Who will you put your money on in this Survival at any cost video?

A friend sent me this video to look at, and I must say it left me speechless. It is completely amazing, and I was utterly awestruck.

So, a big thanks to Mike Long for sharing.

It is quite amazing how delicately balanced survival in nature really is. A split second here or there can be the difference between life and death.

So, I’m going to share the video below with you. I hope you enjoy it.

Now, just for a moment, just try and imagine what survival means to the threatened tribes-people of the world. Their homes and lands go back for hundreds and thousands of years.

Now, because of modernization and administrations trying to tell people what is best for them, their very lives and survival are under threat. All in the name of what? I think it might come under the umbrella term of power and greed.

I have recently discovered a site that cares about their plight, it’s called: Survival International and is well worth a visit.

Check them out! I think you will be quite shocked by what you see on their website.

Here’s a little snippet from their site:

“We’re the only organization that champions tribal peoples around the world. We help them defend their lives, protect their lands and determine their own futures.
Tribal peoples have developed ways of life that are largely self-sufficient and extraordinarily diverse.”
More at… http://www.survivalinternational.org/info

I hope you have found this article – Survival At Any Cost – informative, and you will share your own experiences below in the comment box. please take the time to click on the share button; many thanks; see more articles on The Daily Green Post home page.

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Polar bears are the world’s largest land predators. They evolved some 200,000 years ago from ancestors of the brown bear. They can be found living in Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland and Norway. Males range in size from 775 to more than 1,500 pounds while females are smaller topping out at 550 pounds.

Polar Bears and Global Warming

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Polar bears are social animals. However, whenever they are hungry they will kill almost anything to have something to eat. The most common thing they attack and consume are seals. They have also been known to hunt walrus and beluga whales. They are mostly concentrated within the Arctic circle which encompasses the Arctic Ocean. They can also be found around surrounding land masses.

Polar Bears and Global Warming

We have always been intrigued by Polar bears. With their dense, white coats, they appear unbelievably cuddly, especially the cubs. But the reality is, they are the largest and most potent bears on earth. Sadly, they are also on the list of endangered species, all because of the effects Polar Bears and Global Warming have on each other.

Polar bears are the heaviest bear species by more than four hundred pounds on average. They are mainly solitary animals.

One of their main sources of food is seal, but they will also scavenge for anything else they come across. Did you know, polar bears never drink water? They get it all they need from their food.

Polar Bears, have a full nictitating (blinking) membrane that enables them to see underwater plus it also filters the glare from the reflecting rays of the sun off the snow and ice. Unlike the upper and lower eyelids, as in humans the nictitating membrane moves horizontally over the eyeball.

Polar bears are not threatened because of other animals or because they are being hunted too much. Polar bears are threatened as a direct effect on how we as humans treat the earth and the environment. People have begun to take the earth for granted. They have treated it as though it is indestructible. When if fact, the earth is destructible, and we are destroying it.

The female of the species generally gives birth in the final two months of the year. They nearly always give birth to twins. When it is time to do so, the mothers will dig dens out of the snow and ice. They will remain in the den without food until the cubs are able to leave.

Nowhere can you see polar bears so up close and personal as you can in Churchill, Manitoba. When Hudson Bay freezes, between October and November, this town is overrun with polar bears as they travel their migration path. In early winter, they even stop to dine on the region’s seal population. For more up close views, you can take a tundra buggy (a converted school bus) into the migratory packs for a quick day trip. For longer exposure, there are tundra lodges that provide all day exposure to the bears in their native environment. Polar Bears and Global Warming must be tackled before it is too late.

Polar bears have some unique features. They can walk for up to 40 miles a day and swim up to 6 miles to catch seals. They stand over breathing holes and wait for a seal to come up for air. They then hit the seal with their left paw, it’s always their left paw for some unknown reason. When they have eaten, they can go 5 days without catching another seal.

Unlike other species of bears, polar bears have longer necks and smaller heads making them appear more streamlined. Despite their large sizes, they are incredibly fast being able to run up to 25 miles per hour. At speeds like this, a polar bear can outrun a reindeer. They are also excellent swimmers being able to swim at about 3 miles per hour but for considerable distances.

Sadly, as of May of 2008, the classification of polar bears upgraded to “threatened” allowing them increased protection under the Endangered Species Act. A combination of melting Arctic ice, oil drilling and over hunting have put these fascinating animals in danger of extinction, some experts saying there could be a reduction in the polar bear population of two thirds by 205 The polar bear is the first animal whose decline ties directly to global warming.

Let us hope that with continuing conservation efforts we can still save these magnificent creatures from disappearing along with the Arctic ice that they call home. Polar Bears and Global Warming is a real issue.

Watch this brilliant video below, you will not be disappointed!

[responsive_video type=’youtube’ hide_related=’1′ hide_logo=’1′ hide_controls=’0′ hide_title=’1′ hide_fullscreen=’0′ autoplay=’0′]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5kdjrhuzrs[/responsive_video]

Stunning video don’t you think?

I hope you have found this article – Polar Bears and Global Warming – informative, and you will share your own experiences below in the comment box and please take the time to click on the share button, many thanks; see more articles on The Daily Green Post home page.

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These magnificent animals are slaughtered every day in the ivory trade 2013, for their tusks just to make souvenirs for tourists.

I personally think it’s absolutely sickening, I really can’t understand why people would buy these things knowing these amazing animals are doomed to extinction because of the ivory trade in poached elephant tusks…!

Ivory Trade 2013

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Below is an article from the World Wild Life fund you will find very sad reading:

Bangkok, Thailand – On World Elephant Day (August 12), WWF and TRAFFIC urge Thailand’s Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, to ensure legal reform, including steps outlined in Thailand’s national ivory action plan, delivers on her promise to shut down the country’s trade in ivory.

In response to the dramatic rise in the number of elephants poached for their ivory, the 64th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Steering Committee in March mandated Thailand, along with seven other countries, to implement a time-bound action plan aimed at reducing illegal trade in ivory, and report back on progress or face possible trade restrictions.

Thailand’s ivory action plan, not yet public and expected to be submitted to the country’s Cabinet for approval this year, is required to specify activities to address the country’s ivory trade legislation and regulation, national and international law enforcement, outreach and public awareness.

“Prime Minister Shinawatra pledged at the opening of the CITES conference to end ivory trade in Thailand, seizing a key opportunity to combat global wildlife trafficking and address the elephant poaching crisis,” said Janpai Ongsiriwittaya, Illegal Wildlife Trade campaign leader in WWF-Thailand. “It’s critical the ivory action plan honours the Prime Minister’s commitment, and sets out the necessary legal reforms with a clear timeline to make it illegal to buy or sell ivory, needed to curtail the domestic sale of ivory in Thailand.”

Although it is against the law to bring ivory from African elephants into Thailand and to sell ivory from wild Asian elephants in Thailand, current law allows for ivory from domestic Thai elephants to be sold legally. As a result, massive quantities of African ivory can be laundered through Thai shops. To save Africa’s elephants it is essential that Thailand address this issue.

“Ending ivory trade in Thailand – currently the world’s largest unregulated ivory market – will go a long way in stemming a global poaching crisis that is leading to the slaughter of tens of thousands of elephants each year and fuelling a global criminal trade in animal parts,” said TRAFFIC’s Greater Mekong Programme Coordinator, Dr Naomi Doak.

– Ivory Trade 2013 – How much longer have they got?

“Perhaps as few as 2,500 wild elephants are left in Thailand. That’s as many elephants as were wiped out each month in Africa in 2012,” added Ongsiriwittaya. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of rangers patrolling Kuiburi National Park, no elephants have been lost due to poaching since 2010. But demand for ivory is immense, so while it’s Africa’s elephants slaughtered today, it could be Thailand’s elephants tomorrow.”

Along with Thailand, China (and Hong Kong separately), Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Uganda, Tanzania and Viet Nam submitted National Ivory Action Plans by the deadline of 15 May 2013 that had been set by the CITES Standing Committee during the recent meeting held in Bangkok. These eight countries are requested to take urgent measures to put their plans into practice before July 2014, when the CITES Standing Committee will review their implementation.

More at… WWF World Elephant Day

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I thought it was time to take a another look into the plight of the endangered species of our planet earth; while ploughing through a plethora of information on the subject, I found this interesting article on National Geographic’s website, which I think you will find of interest.

Endangered Species International Review – Panthera Tigris

On the Brink of Extinction: A Closer Look at Endangered Species
Posted by Jordan Carlton Schaul of Wildlife SOS on April 5, 2013

Many naturalists and certainly most birding aficionados are well aware that the last passenger pigeon died in 1914 while in residence at the Cincinnati Zoo.

And I regretfully acknowledge that the last wild passenger pigeon was shot in 1900 in my home state of Ohio.

The Zoo’s passenger pigeon known as “Martha” was only presumed to be the last alive of her kind before the species was deemed to be extinct. But we haven’t seen any since.

Can you imagine looking at the last member of an entire species?

Passenger Pigeon ‘Martha’

 

In many ways Martha’s saga characterizes the fate of other wildlife species in North America and certainly overseas and in the oceans.

Fortunately, humans intervened in hopes of preventing loss of more wildlife, but we still managed to lose the following species of North American birds: the Carolina parakeet (a few years later), ivory billed woodpecker, Bachman’s warbler, the heath hen, and the dusky seaside sparrow.

All are gone.

Once again, I turned to my esteemed colleague Dr. Michael Hutchins, this time to discuss regulation and protection as it pertains to endangered species. Policy regarding imperiled wildlife is extensive and complicated, but usually founded on sound conservation science. Here is our 7th interview with Dr. Michael Hutchins:

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 is the most important piece of legislation facilitating endangered species conservation in the U.S.

The Act is administered by two federal agencies, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The ESA was not the first attempt by the U.S. government to protect endangered species however, it has been the most effective.

The Act mandates a continually updated list of threatened species—those experiencing a downward population trend—as well as endangered species—those facing extinction in the near-term.

Once a species is listed, the ESA mandates development of a recovery plan to increase the species’ population to a sustainable level.

In addition, powerful legal tools, including penalties and civil suit provisions, are available to aid the recovery of the species and the protection of its habitat.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act.

Unfortunately, the illegal wildlife trade is much like the illegal drug trade—when the economic incentives are greater than the perceived risk of capture and punishment, then some people will break the law.

Often, despite the best efforts of regulators, there exists an underground trade in wildlife that is difficult to stop.

This is especially true in developing countries that often lack an effective regulatory infrastructure, or where corruption, or political and social chaos opens opportunities for poachers.

Wildlife tourism can also play a role.
Having tourists and guides in African national parks and equivalent reserves makes it difficult for poachers to operate without detection.

Tourism also provides a huge economic incentive for African governments to take conservation seriously.

Jordan: Zoos have emerged as conservation breeding centers and as the former Director/William Conway Chair of Conservation and Science for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums you developed and advanced many of the breeding programs for endangered species in US zoos, programs that have been replicated around the world.

Can you talk about how these programs help save wildlife species of concern?

Michael: Although the ability of captive breeding programs to contribute to endangered species conservation is limited, there have been some important successes.

“Habitat conservation is still the most critical factor in determining the fate of threatened and endangered species.”

Jordan: What are, in your opinion, the five most significant threats to biodiversity in our contemporary world? Will the effects of climate change likely impact the classifications for many species in the near future in your opinion?

Michael: The major factors driving wildlife towards extinction vary from species to species and ecosystem to ecosystem.

In general, however, I would rank the following five factors as being the major drivers:

1. Habitat loss: Wildlife cannot survive in the absence of their natural habitats. Loss of habitat is directly due to an ever-growing human population converting land to their own uses.
2. Climate change: The production of greenhouse gases is warming our planet and altering weather patterns, habitats and wildlife phenology. Its impact on wildlife has already begun and is expected to be catastrophic. It will certainly impact the status of many species both in the near and distant future and will undoubtedly lead to extinctions
3. Invasive species: Our movement of wildlife, domestic animals, and diseases around the world is highly problematic for native species
4. Pollution: Our dumping of toxic substances and other refuse (e.g., plastic in our oceans), byproducts of our industrialized society, is threatening many species by interfering with their reproductive biology or causing significant mortality
5. Nature deficit disorder and lack of funding for conservation: As humans become more and more concentrated in urban and suburban settings, they are losing their connection to nature. This will make it more difficult to make effective science-based decisions about wildlife management and conservation.

There are many other factors contributing to species endangerment (over-exploitation, emerging diseases, human-wildlife conflict), but in my opinion, the ones I have listed above are the top five.

Jordan: What are some important species that you fear may soon become extinct with or without more intensive management or other intervention?

Michael: There are many species that are already rare, have limited distribution, or that have rapidly declining populations, and thus could be considered at high risk of extinction.

Large carnivores, in particular, are having a very difficult time due to loss of habitat and conflict with humans.

Although they are doing comparatively well in India , there are only around 3,200 wild tigers left in the world.

African lion populations have been decreasing steadily; Kenyan wildlife officials recently suggested that, if current trends continue, the species may only persist for another two decades.

Elephants and rhinos are other large mammals that have recently been hammered by the illegal trade in wildlife.

The forest elephant has been particularly hard hit and may be headed toward extinction. It is estimated that over 60% of the extant population has been killed within the past decade.

The West African black rhino was recently declared extinct and rhinos throughout Africa have been experiencing heavy levels of poaching, thus placing them at greater risk.

Full article here… http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/04/05/on-the-brink-of-extinction-a-closer-look-at-endangered-species/

Our shortened version of the endangered species international review was still quite a long read and as you can see there is a great deal to be concerned about in our world.

I hope you have found this article – Endangered Species International Review – informative, and you will share your own experiences below in the comment box and please take the time to click on the share button, many thanks; see more articles on The Daily Green Post home page.

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… When I read an article in the – ‘The Conversation’ – on the animal.

It was thought to be extinct in the early part of 20th century and only rediscovered in the 1990’s

It makes for a fascinating story…!!!

Gilberts Potoroo

Australian endangered species: Gilberts Potoroo
By Elizabeth Sinclair
Research Associate Professor at University of Western Australia
14 February 2013

Gilberts Potoroo (Potorous gilbertii) is one of four species of Potoroo.

It has dense grey-brown fur, paler on the underside, with furry jowls, large eyes and an almost hairless tail. It is the smallest extant member of the genus, weighing in at around a kilogram. With a diet of over 90% underground fungi (truffles), it is one of the most fungi-dependent mammals in the world.

Like other potoroos, these animals are mainly solitary, with little overlap in home range between individuals of the same sex, although a male and a female may be found nesting together under the dense sedges in their heathland habitat, sometimes with a young-at-heel. Gilbert’s Potoroos may live ten years and reach sexual maturity at around one year of age. A female potoroo rears one young at a time, but up to three a year, so she could produce well over 20 progeny in her lifetime.

Gilbert’s Potoroo – Potorous Tridactylus
By Peripitus (Own work) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Status

Discovered near Albany in 1840 by John Gilbert, the renowned collector for British taxonomist John Gould, Gilbert’s Potoroos were never widespread.

Sub-fossil remains in caves near the southwest corner show, at most, a narrow zone along the moist south coast where the marsupials lived.

Rain in most months of the year supports year-round truffles in the soil.

The species was so rare by the early 1900s that it was thought to be extinct – appearing to meet the same fate as its desert-dwelling relative, the Broad-faced Potoroo (P. platyops).

Remarkably it was rediscovered on the Mount Gardner headland at Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve in 1994.

However extensive surveys in likely sites along the south coast failed to find any more colonies.

The tiny surviving population is now 30-40 animals strong and has been the focus of intensive recovery efforts.

An interesting read on endangered animals … Eyewitness: Endangered Animals (DK Eyewitness Books)

Threats

As these potoroos prefer to live in dense heaths, the greatest threat to the Two Peoples Bay population and any recovery colonies is catastrophic wildfire.

Potoroos rarely venture into open habitat, but those leaving cover risk predation by foxes and feral cats as well as native predators.Strategy

Gilbert’s Potoroo could be lost in a single wildfire. The recovery strategy focuses on managing this risk by increasing numbers and establishing more populations.

So the focus of the recovery plan, which continues to protect the existing wild colony (through fox baiting and fire exclusion), shifted to establishing new colonies.

Despite more removals back to the new mainland enclosure, by 2012, the Bald Island population surpassed 60 and there were over 20 within the new enclosure.

Conclusion

While Gilbert’s Potoroo remains arguably the worlds’ rarest marsupial, its survival and recovery so far is due to the remarkable haven provided by Two Peoples Bay, where it continues to breed naturally. Ongoing allocation of funding, particularly by the Western Australian State Government, has allowed long-term recovery goals to be realized.

This piece was co-authored by Tony Friend who heads the Gilbert’s Potoroo recovery project through the Western Australia Department of Environment and Conservation

For the full article go to… http://theconversation.edu.au/australian-endangered-species-gilberts-potoroo-11640

I hope you have found this article – Gilberts Potoroo– informative, and you will share your own experiences below in the comment box and please take the time to click on the share button, many thanks; see more articles on The Daily Green Post home page.

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It can be quite fascinating what you’ll find; when you start looking for a story with a new twist to publish, .

Today I thought let’s have a look at the endangered species category, and I have to say pubic lice was the last thing I imagined would show up on the list; so for your amusement here’s an excerpt from the story: there’s a link to full story at the bottom.

Genital Crabs

Brazilian Bikini Waxes Make Genital Crabs an Endangered Species

By Jason Gale & Shannon Pettypiece

Pubic lice, the crab-shaped insects that have dwelled in human groins since the beginning of history, are disappearing.

Doctors say bikini waxing may be the reason.

Waning infestations of the bloodsuckers have been linked by doctors to pubic depilation, especially a technique popularized in the 1990s by a Manhattan salon run by seven Brazilian sisters.

More than 80 percent of college students in the U.S. remove all or some of their pubic hair — part of a trend that’s increasing in western countries.

In Australia, Sydney’s main sexual health clinic hasn’t seen a woman with pubic lice since 2008 and male cases have fallen 80 percent from about 100 a decade ago.

The trend suggests an alternative way of stemming one of the globe’s most contagious sexually transmitted infections.

Pubic lice are usually treated with topical insecticides, which once included toxic ones developed before and during World War 2.

While they aren’t known to spread disease, itchy skin reactions and subsequent infections make genital crabs a hazardous pest.

Clipping, waxing and shaving the groin destroy the optimal habitat of pubic lice.

A majority of college men and women in the U.S. and Australia remove all or part of their pubic hair, researchers at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, reported in a 2011 paper, citing surveys and research by other scholars.

Brazilian waxing took off internationally in the early 2000s, possibly spurred by the attention it was given on television shows such as Sex and the City, said Spring Cooper Robbins, a senior lecturer and sexual health researcher at the University of Sydney.

Environmental Disaster

“Pubic grooming has led to a severe depletion of crab louse populations,” said Ian F. Burgess, a medical entomologist with Insect Research & Development Ltd. in Cambridge, England. “Add to that other aspects of body hair depilation, and you can see an environmental disaster in the making for this species.”

Pubic lice, known scientifically as Phthirus pubis, infest about 2 percent to 10 percent of the human population, researchers at East Carolina University said in a 2009 study.

Incidence data aren’t kept by the World Health Organization in Geneva because the gray, six-legged, millimeter-long louse doesn’t transmit disease.

The ‘habitat destruction’ of the pubic lice is increasing and they are becoming an endangered species.

Ingrown Hairs

“No matter what type of hair removal is used, there is the risk of ingrown hairs,” Cooper Robbins said. “That also creates the opportunity for infection.”
The female louse needs to mate only once to remain fertile throughout her lifetime and can lay eggs every day. Once hatched, the young lice begin feeding straight away, gorging themselves with blood until discovered, according to Cambridge entomologist Burgess.

Lice species that inhabit the human body generally stick to certain domains, with head lice staying near the scalp, body lice preferring to hide in clothing between blood-meals on the body, and pubic lice lingering predominantly in the coarse hair of the pubic and perianal areas, said Russell at Sydney’s Westmead Hospital.

Genital crabs are closely related to the gorilla- afflicting louse, Pthirus gorillae, from which it probably diverged 3.3 million years ago, researchers said.

The life cycle of the female pubic louse ends if it’s unable to find a suitable place to lay eggs, Russell said, making it plausible that pubic hair removal is reducing populations of the insect.

More at… Brazilian Bikini Waxes Make Crab Lice Endangered Species – Bloomberg

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I am spending time looking for good news stories at the moment, basically to try and cheer my self up.

Everywhere you look these days its doom and gloom and sadly, I do add to it on occasion, by having to highlight the plight of yet another poor animal that seems doomed to extinction.

So, in that vein of bringing some relief to the plight of the endangered species of our planet, please find some uplifting news below…

Mountain gorilla facts: their numbers have actually risen by 10%.

A Ugandan survey found that the population has risen from 786 in 2010 to 880 today, due to conservation efforts. (Less than 100 increase, but going in the right direction).

The world’s population of mountain gorillas has increased by more than 10% in two years, new census figures show.

Mountain gorilla facts – Guhonda, leader of the Sabyinyo group
By Carine06 from UK (Silverback) CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A survey carried out in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable national park and released by the Ugandan Wildlife Authority has found that numbers of the critically endangered species, Gorilla beringei beringei, have risen from an estimated 786 in 2010 to 880 today (small numbers, but going in the right direction).Threats to the mountain gorilla – including war, habitat destruction and disease – were once thought to be so severe that the species could become extinct by the end of the 20th century, but the population has increased significantly in the last 30 years.Drew McVey, species programme manager at WWF-UK, who supported the census as part of the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, said he believed the latest increase was due to conservation efforts that had successfully engaged the local community.

Virunga Mountain Gorilla
By Cai Tjeenk Willink (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

“Mountain gorillas have only survived because of conservation. Protected areas are better managed and resourced than they have ever been, and our work is a lot more cross-cutting to address threats – we don’t just work with the animals in the national parks, but also with the people.”

Mountain gorillas, a subspecies of the eastern lowland gorilla, live in mountain forests in only two locations in the world – Bwindi in south-west Uganda and the Virunga Massif, a range of extinct volcanoes that border the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Rwanda.

According to the census report, there are more than 400 mountain gorillas in Bwindi, living in 36 distinct social groups, with 16 solitary males. Ten of these social groups are accustomed to human presence for either tourism or research. A 2010 survey counted 480 individuals in Virunga Massif.

“Gorillas are slow breeders,” McVey said. “And we’re quite impressed with how much the population has increased.”

“Gorillas have almost the same DNA as us, and humans can transmit anything from a common cold to ebola. Gorilla populations are incredibly fragile and sensitive to environmental change. There are only two populations, so disease could easily wipe out an entire population,” said McVey.

The number of mountain gorillas declined dramatically during the 1960s, stabilised during the 1970s and started to increase in the 1980s. Political instability and war prevented a complete census until 1989, when it was revealed that there were 620 individuals.

Mountain Gorilla
By Dylan Walters (DSC_0855) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Since 1996, 140 Virunga rangers have been killed in the line of duty, including one in May.

“The amount of revenue and jobs that gorillas generate is so important for these areas that are so desperately poor,” McVey said. “People really see gorillas as important for the national and local economies, and a portion of this goes back to conservation efforts and the local community.”

But park authorities have been forced to suspend tourism again after fighting, and last month a Congolese rebel group accused of killings, mass rapes and other atrocities was found to be using the proceeds of gorilla treks to fund its insurgency.

Full aricle at… The Guardian.

Well I did say there was a little good news, but sadly that’s all it is – tiny in comparison to what is necessary to achieve real lasting change.

I hope you have found this article – Mountain Gorilla Facts – informative, and you will share your own experiences below in the comment box and please take the time to click on the share button, many thanks; see more articles on The Daily Green Post home page.

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I have to be honest, my knowledge of Red Pandas was extremely vague; until quite recently.

While researching an article on The Kingdom of Bhutan in the Himalayas, I started to become interested in the plight of Red Pandas as I began to unearth facts about them.

Red Pandas Fighting in the snow
By su neko [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

From the temperate Himalayan forests of western Nepal to the high mountain slopes of southwestern China, the red panda (Ailurus fulgens), like the giant panda, is a mostly herbivorous mammal that feeds mainly on bamboo.

But that is where the similarities with its larger and more recognizable black and white distant cousin seem to end.

Red Panda climbing
By Ravi Poorun – kekett [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

Red pandas look more like raccoons and are slightly larger than a domestic house cat (they even have feline-like whiskers), growing to about 50-63cm in length and weighing up to 6kg.They are skillful climbers that, when not foraging on the ground, spend most of their time in the trees curled up with their long, bushy tails wrapped around their heads.A thick reddish-brown fur offers additional protection from the cold, often harsh, mountain weather.The word panda comes from the Nepalese “poonya” which means bamboo eater.While the giant panda is sometime called the black and white cat-foot, the red panda is known as the red cat bear or lesser panda.

Red Panda – Under threat

While it may be ‘lesser’ in size than the giant panda, both species are threatened by less habitat and deforestation.

Ailurus fulgens
By Brian.gratwicke at en.wikipedia [CC-BY-2.5], from Wikimedia Commons

An increase in human population, particularly in China and Nepal, has seen the red panda’s bamboo forest homes cut down and cleared for timber, fuel and agriculture land, pushing them to more remote, fragmented – and often unprotected – mountain areas.

Although protected internationally and in Nepal, the red panda remains highly endangered; this is the most scary of the – Red Panda Facts.

Over 75% of potential red panda habitat falls outside of protected areas.

Protecting the red panda and its fragile environment is vital to preserving the region’s natural heritage and global biodiversity.

Red Panda close-up
By Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl. Edit by Böhringer (Own work) [CC-BY-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

Red Panda protection
Conservation work by the World Wild Fund and its partners is currently underway in the Sacred Himalayan Landscape, which encompasses more than two-thirds of Nepal’s remaining red panda habitat.For a full report on Red Panda facts, see the … WWF
The survival of the red panda and the protection of its habitat will ensure that people living in the region continue to reap ecosystem benefits for many generations.

Here follows a list of Red Panda facts which should cover most things you might be concerned with.

Description

• Adult red pandas weigh about 4-6 kg and are around 1.7 m in length
• Red panda babies weigh in the region of 150-200g
• Red pandas are rusty-red colored with white markings on their faces and black fur on their shoulders and legs.  They have bushy tails with black rings of color

Chengdu firefox
[CC-BY-SA-2.5-es], via Wikimedia Commons

• Mothers have between one and four cubs each year.

• Cubs stay with their mothers for one and a half years.

• Red pandas usually live less than 10 years in the wild but may live for 12-14 years in captivity.

• Red pandas are crepuscular, which means they are most active at dawn and at dusk.

• They live alone or in small family groups.

• They spend the majority of their day eating bamboo, their favorite food.

• Red pandas spend most of their lives in the treetops of the wet, mountainous temperate forests of western China, Bhutan, Nepal, Laos and Myanmar (Burma).

• Predators of the red panda are snow leopards and martens.

• Red pandas are omnivorous.

• Bamboo is the main food of red pandas, but they also eat the roots, fruits and nuts of other plants.

For a very indepth view of red panda facts see… Globio.org

Human hunters sometimes poach red pandas for their beautiful fur, but red pandas are protected and hunting them is illegal.

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I hope you have enjoyed this small glimpse into the life of yet another of our endangered species and please do leave a comment below if you have anything to add on: Red panda facts, and do remember to click the share button, many thanks.

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I have been asked many times what is the definition of ‘Endangered Species’, so I thought I would cover the subject in todays post.

Giant panda

When you look in the dictionary you will find the endangered species definition a little easier to understand, such as:

A plant or animal species existing in such small numbers that it is in danger of becoming extinct, especially such a species placed in jeopardy as a result of human activity.

One of the principal factors in the endangerment or extinction of a species is the destruction or pollution of its native habitat.

Other factors include overhunting, intentional extermination, and the accidental or intentional introduction of alien species that outcompete the native species for environmental resources.

This is the definition from: The free dictionary.com

Here is one more endangered species definition from The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

International and national agencies work to maintain lists of endangered species, to protect and preserve natural habitats, and to promote programs for recovery and reestablishment of these species.

The Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) publishes information online about approximately 41,500 endangered species worldwide as the Red List of Threatened Species.

In the United States, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are responsible for the conservation and management of fish and wildlife, including endangered species, and their habitats.

Its list now consists of about 1,890 domestic species of endangered or threatened animals and plants.

Merriam-Webster

2 Chengdu pandas eating By Hyjk2000 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

So lets move on and find out what the more in depth definitions consist of, here is a summary (Note I said summary) from: nwfsc.noaa.gov

Summary
For purposes of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), a “species” is defined to include “any distinct population segment of any species of vertebrate fish or wildlife which interbreeds when mature.”

Federal agencies charged with carrying out the provisions of the ESA have struggled for over a decade to develop a consistent approach for interpreting the term “distinct population segment.”

This paper suggests such an approach and explains in some detail how it can be applied to ESA (Endangered Species Act) considerations of anadromous Pacific salmonids.

The following definition is proposed:

A population (or group of populations) will be considered “distinct” (and hence a “species”) for purposes of the ESA (Endangered Species Act)if it represents an evolutionarily significant unit ESU (evolutionarily significant unit) of the biological species.

A population must satisfy two criteria to be considered an ESU (evolutionarily significant unit):

It must be reproductively isolated from other conspecific population units, and it must represent an important component in the evolutionary legacy of the species.

Isolation does not have to be absolute, but it must be strong enough to permit evolutionarily important differences to accrue in different population units.

The second criterion would be met if the population contributed substantially to the ecological/genetic diversity of the species as a whole.

Insights into the extent of reproductive isolation can be provided by movements of tagged fish, recolonization rates of other populations, measurements of genetic differences between populations, and evaluations of the efficacy of natural barriers.

Each of these methods has its limitations.

Identification of physical barriers to genetic exchange can help define the geographic extent of distinct populations, but reliance on physical features alone can be misleading in the absence of supporting biological information.

Physical tags provide information about the movements of individual fish but not the genetic consequences of migration.

Furthermore, measurements of current straying or recolonization rates provide no direct information about the magnitude or consistency of such rates in the past.

In this respect, electrophoretic (or DNA) differences can be very useful because they reflect levels of gene flow that have occurred over evolutionary time scales.

The best strategy is to use all available lines of evidence for or against reproductive isolation, recognizing the limitations of each and taking advantage of the complementary nature of the different types of information.

If available evidence indicates significant reproductive isolation, the next step is to determine whether the population in question is of substantial ecological/genetic importance to the species as a whole.

In making this determination, the following questions are relevant:

Is the population genetically distinct from other conspecific populations?

Does the population occupy unique habitat?

Does the population show evidence of unique adaptation to its environment?

And, more generally,
If the population became extinct, would this event represent a significant loss to the ecological/genetic diversity of the species?

Several types of information are useful in addressing these questions.

Again, the strengths and limitations of each should be kept in mind in making the evaluation.

Phenotypic/life-history traits such as size, fecundity, and age and time of spawning may reflect local adaptations of evolutionary importance, but interpretation of these traits is complicated by their sensitivity to environmental conditions.

Electrophoretic data provide valuable insight into levels of overall genetic differentiation among populations but little direct information regarding the extent of adaptive genetic differences.

Habitat differences suggest the possibility for local adaptations but do not prove that such adaptations exist.

The framework suggested here provides a focal point for accomplishing the major goal of the Act–to conserve the genetic diversity of species and the ecosystems they inhabit.

At the same time, it allows discretion in the listing of populations by requiring that they represent units of real evolutionary significance to the species.

For the full article… nwfsc.noaa.gov

Well if you have read this far, well done. I think you deserve a nice long drink.

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Please read this article by the:  Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

I think it’s time we all became more aware of the plight of some of the species we share our planet with.

Endangered species 2012 – are they priceless or worthless?

Wooly Spider Monkey
By Paulo B. Chaves [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Tarzan’s chameleon, the spoon-billed sandpiper and the pygmy three-toed sloth have all topped a new list of the species closest to extinction released today by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The list’s creation and publication has received the backing of HRH The Duke of Cambridge KG KT who said: “This book does not merely tell us which species are most endangered, it shows us how we can save them. It challenges us to commit to safeguarding our priceless natural heritage for future generations”.

For the first time ever, more than 8,000 scientists from the IUCN Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC) have come together to identify 100 of the most threatened animals, plants and fungi on the planet. But conservationists fear they’ll be allowed to die out because none of these species provide humans with obvious benefits.

Professor Jonathan Baillie, ZSL’s Director of Conservation explains: “The donor community and conservation movement are leaning increasingly towards a ‘what can nature do for us’ approach, where species and wild habitats are valued and prioritised according to the services they provide for people. This has made it increasingly difficult for conservationists to protect the most threatened species on the planet.

While the utilitarian value of nature is important conservation goes beyond this. Do these species have a right to survive or do we have a right to drive them to extinction?”

The report, called Priceless or Worthless?, will be presented at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in South Korea this week, and hopes to push the conservation of ‘worthless’ creatures up the agenda that is set by NGOs from around the globe.

Co-author of the report, ZSL’s Ellen Butcher says: “All the species listed are unique and irreplaceable. If they vanish, no amount of money can bring them back. However, if we take immediate action we can give them a fighting chance for survival. But this requires society to support the moral and ethical position that all species have an inherent right to exist.”

Their declines have mainly been caused by humans, but in almost all cases scientists believe their extinction can still be avoided if conservation efforts are specifically focused. Conservation actions deliver results with many species such as Przewalski’s Horse (Equus ferus) and Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) have being saved from extinction.

The 100 endangered species 2012, from 48 different countries are first in line to disappear completely if nothing is done to protect them.

The pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus) is one of the animals facing a bleak future. Escudo Island, 17km off the coast of Panama, is the only place in the world where these tiny sloths are found. At half the size of their mainland cousins, and weighing roughly the same as a newborn baby, pygmy sloths are the smallest and slowest sloths in the world and remain Critically Endangered.

Luristan-newt
By Dr. Richard Bartlett [Attribution], via Wikimedia Commons

Similarly, the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) is one of the most threatened mammals in Southeast Asia. Known as the Asian unicorn because of its rarity, the population of these antelope may be down to few tens of individuals today.In the UK, a small area in Wales is the only place in the world where the brightly coloured willow blister (Cryptomyces maximus) is found. Populations of the spore-shooting fungi are currently in decline, and a single catastrophic event could cause their total destruction.Professor Baillie adds:“If we believe these species are priceless it is time for the conservation community, government and industry to step up to the plate and show future generations that we value all life.’’Whilst monetising nature remains a worthwhile necessity for conservationists, the wider value of species on the brink of extinction should not be disregarded, the report states.“All species have a value to nature and thus in turn to humans,” says Dr Simon Stuart, Chair IUCN Species Survival Commission. “Although the value of some species may not appear obvious at first, all species in fact contribute in their way to the healthy functioning of the planet.”ZSL and IUCN will be presenting ‘Priceless or Worthless?’ at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Jeju, South Korea on 11th September 2012.

If you want to see the full report which I urge you to do so, go to www.zsl.org also if you would like to add any comments or thoughts on endangered species 2012, please leave them below and click the share button to help spread the word, many thanks.

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