Baboons, Giant Sable, Renewable Energy in South Africa, Jatropha & Flamingos – Followup on Recent Posts
Sep/090
This post consists of a few lines and a link to what’s happened since some of my recent posts where there has been significant action. Each item is identified and linked by the date and title of the original post.
July 2009 – Sable Antelope – One Sold for $ 385 000 and Giant Species Rediscovered in Angola.
Three more Giant Sable Antelopes, have been sighted in Angola. This brings to six the number of this rare species, which was feared to have become extinct, that have been sited in the last few weeks.
July 2009 – Mauling of Baboon by “Fighting Dogs”, Reopens the Cape Peninsular Baboon Debate
Two men were attacked by Pit Bulls in Ocean View ,the same Township in Ocean View this week, prompting a warning from welfare group TEARS.
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Baboons, Giant Sable, Renewable Energy in South Africa, Jatropha & Flamingos – Followup on Recent Posts
Vulture Conservation Efforts in Namibia Threatened by Illegal Poisoning
Aug/090
Farmers illegally using poison as to kill suspected livestock predators are causing Namibia’s vulnerable vulture populations to decline.
As a consequence of farmers continuing to illegally use poison for livestock management, several lappet-faced vultures (Torgos tracheliotos) died recently as a result of consuming the carcass of a poisoned jackal.
Tragically, this news comes shortly after the Vultures Namibia’s fundraiser gala raised raised N$8 000 for lappet-faced vulture conservation in Namib Naukluft Park. Lappet-faced vultures are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. They are Africa’s largest vulture species – with a wingspan of up to 2.8 meters.
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Vulture Conservation Efforts in Namibia Threatened by Illegal Poisoning
A Plan to Bring Isolated Borneo Rhinos Together
Aug/090
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An initiative to transport lone Borneo rhinos to a secure central location – where they can interact with other rhinos – could mean hope for this extremely rare subspecies.
Tabin Wildlife Reserve located in Sabah, Malaysia is the last home of the Bornean rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni), a distinct subspecies of the Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis sumatrensis). It is estimated that fewer than 50 Bornean rhinos are still surviving in Sabah. Borneo rhinos are said to be even smaller than Sumatran rhinos, with some standing only three feet tall at the shoulder. Both species are covered with bristly hair that rubs down as they mature and create “tunnels” by crashing through the rainforest.
Sadly, some of these rhinos are living alone in fragmented pockets of forest, cut off from other rhino populations, where they have no hope of meeting another of their kind – and the isolation of these animals could lead to their extinction.
Original post:
A Plan to Bring Isolated Borneo Rhinos Together
Rare Pangolin Surprises Urban Residents
Aug/090
A female pangolin was rescued after straying into an urbanized area of coastal Neelankarai and making her way into a garden.
Unfortunately, the rapid development of the Neelankarai area is crowding into the surrounding wildlife habitat, and has required the recent rescue of many small animals by forest department officials. However, this was the first time a pangolin had been rescued from someone’s home, according the the Times of India.
The pangolin apparently climbed up a compound wall in order to get into the home’s garden. Officials from the animal rescue and rehabilitation center in Velachery were called, and were surprised to find the pangolin in such a populated area. One of the wildlife officers told TOI that there is a population of pangolins at nearby Guindy National Park.
The pangolin was taken to the animal rescue center and is to be released, presumably at Guindy National Park.
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Rare Pangolin Surprises Urban Residents
Frozen Tiger Found in Vietnam Taxi
Jul/090
Earlier this month, Environmental Police in Vietnam found a frozen tiger and tiger bones in the back of a taxi cab. The tiger seems to have been a young one recently killed and the bones were of two adults, according to an expert at the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR).
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Frozen Tiger Found in Vietnam Taxi
Rangers of Indonesia’s Thousand Islands Marine Park Work in Isolation to Monitor Hawksbill Turtle Nests
Jul/090
For over 20 years, dedicated rangers have been caring for the protected zone off Jakarta’s north coast. They spend three weeks of each month without Internet access or electricity on the uninhabited islet of Penjaliran Timur – where they monitor critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle nests.
Penjaliran Timur is part of Penjaliran’s restricted zone – and home to the critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), whose favorite nesting grounds include the beaches of Peteloran Timur and Peteloran Barat (also uninhabited and in the restricted zone).
Using a wooden paddle boat, an important part of the rangers’ daily routine is to travel the relatively short distance from Penjaliran Timur to the nesting areas in order to collect newly laid Hawksbill Turtle eggs. The precious eggs are brought back to Penjaliran Timur, where the rangers carefully bury them in the sand near the guard post, to keep them safe from poachers.
But despite daily heroic efforts, the rangers are not always successful at rescuing the Hawksbill Turtle eggs: Although they can spot the poachers through binoculars from Penjaliran Timur, by the time they reach the nesting grounds via wooden paddle boat, the poachers are long gone – using speedboats.
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Rangers of Indonesia’s Thousand Islands Marine Park Work in Isolation to Monitor Hawksbill Turtle Nests
Universities Climb Aboard UNEP’s Climate Neutral Ship
Jul/090
Oceans cover close to 70 percent of the earth’s surface. They divide continents and peoples. They are dangerous, swallowing unwary explorers in their great depths. But the danger of the unknown ocean hasn’t stopped sailors in all ages from exploring the treasures that await across the vast blue expanse. With compass in hand and constellation above as guides, brave seamen would embark, never knowing if they would return alive.
In the modern world, oceans, seas, lakes and other bodies of water are generally mapped. There is less adventure on the high seas than there was during Columbus’ time. Now there are new oceans to be explored, understood, and charted. These oceans are not expanses of water; rather, they are expanses of knowledge, technology, and science. In order to explore the great unknown of these oceans, we sail toward the uncharted and the unknown.
The UN has embarked on such an adventure. The treasure buried at the edge of the known world is not gold, silver or precious stones but climate neutrality. And aboard the UN ship are six universities from around the world.
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Universities Climb Aboard UNEP’s Climate Neutral Ship
Last Population of Javan Rhino Subspecies Struggling Against Extinction in Vietnam
Jul/090
Inside Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, a rare subspecies of the critically endangered Javan Rhino still survives. Once thought to be extinct, it is estimated that there are only 3 – 5 of these delicate creatures left in the world. The Cat Tien rhinos have endured ruthless slaughter for their horns and annihilation of their habitat. Now there is yet another threat to their tenuous chances of continued survival.
Plans to build a power plant at the edge of the rhinos’ habitat have been approved by the Lam Dong administration. The plant’s dam will be slightly less than two miles from the Javan Rhino reserve. An estimated 1,000 tons of explosives will be used for clearing forested areas near the reserve. Construction is expected to take three years. And even clean energy – such as wind turbines – can have adverse affects on surrounding wildlife (and humans), if not properly sited.
Blasting the forest with explosives, shaking the earth with heavy construction equipment- no matter what “benefits” the end result is purported to have – certainly raises questions about environmental responsibility.
And what about the fact that this activity will be taking place at the edge of a National Park that is home to 40 species on the IUCN Red List?
According to wildlife experts expressing concern for the Javan Rhinos in Cat Tien at a conference in Dong Nai:
The animals are so busy trying to avoid humans that they do not reproduce, something at which they are not good at to begin with.
A “perfect storm” of habitat destruction
In addition to rampant poaching, this Vietnamese subspecies (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) of Javan Rhino has suffered some of the most extensive habitat loss of the five remaining rhino species.
Any one of these factors could wipe out a species – yet this rhino has endured a “perfect storm” of large-scale environmental disasters:
- Agent orange (a defoliator) during the Vietnam War. Half of southern Vietnam’s mangroves and 14 percent of its hardwood forests were destroyed; bamboo and grassland areas have still not grown back.
- Human settlements encroaching on the park. Resettlement has not been done as planned, resulting in continued exploitation of the forest.
- Expansion of commercial interests resulting in deforestation. The rhinos have been pushed into undesirable regions by illegal logging activities.
Poaching of endangered wildlife remains a threat in Cat Tien National Park
Unfortunately, the 40 species on the IUCN Red List in Cat Tien National Park are lucrative prey for poachers and locals who are hunting illegally.
Inside the park, forestry protection services find thousands of traps each month – set by local people. Earlier this year, wardens discovered dozens of illegal wildlife shops in Lam Dong Province - which have apparently been operating unabated for many years.
Total Javan Rhino population: Less than 60
In addition to this Vietnamese subspecies of Javan Rhino, there is an Indonesian subspecies (Rhinoceros sondaicus sondaicus).
Currently, the last 50 or so of the Indonesian subspecies are found in only one location – Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia. These rhinos are under constant guard by Rhino Protection Units. IRF says that translocation plans are in progress to establish a second population of Javan Rhinos to ensure their survival.
All five species of rhino are under current and constant threat of poaching for their horn, which fetches top dollar in the thriving illegal wildlife markets of China and other parts of Asia. Despite scientific evidence which points to the contrary, cultural beliefs surrounding medicinal properties of the horn persist – resulting in a 90% decrease in worldwide rhino population since 1970.
Image source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/argenberg/ / CC BY 2.0
The rest is here:
Last Population of Javan Rhino Subspecies Struggling Against Extinction in Vietnam
Last Population of Javan Rhino Subspecies Struggling Against Extinction in Vietnam
Jul/090
Inside Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, a rare subspecies of the critically endangered Javan Rhino still survives. Once thought to be extinct, it is estimated that there are only 3 – 5 of these delicate creatures left in the world. The Cat Tien rhinos have endured ruthless slaughter for their horns and annihilation of their habitat. Now there is yet another threat to their tenuous chances of continued survival.
Plans to build a power plant at the edge of the rhinos’ habitat have been approved by the Lam Dong administration. The plant’s dam will be slightly less than two miles from the Javan Rhino reserve. An estimated 1,000 tons of explosives will be used for clearing forested areas near the reserve. Construction is expected to take three years. And even clean energy – such as wind turbines – can have adverse affects on surrounding wildlife (and humans), if not properly sited.
Blasting the forest with explosives, shaking the earth with heavy construction equipment- no matter what “benefits” the end result is purported to have – certainly raises questions about environmental responsibility.
And what about the fact that this activity will be taking place at the edge of a National Park that is home to 40 species on the IUCN Red List?
According to wildlife experts expressing concern for the Javan Rhinos in Cat Tien at a conference in Dong Nai:
The animals are so busy trying to avoid humans that they do not reproduce, something at which they are not good at to begin with.
A “perfect storm” of habitat destruction
In addition to rampant poaching, this Vietnamese subspecies (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) of Javan Rhino has suffered some of the most extensive habitat loss of the five remaining rhino species.
Any one of these factors could wipe out a species – yet this rhino has endured a “perfect storm” of large-scale environmental disasters:
- Agent orange (a defoliator) during the Vietnam War. Half of southern Vietnam’s mangroves and 14 percent of its hardwood forests were destroyed; bamboo and grassland areas have still not grown back.
- Human settlements encroaching on the park. Resettlement has not been done as planned, resulting in continued exploitation of the forest.
- Expansion of commercial interests resulting in deforestation. The rhinos have been pushed into undesirable regions by illegal logging activities.
Poaching of endangered wildlife remains a threat in Cat Tien National Park
Unfortunately, the 40 species on the IUCN Red List in Cat Tien National Park are lucrative prey for poachers and locals who are hunting illegally.
Inside the park, forestry protection services find thousands of traps each month – set by local people. Earlier this year, wardens discovered dozens of illegal wildlife shops in Lam Dong Province - which have apparently been operating unabated for many years.
Total Javan Rhino population: Less than 60
In addition to this Vietnamese subspecies of Javan Rhino, there is an Indonesian subspecies (Rhinoceros sondaicus sondaicus).
Currently, the last 50 or so of the Indonesian subspecies are found in only one location – Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia. These rhinos are under constant guard by Rhino Protection Units. IRF says that translocation plans are in progress to establish a second population of Javan Rhinos to ensure their survival.
All five species of rhino are under current and constant threat of poaching for their horn, which fetches top dollar in the thriving illegal wildlife markets of China and other parts of Asia. Despite scientific evidence which points to the contrary, cultural beliefs surrounding medicinal properties of the horn persist – resulting in a 90% decrease in worldwide rhino population since 1970.
Image source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/argenberg/ / CC BY 2.0
Go here to see the original:
Last Population of Javan Rhino Subspecies Struggling Against Extinction in Vietnam
Last Population of Javan Rhino Subspecies Struggling Against Extinction in Vietnam
Jul/090
Inside Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, a rare subspecies of the critically endangered Javan Rhino still survives. Once thought to be extinct, it is estimated that there are only 3 – 5 of these delicate creatures left in the world. The Cat Tien rhinos have endured ruthless slaughter for their horns and annihilation of their habitat. Now there is yet another threat to their tenuous chances of continued survival.
Plans to build a power plant at the edge of the rhinos’ habitat have been approved by the Lam Dong administration. The plant’s dam will be slightly less than two miles from the Javan Rhino reserve. An estimated 1,000 tons of explosives will be used for clearing forested areas near the reserve. Construction is expected to take three years. And even clean energy – such as wind turbines – can have adverse affects on surrounding wildlife (and humans), if not properly sited.
Blasting the forest with explosives, shaking the earth with heavy construction equipment- no matter what “benefits” the end result is purported to have – certainly raises questions about environmental responsibility.
And what about the fact that this activity will be taking place at the edge of a National Park that is home to 40 species on the IUCN Red List?
According to wildlife experts expressing concern for the Javan Rhinos in Cat Tien at a conference in Dong Nai:
The animals are so busy trying to avoid humans that they do not reproduce, something at which they are not good at to begin with.
A “perfect storm” of habitat destruction
In addition to rampant poaching, this Vietnamese subspecies (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) of Javan Rhino has suffered some of the most extensive habitat loss of the five remaining rhino species.
Any one of these factors could wipe out a species – yet this rhino has endured a “perfect storm” of large-scale environmental disasters:
- Agent orange (a defoliator) during the Vietnam War. Half of southern Vietnam’s mangroves and 14 percent of its hardwood forests were destroyed; bamboo and grassland areas have still not grown back.
- Human settlements encroaching on the park. Resettlement has not been done as planned, resulting in continued exploitation of the forest.
- Expansion of commercial interests resulting in deforestation. The rhinos have been pushed into undesirable regions by illegal logging activities.
Poaching of endangered wildlife remains a threat in Cat Tien National Park
Unfortunately, the 40 species on the IUCN Red List in Cat Tien National Park are lucrative prey for poachers and locals who are hunting illegally.
Inside the park, forestry protection services find thousands of traps each month – set by local people. Earlier this year, wardens discovered dozens of illegal wildlife shops in Lam Dong Province - which have apparently been operating unabated for many years.
Total Javan Rhino population: Less than 60
In addition to this Vietnamese subspecies of Javan Rhino, there is an Indonesian subspecies (Rhinoceros sondaicus sondaicus).
Currently, the last 50 or so of the Indonesian subspecies are found in only one location – Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia. These rhinos are under constant guard by Rhino Protection Units. IRF says that translocation plans are in progress to establish a second population of Javan Rhinos to ensure their survival.
All five species of rhino are under current and constant threat of poaching for their horn, which fetches top dollar in the thriving illegal wildlife markets of China and other parts of Asia. Despite scientific evidence which points to the contrary, cultural beliefs surrounding medicinal properties of the horn persist – resulting in a 90% decrease in worldwide rhino population since 1970.
Image source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/argenberg/ / CC BY 2.0
View original here:
Last Population of Javan Rhino Subspecies Struggling Against Extinction in Vietnam
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