Chernobyl birds small brained
February 6, 2011
Birds living around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear accident have 5 percent smaller brains, an effect directly linked to lingering background radiation.
The finding comes from a study of 550 birds belonging to 48 different species living in the region, published in the journal PLoS One.
Brain size was significantly smaller in yearlings compared to older birds.
Smaller brain sizes Read more
Tiger numbers could triple if large-scale landscapes protected: study
January 30, 2011
Asia’s tiger reserves could support more than 10,000 wild tigers – three times the current number – if they are managed as large-scale landscapes that allow for connectivity between core breeding sites, a new paper from some of the world’s leading conservation scientists finds.
The study, co-authored by WWF scientists, is the first assessment of the political commitment made by all 13 tiger range countries at November’s historic tiger summit to double the tiger Read more
Two new mammals found
December 14, 2010
Two new species of mammals have been discovered in Bangladesh, taking the total number of mammals of the country to 124.
The Himalayan Striped Squirrel (Tamiops macclellandi) and Least Leaf-nosed Bat (Hipposideros cineraceus) are only the second and third new mammals to be found in the country in last five years.
The first new mammal, Yellow Martin, was found early this year.
Both the new species Read more
Historic tiger summit closes with plans to secure more financial backing
November 25, 2010
St. Petersburg, Russia: The historic International Tiger Conservation Forum ended with crucial plans to discuss further financing options for the Global Tiger Recovery Programme approved at the meeting, kick-starting new efforts to double the number of wild tigers.
On the final day of the summit, delegates met briefly to hammer out key dates in the coming year to reach final agreement on how to pay for and monitor the recovery plan. This followed Read more
Over 1,000 Tigers Killed In Past Decade
November 10, 2010
The illegal trade in tiger parts has led to more than 1,000 wild tigers being killed over the past decade, a report suggests.
Traffic International, a wildlife trade monitoring network, found that skins, bones and claws were among the most common items seized by officials.
The trade continues unabated despite efforts to protect the cats, it warns.
Over the past century, tiger numbers have fallen from about 100,000 individuals to Read more
U.S. military ingenuity applied to epidemic destroying honey bees
October 13, 2010
A group of Montana researchers working with the United States military has proposed a new, unique answer to the ongoing global epidemic destroying honey bee colonies: A fungus and virus working in tandem, aided by mites, may be the cause.
The ongoing honey bee deaths are widespread, causing losses in the USA, Europe and Asia. The puzzling phenomenon has a name: Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Now, the parts to the puzzle seem to be coming Read more
Vultures face extinction
September 7, 2010
Oriental vultures are disappearing so fast that their population dropped by 95 percent in Bangladesh in the last two decades, due to feeding on carcasses of cattle treated with anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac, said experts.
Diclofenac is widely used in human medicine globally, and was introduced to the veterinary market in the Indian subcontinent in early 1990s.
It has been proven that the drug causes fatal Read more
Baby owl escapes from jaws of death
June 21, 2010
A baby owl had an amazing escape after it fell from its nest into a zoo enclosure only to leave it face to face – with a LION.
The fluffy tawny owlet managed to survive for three days after it tumbled from a branch and landed inches from the killer lioness.
Onlookers watched as the female Asiatic lion called ‘Indu’ eyed the surprise visitor – who weighed just a few grams.
The owl – who had not yet learned to fly – then spent three days in the enclosure near Read more
Bees Can Say ‘Stop’
March 16, 2010
The finding shows that bee colonies behave more like giant, single beasts than as individual insects.
THE GIST:
0 Bees can tell others in their colony to avoid troublesome places.
0 This is the first time a “negative” bee signal has been identified.
0 The bees doing the warning can target the bees who are “dancing” directions.
Honeybees don’t only waggle dance to tell hive-mates the whereabouts of good eats, they also bump and beep to warn others when big trouble awaits at some of those floral Read more
Woman hunter kills elephant with bow and arrow
May 17, 2009
Female hunter Teressa Groenewald-Hagerman has become the first woman in the world to shoot an elephant dead with a bow and arrow.
Groenewald-Hagerman, 39, she sneaked into the animals herd and killed the creature with one shot from just 12 yards.
The woman, from Kansas, was inspired to go on the safari after being challenged by a male friend who said women could never draw such a heavy Read more
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