insights from studies on coexistence "can help reconcile
debates about carnivore conservation in shared landscapes and advance broader
discourses in conservation," they wrote, "such as those related to
rewilding, novel ecosystems, and land-sharing vs. land-sparing."<span style="background: white; color: #777777; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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"In many ways large carnivores represent the ultimate
test for human willingness to make space for wildlife on a shared planet. If it
is possible to find ways to coexist with these species, it should be possible
to coexist with any species", says John Linnell, co-author on the study.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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A major chunk of the post is reprinted from materials provided
by Norwegian Institute for Nature
Research<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-14689862328577757992016-07-07T09:52:00.002+05:302016-07-07T09:52:57.122+05:30To crack the meaning of monkey calls linguists team up with primatologists<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Linguists teaming up with primatologists have brought the
general methods of contemporary linguistics to bear on monkey morphology
(pertaining to the structure of calls), syntax (how the calls are put together
into sequences), and semantics (what calls and call sequences mean), building
on several earlier studies conducted within primatology.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The research was headed by DR Philip Schlenker a senior
researcher at Institut Jean-Nicod within France's National Center for
Scientific Research (CNRS) and a Global Distinguished Professor at New York University,
associating with Emmanuel Chemla, a research scientist at France's National
Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and Klaus Zuberbühler, a professor at
Switzerland's University of Neuchâtel, appears <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Philippe Schlenker, says “We can now study the form and
meaning of monkey calls using methods from theoretical titi monkeys’
linguistics.<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span>Using this approach, we can compare one
monkey species to another and see, for instance, that some of their calls have
been preserved over three million years."<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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Details appear in the latest issues of journals <i>Natural
Language & Linguistic Theory</i>, <i>Lingua
and Theoretical Linguistics</i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-72103415573893417372016-07-06T10:08:00.004+05:302016-07-06T10:08:48.832+05:30Snow leopards may be more common than previously thought<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5mfMK4IcMU0/V3yLKUNyyzI/AAAAAAAAI7E/Ywnz5gcekkYH5aOXaMzsQtBFl6JWV_iCQCLcB/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5mfMK4IcMU0/V3yLKUNyyzI/AAAAAAAAI7E/Ywnz5gcekkYH5aOXaMzsQtBFl6JWV_iCQCLcB/s320/Clipboard01.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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Snow leopard (<i>Panthera uncia</i>), is the world’s,
most mysterious and the least studied big cat. New studies are now breaking fresh
ground bringing encouraging results about their numbers. New estimates focused
on areas described as 'Snow Leopard Conservation Units,' covering only 44
percent of the snow leopard's extensive range (which extends over roughly 3
million km2 or 1,158,306 square miles) suggests that there may be between 4,678
and 8,745 snow leopards just in these units.<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span>Previous estimates were only between 3,920 and 7,500.<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span>Satellite telemetry and camera traps gave
an impetus to the new studies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite the good news about the numbers of snow leopard, the
species still faces multiple pressures.<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> They </span>are still regularly poached for their beautiful fur and killed
in retaliation for taking herder's livestock.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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Details appear in <i>Snow Leopards</i>, published by
Elsevier Press and edited by Dr. Tom McCarthy and Dr. David Mallon. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204506.post-13798243795395125202016-07-05T09:31:00.001+05:302016-07-05T09:31:09.331+05:30Frigate birds: Airborne for months at a time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A
telemetric study of the trajectory and flight strategy of frigate birds(<i>Fregata minor</i>), led by Henri
Weimerskirch of the Centre d'études biologiques de Chizé (CNRS/Université de La
Rochelle) in partnership with colleagues based in La Réunion, the United
Kingdom, Canada, and Germany has revealed that they can remain airborne for
over two months. This happens during their transoceanic migrations. Frigate
birds make their transoceanic flights between Africa and Indonesia. The birds
have extraordinary ability to glide and climb in updrafts without beating its
wings. They track the edge of the doldrums to take advantage of favorable winds
and strong convection.Locally, they use a roller-coaster flight, relying on
thermals and wind to soar within a 50- to 600-meter altitude band under cumulus
clouds and then glide over kilometers at low energy costs. To deal with the
local scarcity of clouds and gain longer gliding distances, birds regularly
soar inside cumulus clouds to use their strong updraft, and they can reach
altitudes of 4000 meters, where freezing conditions occur.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Details
appear in the latest issue of journal <i>Science.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Mohan Alembathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372903723489957447noreply@blogger.com0