World's Rarest Big Cat Captured

Scientists have captured what is believed to be the rarest big cat on Earth, the Far Eastern leopard(Panthera pardus orientalis) in the remote forests of southeastern Russia. The bonanza occurred while the scientists of the New York based Wildlife Conservation Society were studying Siberian Tigers. Only 30 animals are thought to survive in the wild. The scientists did a thorough series of tests on the leopard, from studying its teeth to collecting sperm samples, before releasing the animal back into the wild. Scientists hope that the information gained will help them to devise appropriate conservation measures.

2006 Reuters-IUCN Media Award Presented

The 2006 Reuters-IUCN Media Award for Excellence in Environmental Reporting goes to Marina Walker Guevara of Argentina for her story “The children of lead” (Los ni?os del plomo). The Awards Ceremony was held at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Nairobi; Kenya.Walker Guevara was presented with the USD 5,000 prize. The reporting brings to life the moving story of Mischell Barzola, a six year-old girl from La Oroya, Peru, who has stopped growing because of lead contamination. "Los Niños del Plomo" also highlights the dilemma of the 4,000 families whose livelihoods depend on the lead industry, even though it threatens the health of their own children. Walker Guevara currently works as a reporter for the Center for Public Integrity, an investigative reporting organization in Washington, DC.

Orangutans In Dire Straits After Indonesian Bush Fires

Fires on the island of Borneo have killed up to 1,000 orangutans. The fires have been raging across central Borneo for months. There has been severe erosion of Orangutans habitat in recent years for making oil palm plantations. This means there are few places for them to go to avoid the fires. Local people have killed several animal that entered oil palm plantations. This is a Very sorry state of affairs for one of the world’s most adorable animal. Environmentalists have blamed farmers and logging companies clearing land for oil palm plantations for this predicament

Balkan lynx Needs Urgent Attention

According to conservationists, urgent attention is needed to save the reclusive Balkan lynx. Only around 100 of the big cats are thought to remain in existence. The largest numbers are found in the remote hills of western FYR Macedonia, where they are considered a national symbol. They are also found in Albania, Serbia and Greece. The main problem according to conservationists is that major chunk of Albania's formerly dense forests, the lynx's preferred habitat, had been cut down for firewood and were now used for grazing. Efforts are on to reverse this trend.

Maligned Dingo Has Vital Ecosystem Role

The Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) is a much-maligned animal in Australia particularly in sheep rearing areas. Sheep farmers attempt to completely eliminate them as they prey on sheep. Poison is the most common method of controlling dingo populations. Now research carried out by Professor Chris Johnson of James Cook University in Queensland shows that Australia's last native "top predator" perform an essential role in maintaining biodiversity He has found that marsupial populations have a much better chance in areas that also have stable populations of dingoes. In cattle country, by and large, dingoes will hunt kangaroos or rabbits. They also keep fox and feral cat numbers in check, say researchers. The findings are reported in the latest issue of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society

Breeding success for rare lizards

Cayman blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi) is one of the critically endangered species in the world. The wild population of blue iguanas is expected to be extinct within 10 years. There is however new hope on the horizon. Three eggs laid by a Grand Cayman blue iguana that had been released into a nature reserve on the Caribbean island have successfully hatched. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. UK Is heading this successful captive breeding and release programme

Rare bats discovered in gold mine

The greater horseshoe bat, a very rare bat facing extinction threat has been discovered at the National Trust’s Dolaucothi Gold Mines in Carmarthenshire, south Wales,England. The name horseshoe bat comes from the distinctive horseshoe-shaped plate of skin around the nostrils of this bat. It is in a highly endangered state in Britain and the rest of northern Europe. The discovery in a new site is encouraging according to Carmarthenshire Bat Group, which regularly monitors the birds.

Reuters-IUCN Environmental Media Awards Announce Regional Winners

Reuters Foundation and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) have announced the regional winners of the 2006 Reuters-IUCN Media Awards for Excellence in Environmental Reporting. The six regional winners will receive a trophy at the ceremony co-hosted by Reuters and IUCN on 14 November 2006 in Nairobi, Kenya.The recipients will vie for the global prize of US$ 5,000.

This year’s regional winners competing for the global prize are:

Asia: Richard Stone and Hawk Jia of Science Magazine

English-speaking Africa and the Middle East: Anjam Sundaram of Associated Press

Europe: John Bohannon of Science Magazine

Francophone Africa: Dalia Abdel-Salam of Al Ahram Hebdo

Latin America: Marina Walker of Revista GatoPardo

North America, Oceania & the Caribbean: Sara Philips of Cosmos Magazine

North Sea Cod Fish At Alarmingly Low Level

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (Ices) has said in its latest report that stocks of cod remained below sustainable limits in North Sea. Stocks have been reduced to a stage where productivity has been impaired. ICES have recommended that a total ban should be in force till 2007. The minimum desired level is 70000 thousand Tons. Ideally it should be 1500000 Tons.

Extinction Threat For Congo hippos

According to researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), poaching has brought the hippopotamus population in Democratic Republic of Congo to within a few months of extinction. Mai Mai militia, which has set up camp in Virunga National Park, is catching the animals for meat and ivory. The numbers now are below 400. Twenty years ago there were about 22,000 hippos in Virunga Park.

Hi guys I am back on the net

For the past couple of months I was virtually on my toes as one of the organisers of the 4th World Congress on Mountain Ungulates held at Munnar,Kerala,India. The event was well attended and was a huge success. After the event I was in to the wrap up.Now I am a free bird and expect to resume my regular postings.

Single Fish Species Controls Health Of Tropical River

Scientists have discovered that removing just one fish species from a tropical river can have deleterious effects. This contradicts the till now held belief that the greater abundance and diversity of other species would compensate for the loss. Researchers removed the flannelmouth fish (Prochilodus mariae) from a stretch of Venezuela's Orinoco River and measured how this affected the level of carbon in the ecosystem. The researchers found that the river's carbon cycle was disrupted within 48 hours of them removing the fish. The effect lasted for at least 40 days. The amount of organic carbon on the riverbed rose by 450 per cent. Full details appear in Science today (11 August).

Environmental Crisis in Lebanon

Oil pollution in Lebanese coastal waters following Israel bombing has created an environmental crisis in Lebanon. International organisations are assisting the Lebanese government as it attempts to contain thousands of tonnes of oil believed to be on a scale during the 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker incident in Alaska. The spill could be well over 35,000 tonnes endangering marine wildlife and posing a threat to the livelihood of thousands of people.

Scientists Solve Flying Reptile Mystery

The crest on the head of prehistoric flying reptiles was a puzzle for the scientists. Now UK scientists say they have resolved the mystery. A rare skull specimen found in Brazil shows the crest appeared at puberty, suggesting it was used to attract attention from the opposite sex. Dr Naish and colleague Dr David Martill who led the study examined the skull and found that the crest was different in the juvenile.Dr Naish said This is a significant find as it links the growth of the crest to physical maturity and therefore presumably to sex. The findings are published in the journal Palaeontology

Tiger Habitat Down By 40%

According to a comprehensive study just concluded, Tiger habitat is down by 40% from what they were a decade ago. WWF, Wildlife Conservation Society, the Smithsonian society, National Zoological Park and Save The Tiger Fund did the study. The study has identified 76 “tiger conservation landscapes”, places that have the best chance of supporting viable tiger populations into the future. The largest tiger landscapes exist in the Russian Far East and India. The conservation groups warn that it is critical to also address poaching of tigers along with the efforts at preserving tiger habitats.

Chinese Panda Sanctuary Gets World Heritage Status

The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries in southwestern China has been named a World Heritage site by the United Nations. Out of the 1,600 Giant Pandas that are left in the wild,30% lives here. The move brings cheer to the conservationists who have been clamouring for this for many years.

Taiwanese authorities seize Illegal ivory

Taiwanese authorities have confiscated more than five tonnes of ivory in the southern port city of Kaohsiung Harbour. The seizure weighed a total of 3,026kg. The illegal consignment originated from Tanzania and was destined for Manila, the Philippines. Asian and African elephants are listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), which prohibits all commercial trade in these species. Environmentalists have urged Taiwanese authorities to link up with the ASEAN-WEN( Association of South-east Asian nations Wildlife Enforcement Network), as well as at the source in Tanzania, to ensure follow-up investigations.

West African black rhino feared extinct

The West African black (Diceros bicornis longipes) is now feared extinct. This is according to new estimates announced by the African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG) of the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission. An intensive survey earlier this year of the West African black rhino has failed to locate any sign of their continued presence in their last refuges in northern Cameroon. AfRSG chairman Dr Martin Brooks said “this subspecies has been tentatively declared as extinct”

Scientists Unravel Mammoth Coat Colour

Scientists have determined the coat colour of mammoths that roamed the Earth thousands of years ago. The information came from a 43,000-year-old woolly mammoth bone from Siberia using the latest genetic techniques. The animals would have sported dark brown coats. Dr Michael Hofreiter from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany, led the study. Details of the study appear in the latest issue of journal Science.

World Conservation Union Recommends Three New World Heritage Sites

Based on a rigorous yearlong evaluation process, World Conservation Union has recommended for inscription on the World Heritage List 3 new sites. The sites are China ’s Giant Panda Sanctuaries, the species rich Pacific waters surrounding Colombia ’s Malpelo Island, and the uplifting Kvarken Archipelago of Finland. World Heritage Committee will take decisions next week at its 30th session in Vilnius, Lithuania.