Endangered Species

If Only I Were a Panda . . .

2013-05-13T04:10:24Z

What’s the difference between a gorilla and a panda? Well, there are several, but this video emphasizes one you probably haven’t thought about: a panda is cuter than a gorilla.

The point of the video is that cuteness counts when it comes to being an endangered species. The cuter the species, the more likely it will receive the protection it needs.

This gorilla has an idea for how to look more like a panda, as you will see.

This video was produced pro bono by the advertising firm Ogilvy & Mather for APES, a conservation program of the Conservation Trust.

. . . Gone in Florida. (But Not for the Reason You Might Think)

2013-05-13T04:01:00Z

Florida Zestos Skipper

Three kinds of butterflies native to south Florida are believed to have gone extinct and the scientist who keeps tracks of them doesn’t know why.

Florida is a state on the Southeast coast of the USAMarc Mimeo, an entomologist who works on behalf of US federal and Florida state government agencies, told a reporter that the reason for their disappearance is likely not pesticide spraying. Neither is it the loss the butterflies’ natural habitat.

He explained that other kinds of butterflies in Florida appear to be thriving despite pesticide spraying and habitat loss.

So what’s happening? Mimeo said he doesn’t know. One of his theories is that predatory ants might be responsible.

The three apparently now-extinct species are: the Florida Zestos Skipper, the Rockland Meske’s Skipper, and the Keys Zarucco Skipper.

To find out more, read this Reuters story.

Why Can’t He Find Another Like Him?

2013-05-06T16:57:24Z

You’re about to meet “The Lonely Dodo,” as created for the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. In this video our hero is looking for another dodo bird. However, because his species is now extinct, there aren’t any other dodos for him to hang out with. Yes, that’s sad, as the video’s narrator, famous actor Stephen Fry, makes clear. Even sadder, the other animals the lonely dodo runs into also are in danger of becoming extinct. What are you doing to try and help save them from the same fate as the dodo?

Mozambique Park’s Rhinos are All Gone

2013-05-06T16:38:07Z

Last week we told you how unmanned drones are now being used in a last-ditch effort to save rhinos and other endangered wildlife. (“Can Drones Save Them?”)

The Republic of Mozambique is a country in Southeast Africa It’s too late for the rhinos that lived in Limpopo National Park in the African country of Mozambique. The Mozambique government has announced that of the 300 rhinos that called the park home, none are still alive. The last 15 rhinos were killed in March, the government said.

To make matters worse, the government said that its own wildlife rangers took part in the rampant poaching in the park. Some 30 rangers are now expected to stand trial -- a case of too little too late if we’ve ever heard one.

You know the drill: rhinos are being slaughtered everywhere by poachers, many of them part of multinational organized crime crimes that sell rhino horns. Elephants, too are being systematically eliminated. In just the last two years, some 2,500 elephants died just in Mozambique. If doesn’t doesn’t change soon, the world won’t have any wildlife left outside of zoos.

With Nothing else Working, Wildlife Officials Try Drones

2013-04-29T04:01:00Z

Rhinos are fast disappearing at the hands of ruthless poachers who cut off their horns and smuggle them mostly to Asian countries, where they are carved into ornaments or ground up for use in folk medicines that, contrary to what people think, do not heal people.

There are many bad guys (smugglers) and very few good guys (wildlife officers) and some of the “good” guys are really bad guys working with the smugglers.

India in Southeast AsiaOut of desperation, wildlife authorities in India have now turned to using drones that can fly over vast areas, locating smugglers so that armed police or military can be sent to catch them.

While the use of drones to track, and kill, terrorists is very controversial because innocent bystanders sometimes die, the use of drones to find smugglers is not.

Hopefully, this new tactic will make a difference in saving the world’s last remaining rhinos.

Flying Rhinos

2013-04-22T04:01:00Z

To save endangered black rhinos, sometimes you need a helicopter. Watch as 19 of this critically endangered species are picked up and carried -- upside down -- to areas in Africa that can be guarded to prevent these creatures from being slaughtered by poachers. It’s all part of a project of the World Wildlife Fund, which should be congratulated for what at times can seem like a hopeless battle to save endangered species from people’s greed and politicians’ corruption.

Chinese Pollution Killing Off Yangtze Finless Porpoises

2013-04-22T04:01:00Z

When Earth Day got started more than 40 years ago, it was focused in part on America’s terrible water pollution.

Today the US still has many very polluted rivers and lakes, but few can compare with China’s Yangtze River, which is so heavily polluted that we’re only half kidding when we say you could almost walk across it.

But it’s no laughing matter that scientists now fear the Yangtze finless porpoises could be extinct by 2025, just 12 years from now, because of the river’s pollution.

A survey just completed estimates there are only about 1,000 of these dolphins left alive. As this Mongabay.com story notes (We at Earth Preservers love Mongabay’s exceptional stories), the porpoise hasn’t got much of a chance against not just heavy pollution but also overfishing and other environmental evils. Overfishing means no food for the small number of remaining porpoises.

The Yangtze River, or Chang Jiang is the longest river in Asia, and the third longest in the world.And it gets worse. A scientist involved in the survey said that, despite the risk to human health as well posed by the river’s pollution, Chinese officials are only half-heartedly trying to clean up this body of water.

Climate Change Could Wipe Out Many Lizard Species -- New Report

2013-04-15T04:01:00Z

Okay, this is fascinating. All lizards used to lay eggs, but over time some evolved, instead having “live births” the way humans do. By evolving, live birth lizards were able to live in colder climates. Just one catch: once a lizard species starts having live births, it’s almost impossible for it to go back to laying eggs, according to scientists.

Because of global warming, live birth lizards now have a big problem. They are pretty much stuck in their cool natural habitats, habitats which are expected to warm over the next 50 years to the point where dozens of lizard species could become extinct.

Of course, if global warming stops or even reverses, the lizards will be be safe. But given how the world keeps warming, as well as how countries are maintaining their dependence on fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) that produce greenhouse gasses when used, experts like 350.org predict the worst could happen, which would be very bad for humans as well as lizards.

The Onager is on His Last Legs

2013-04-08T04:01:00Z

To find an onager, you have to look in a small area that includes northeast Iran and northwest Afghanistan.

A long time ago, the onager was used to pull chariots during wars. But then the horse came along ands the onager lost this rather dangerous job.

Today the onager’s biggest danger is from humans. Its habitat is disappearing in the face of development.

The onager needs to find water every two or three days. While they like to roam, they never go too far from a watering hole. Unfortunately, with human devekopment, those watering holes are disappearing.

The onager can zip along at 40 miles per hour for short distances. That’s fast, but not fast enough to escape his human predators.

Gorillas Probably Sometimes Act Like a Baby Brother or Sister

2013-04-01T04:01:00Z

Do you have a baby brother or sister who likes to stand on his or her hind legs and scream while throwing leaves and twigs in the air?

We probably lost you after the screaming part, but the fact is, when gorillas act up like little kids, they often are warning other members of their group about an approaching intruder.

Here are some other things you probably already know about a gorilla.

It’s the largest living ape. . . . It is a gentle creature, very playful and shy. . . . It walks on all fours and spend most of its time on the ground.

Now here are some things you probably didn’t know:

They don’t drink water when living in the wild. (They apparently get the moisture they need from the vegetation they eat.) . . . They travel in groups of five to 20 but do not walk more than about half a mile a day.

Sadly, gorillas are threatened by loss of habitat due to human development and to outbreaks of military fighting between countries.