Western black rhino declared extinct
November 12, 2011
No wild black rhinos remain in West Africa, according to the latest global assessment of threatened species, the Red List, drawn up by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The IUCN reports that despite conservation efforts, 25% of the world’s mammals are at risk of extinction. As part of its latest work it has reassessed several rhinoceros groups.
As well as declaring the western black rhino Read more
The Jurassic cheetah
August 27, 2011
Supercheetah
The Jurassic cheetah
Obaidur Rahman
Paleontologist from Senckenberg Research Institute, Weimar, Germany, recently unearthed the remains of a cheetah which might just have been the bloodiest killers of the ancient times wandering at one of the oldest known habitat of human beings. It is well known that the only remaining species of cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, is the fasted animal on Earth with the capability of running up to 70 mile-per-hour. But the Read more
Unique pig-nosed turtle is over-harvested in New Guinea
July 10, 2011
Numbers of pig-nosed turtles have declined steeply over the past 30 years, researchers have discovered.
The unique reptile has become an international conservation icon, due to it having no close relatives and being considered the turtle most adapted to life underwater in freshwater ponds and rivers.
Yet demand for its eggs and meat in Papua New Guinea, one of the turtle’s main Read more
‘Ants can identify their worst enemy’
July 5, 2011
A study of the ant species Temnothorax longispinosus has revealed that it can spot its worst enemy and react with appropriate aggression.
The ant colonies are often invaded by slavemaker ants, which steal their pupae. So when the ants spot a slavemaker, they attempt to kill it by biting and stinging.
But the insects do not waste their energy on less threatening intruders Read more
Birds eavesdrop on predator chipmunks
July 5, 2011
Ground-nesting birds eavesdrop on chipmunks in order to protect their nests, according to scientists.
Ovenbirds and veeries live alongside egg-eating chipmunks in the Hudson Valley, New York, US.
Researchers have found that when simulated chipmunk calls are played, the birds nest up to 20 metres further away.
The study is the first to show that birds heed the chatter of non-avian species Read more
Wildlife in jeopardy
June 5, 2011
Hunger, death on offer as forests vanish fast
The number of phone calls we receive every day is amazing. People call to say fishing cats have been killed or captured. Jungle cat kittens found. Vultures lying sick. And of course, tigers have been killed.
If we put together all these pieces of information, we get a terrifying bigger picture of what has been happening to our wildlife.
One thing is quite clear now. Our forests, or for that matter whatever is left, can no longer give food and shelter to wildlife. The animals are coming out of the little green cover that is left Read more
12,000km in 357 days
March 31, 2011
Sea turtle routes tracked
The first turtle that was tagged in Bangladesh with a satellite chip to track its journey last year has travelled over 12,000 kilometres in 357 days and is now coming back to Bangladesh coast from Sri Lanka.
Urmee, the name of the turtle, has crossed the path until March 23, 2011. It is now in the middle of the Bay of Bengal, 780 km east of the Chennai coast of India, 977 km northeast of the Sri Lankan coast, 662 km west of Read more
Bay the global hotspot
March 6, 2011
More than 10,000 endangered whales and dolphins of six species have made the Bay of Bengal and the Sundarbans estuary a safe home, a month long survey reveals.
A group of Bangladeshi wildlife scientists headed by Dr Anisuzzaman Khan carried out the survey and recently revealed that the Bay is still a good abode of aquatic animals like whales, and dolphins commonly Read more
Amur tigers in population crisis
March 3, 2011
The effective population of the critically endangered Amur tiger is now fewer than 14 animals, say scientists.
Approximately 500 Amur tigers actually survive in the wild, but the effective population is a measure of the genetic diversity of the world’s largest cat.
Very low diversity means any vulnerability to disease or rare genetic disorders is likely to be passed on to the next generation.
The findings are Read more
Rare goose spotted
February 26, 2011
A rare species of goose was spotted for the first time in the country in Hakaluki Haor of Moulvibazar district last Saturday.
A group of bird watchers led by eminent bird specialists Dr Enam al Haque and Paul Thompson have found the ‘lesser white-fronted goose’ on the concluding day of the two-day bird enumeration session at the haor.
“This species of goose has been detected for the first Read more
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