Sad News - Thames Whale Does Not Survive Rescue Attempt

All attempts to save the Thames whale failed. It died as marine specialists escorted it on a barge down the Thames toward the sea. The mammal suffered breathing problems and muscle spasms when it convulsed and died. Tony Woodley, a director of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) group said that despite the sad outcome, the decision to move the whale - costing the group about £100,000 - was correct and they had given it their "best shot".

Whale spotted in central London

A Northern Bottle-nosed Whale(Hyperoodon ampullatus),which is usually found in deep-sea waters, has been seen in upstream Thames. The Whale has crashed into an empty boat causing slight bleeding. Rescuers have been trying to keep the seven-tonne whale away from the riverbanks. Specialist equipments like inflatable tubes are in place to help the stranded animal. All efforts are concentrated on to persuade it to swim back in to the sea.

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment publishes full technical reports

The four “foundation” reports of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) have been released. These 500-800 page reports examine Current State and Trends; Scenarios; Policy Responses; and Multi-Scale Assessments. A summary report was also released. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) was a four-year long global assessment of the consequences of ecosystem change for human well being and the options for responding to those changes, which involved 1,300 leading international scientists from 95 nations.

Greenpeace Leaves Dead Whale At Embassy

The Japanese embassy in Berlin has received a 20-ton dead fin whale, compliments of Greenpeace. Greenpeace was protesting against whale hunting by Japan in the name of animal research. "We want to show Japan how nonsensical whale-hunting is, and show them they must stop killing whales", said a Greenpeace spokesman. Environmentalists have been blocking Japanese whale hunters in the Antarctic since December.

New Animal Species Found in California Caves

Twenty-seven new species of spiders, centipedes and scorpion-like creatures have been discovered in the dark, damp Cavesin Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks of California. The species are yet to be named. While it is extremely rare to find new mammal or bird species on the surface, caves still have a bonanza for the scientists. Jean Krejca, a consulting biologist with Austin, Texas-based Zara Environmental led the three-year exploration. Park officials are framing appropriate conservation policies.

Canada Forges Ahead to Protect its Rich Natural Heritage

Canada’s protected area agenda had three major achievements this past three months. The protection of the world’s largest freshwater lake, the doubling in size of Canada’s smallest national park, and the creation of a new national park, supported by the Inuit people. Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake by surface area, will be the first area protected under Canada’s 2002 National Marine Conservation Areas Act. St. Lawrence Island National Park, Canada’s smallest national park will be doubling in size, through the acquisition of new lands. The third major achievement is the creation of Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve. - The first national park to be established in Labrador (Eastern Canada).

Drought - Kenya’s Wildlife at Risk

A severe drought is threatening Kenya's wildlife, which is straying out of protected areas in search of water, risking conflict with villagers. Kenya has 59 sanctuaries, reserves and national parks. The worst affected parks were Tsavo National Park in the southeast and the popular Maasai Mara National Reserve in the southwest. According to the United Nations lack of rains in many parts of East Africa, including Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia has left around 6 million people on the brink of starvation.

Kenya - British environmentalist shot dead in Rift Valley

Well-known British environmentalist and wildlife photographer Joan Wenn Root was shot and killed on Friday at her home in Kenya's central Rift Valley.Nothing has been stolen and the motive for the killing is not yet known. She made several acclaimed films in the 1960s, 70s and 80s documenting Kenya's stunning wildlife and landscape. She was also very active in trying to preserve Lake Naivasha, the Rift Valley's only freshwater lake.

World's biggest fish getting smaller

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), the world's largest fish are getting smaller according to researchers of Australian Institute of Marine Science. Whale sharks are caught for food in some East Asian countries and Australian researchers suspect the unbridled fishing is causing a decline. In the last decade the average size of shark is down from seven metres to five metres. Under the IUCN Red List of threatened species, Whale sharks are categorised as "vulnerable" to extinction and they have been added to CITES list of species threatened by international trade. Efforts are on to ensure better protection to this threatened species.

Periyar Tiger Reserve

I had a wonderful time in Periyar Tiger Reserve. Park - people interface through Ecodevelopment Committees is working wonders for the overall development of the Park. People residing on the periphery who once used to view the park authorities with Suspicions are now partners in the management of the Park. Periyar Foundation the apex body of the Ecodevelopment Committees is taking deep roots after the initial hiccups. The entire scenario is emerging as a worthwhile model worth emulating for other parks in India.

Out of Station

I will be out in the field in Periyar Tiger Reserve from 14th to 16th where I have no access to the internet. Consequently the next update will be on 17th.

New Caledonia - Forest Fires Ravaging endangered forests and wildlife

Forest fires, which have been blazing for nearly two weeks, have engulfed more than 4000 ha in New Caledonia. Several rare plant species have been wiped out. New Caledonia represents a fragment of the ancient super-continent Gondwana. Isolated for approximately 80 million of years, New Caledonian's tropical forest ecosystems are among the most unique on earth. 80 per cent of the 3000 plant species are found nowhere else. French disaster teams had to be rushed in to quell the fire.

China – New Clues to the Evolution of Mammals

Discovery of a small fossilised animal that walked like a platypus but looked like a shrew is providing important new clues to the evolution of early mammals. The discovery was made by paleontologists Gang Li and Zhe-Xi Luo in the province of Liaoning in northeast China. The insect-eating mammal lived alongside dinosaurs some 125 million years ago. Measuring 10 to12 centimetres long and weighing 15 to 20 grams, the shrew like creature had a thick coat of fur. The animal has been given the name Akidolestes. Akidolestes strengthens the case of Asia being the place where the main mammal groups first originated. Details appear in the latest issue of the journal Nature.

Ants Offer First Example of Formal Teaching in Non-human Animals

Professor Nigel Franks and Tom Richardson from Bristol University have come up with the first proof of teaching in non-human animals - ants showing each other the way to food. The findings appear in the latest issue journal Nature. According to the researchers the ant leaders slowed down if the follower got too far behind. If the gap got smaller, they then speeded up. Professor Frank added, “teaching involves the teacher modifying its behaviour in the presence of a naive observer at some initial cost to itself. This is to our knowledge the first example of formal teaching in non-human animals"

Pain killer endangering the survival of vultures

There is disturbing news for vultures in India. A study, led by Dr Deborah Pain on behalf of the British Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, published in Biology Letters, is pointing accusing finger at the drug Diclofenac. Diclofenac used to treat inflammation in cattle has been blamed, for the rapid decline of Indian vulture populations. The drug is destroying the kidneys of birds feeding off carcasses of dead, treated animals. The researchers fear that more distantly related birds may be equally endangered, and that substitutes for diclofenac might be similarly toxic. Disappearance of vultures, the scavengers, could damage the quality of the environment.

Surprising - In Bacterial Diversity, Amazon is a 'Desert'; Desert is an 'Amazon’

The first ever-continental scale genetic survey of soil bacteria has come up with surprising results. The diversity of soil bacteria in the otherwise species-rich Amazon is a more like a desert, while the arid desert is teeming with bacteria. The reason for this is the fact that the primary factor that seems to govern the diversity of soil bacteria is soil pH. Thus, the acidic soils of topical forests harbour fewer bacterial species than the neutral soils of deserts. The reserchers are Noah Fierer from the University of Colorado, and Robert Jackson from the Duke University. According to the researchers "The number of bacterial species in a spoonful of soil is likely to exceed the total number of plant species in all of the United States.". The findings appear in the Early Online Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Finland Develops New Fully Recyclable Paper

VTT, Technical Research Centre of Finland and the universities of Helsinki and Joensuu have developed a new fully recyclable paper from potato starch. The paper is 20 to 30 per cent lighter. The new process will reduce the environmental impacts of paper products. However, the production costs of the new raw materials are high at the moment.

2008 declared as International Year of Planet Earth

The United Nations General Assembly, meeting in New York, has proclaimed the year 2008 to be the United Nations International Year of Planet Earth. The activities will span 2007-2009.
Thrust areas will be
• Reduce risks for society caused by natural and human-induced hazards
• Reduce health problems by improving understanding of the medical aspects of Earth science
• Discover new natural resources and make them available in a sustainable manner
• Build safer structures and expand urban areas, utilizing natural subsurface conditions
• Determine the non-human factor in climatic change
• Enhance understanding of the occurrence of natural resources so as to contribute to efforts to reduce political tension
• Detect deep and poorly accessible groundwater resources
• Improve understanding of the evolution of life
• Increase interest in the Earth sciences in society at large
• Encourage more young people to study Earth science in university

Africa Lions in Peril

African Lions are in dire straits. Lions have lost 80 percent of their historic range in the last century. Threatened everywhere in Africa, they are in real bad situation in the densely populated west. The predator is doing far better in the east and south of the continent than elsewhere. The estimates are that there are between 23,000 to 40,000 lions in Africa. Of that, only 2,000 to 4,000 are in west and central Africa and the rest in East and Southern Africa. In West most of the lion populations were small and isolated. Small numbers meant that the populations were vulnerable to disease outbreaks and other sudden impacts.

Madagascar on way to Triple its Nature Reserves

Madagascar, world's fourth largest island, is known to have at least 10,000 plant species, 316 reptiles and 109 bird species. Three quarters of Madagascar's plant and animal species are found nowhere else. At a World Parks Congress in South Africa, September 2003, President Marc Ravalomanana had pledged to boost the island's protected forests and wetlands to 6.0 million hectares from its then 1.7 million hectares. The plans are cruising along promised lines. The newly established Makira Protected Area - one of the country's five new protected areas,now forms along with existing Masoala National Park the largest contiguous tract of rain forest under protection on the island. Involvement of local communities is a key feature in all the newly established protected areas.