It is hard to believe. But it happened. Vietnamese police have recovered two frozen tigers from an apartment, along with two soup kettles filled with animal bones. A 40-year-old woman has been taken in to custody. The woman confessed that she was making traditional medicines. The conjecture is that the tigers were brought from Myanmar or Laos. While the wildlife enforcement laws in Vietnam are strong Myanmar and Laos pays only lip service.
The Global Environmental Flows Network was officially launched during the 10th International River Symposium Conference currently on in Brisbane, Australia. ‘Environmental Flows’ refers to water provided within a river, wetland or coastal zone to maintain ecosystems, and their benefits where there is competing use and demand. The network was crated by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), Delft Hydraulics, DHI Water and Environment, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), Swedish Water House, and the Global Water for Sustainability Program (GLOWS). Water managers, NGOs, local communities, scientists and researchers, as well as governmental and intergovernmental agencies that are interested in sharing knowledge or experiences on environmental flows can utilize the network
For more information log on to www.riversymposium.com
Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have taken control of large tracts of the Virunga National Park, home of the endangered mountain gorillas. Conservationists the world over are worried about the fate of the animals. Only 700 mountain gorillas remain in the wild. Half of them are in Virunga National Park.
Concerned about plummeting Bluefin tuna population, WWF is advocating immediate establishment of a sanctuary for the bluefin tuna around the Balearic Islands in the western Mediterranean . The proposal is based on research by Spanish marine biologists , which has established that the area is of outstanding importance for the breeding of the species. WWF is also working on scientifically based recovery plan , which will be discussed in the next meeting of ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) in Turkey this November.
Pope Benedict on Saturday led the Catholic Church's first eco-friendly youth rally.
The Colombian government has created a new national park, Serranía de los Churumbelos Auka Wasi National Park, covering 97,180 ha, which will give a boost to the conservation of Andean and Amazon ecosystems. The area harbours abundant wildlife, including the Andean bear, jaguar, tapir and puma, 30 species of amphibians, 16 species of reptiles, more than 140 species of butterflies, 825 species of plants and 461 species of birds. Sacred areas of several indigenous communities such as the Inga and Yanaconas, will also be protected.
Spain’s environment ministry has issued warning about the outbreak of Morbilli virus threatening dolphins and has sought the help of experts around the Mediterranean and adjoining seas for help in monitoring the infection. The virus had produced a massive epidemic in the 1990s. The newspaper El Mundo on Wednesday reported that several dolphins had been killed. Several dolphin corpses have been recovered from the coast in Murcia and Velancia. Javier Pantoja, head of marine conservation in Spain's environment ministry, says his department has arranged a mid-September meeting in which the affected regions and experts would discuss how best to confront the crisis.
My UK contacts inform me that Environment Minister Mike Russell has promised tough crackdown on wildlife offenders. Bird poisoning is troubling the environmentalists. The killing of a golden eagle in Peeblesshire recently had come in for wide spread condemnation. New measures planned could result in the removal of firearms licences and cutting farm aid payments.
Chinese scientists had recently declared that Yangtze River dolphin(Lipotes vexillifer) or baiji was probably extinct. But baiji has been was spotted and filmed by a local man in Anhui Province, eastern China. Scientists of the Institute of Hydrobiology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences have confirmed that the footage was of a baiji. Scientists will now try to capture the dolphins and move them to a reserve where they would try to breed them. The last sighting of a wild baiji was in 2004. The sighting has brought cheer to the environmentalists of China.
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has released its first Environmental Indicators report entitled “Our green accountability” to show its operational environmental impact. The report analyses the environmental sustainability of IUCN’s operations in 2006. The report analyzes trends in the use of paper, electricity, gas, water and carbon emissions from flight travel and looks at staff commuting patterns.
The main recommendations made in the report include
IUCN will use their experiences obtained over the last 18 months to contribute to the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) dialogue.
For further information, please contact GOGG
Here is a message from Leonardo DiCaprio. Have alook at it. Spread it around
I'm writing to tell you about my new environmental film, The 11th Hour. The film documents the environmental crises we face and the solutions we must begin to implement.
Please click here to take a look at the trailer.
With help from over fifty of the world's most prominent thinkers and activists, including reformer Mikhail Gorbachev, physicist Stephen Hawking, and Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai, The 11th Hour documents the grave problems facing the planet's life systems. Global warming, deforestation, mass species extinction, and depletion of the oceans' habitats are all addressed. However, the most powerful element of The 11th Hour is not that it portrays a planet in crisis, but that it offers hope and solutions. The film ends with a call for restorative action through reshaping human activity.
Check out the website for more information on the film.
>> www.11thhouraction.com
The 11th Hour opened on August 17th in New York and Los Angeles. It will open in other cities across the country in the upcoming weeks. It would be great if you could go see it and bring a friend. You can go to our website to get more information on the movie and when it will play near you.
We need the message of this movie to hit as far and wide as possible.
The hope is us. Let's begin.
Thank you,
Manatees (Trichechus inungis) of Amazon, which plays a vital role in the river ecosystem, are declining at an alarming rate. Habitat loss,hunting and slow rate of reproduction are the main causes of decline. Alarmed at this rapid decline scientists are planning reintroduction possibilities. National Amazon Research Institute (INPA) plans to introduce two male manatees into the Rio Cuieiras , a tributary of the Rio Negro. The scientists hope they will seek out females and begin repopulating the area. INPA has 36 manatees in captivity. They hope to utilise 18 of them for reintroduction trials. INPA is also planning an awareness programme to educate people living in the area about the manatee's importance to the environment.
600 elephant dung samples collected from Cambodia will be sent to Australia to determine the actual numbers of elephants. They will be analyzed at the Wantirna laboratory DNA Solutions in Melbourne. Mr Heffernan, from conservation group Fauna & Flora, is leading the project. Because each animal has a unique DNA profile, the scientists can use genetic testing to work out numbers. The size of the droppings provides clues about age, while the DNA fingerprinting will reveal details about sex ratios. The current estimate of elephants in Cambodia is only a guesstimate.
Peace Parks, a new book from the IUCN stable, with a foreword by the World Conservation Union’s Director General, Julia Marton-Lefèvre, explores how peace parks can help resolve political and territorial disputes. Real-life examples, such as the Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor in Africa and the Emerald Triangle conservation zone in Indochina are highlighted. IUCN the World Conservation Union describes the book as not only a groundbreaking book in international relations, but also a valuable resource for policy makers and environmentalists.
If you are interested in details about the book please contact
Sarah Halls, Global Media Relations Officer, The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Tel: +41 22 999 0127, e-mail: sarah.halls@iucn.org,
White-Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla ) which disappeared from Ireland about 100 years ago has made a comeback. On 16th August Mr. John Gormley, Minister for the Environment released six White Tailed Eagles into the wild in Killarney National Park as part of the programme to reintroduce this native bird of prey in Ireland. These birds had pride of place in the cultural and natural heritage of Ireland for hundreds of years but due to trapping and shooting in the 19th and early 20th centuries they became extinct. The eagle chicks came from Norway. The project will operate over a five-year period with about 15 birds being released on each occasion. It is expected that most of the eagles released will disperse to the coastline after a few months
The latest research on Spotted Hyenas by Dr. Oliver Honer from the Liebniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin has come up with some fascinating facts about Spotted Hyenas. Female Spotted Hyenas prefer an outsider when it comes to mating, males that have immigrated from another group after the female was born. This in turn prevents inbreeding. The research was done in Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. Read the details in the latest issue of Journal Nature
The documentary "The 11th Hour” from DiCaprio is set for release on August 17th.It is a compilation of interviews with leading scientists, designers, experts, historians and thinker and highlights the threat of global warming and consumption. DiCaprio thinks this is bound to galvanize people in thinking green. For his part he tries to do everything possible except walking to work. He has maintained a hybrid car for almost six years and his house is built "green".
IUCN The World Conservation Union and UNESCO are sending a mission to investigate shooting of four critically endangered Mountain Gorillas in Virunga National Park, in Democratic Republic of Congo, last week. The joint IUCN and UNESCO mission departed on August 11. The team will spend 10 days in Congo and will have meetings with Government representatives in Kinshasa, the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the park’s guards and political and military leaders. The mission will suggest measures to protect the animals and improve the conservation of the national park, which has been on the list of World Heritage sites in danger since 1994. Virunga National Park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979 for its aesthetic and geological importance and for being a biodiversity hotspot. It was added to the danger list 15 years later amid concerns of poaching, deforestation and the effects of armed militia.
My French contacts inform me that the female bear, named Franska, one of a group of brown bears released in the mountain ranges between France and Spain last year has been killed in a road accident near the southern French town of Lourdes. The release of the bears was under a European programme to help species in danger of extinction. Franska had run in to controversy recently with local farmers alleging that she was responsible for many sheep deaths in the area.
Asia's largest project for the satellite tracking of elephants initiated by WWF has come up with disturbing news about pygmy elephants. Habitat destruction is driving them to the brink of extinction. There are fewer than 1,500 pygmy elephants left in Borneo their sole habitat. WWF has urged for immediate counter measures to be put in place, to stop destruction of habitat and preservation of corridors.
My friends in Laos inform me that recently the Large-antlered Muntjac has been photographed for the first time using camera traps set in Nakai Nam Theun National Protected Area (NNT NPA), in the Annamite Mountains. Previous records were from specimens collected by hunters and a few fleeting glimpses by biologists. Another rare species found in the area is Annamite striped rabbit, one of the world's rarest and least-known rabbit.
Meru National Park in Kenya was once famous for its magnificent wildlife and visitors thronged there. But incessant poaching has reduced the park to a mere shadow of its past. Efforts are now on to bring back past glory by translocation. Animals will be taken from better-stocked reserves in Naivasha, Nakuru and Laikipia and Translocated to Meru in a massive operation. Kenyan Widlife authorities have started moving about 2,000 animals. On top of the list are Zebras, Impalas, Hartebeests and Beisa Oryx.
Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which is one of the last bastions of highly endangered Mountain Gorillas had a shocker yesterday. In a gruesome incident one silverback male and three female mountain gorillas have been shot dead. Total world population is around 700. Of these 1/5th is inside Virunga National Park. Congolese wildlife authorities are stepping up patrols.
Hope abounds for one of the world’s most endangered monkey. The Tree-Dwelling Grey-Shanked Doucs of Vietnam is one of the world's 25 most endangered primates. Surveys by WWF and Conservation International have recorded at least 116 of the species in central Vietnam infusing new hope about its survival. Until this discovery only one other population with more than 100 animals was known.
Shipping lanes have been changed to save Whales in Boston. Boston is a busy port with vessels coming in laden with oil or liquid natural gas as the prime cargo. The large vessels will travel roughly6.5 km north of their old path to avoid parts of the only whale sanctuary in the United States, Hitting whales is a recurrent feature here. Two whales have been hit in the last six weeks. The new lanes reduce the chance of whales being hit by vessels by up to 80 percent,
A new WWF report titled Pipedreams? Interbasin transfers and water shortages shows that water transfers between rivers damage the natural environment, interrupting flows between rivers compromising their ability to provide food and water. It also involves cost overruns, insufficient transparency, irreversible damage to rivers, lack of stakeholder consultation, displacement of communities, planned benefits falling short, and a lack of exploration of alternative sustainable options. Less than 40 per cent of the world’s rivers over 1,000km long remain free flowing WWF advocates a commitment to healthy rivers and wetlands as the first step to water conservation, complemented by other methods as sustainable as possible and only if necessary. The reports conclude that Basin transfers must be the last resort after all other sustainable approaches have been explored.
Brown Bears are facing extinction in European Alps. Environmentalists assess only 38 animals in the entire Alps, and Germany does not have even one. The small size makes them critically endangered. Unless efforts at conservation move on a war footing the days of the Brown Bears are numbered.
Environmentalists are worried about the imminent threat to ecologically significant El Kala coastal park of marshes and forests in Algeria. The proposed 1,200 km road intended to link Algeria to Tunisia and Morocco poses the threat. The alignment passes through the park. The park is home of, fox, lynx, tortoise wildcat and many species of predator birds. The park contains one site that Algeria has undertaken to protect under the 1971 Ramsar Convention. When the park was formed under the Algerian laws the government had made a firm commitment to protect the area from environmental damage. Environmentalists worldwide are crying foul.
In an effort to augment conservation initiatives for Red, pink and other coral species in the genus Corallium, delegates attending a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES ) at The Hague have adopted a US proposal to list the genus in Appendix II of the convention. Appendix II allows trade in a species under strict conditions. Red and pink corals are found throughout the world’s tropical and temperate seas and are used mainly for the manufacture of jewellery. Corallium populations off parts of the Italian, French and Spanish coasts are no longer commercially viable, while in the Western Pacific they have been depleted alarmingly.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has refused the request by Japan to reopen trade in whale products. CITES delegates meeting in The Hague from June 3 to 15 have rejected Japan's proposal by an overwhelming majority. Conservation groups worldwide have hailed the decision.
Care for the Wild International, which surveyed thousands of retail outlets in 14 cities in US last year and this year has come out with shocking details. US is indeed a thriving market for worked ivory next only to Hong Kong. The findings were presented at The Hague meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), The poaching of elephants have reached unprecedented levels in Africa.
There is fresh hope for the threatened Eels in Europe. EU governments have reached an agreement imposing strict limits on catching eels to prevent the species from becoming extinct. The agreement stipulates to reserve a percentage of catch to restock Europe's rivers. Till now the stumbling block was restocking percentage, which prevented exporting much of the juvenile eel catch called glass eels to Asian markets, where it fetches fabulous prices. The spawning of Eels in European waters is still a mystery.
Chairman of the Virgin, Richard Branson has promised aid for construction of a corridor that will allow about 2,000 elephants follow their natural migratory path north of Mount Kenya. Small farms that have come up in innumerable numbers around Mount Kenya, has cut off centuries-old migratory routes threatening lives, damaging crops and antagonizing people. Mr. Branson made his offer on the occasion of the launch of London Nairobi flight of Virgin Atlantic
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Scientists of the Wildlife Conservation Society have photographed a Beaver in Bronx River. This is exciting news because Beavers have not been sighted in New York for more than 200 years. This is the result of care taken to clean up the mess in Bronx River. It was US Rep. Jose Serrano of the Bronx who spearheaded the whole operation. Scientists of the Wildlife Conservation Society have named the beaver Jose in Serrano's honor.
The journal current biology has some astonishing information about Chimpanzees. Researchers Jill Pruetz and Paco Bertolani from the center of evolutionary studies, Cambridge, UK, reports that Chimpanzees in Senegal were observed making and using wooden spears to hunt other primates. The chimps adopted four to five steps to fashion the spear. They also trimmed the edge of fashioned spear. Females’ particularly adolescent females were seen to pick up this habit more frequently. Young chimps pick up the habit easily from their mothers. The adult males were lax in this respect. The authors say that this finding also support the theory that females may have played a significant role in the evolution of use of tool in early humans.
The first intact adult colossal squid (Masonychoteuthis hamiltonii) has been landed in New Zealand. New Zealand fishermen landed the fish while they were trying to fish Patagonian tooth fish in deep Antarctic waters. The species was first identified in 1935. It took 2 hours to haul in the 250 kg squid.
Gwyniad, (Coregonus pennantii), a fish akin to herring has been saved from the jaws of extinction. The fish dates back to the ice age. The fish native only to one lake in Gwynedd was facing extinction due to poor water quality, and lack of oxygen. A small fish called Ruffe introduced in the lake, which ate the eggs and young fish of Gwyniad, compounded the danger. Now fertilized eggs have been successfully relocated to Llyn Arenig as part of a two-year project. The fish is expected to thrive in the new environment. The relocation project is a joint effort of Countyside Council for Wales and Snowdonis National Park authority.
Government of Malawi has brought in the intervention of army to save its forests from depredation. Forests have been hacked down for charcoal and firewood, and this has made the deforestation rate one of the most pathetic in African continent. 50,000 hectares are lost every year for charcoal alone. Another culprit is the tobacco industry that uses huge quantities for its curing needs. The Government says the forest areas used by the army for its training purposes are absolutely intact, and it was this that prompted the Government to think in terms of roping in the army.
An automated ornithologist installed in Cache River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas, USA is looking out for elusive Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. The bird was thought to be extinct but reported sightings in 2004 renewed the interest of ornithologists, with University of Cornell leading the way. The wetland and forest region of the lower Mississippi river valley is 250 sq km and observations are tricky. Human presence can also affect the behaviour of the bird. These aspects prompted the scientists to install the automated device. The device consists of two high-resolution video cameras connected to a hard disc. Any shot that it believes does not contain a bird is discarded. No picture of the bird has been obtained so far.
The endangered Bukhara deer has been reintroduced to its former habitat on the right bank of Kazakhstan's Ili River. This was the result of joint efforts by WWF and the Altyn Emel National Park Service in Kazakhstan. Two bucks and seven does were reintroduced. The Bukhara deer population throughout Central Asia had dropped due to habitat loss and poaching. By the end of the 1990s there were only 350 deer left. Since WWF started its Bukhara deer conservation project in Central Asia in 1999, the population has increased to 1,000 deer.
Peruvian rainforest is home to exotic animals like Jaguar, harpy eagle, and giant river otter. But unsustainable harvesting of timber is posing a threat to the very existence of these denizens of the rain forest. Big-leaf mahogany, a threatened species is being extracted flouting all acceptable norms. Peru is the world's largest exporter of big-leaf mahogany, with over 90% going to the North American market. Peru's system of annual export quotas for mahogany does not comply with the requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Environmentalist have demanded a Big-Leaf Mahogany Action Plan that ensure full compliance with CITES.
Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia have signed the Heart of Borneo Declaration, to conserve and sustainably manage the Heart of Borneo that spans the three countries’ common borders. This large chunk of rainforest is one of only two places on the planet where elephants, rhinos and orangutans co-exist. It is also a place where new species have been found at a rate of three per month for the last ten years. UK will provide practical support to implementing the Declaration, through working in association with WWF.
Japanese scientists have come across a giant squid, Taningia danae that throws blinding light to disorient victims. The action has been captured on Video. This use of bioluminescence in hunting is a new info. The researchers say the light emission is used also as a courtship display. The video was taken in deep waters off Chichijima Island in North Pacific. Dr Sunemi Kubodera from the National Science Museum, Tokyo led the research. The details appear in the proceedings of the Royal Society B.
EU Commission has called for stricter norms to deal with environmental crimes and recommended a minimum term of five years jail and fines of at least 750,000 euros for offences done intentionally or with serious negligence. The member states would be required to make activities such as the illegal shipment of waste and unlawful trade in endangered species or ozone-depleting substances criminal offences. The new proposals will be subject to a vote by qualified majority from the member states and approval from the European Parliament.
Appalled by the phenomenal expenditures involved in marriages the Church of England has appealed for moderation and adoption of environment friendly practices. The new church guide called “making the most of weddings” advocates travel in a taxi, hitch a ride, wear fair trade dress, invitation on recycled paper and use of rings handed down through family. It appeals to the people planning to get married to go for the words environment friendly attitudes. To top these things why not ask the guests to contribute to the charity asks the church.
Virgin chief Sir Richard Branson has offered a prize of $ 25 million for the guy who comes up with the best idea to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The winner will have to come up with an idea that will remove at least one billion tones of carbon from the atmosphere per year. Former US Vice President Al Gore was present on the occasion of the announcement in London. NASA scientist James Hanson, Gaia theory man James Lovelock, environmentalist Sir Crispin Tickell and Australian Mammologist Tim Flannery heads the panel, which will decide the winner.
Scientists studying the moth Manduca Sexta, have come up with the finding that moths control their flight by tiny gyroscope like sensors in its antennae. This has helped unravel the mystery of moths’ flight in crepuscular conditions where visual clues are absent. The researchers have found that a structure called Johnston’s organ holds the clue. A spin-off from this finding could be the development of robotic flying insects. Dr Sanjay Sane of University of Washington, Seattle, headed the study. The details appear in the latest issue of Journal science. Dr Sanjay is the lead author.
At the just concluded Paris Conference for Global Ecological Governance President Chirac has expressed strong support for the 4th IUCN World Conservation Congress. The Paris Conference for Global Ecological Governance was organized at the initiative of President Chirac. The conference brought together government ministers, scientists, company heads, NGOs and public figures from over sixty countries around the world.
President Chirac emphasized the need to create a new powerful United Nations Environment Organisation(UNEO). Mr Chirac said "We must build world environmental governance. In this area as in others, unilateralism leads nowhere. Just as multilateralism is the prerequisite for peace, it is the key to sustainable development. The United Nations Environment Programme is outstanding, and I want to pay tribute to it. But it does not have adequate powers or institutional clout. We must aim to transform it into a fully-fledged United Nations agency. This UNEO will act as the world’s ecological conscience. It will carry out impartial and scientific assessment of environmental dangers. It will have policy-making terms of reference giving it the legitimacy to implement action jointly decided. It will lend greater weight and greater cohesion to our collective endeavours."
The latest United Nations Environment Programme report does not bode well for the Orangutans. Orangutans are the only great apes outside Africa. The report says the orangutan population has dropped below twenty seven thousand and human activities have taken away up to fifty percent of the orangutan’s environment. The rate of loss has been accelerated during the course of last five years. Female orangutans are usually killed to steal their babies for sale as pets. If no action is action is taken 98% of forests on the island of Sumatra and Borneo will be gone by 2022. Smuggled timber finds it way to the West. Illegal logging is ravaging 37 of Indonesia’s 41 National Parks. Indonesian Government has made a fervent plea to the western countries to help check the menace.
A consortium of NGOs from around the globe “Zero Mercury Coalition”, has called for immediate action by governments worldwide to phase out mercury and export of the toxic metal. The case will be forcefully argued at the next week’s meeting of UNEP to be held in Nairobi. Mercury poisons the brain and is a threat to future generations. 5 years back UNEP came up with a “Global Mercury Assessment Report” but no firm action has been initiated so far. Even though use of mercury has come down in developed countries its use is shooting up alarmingly in developing countries. The environmentalist wants the governments to set firm reduction goals and put legal obligations on the companies.
Red Barbed Ants (Formica rubibarbis) one of the rarest native species in UK, is on the decline due to habitat loss. It is now found only in one site in Surrey and a few colonies in the isle of Scilly. The ants are unique in the sense that, they form only all female colonies, or all male colonies. The one nest in Surry is producing all females only. So males have to be introduced there on a war footing if the species is to survive. Scientists will take females from the nest in Surrey, and males from colonies found on the Isles of Scilly in an effort to form breeding colonies needed to spread the species to new areas. Threat from rapidly spreading “slave maker ants” also needs to be obviated to conserve the species. Slave maker ants take away pupae, carry it to their nest and bring them up as slave ants. Scientist from Zoological Society of London(ZSL) are spearheading the whole operation.
The "Alliance pour la Planète" (A national grouping of environmental
associations) has appealed to all citizens to give the planet 5 minutes respite on 1st Of February.
DIFFERENT TIMEZONES!
GMT (+1) - i.e. Spain, France and central europe - 7.55pm
GMT - Portugal & UK - 6.55pm
GMT (-5) - Eastern USA - 1.55pm
GMT (-8) - Western USA - 10.55am
India - GMT (+5.30) India February 2, 2007 at 12:25:00 AM
The purpose is not just to save electricity for 5 minutes that day, but also to draw the attention of citizens, the media and the authorities to the waste of energy and the need to initiate action! 5 minutes respite for the planet:that's not long; it costs nothing and will show our politicians that climate change is something, which should figure, prominently in political debates.
February 1st has been chosen because that is the day on which the latest report of the United Nations Panel of Experts is to be released in Paris. Although this event is scheduled to take place in France, we should not miss this opportunity of drawing attention to the global climatic situation.
The Big Garden Bird Watch, a national survey of garden birds, organized by RSPB in Britain is a unique event. The event was kick started in 1969 as an activity for children who are members of the Young Ornithologists Club. It caught on and became a national event in which people of all shades started participating with gusto. Thousands of enthusiastic birdwatchers across Britain will spend time in their garden this weekend taking part in this national survey to assess the visitors to home gardens. Last year 470,000 people took part and counted 8 million birds in 270,000 gardens. A severe drop in Starlings and House sparrows has been observed over the years according to RSPB. On the plus side Greenfinch and Wren have shown an increase.
The plunder of Tuna has been bothering the environmentalists for some time now. Global tuna stocks are critically depleted and some species, such as blue fin tuna, used for high-end sushi and sashimi, are at high risk of collapse. It was hoped that the latest round of talks by members of the five regional management organizations in Japan, would yield some results. But the expectations have been belied. Talks regarding the concrete action to reduce fishing capacity to sustainable levels, ensuring legally caught supplies of tuna to markets did not reach any consensus. The failure will bring about further erosion in Tuna stocks and loss of livelihood for lot of fishermen across the globe. The only outcome of this much-touted conference was an agreement to meet again to resolve the issue. The recourse now is for responsible fishing industry, responsible retail sector and responsible consumers to chip in with their efforts to save the Tuna. Officialdom seems to have failed in their duty.
Last week WWF had alleged that coffee growers had cleared land in Bukti Barisan Sewlatan National Park and this is posing serious threat to endangered wildlife. WWf had expressed the apprehension that if the trend continues like this, elephants and tigers will disappear from the area in 10 years time. The local Government of Lampung has come out with the statement that the allegation is not entirely true. Even though the data released by WWF for the period 2004-05 is with the substance the Government has taken steps to stop this trend. Part of the forest was indeed cut down during 2004-05.The Government has promised serious action to curb malpractices in future. Government of Lampung has also issued instructions to Indonesian Coffee Exporters association to stop buying coffee suspected to be grown in encroached wildlife areas.
The World’s first Rhinoceros Conceived By Artificial Insemination has been born in Budapest zoo. The vets at Budapest zoo decided to do artificial insemination as the female rhino failed to conceive normally. The gestation period lasted 16 months and 15 days. The 58kg baby is in very healthy state and stood on its leg within an hour of being born. The baby needs to be fed artificially till the mother is ready to nurse.
A study of wasp behaviour using radio frequency identification tags, in the tropics of Panama, by Zoological Society of London is throwing new lights on the behaviour of wasps. The target species of wasp was Polistes Canadensis. The worker wasps were observed tending nearby relative holding nests also, helping to raise the young ones. The researchers believe that this is an effort at boosting their chances of propagating the genes. Details appear in the latest issue of Current Biology
Barrow Island described as Australia's 'Galapagos' because of its rare and endangered species, is the second largest island in Western Australia, and is one of Australia's oldest nature reserves. It is famous for marsupials like the burrowing bettong, the golden bandicoot and many other threatened and endemic species. The Australian Government is going ahead with the development of a huge gas plant by the energy companies, Chevron, Shell and ExxonMobil against the advice of its own Environmental Protection Authority. The environmentalists of Australia need help from people worldwide to stop this atrocity. Please send mails to Australian Government and energy companies, Chevron, Shell and ExxonMobil requesting them to stop this suicidal project. To make things easier you can go to WWF site and sign a petition there.
The latest issue of Proceedings of National Academy of Science Journal has interesting info about flying Dinos. It postulates that the flying Dinos dropped its hind legs with feathers below its body adopting a biplane configuration. This contrasts with earlier belief that the Dinos maintained their wings in a tandem pattern. The result is extensive research done on Microraptor gui fossils obtained from China. Microraptor lived 125 million years ago. The researchers are Sankar Chatterji and Jack Templin
Incredibly white scales whiter than the enamel on human tooth and 10 times thinner than human hair on a SE Asian Cyphochilus beetle has fascinated the scientists and is providing fodder for lot of experiments. According to lead scientist Dr Pete Vukusic of Exeter University such pure whiteness is quite uncommon and mimicking it could lead to an array of industrial applications like papers, plastics, paints or white-light displays. The scientists have done detailed analysis of the phenomenon. The finding has been reported in the latest issue of Science Magazine.
A survey conducted by BBC Wildlife Magazine has selected Montgomeryshire as the best wildlife area in Wales. What impressed BBC team were the enormous areas of protected land, Stunning well protected Lake Vyrnwy reserve and the tranquil unpolluted countryside where wildlife lives without human interference.
Edge Animals are those having few close relatives, genetically distinct, and require immediate action to save them from extinction. Now under a scheme titled “Evolutionary distinct globally endangered project” Zoological Society of London is on to a unique conservation initiative. Species like Bumblebee Bat, Pygmy Hippo, Slender Loris will get special protection. Scientists have identified a total of 564 species that fall within the definition of edge species and the Zoological Society of London will focus on the top 100 initially.
Researchers from University of Alberta Canada, surveying streams in the forests of Alberta, believe that Beavers are helping to check decline in frog population. They believe the beaver dams may be providing favourable conditions for developing tadpoles. The scientists recorded large numbers (approximately 5,000) of male frogs and toads on streams that had beaver dams, but didn't record any on the free-flowing unobstructed streams. The beavers create an environment that seems to allow tadpoles to develop and grow. The findings have been published in the latest issue of journal Biological Conservation.
Madagascar pochard(Aythya innotata) last seen alive in 1991 has been rediscovered in the wild after a search of 18 years. Scientists of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust made the discovery. The bird is extremely secretive and little is known about its life cycle and behaviour. Scientists had all along believed that the bird preferred marshy lakes with lots of reeds and emergent vegetation and had concentrated on these areas but the newly discovered population was found in a steep-sided volcanic lake with little shoreline marsh and reeds. The scientific world is agog with this discovery
In what is believed to be the first of it kind in the world, birth of a Rhino will be captured on a BBC run webcam. The historic event will take place in Paignton Zoo, in Devon, where cameras are trained on one tonne Black Female Rhino Sita. Sita is expected to give birth at the end of January or early February. Scientists around the world are eagerly looking forward to this event.
A Whale has accidentally hit a sailing vessel about 80 nautical miles off the west coast of North Island, New Zealand and damaged it. Lindsay Wright, the owner, was sleeping when he was awoken by a loud noise and rushed up on to the deck to find himself staring at a whale. Lindsay said he could pick up the vibes from the animal saying " Sorry mate, that was unintentional”. Emergency services were rushed to Lindsay on receipt of distress signal and a helicopter rescued him.
I am delighted by the attitude of Lindsay. Picking up vibes from the whale - that is real groovy. How sweet
Unbridled tourism development plans are posing serious threat to Grenada dove (Leptotila wellsi). Government of Grenada is planning to sell off Mount Hartman National Park to the Four Seasons hotel group, which has ambitious plans to build hotels and resorts. Ironically Grenada dove is the national bird of Grenada and a quarter of the worldwide population of Greneda dove lives in Mount Hartman National Park. Environmentalists are up in arms against this suicidal policy of the government.
This is indeed disaster and shameful. The total population of Grenada dove around 180 and the species is crtically endagered. This shows utter disregard for the environment.We exhort environmentalists worldwide to throw their weight behind the environmentalists of GrenadaIreland's National Parks and Wildlife Service is planning reintroduction of White-Tailed Eagle(Haliaeetus albicilla), one of the world's largest birds of prey in Ireland in an ambitious 5-year project. The birds became extinct in Ireland the early 1900s. Unbridled egg collection and shooting were the causes of the diappearance.15 chicks will be brought into the region annually from Norway and released into Killarney National Park. The authorities hope that the chicks will start breeding after four to five years.
The new Director General of IUCN the World Conservation, Ms Julia Marton-Lefèvre has assumed office. Before joining IUCN, Ms Marton-Lefèvre was the Rector of the University of Peace in Costa Rica. She has worked as Executive Director of LEAD (Leadership for Environment and Development) International), Executive Director of the International Council for Science (ICSU), and Vice Chair of the World Resources Institute. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of the United Kingdom. Born in Hungary, Julia moved to the United States when she was eleven years old with her parents who were political refugees. She spent most of her adult life in France, where she continued her education.
Fur seals were once hunted almost to extinction. Careful conservation measures have helped the species to rebound. They have reached record levels - an estimated four
A Giant Panda in a Japanese zoo (Adventure World in Wakayama) has given birth to twins bringing cheer to conservationists around the world. This brings the no of ex situ births this year to 30. The sex of the cubs is yet to be confirmed. Mei Mei, the mother, 12, and her breeding partner Eimei, 14, are both on loan from China. An estimated 1,590 Giant Pandas live in the wild in China
Scientists have discovered 52 new species of plants and animals in Borneo. The find includes catfish glyptothorax exodon with protruding teeth and suction cups on its belly, which help it, stick to rocks in fast flowing streams. Since 1994, 361 new species have been found in Borneo. The island shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and the sultanate of Brunei, is emerging as one of the most important biodiversity centers of the world but unfortunately the rain forest continues to be threatened with large areas of forest being destroyed for rubber, oil palm and pulp production.
Researchers from the University of Victoria, Canada, have come across tonguefish that like to skip across pools of molten sulphur of undersea volcanoes in the western Pacific. The measured temperature is more than 180C (355F). The fish live on the edge of the pools, and in a couple of cases the scientists saw them out on the surface of a pool. The fish have been studied with remotely operated submersibles. The phenomenon has amazed the scientists and they are trying to work out how the creatures survive in such a hostile environment.
Scientists have discovered in tiny drops of ancient amber, 220-million-year-old microscopic organisms. The amber was found near Cortina d'Ampezzo, a village in the Dolomites mountain range in northern Italy.The find has been described in this week's edition of the journal Nature by Alexander Schmidt and colleagues from the Humboldt University
A team of scientists at the University of California-Santa Cruz headed by Dr Scott Schaffer is using Albatrosses to gather huge numbers of sea-surface temperature readings in the North Pacific. The birds are equipped with small data loggers that track their movements and record water conditions. According to Dr Scott Schaffer the project will bring in details missed by satellites, and in the process give important new insights into the behaviour of Albatrosses. Nineteen of the 21 albatross species are threatened with extinction. The Albatross conservation initiatives are sure to get boost as a spin-off of this project.
According to a report by Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Illegal hunting and trade is pushing some Mongolian animals like the snow leopard, Saiga antelope, wild camel, and Gobi bear to the brink of extinction. The report is part of the preparation of the first comprehensive Red List for Mongolian mammals. Unprecedented international trade in species is another reason attributed to the decline. Unlike other areas where loss of habitat has led to declines in species, the threat in Mongolia is hunting. ZSL has called for immediate legislation and other protection measures to stem this tide.
December 11th is International Mountain Day, a day to reflect on the people who are directly affected by ecosystem degradation and climate change: mountain communities. IUCN is undertaking several initiatives for mountain peoples and ecosystems to adapt to global change. IUCN is also promoting Integrated Water Resource Management that entails democratic water governance from the watershed up to the regional level. For example, in Quito, Ecuador, part of the household water bill pays for conservation and compensates farmers in the Páramo - the highland natural grasslands that are important to water regulation. IUCN is also working in the Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalaya region to integrate ecosystem management in regional development and conservation processes. The whole idea is to give communities some control over their natural resources, and receive direct and indirect benefits from their conservation, so as to improve their living conditions and ensure the long-term delivery of ecosystem services.
For more info log onto www.iucn.org/themes/cem/ecosystems/mountains/
Greenpeace activists have poured a truckload of logging waste at the office of Kayu Lapis Indonesia (KLI) one of the country's largest logging companies. This was in protest against destroying large parts of the last ancient forest in Papua and Kalimantan. Green Peace says deforestation rates in Indonesia were among the highest in the world and in the past five years the archipelago nation had lost an average area equivalent to six football fields a minute. 40 percent of its forests have been completely destroyed.
A new report published by TRAFFIC says, CITES, the Convention on the International Trade on Endangered Species is not being used to its full potential in combating illegal logging. The report gives several recommendations that could help combat illegal logging and promote international co-operation. To download your personal copy of the full TRAFFIC International report titled ‘The Role of CITES in Combating Illegal Logging – Current and Potential’ click here
A team of researchers from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands has found that urban species of birds sing short, fast songs rather than the slower melodies of countryside birds. This is an adaptation to counter background noise and increase their chances of finding a mate. The researchers targeted great tits in ten major European cities, including London, Paris, Amsterdam and Prague, and compared them to forest-dwellers. Urban tits consistently experimented with between one and five note calls, while those in forests close to the cities stuck to more normal combinations of two, three and four note tunes. One Rotterdam great tit attempted a 16-note song, which the researchers believe could have been copied from a blue tit. The findings are published in the current issue of journal Current Biology
15 million hectares (57,915 sq miles) of Rain Forests in the northern Para state, Brazil, is getting the status of protected area bringing cheer to conservationists the world over. The decline in Amazon forest area has been a worrying feature.A host of wild denizens inhabit the proposeed conservation reserve including the Jaguars, anteaters, Giant Otters and Black Spider Monkey. Conservationists are hailing this visionary decision by Para Governor Simao Jatene.
20 years back acid rains had completely wiped out River Salmon in Wye River in mid Wales. Now they are returning owing to the successful conservation measures. Lime was added to water in the upper reaches of the river to help neutralise the chemical's impact and this has encouraged fish to breed again. The process has been going on since 2003 but it was only recently that fishes started breeding again. The partners in this venture are Wye and Usk Foundation, the European Union, Welsh Assembly Government, Environment Agency and Countryside Council for Wales.
The recently launched a project to protect the migratory flyways of water birds throughout Africa and Eurasia under the aegis of UN is the best thing that could have happened to migratory birds. The project christened Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) is the largest international wetland and water bird conservation initiative ever to take place in the African-Eurasian region. The USD 12 million project is designed to cover the entire African-Eurasian area, including Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, Greenland and the Canadian Archipelago. The project will help foster international collaboration along the entire flyways, build capacity for monitoring and conservation, and demonstrate best practice in the conservation and wise use of wetlands in 12 selected countries.
13 new species of freshwater fishes previously unknown to science have been discovered at the confluence of the Orinoco and Ventuari rivers in Venezuela. The discovery includes a Ray, a miniature Catfish and a type of meat-eating Piranha. The area is notorious for illegal gold mining, which is a threat to the ecosystem here. Scientists from Conservation International, Fundacion La Salle and Fundacion Cisneros participated in the survey. The scientists have appealed for immediate conservation measures.
