Wednesday, 6 January 2010
By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News
The oldest evidence of four-legged animals walking on land has been discovered in southeast Poland.
Rocks from a disused quarry record the "footprints" of unknown creatures that lived about 397 million years ago.
Scientists tell the journal Nature that the fossil trackways even retain the impressions left by the "toes" on the animals' feet.
The team says the find means that land vertebrates appeared millions of years earlier than previously supposed.
"This place has yielded what I consider to be some of the most exciting fossils I've ever encountered in my career as a palaeontologist," said team member Per Ahlberg from Uppsala University, Sweden.
"[They are] fossil of footprints that give us the earliest record of how our very distant ancestors moved out of the water and moved on to the land and took their first steps."
Numerous trackways have been identified in the Zachelmie Quarry in the Holy Cross Mountains.
They represent the movements of many animals as they scurried around what would have been a tropical muddy shoreline in the Middle Devonian Period of Earth history.
Slabs of carbonate rock are dappled with prints that range in size and detail.
Some indentations are obscured where successive animals have trampled over the same patch of ground; but others retain exquisite features of the pads and digits that made them.
The animals were probably crocodile-like in appearance and lived an amphibian-like existence (although those specific animal forms did not appear until many millions of years later).
The dimensions of the prints suggest some individuals were more than two metres long.
The Polish and Swedish scientific team analysed the trackway patterns to reconstruct how the ancient creatures would have moved their "hips", "elbows" and "knees".
This confirms that only true four-legged animals, or tetrapods, could have left the marks.
Theory holds that the first land creatures evolved from fish that had pairs of lobed fins. The precise timing of this transition has been a dynamic field of study in recent years.
The assumption of palaeontologists had been that there was a swift but stepwise transition between water and land.
Perhaps the most notable fossil in this story is an organism called Tikaalik rosea, an animal that had features intermediate between fish and tetrapods.
But Tiktaalik lived about 375 million years ago; and although there are slightly older transition fossils, the Zachelmie Quarry tetrapods break the neat and simple timeline.
"The discovery of undoubted trackways from the earliest period of the Eifelian - that is 379 million years ago - pushes back the divergence between fishes and the four-legged vertebrates by about 18 million years, if not probably more," commented Dr Philippe Janvier from the National Museum of Natural History, Paris, France.
"I suspect that now we can push the divergence back to the Emsian stage, maybe 400 million years ago. That's surprising, but this is what the fossil evidence tells us," the independent researcher told BBC News.
Another key surprise from the research is the recognition that these tetrapods lived in a marine environment, perhaps a coral lagoon.
The favoured origin before now for the emergence of tetrapods had been marshy environments, such as deltas or lakes where freshwater dominated.
The team behind the latest research said the new explanation made sense because it would have allowed marine ancestors of tetrapods gradually to acquire terrestrial competence while accessing a new and essentially untouched resource of food washed up with the tides.
"In the intertidal setting, you've got a smorgasbord laid out twice a day," said Dr Ahlberg.
"Every time the tide goes out, it leaves behind this drift-line of dead and moribund animals. All this was just left there for vertebrates - our ancestors - to emerge on to land and pick them off."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8443879.stm
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
Loch Ness monster death rumours denied
The head of the Loch Ness monster's fan club has denied suggestions that the animal is dead following just one credible sighting last year.
Published: 6:25AM GMT 06 Jan 2010
A new documentary examines the possibility that the monster might be extinct as its reported appearances become increasingly rare.
Gary Campbell, president of the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club, said only one sighting, made just off the Clansman Hotel on 6th June, 2009, was judged by him to have been a credible report.
And according to Mr Campbell such reports are increasingly rare.
He said: ""That's why were so relieved to have heard about this sighting.
"In June, when it was reported, nobody had seen anything for a year. If it hadn't been for that one, we would have been really, really worried.
"There is an embarrassment factor to seeing Nessie. The first thing people say to you is, 'Had you had a drink?'
"Ten years ago we had a lot of good sightings, but in the last two or three years, they have tailed off."
He added: "What we regard as a dependable sighting is very much down to the person who sees it.
"This was a local chap who knows the things that Nessie isn't - boat wakes, debris on the loch or seals in the summer. A local person will know what these things look like."
However, there were a number of "more dubious" sightings over the course of 2009. These included a sonar contact witnessed by "'Allo,'Allo" star Vicki Michelle and other cast members from the stage version of the popular BBC sit-com when they took a pleasure cruise on Loch Ness in May during the play's week-long run at Eden Court.
Their boat, the Jacobite Queen, picked up five mysterious arch shapes on its sonar between Dores and Urquhart Castle.
Also claiming a possible Nessie picture was data analyst Ian Monckton from Solihull who used his car headlights and the flash from his camera, to take a picture of what he thought could be the elusive monster while driving to Invermoriston late at night.
The 2009 episode "Death at Loch Ness" of the documentary series "MonsterQuest" looked at the theory that the Loch Ness Monster might be extinct.
In this programme researcher Robert Rhines' claim that Nessie, if it existed, may now in fact be dead and its corpse is lying somewhere at the bottom of Loch Ness is investigated.
To prove this theory wrong, Mr Campbell hopes new witnesses might come forward.
"If people start to believe this, it might start to affect tourist numbers.
"Whether you believe in Nessie or not, the Loch Ness Monster is one of the most important tourist attractions we have.
"Perhaps, though, the answers are to be found underwater instead of on the loch's surface.
"Unknown sonar contacts happen all the time.
"Maybe Nessie is just keeping her head down."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6936872/Loch-Ness-monster-death-rumours-denied.html
Published: 6:25AM GMT 06 Jan 2010
A new documentary examines the possibility that the monster might be extinct as its reported appearances become increasingly rare.
Gary Campbell, president of the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club, said only one sighting, made just off the Clansman Hotel on 6th June, 2009, was judged by him to have been a credible report.
And according to Mr Campbell such reports are increasingly rare.
He said: ""That's why were so relieved to have heard about this sighting.
"In June, when it was reported, nobody had seen anything for a year. If it hadn't been for that one, we would have been really, really worried.
"There is an embarrassment factor to seeing Nessie. The first thing people say to you is, 'Had you had a drink?'
"Ten years ago we had a lot of good sightings, but in the last two or three years, they have tailed off."
He added: "What we regard as a dependable sighting is very much down to the person who sees it.
"This was a local chap who knows the things that Nessie isn't - boat wakes, debris on the loch or seals in the summer. A local person will know what these things look like."
However, there were a number of "more dubious" sightings over the course of 2009. These included a sonar contact witnessed by "'Allo,'Allo" star Vicki Michelle and other cast members from the stage version of the popular BBC sit-com when they took a pleasure cruise on Loch Ness in May during the play's week-long run at Eden Court.
Their boat, the Jacobite Queen, picked up five mysterious arch shapes on its sonar between Dores and Urquhart Castle.
Also claiming a possible Nessie picture was data analyst Ian Monckton from Solihull who used his car headlights and the flash from his camera, to take a picture of what he thought could be the elusive monster while driving to Invermoriston late at night.
The 2009 episode "Death at Loch Ness" of the documentary series "MonsterQuest" looked at the theory that the Loch Ness Monster might be extinct.
In this programme researcher Robert Rhines' claim that Nessie, if it existed, may now in fact be dead and its corpse is lying somewhere at the bottom of Loch Ness is investigated.
To prove this theory wrong, Mr Campbell hopes new witnesses might come forward.
"If people start to believe this, it might start to affect tourist numbers.
"Whether you believe in Nessie or not, the Loch Ness Monster is one of the most important tourist attractions we have.
"Perhaps, though, the answers are to be found underwater instead of on the loch's surface.
"Unknown sonar contacts happen all the time.
"Maybe Nessie is just keeping her head down."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6936872/Loch-Ness-monster-death-rumours-denied.html
Loch Ness Monster 'is not extinct'
Wednesday, January 6 2010, 11:47 GMT
By Mayer Nissim, Entertainment Reporter
The president of the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club has said that reports of the creature's death have been greatly exaggerated.
Gary Campbell said that he was concerned until Nessie was spotted near the Clansman Hotel on June 6 last year, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Campbell said: "That's why were so relieved to have heard about this sighting. In June, when it was reported, nobody had seen anything for a year. If it hadn't been for that one, we would have been really, really worried.
"Ten years ago we had a lot of good sightings, but in the last two or three years, they have tailed off. What we regard as a dependable sighting is very much down to the person who sees it."
Of the suggestions that the famed monster had died, he continued: "If people start to believe this, it might start to affect tourist numbers.
"Whether you believe in Nessie or not, the Loch Ness Monster is one of the most important tourist attractions we have."
He added: "Perhaps, though, the answers are to be found underwater instead of on the loch's surface.
"Unknown sonar contacts happen all the time. Maybe Nessie is just keeping her head down."
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/odd/news/a194293/loch-ness-monster-is-not-extinct.html
By Mayer Nissim, Entertainment Reporter
The president of the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club has said that reports of the creature's death have been greatly exaggerated.
Gary Campbell said that he was concerned until Nessie was spotted near the Clansman Hotel on June 6 last year, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Campbell said: "That's why were so relieved to have heard about this sighting. In June, when it was reported, nobody had seen anything for a year. If it hadn't been for that one, we would have been really, really worried.
"Ten years ago we had a lot of good sightings, but in the last two or three years, they have tailed off. What we regard as a dependable sighting is very much down to the person who sees it."
Of the suggestions that the famed monster had died, he continued: "If people start to believe this, it might start to affect tourist numbers.
"Whether you believe in Nessie or not, the Loch Ness Monster is one of the most important tourist attractions we have."
He added: "Perhaps, though, the answers are to be found underwater instead of on the loch's surface.
"Unknown sonar contacts happen all the time. Maybe Nessie is just keeping her head down."
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/odd/news/a194293/loch-ness-monster-is-not-extinct.html
Two killer whale types found in UK waters
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
By Jody Bourton
Earth News reporter
Scientists have revealed that there is not one but two types of killer whale living in UK waters.
Each differs in its appearance and diet, with males of one type being almost two metres longer than the other.
The killer whales could be at an early stage of becoming two separate species, the researchers say.
The international group of scientists has published its results in the journal Molecular Ecology.
"It's exciting to think about two very different types of killer whale in the waters around Britain," says Dr Andy Foote from the University of Aberdeen, UK, who undertook the study.
"Killer whales aren't really a species that we think of as being a regular visitor to Britain, but in fact we have two forms of these killer whales in our waters," he told the BBC.
Scientists have found different forms of killer whale that occupy particular niches in the Pacific and the Antarctic, but this is the first time that they have been described in the North Atlantic.
Dr Andy Foote undertook the study along with colleagues from universities and museums in Denmark and the UK.
Killer whales (Orcinus orca), otherwise called orcas, live in family groups called pods.
As the largest member of the dolphin family, killer whales are known for their intelligence and range of hunting behaviours.
Tooth work
There was very little prior to this study to suggest that different types of killer whale would be found in the North Atlantic.
However, Dr Foote and colleagues studied teeth from remains of killer whales stranded over the past 200 years and found a difference in tooth wear.
"We found that one form, which we call 'type 1' had severely worn teeth in all adult specimens," explains Dr Foote.
"The other form, 'type 2', had virtually no tooth wear even in the largest adults."
In the wild, killer whales that "suck up" herring and mackerel display this tooth wear.
Knowing this, the researchers suspected a difference in diet and ecological niche between the two groups.
Dolphin predator
Using stable isotope analysis that gives clues to the orcas' diet, the scientists found that type 1 is a generalist feeder, consuming fish and seals.
Type 2, on the other hand, is a specialist feeder that scientists suspect exclusively feeds on marine mammals such as small dolphins and whales.
This specialisation for alternative ecological niches has also resulted in a difference in shape and appearance.
"The two types also differed in length, with type 2 adult males being almost two metres larger than types 1 males," Dr Foote says.
The researchers also found that colour, pattern and number of teeth vary between the groups.
Dr Foote says the fish feeding type 1 killer whales are found across the North East Atlantic and around Britain.
The cetacean hunting type 2 killer whales are regularly seen off the west coast of Scotland and Ireland.
New species
Genetic analysis indicates the two types belong to two different populations.
"Type 1 specimens were from closely related populations, but the type 2 whales were more closely related to a group of Antarctic killer whales," Dr Foote explains.
Comparing the findings with studies on killer whales around the world shows that killer whales have radiated to fill different ecological niches.
"It's similar to how Darwin's finches have adapted to different ecological roles in the Galapagos, but on a larger scale," Dr Foote notes.
He suggests this could be an important discovery for the future of the animals.
"They seem to have occupied completely different ecological niches and have started to diverge morphologically. This divergence may eventually lead to the two types becoming different species."
He also recommends the two types be considered "evolutionary significant units" and monitored separately in order to more effectively conserve one of the oceans most charismatic animals.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8440000/8440002.stm
(Submitted by Liz R)
By Jody Bourton
Earth News reporter
Scientists have revealed that there is not one but two types of killer whale living in UK waters.
Each differs in its appearance and diet, with males of one type being almost two metres longer than the other.
The killer whales could be at an early stage of becoming two separate species, the researchers say.
The international group of scientists has published its results in the journal Molecular Ecology.
"It's exciting to think about two very different types of killer whale in the waters around Britain," says Dr Andy Foote from the University of Aberdeen, UK, who undertook the study.
"Killer whales aren't really a species that we think of as being a regular visitor to Britain, but in fact we have two forms of these killer whales in our waters," he told the BBC.
Scientists have found different forms of killer whale that occupy particular niches in the Pacific and the Antarctic, but this is the first time that they have been described in the North Atlantic.
Dr Andy Foote undertook the study along with colleagues from universities and museums in Denmark and the UK.
Killer whales (Orcinus orca), otherwise called orcas, live in family groups called pods.
As the largest member of the dolphin family, killer whales are known for their intelligence and range of hunting behaviours.
Tooth work
There was very little prior to this study to suggest that different types of killer whale would be found in the North Atlantic.
However, Dr Foote and colleagues studied teeth from remains of killer whales stranded over the past 200 years and found a difference in tooth wear.
"We found that one form, which we call 'type 1' had severely worn teeth in all adult specimens," explains Dr Foote.
"The other form, 'type 2', had virtually no tooth wear even in the largest adults."
In the wild, killer whales that "suck up" herring and mackerel display this tooth wear.
Knowing this, the researchers suspected a difference in diet and ecological niche between the two groups.
Dolphin predator
Using stable isotope analysis that gives clues to the orcas' diet, the scientists found that type 1 is a generalist feeder, consuming fish and seals.
Type 2, on the other hand, is a specialist feeder that scientists suspect exclusively feeds on marine mammals such as small dolphins and whales.
This specialisation for alternative ecological niches has also resulted in a difference in shape and appearance.
"The two types also differed in length, with type 2 adult males being almost two metres larger than types 1 males," Dr Foote says.
The researchers also found that colour, pattern and number of teeth vary between the groups.
Dr Foote says the fish feeding type 1 killer whales are found across the North East Atlantic and around Britain.
The cetacean hunting type 2 killer whales are regularly seen off the west coast of Scotland and Ireland.
New species
Genetic analysis indicates the two types belong to two different populations.
"Type 1 specimens were from closely related populations, but the type 2 whales were more closely related to a group of Antarctic killer whales," Dr Foote explains.
Comparing the findings with studies on killer whales around the world shows that killer whales have radiated to fill different ecological niches.
"It's similar to how Darwin's finches have adapted to different ecological roles in the Galapagos, but on a larger scale," Dr Foote notes.
He suggests this could be an important discovery for the future of the animals.
"They seem to have occupied completely different ecological niches and have started to diverge morphologically. This divergence may eventually lead to the two types becoming different species."
He also recommends the two types be considered "evolutionary significant units" and monitored separately in order to more effectively conserve one of the oceans most charismatic animals.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8440000/8440002.stm
(Submitted by Liz R)
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
The giant Amazon arapaima fish is 'under threat'
By Matt Walker
Editor, Earth News
The arapaima, a giant species of fish that lurks in the Amazon river, may be threatened by overfishing.
Studies reveal that errors in the classification of the species could mean that it is being pushed closer to the edge of extinction than thought.
The arapaima is the largest freshwater fish with scales in the world.
But there may actually be four species rather than one, say scientists, and a lack of research and management may allow some to be fished to extinction.
The threat to the future of these fish has been revealed in research conducted by Dr Leandro Castello of the Woods Hole Research Center in Falmouth, Massachusetts, US, and Professor Donald Stewart of the State University of New York in Syracuse, US.
They have reviewed what is known about populations of the arapaima, and conducted detailed investigations into the status of the fish in the wild.
Previously, it was thought there was one species of arapaima (Arapaima gigas), which also goes by the common names pirarucu or paiche.
This perspective is based on a taxonomic review done over 160 years ago.
Adults grow to almost 3m in length and can weigh more than 200kg, making the fish the largest with scales living in freshwater anywhere in the world.
They are also air-breathers, coming to the surface every 5 to 15 minutes to gulp air, a behaviour which allows them to colonise muddy oxygen-poor rivers and lakes within the Amazonian basin and prey on other fish that find it difficult to move in such conditions.
However, in an ongoing study, Prof Stewart has analysed nearly all preserved specimens of supposed arapaima available in museums in the world.
So far he has only found one specimen of Arapaima gigas.
The others are suspected to be closely related species, including some as yet unreported.
"Our new analyses indicate that there are at least four species of arapaima," says Dr Castello.
"So, until further field surveys of appropriate areas are completed, we will not know if Arapaima gigas is extinct or still swimming about."
Concern about the fish's numbers comes from other work done by Dr Castello and Prof Stewart.
That suggests that arapaima sexually mature relatively late, and need very specific habitats to both live and reproduce.
Their research also shows that populations of the fish are being put under severe pressure by fishermen.
Because of the fish's huge size and habit of coming to the surface, it has long been a favoured fish to catch, with fisherman using harpoons and gill nets to land their prey.
"They have the curse of being tasty and of having to breathe air," says Dr Castello.
Fishermen have been catching large numbers of arapaima in this way since the 1800s.
But now, while a few populations are increasing, others are being overfished, say the researchers, who have published a paper warning of the fish's fate in the Journal of Applied Ichthyology.
And while Brazil implemented regulations to manage arapaima fisheries some 20 years ago, most fishermen do not follow the regulations, say the authors.
"Arapaima can be viewed as badly overexploited and under some level of threat of extinction," says Dr Castello.
One solution, they say, is to encourage community-based schemes for fisheries, and there is much need for additional action on the part of the government.
For example, their research shows that fishermen who specialise in hunting arapaima with harpoons can accurately count the fish, due to the fish's habit of breaching the surface for air.
The fishermen can then select a sustainable proportion of the population to hunt.
"Populations of arapaima managed with this system increased about 50% annually, while yielding increasing catches and hence economic profits to the fishermen," says Dr Castello.
Around 100 such community schemes are in place, and some previously overexploited populations have recovered.
"Such results are extremely rare in wildlife conservation, especially in tropical countries where wildlife conservation challenges are greater than elsewhere," says Dr Castello.
But much more needs to be done to research these fish in more detail and prevent overfishing, the scientists warn.
In particular, "the present situation may be one in which one species of arapaima is recovering in certain areas, while unrecognised species are going extinct," they say.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8428000/8428949.stm
(Submitted by Lidsay Selby)
Editor, Earth News
The arapaima, a giant species of fish that lurks in the Amazon river, may be threatened by overfishing.
Studies reveal that errors in the classification of the species could mean that it is being pushed closer to the edge of extinction than thought.
The arapaima is the largest freshwater fish with scales in the world.
But there may actually be four species rather than one, say scientists, and a lack of research and management may allow some to be fished to extinction.
The threat to the future of these fish has been revealed in research conducted by Dr Leandro Castello of the Woods Hole Research Center in Falmouth, Massachusetts, US, and Professor Donald Stewart of the State University of New York in Syracuse, US.
They have reviewed what is known about populations of the arapaima, and conducted detailed investigations into the status of the fish in the wild.
Previously, it was thought there was one species of arapaima (Arapaima gigas), which also goes by the common names pirarucu or paiche.
This perspective is based on a taxonomic review done over 160 years ago.
Adults grow to almost 3m in length and can weigh more than 200kg, making the fish the largest with scales living in freshwater anywhere in the world.
They are also air-breathers, coming to the surface every 5 to 15 minutes to gulp air, a behaviour which allows them to colonise muddy oxygen-poor rivers and lakes within the Amazonian basin and prey on other fish that find it difficult to move in such conditions.
However, in an ongoing study, Prof Stewart has analysed nearly all preserved specimens of supposed arapaima available in museums in the world.
So far he has only found one specimen of Arapaima gigas.
The others are suspected to be closely related species, including some as yet unreported.
"Our new analyses indicate that there are at least four species of arapaima," says Dr Castello.
"So, until further field surveys of appropriate areas are completed, we will not know if Arapaima gigas is extinct or still swimming about."
Concern about the fish's numbers comes from other work done by Dr Castello and Prof Stewart.
That suggests that arapaima sexually mature relatively late, and need very specific habitats to both live and reproduce.
Their research also shows that populations of the fish are being put under severe pressure by fishermen.
Because of the fish's huge size and habit of coming to the surface, it has long been a favoured fish to catch, with fisherman using harpoons and gill nets to land their prey.
"They have the curse of being tasty and of having to breathe air," says Dr Castello.
Fishermen have been catching large numbers of arapaima in this way since the 1800s.
But now, while a few populations are increasing, others are being overfished, say the researchers, who have published a paper warning of the fish's fate in the Journal of Applied Ichthyology.
And while Brazil implemented regulations to manage arapaima fisheries some 20 years ago, most fishermen do not follow the regulations, say the authors.
"Arapaima can be viewed as badly overexploited and under some level of threat of extinction," says Dr Castello.
One solution, they say, is to encourage community-based schemes for fisheries, and there is much need for additional action on the part of the government.
For example, their research shows that fishermen who specialise in hunting arapaima with harpoons can accurately count the fish, due to the fish's habit of breaching the surface for air.
The fishermen can then select a sustainable proportion of the population to hunt.
"Populations of arapaima managed with this system increased about 50% annually, while yielding increasing catches and hence economic profits to the fishermen," says Dr Castello.
Around 100 such community schemes are in place, and some previously overexploited populations have recovered.
"Such results are extremely rare in wildlife conservation, especially in tropical countries where wildlife conservation challenges are greater than elsewhere," says Dr Castello.
But much more needs to be done to research these fish in more detail and prevent overfishing, the scientists warn.
In particular, "the present situation may be one in which one species of arapaima is recovering in certain areas, while unrecognised species are going extinct," they say.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8428000/8428949.stm
(Submitted by Lidsay Selby)
Cambridge role in chameleon discovery
The newly discovered chameleon (Kinyongia magomberae), found by conservation zoologist Trevor Jones in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania.
News - Academia/Research
Written by News Desk
Tuesday, 05 January 2010 10:32
A new species of chameleon discovered in Tanzania has been identified and named by a team of life science experts including Anglia Ruskin University Research Fellow Trevor Jones.
Conservation zoologist Trevor was the first to photograph the newly-named ‘Magombera’ chameleon when he spotted it walking on the inside of his tent.
He was camped in the Mwanihana forest, in the Udzungwa Mountains of south-central Tanzania, studying endangered monkeys, and knew that there was no species of its kind reported from that site.
One year later, Dr Andrew Marshall, from the University of York, also spotted the reptile while surveying monkeys in another forest, the Magombera Forest, when he disturbed a tree snake eating one. The specimen was collected and tested and compared to others found in East Africa.
The study that followed included Dr Marshall and researchers from the Meseo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, the South African National Biodiversity Institute, Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Stellenbosch.
Anglia Ruskin University’s Faculty of Science & Technology’s life sciences team has also been instrumental in the discovery of a new species of monkey and elephant-shrew, both in Tanzania.
The chameleon has been named Kinyongia magomberae (the Magombera chameleon). It was named after the second forest it was discovered in, to highlight this unprotected and highly threatened site. It is hoped that the naming of the chameleon will help to convince the government to give further protection to the area.
The Magombera discovery brings the total of known chameleon species to 161. Chameleons are a specialised group of lizards that often have the ability to change colours and are known for their dinosaur-like heads and parrot-like feet. The new species is most easily distinguished from its closest relatives by a very small and immobile horn-like appendage on the end of its nose.
Trevor Jones is a conservation zoologist who has worked on a wide range of mammals and birds in East Africa and Europe. Since 2002, he has carried out ecological research, monitoring and training in the biodiverse forests of the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania.
From 2002-2004, he habituated a group of endemic Sanje mangabeys, and completed the first systematic study of their ecology and behaviour. In 2004, during an exhibition searching for unconfirmed populations of mangabeys, he instead discovered one of the two known populations of ‘kipunji’, Africa’s first new monkey species for 20 years.
http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/2010010536020/academia/research/cambridge-role-in-chameleon-discovery.html
Dolphins Are 'Non-Human Persons'
Scientists agree on this amazing statement
By Tudor Vieru, Science Editor
5th of January 2010, 09:20 GMT
The scientific community has finally come to a consensus regarding dolphins. Experts believe that the marine animals are the second most intelligent species on the planet after humans. The creatures are so smart and bright, that they should be referred to as non-human persons, they add. Recent research has demonstrated that their brains are similar to our own in many key features that denote high intelligence. Other tests have also shown that dolphins can learn basic language, and also that they are a lot smarter than chimpanzees. The primates have been considered for a long time the second most intelligent species, but the new work disproves that, Times Online reports.
“Many dolphin brains are larger than our own and second in mass only to the human brain when corrected for body size. The neuroanatomy suggests psychological continuity between humans and dolphins and has profound implications for the ethics of human-dolphin interactions,” zoologist Lori Marino, from the Atlanta, Georgia-based Emory University, explains. The expert scanned the brains of many dolphins using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and also conducted a number of comparative tests between the brains of the marine animals and those of primates.
Previous investigations in dolphins' routines showed that each of the animals had a unique personality that was shaped by the society it lived in, exactly as was the case with humans. They also communicate with each other via a complex language, even if not articulated. They have the ability to recognize themselves in the mirror, which makes them one of a handful of species capable of doing this. Some specialists say that a fully developed dolphin can reach the level of intelligence of a three-year-old human being, which is no small feat.
The animals also have the ability to teach each other various tricks. For example, a formerly captive dolphin that was taught to tail-walk in an aquarium, was seen teaching others to do the same thing, after it was released. Needless to say, the researchers were amazed to see this happening right before their eyes. The feat denotes a high degree of intelligence, trust and cooperation on the animals' part, which is very rare to come by in species other than humans. “The scientific research […] suggests that dolphins are ‘non-human persons’ who qualify for moral standing as individuals,” Loyola Marymount University Ethics Professor Thomas White says.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Dolphins-Are-Non-Human-Persons-131113.shtml
By Tudor Vieru, Science Editor
5th of January 2010, 09:20 GMT
The scientific community has finally come to a consensus regarding dolphins. Experts believe that the marine animals are the second most intelligent species on the planet after humans. The creatures are so smart and bright, that they should be referred to as non-human persons, they add. Recent research has demonstrated that their brains are similar to our own in many key features that denote high intelligence. Other tests have also shown that dolphins can learn basic language, and also that they are a lot smarter than chimpanzees. The primates have been considered for a long time the second most intelligent species, but the new work disproves that, Times Online reports.
“Many dolphin brains are larger than our own and second in mass only to the human brain when corrected for body size. The neuroanatomy suggests psychological continuity between humans and dolphins and has profound implications for the ethics of human-dolphin interactions,” zoologist Lori Marino, from the Atlanta, Georgia-based Emory University, explains. The expert scanned the brains of many dolphins using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and also conducted a number of comparative tests between the brains of the marine animals and those of primates.
Previous investigations in dolphins' routines showed that each of the animals had a unique personality that was shaped by the society it lived in, exactly as was the case with humans. They also communicate with each other via a complex language, even if not articulated. They have the ability to recognize themselves in the mirror, which makes them one of a handful of species capable of doing this. Some specialists say that a fully developed dolphin can reach the level of intelligence of a three-year-old human being, which is no small feat.
The animals also have the ability to teach each other various tricks. For example, a formerly captive dolphin that was taught to tail-walk in an aquarium, was seen teaching others to do the same thing, after it was released. Needless to say, the researchers were amazed to see this happening right before their eyes. The feat denotes a high degree of intelligence, trust and cooperation on the animals' part, which is very rare to come by in species other than humans. “The scientific research […] suggests that dolphins are ‘non-human persons’ who qualify for moral standing as individuals,” Loyola Marymount University Ethics Professor Thomas White says.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Dolphins-Are-Non-Human-Persons-131113.shtml
Family: Edinburgh Zoo
Published Date: 04 January 2010
By JANET CHRISTIE
If you go down to the zoo today be sure you're wrapped in a warm, furry coat. And even then you might find Corstophine Hill a little on the chilly side, rather like the animals, a substantial number of whom had retreated into their nests, burrows, pens and generally cosy places when we visited.
The painted hunting dogs dozed deep among the hay, dreaming of the dog days of summer on the plains of their African homeland, the gibbons curled tight around each other like a two-for-one scarf offer in the sales and the flamingos were just a pink blush of a memory, nowhere to be seen.
Which left centre stage to the penguins, who couldn't have been happier with the cold snap. They puffed out their chests, waddled up to meet any visitors, proudly showed off their fluffy King Penguin baby, the first at the zoo in five years, flapped along to the end of their diving board and took turns to do a will-I-won't-I routine, then flopped into the icy water and performed underwater aerobatics with an exhilaration we've never seen them display in summer. They were looping the loop and kicking their height with delight, loving every minute. We could have watched them all day, if we hadn't lost the feeling in our feet and fingers after half an hour and retreated to the monkey house where a warm welcome awaited us.
Cheeky little monkeys of various varieties performed on the ropes and beautiful big Drills, with Cheryl Cole cheekbones and a steady gaze held ours. "They look sad," said my daughter, aged six (pictured left). But with so few left in just a tiny area of the Congo, they're a perfect example of the argument for keeping animals in captivity in order to protect the species, and to engage in conservation and research. That can also be said of the pygmy hippos whose pen we visited next to see the baby born this summer. With so few people visiting the zoo, now is the perfect time to engage the keepers in conversation and we heard of their excitement when the newborn hippo was found in the pen, and that they're one of only two breeding pairs in the UK.
Back out on the hill, by the time we'd reached the place where the big cats live I was ready to climb in beside the tigers and leopards for a cuddle but, after a quick count of spots and stripes, we headed instead for the Budongo Trail, where Edinburgh Zoo's chimps hang out in their new state-of-the-art home. As we thawed and watched their antics, we also learnt a bit about the Royal Zoological Society's work with chimps in Uganda and then before we knew it, it was chucking out time. It had happened again – time had been gobbled up like a croc chewing on a wildebeest and we hadn't seen half of the animals we'd intended to visit and we left, saying as always: "We'll be back."
Edinburgh Zoo, 134 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, EH12 6TS, 0131-334 9171, www.edinburghzoo.org.uk, open every day, November to February 9am to 4.30pm, tickets adults £14, children 3-15, £9.50, under threes free, concession £12, family tickets from £29.
• This article first appeared in the Scotsman on Saturday 2 January, 2010
http://living.scotsman.com/features/Family-Edinburgh-Zoo.5952245.jp
By JANET CHRISTIE
If you go down to the zoo today be sure you're wrapped in a warm, furry coat. And even then you might find Corstophine Hill a little on the chilly side, rather like the animals, a substantial number of whom had retreated into their nests, burrows, pens and generally cosy places when we visited.
The painted hunting dogs dozed deep among the hay, dreaming of the dog days of summer on the plains of their African homeland, the gibbons curled tight around each other like a two-for-one scarf offer in the sales and the flamingos were just a pink blush of a memory, nowhere to be seen.
Which left centre stage to the penguins, who couldn't have been happier with the cold snap. They puffed out their chests, waddled up to meet any visitors, proudly showed off their fluffy King Penguin baby, the first at the zoo in five years, flapped along to the end of their diving board and took turns to do a will-I-won't-I routine, then flopped into the icy water and performed underwater aerobatics with an exhilaration we've never seen them display in summer. They were looping the loop and kicking their height with delight, loving every minute. We could have watched them all day, if we hadn't lost the feeling in our feet and fingers after half an hour and retreated to the monkey house where a warm welcome awaited us.
Cheeky little monkeys of various varieties performed on the ropes and beautiful big Drills, with Cheryl Cole cheekbones and a steady gaze held ours. "They look sad," said my daughter, aged six (pictured left). But with so few left in just a tiny area of the Congo, they're a perfect example of the argument for keeping animals in captivity in order to protect the species, and to engage in conservation and research. That can also be said of the pygmy hippos whose pen we visited next to see the baby born this summer. With so few people visiting the zoo, now is the perfect time to engage the keepers in conversation and we heard of their excitement when the newborn hippo was found in the pen, and that they're one of only two breeding pairs in the UK.
Back out on the hill, by the time we'd reached the place where the big cats live I was ready to climb in beside the tigers and leopards for a cuddle but, after a quick count of spots and stripes, we headed instead for the Budongo Trail, where Edinburgh Zoo's chimps hang out in their new state-of-the-art home. As we thawed and watched their antics, we also learnt a bit about the Royal Zoological Society's work with chimps in Uganda and then before we knew it, it was chucking out time. It had happened again – time had been gobbled up like a croc chewing on a wildebeest and we hadn't seen half of the animals we'd intended to visit and we left, saying as always: "We'll be back."
Edinburgh Zoo, 134 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, EH12 6TS, 0131-334 9171, www.edinburghzoo.org.uk, open every day, November to February 9am to 4.30pm, tickets adults £14, children 3-15, £9.50, under threes free, concession £12, family tickets from £29.
• This article first appeared in the Scotsman on Saturday 2 January, 2010
http://living.scotsman.com/features/Family-Edinburgh-Zoo.5952245.jp
Sharks need friends
By danielclark, YourNews contributor
Posted January 4, 2010
SEBASTIAN — Sharks - demons of the sea - or a diverse group of animals that deserves an image makeover?
Marine biologist Hannah Mead will change your perception of them in "Even Sharks Need Friends," a presentation of the Turtle Coast Sierra Club at the Library in Sebastian on Jan. 19, at 7 p.m.
Mead will show you what makes a shark a shark, and how those traits make them susceptible to overfishing. Emerging evidence suggests that the use of unsustainable fishing practices, like long lining and a profitable market for shark fins, are causing the depletion of local and global shark populations.
Mead earned dual degrees in Marine Biology and Ecology from Florida Tech. She recently returned from living in South Africa, where she earned a Master's degree in Zoology from the Marine Biology Research Institute at the University of Cape Town. All of her free time was spent at sea with white sharks, either tagging/observing them for governmental and PhD projects, or as an onboard scientist for a commercial cage diving company, promoting education and conservation among the clients.
Her free time was also spent catching shy sharks for research or cruising with the cow sharks off the Cape peninsula and the whale sharks of Mozambique. Being immersed in such a "sharky" community solidified her commitment to research, and their conservation.
Admission to this program is free and open to the public. A social hour with refreshments begins at 6:30 p.m. The North Indian River County Library is located three miles west of U.S. 1 on Sebastian Boulevard. Call (772) 589-1355 for more information.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/jan/04/sharks-need-friends-1281/
Posted January 4, 2010
SEBASTIAN — Sharks - demons of the sea - or a diverse group of animals that deserves an image makeover?
Marine biologist Hannah Mead will change your perception of them in "Even Sharks Need Friends," a presentation of the Turtle Coast Sierra Club at the Library in Sebastian on Jan. 19, at 7 p.m.
Mead will show you what makes a shark a shark, and how those traits make them susceptible to overfishing. Emerging evidence suggests that the use of unsustainable fishing practices, like long lining and a profitable market for shark fins, are causing the depletion of local and global shark populations.
Mead earned dual degrees in Marine Biology and Ecology from Florida Tech. She recently returned from living in South Africa, where she earned a Master's degree in Zoology from the Marine Biology Research Institute at the University of Cape Town. All of her free time was spent at sea with white sharks, either tagging/observing them for governmental and PhD projects, or as an onboard scientist for a commercial cage diving company, promoting education and conservation among the clients.
Her free time was also spent catching shy sharks for research or cruising with the cow sharks off the Cape peninsula and the whale sharks of Mozambique. Being immersed in such a "sharky" community solidified her commitment to research, and their conservation.
Admission to this program is free and open to the public. A social hour with refreshments begins at 6:30 p.m. The North Indian River County Library is located three miles west of U.S. 1 on Sebastian Boulevard. Call (772) 589-1355 for more information.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/jan/04/sharks-need-friends-1281/
Zoological Survey stall a huge draw
Staff Reporter
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Tarantula spider, kept in a sand-filled glass case, was centre of attention at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) stall at the Pride of India Exhibition organised on the sidelines of the ongoing 97th Indian Science Congress.
Most visitors tapped and stroked the glass case trying to evoke some response while the exhibitors requested them to leave the creature in peace.
Tarantulas are found in tropical and desert regions and are mostly harmless to humans.
The spider was the only live specimen on display at the stall. Preserved exhibits of rare moths, dragonflies, butterflies, fish varieties and small reptiles endemic to the Western Ghats were drawing crowds. Preserved specimens of ‘atlas moth,’ the largest moth species in the country; the rare ‘pig nosed frog, also called ‘living fossil,’ etc were on display.
“It is called living fossil because molecular studies show that this species has not had any morphological changes since two million years. Which means that it has lived with the dinosaurs,” said K.P. Dinesh, zoological assistant at ZSI, Kozhikode.
The Giant Earth Worm, another species endemic to Nilambur in Kerala, is another interesting display. This worm can grow up to a metre in length.
Taxidermy of a large size anteater was another interesting sight at the stall which also had on display lively pictures of the flora and fauna from the Western Ghats.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/05/stories/2010010550530200.htm
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Tarantula spider, kept in a sand-filled glass case, was centre of attention at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) stall at the Pride of India Exhibition organised on the sidelines of the ongoing 97th Indian Science Congress.
Most visitors tapped and stroked the glass case trying to evoke some response while the exhibitors requested them to leave the creature in peace.
Tarantulas are found in tropical and desert regions and are mostly harmless to humans.
The spider was the only live specimen on display at the stall. Preserved exhibits of rare moths, dragonflies, butterflies, fish varieties and small reptiles endemic to the Western Ghats were drawing crowds. Preserved specimens of ‘atlas moth,’ the largest moth species in the country; the rare ‘pig nosed frog, also called ‘living fossil,’ etc were on display.
“It is called living fossil because molecular studies show that this species has not had any morphological changes since two million years. Which means that it has lived with the dinosaurs,” said K.P. Dinesh, zoological assistant at ZSI, Kozhikode.
The Giant Earth Worm, another species endemic to Nilambur in Kerala, is another interesting display. This worm can grow up to a metre in length.
Taxidermy of a large size anteater was another interesting sight at the stall which also had on display lively pictures of the flora and fauna from the Western Ghats.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/05/stories/2010010550530200.htm
Canadian family's dog saves 11-year-old boy from cougar
A Canadian family's golden retriever saved its 11-year-old owner's life on Saturday when the boy was charged by a cougar in British Columbia.
Published: 11:52PM GMT 04 Jan 2010
Austin Forman was in his family's garden in Boston Bar with Angela, the family's 18-month-old pet dog, when he was charged by the wild cat.
Angel positioned herself between her young master and the cougar, sustaining puncture wounds.
"I was really scared. At first, I didn't know it was a cougar. I thought it was another dog," Austin told the Canadian news website CTV News on Sunday. "As soon as it went underneath the light, I saw that it was a cougar. I knew at that moment, I had to go inside."
The boy fled into his home, yelling: "A cougar is eating Angel!"
Sherri Forman, Austin's mother, called police, and a nearby constable from the RCMP sped to the scene, where the wild cat was attacking the dog.
The cougar had dragged Angel under the porch, where it continued to savage the dog's neck and face despite the officer firing two rounds into its hind quarters.
When the officer finally shot and killed the wild cat, its jaws remained closed on the dog's face.
When the cat was finally killed, the dog was silent for a few moments, then took a big gasp of air and got to her feet.
The dog, which has a swollen eye, was expected to recover with the help of a local vet.
Mrs Forman praised the family pet.
"She must've known something was up," she said. "Now, she's our guardian angel."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/canada/6933888/Canadian-familys-dog-saves-11-year-old-boy-from-cougar.html
See also: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100104/bc_cougar_100104/20100104?hub=Canada (inlcudes video)
(Submitted by Kelly McGillis)
Published: 11:52PM GMT 04 Jan 2010
Austin Forman was in his family's garden in Boston Bar with Angela, the family's 18-month-old pet dog, when he was charged by the wild cat.
Angel positioned herself between her young master and the cougar, sustaining puncture wounds.
"I was really scared. At first, I didn't know it was a cougar. I thought it was another dog," Austin told the Canadian news website CTV News on Sunday. "As soon as it went underneath the light, I saw that it was a cougar. I knew at that moment, I had to go inside."
The boy fled into his home, yelling: "A cougar is eating Angel!"
Sherri Forman, Austin's mother, called police, and a nearby constable from the RCMP sped to the scene, where the wild cat was attacking the dog.
The cougar had dragged Angel under the porch, where it continued to savage the dog's neck and face despite the officer firing two rounds into its hind quarters.
When the officer finally shot and killed the wild cat, its jaws remained closed on the dog's face.
When the cat was finally killed, the dog was silent for a few moments, then took a big gasp of air and got to her feet.
The dog, which has a swollen eye, was expected to recover with the help of a local vet.
Mrs Forman praised the family pet.
"She must've known something was up," she said. "Now, she's our guardian angel."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/canada/6933888/Canadian-familys-dog-saves-11-year-old-boy-from-cougar.html
See also: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100104/bc_cougar_100104/20100104?hub=Canada (inlcudes video)
(Submitted by Kelly McGillis)
Mammoth Task As London Zoo Takes Stock
2:49am UK, Tuesday January 05, 2010
Laura Bundock, Sky News Online
From the tallest giraffes to the tiniest spiders, London Zoo is carrying out its annual animal stock take.
Zookeepers there will spend the day counting every creature.
Which is easy if you're in charge of the slow-moving sloths, but slightly trickier if you're Rachel Jones, the aquarium manager.
With 5,500 fish to count, it can get confusing.
"There are some that spend their lives living in the rock and occasionally you'll see a little face poking out, and you have to be quick to count it," she said.
"Others bomb all over the place and are really hard to catch up with."
It's not just the fish which are counted. Every coral, snail and starfish is also added up.
London Zoo is home to 752 species and, with several new exhibits, this year's stock take will be the zoo's biggest ever.
Last year, they counted 15,107 animals. This time around, there are giant Galapagos tortoises, aardvarks, a new Komodo dragon and newborn lion cubs to include.
And with births, deaths and even disappearances each year, the annual roll call is vital for keeping tabs on the zoo's inhabitants.
"On the whole we've got a good idea of how many animals there are, especially if they change tanks or we move them, but the count does give us a clear picture of exactly who's where," added Rachel.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/London-Zoo-Starts-Stock-Take-Of-All-Its-Animals-Insects-And-Aquatic-Creatures/Article/201001115514283?f=rss
Laura Bundock, Sky News Online
From the tallest giraffes to the tiniest spiders, London Zoo is carrying out its annual animal stock take.
Zookeepers there will spend the day counting every creature.
Which is easy if you're in charge of the slow-moving sloths, but slightly trickier if you're Rachel Jones, the aquarium manager.
With 5,500 fish to count, it can get confusing.
"There are some that spend their lives living in the rock and occasionally you'll see a little face poking out, and you have to be quick to count it," she said.
"Others bomb all over the place and are really hard to catch up with."
It's not just the fish which are counted. Every coral, snail and starfish is also added up.
London Zoo is home to 752 species and, with several new exhibits, this year's stock take will be the zoo's biggest ever.
Last year, they counted 15,107 animals. This time around, there are giant Galapagos tortoises, aardvarks, a new Komodo dragon and newborn lion cubs to include.
And with births, deaths and even disappearances each year, the annual roll call is vital for keeping tabs on the zoo's inhabitants.
"On the whole we've got a good idea of how many animals there are, especially if they change tanks or we move them, but the count does give us a clear picture of exactly who's where," added Rachel.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/London-Zoo-Starts-Stock-Take-Of-All-Its-Animals-Insects-And-Aquatic-Creatures/Article/201001115514283?f=rss
Mouse nest found on policeman's filthy desk
Exterminators called in to deal with an infestation at a police station found a mouse nest on a messy desk.
Published: 9:21AM GMT 05 Jan 2010
Pest controllers were called to an office in Kennington, south London, used by weapons and technology experts at the Metropolitan Police after reports of 'mice everywhere'.
According to internal police reports, a family of mice even set up home in one police worker's desk - burying themselves in his paperwork.
The report reminds workers of 'the Met's clear desk policy' - meaning everything on your desk must be filed away by the end of each day so cleaners can do their jobs.
It states: "Employees came across a number of mice at a police building.
"Action was taken to remove the mice from the premises and there have not been any sighting of mice since."
A spokeswoman for the Met said that the 'paperwork home' set up on one desk by mice consisted of 'paperwork that did not relate to operational police matters'.
"Some of the desks were so messy it was a wonder anyone could find anything," said one officer.
"It got to the stage where mice droppings were found on desks and that's when everyone thought 'it's time to do something about our desks'.
"That's when one guy found a mouse nest in his paperwork. It's fair to say he was a little embarrassed."
Lambeth cops spend more than £25,000 on vermin exterminators last year, including £4,299 to get rid of 'unwanted birds' and £12,018 on 'rodent or mammal extermination'.
The sum also included £108 for 'getting rid of geese', although a police spokesman could not shed any further light on this particular expense.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6935222/Mouse-nest-found-on-policemans-filthy-desk.html
Published: 9:21AM GMT 05 Jan 2010
Pest controllers were called to an office in Kennington, south London, used by weapons and technology experts at the Metropolitan Police after reports of 'mice everywhere'.
According to internal police reports, a family of mice even set up home in one police worker's desk - burying themselves in his paperwork.
The report reminds workers of 'the Met's clear desk policy' - meaning everything on your desk must be filed away by the end of each day so cleaners can do their jobs.
It states: "Employees came across a number of mice at a police building.
"Action was taken to remove the mice from the premises and there have not been any sighting of mice since."
A spokeswoman for the Met said that the 'paperwork home' set up on one desk by mice consisted of 'paperwork that did not relate to operational police matters'.
"Some of the desks were so messy it was a wonder anyone could find anything," said one officer.
"It got to the stage where mice droppings were found on desks and that's when everyone thought 'it's time to do something about our desks'.
"That's when one guy found a mouse nest in his paperwork. It's fair to say he was a little embarrassed."
Lambeth cops spend more than £25,000 on vermin exterminators last year, including £4,299 to get rid of 'unwanted birds' and £12,018 on 'rodent or mammal extermination'.
The sum also included £108 for 'getting rid of geese', although a police spokesman could not shed any further light on this particular expense.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6935222/Mouse-nest-found-on-policemans-filthy-desk.html
Kumble to co-opt Men in Blue to save forests and animals
Mysore, Jan 3, DH News Service:
Anil Kumble has said he will co-opt his fellow cricketers for advocating conservation of the rich natural resources of Karnataka.
The former India cricket team skipper, who is Vice-Chairman of Karnataka Wildlife Board said on Sunday that many Indian cricketers were interested in protection of wildlife and they would be requested to create awareness among people.
“The time has come to show that both man and animal can co-exist without giving any scope for confrontation,” said Kumble, who was here in connection with the valedictory function of Youth Club of Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens. There was urgent need to protect whatever wild animals left in Karnataka forests, he felt.
After assuming office as vice-chairman of Wildlife Board, he had visited Bandipur National Park and interacted with field staff and also with forest officials working in the national park.He came across several shortfalls in maintaining the national park and discused problems of the staff. He would submit a detailed report to the State government for action.
He said he would also be visiting Nagarhole National park to study problems and issues. Protection of flora and fauna is everybody’s duty and participation of general public in this endeavour is a must.
Patrolling must
Asked about his impressions of his visit to Bandipur National Park, Kumble said every State is facing one or the other problems in regard to protection of flora and fauna. As for Karnataka, there is an critical need to intensify patrolling of roads that pass through national parks in order to check rash and negligent driving. People tended to drive vehicles in neck-break speed without concerns for animals, resulting in death of wild animals.
Kumble said the Wildlife Board intended to help the Department of Forest which is striving for protection of natural resources. He would like to meet villagers and understand their problems in order to put an end to the problem of man-animal confrontation especially in villages bordering forests. The problem of animals straying into villages is because of encroachment of forest by people. NGOs will be involved in the efforts.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/44749/kumble-co-opt-men-blue.html
Anil Kumble has said he will co-opt his fellow cricketers for advocating conservation of the rich natural resources of Karnataka.
The former India cricket team skipper, who is Vice-Chairman of Karnataka Wildlife Board said on Sunday that many Indian cricketers were interested in protection of wildlife and they would be requested to create awareness among people.
“The time has come to show that both man and animal can co-exist without giving any scope for confrontation,” said Kumble, who was here in connection with the valedictory function of Youth Club of Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens. There was urgent need to protect whatever wild animals left in Karnataka forests, he felt.
After assuming office as vice-chairman of Wildlife Board, he had visited Bandipur National Park and interacted with field staff and also with forest officials working in the national park.He came across several shortfalls in maintaining the national park and discused problems of the staff. He would submit a detailed report to the State government for action.
He said he would also be visiting Nagarhole National park to study problems and issues. Protection of flora and fauna is everybody’s duty and participation of general public in this endeavour is a must.
Patrolling must
Asked about his impressions of his visit to Bandipur National Park, Kumble said every State is facing one or the other problems in regard to protection of flora and fauna. As for Karnataka, there is an critical need to intensify patrolling of roads that pass through national parks in order to check rash and negligent driving. People tended to drive vehicles in neck-break speed without concerns for animals, resulting in death of wild animals.
Kumble said the Wildlife Board intended to help the Department of Forest which is striving for protection of natural resources. He would like to meet villagers and understand their problems in order to put an end to the problem of man-animal confrontation especially in villages bordering forests. The problem of animals straying into villages is because of encroachment of forest by people. NGOs will be involved in the efforts.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/44749/kumble-co-opt-men-blue.html
Monday, 4 January 2010
Firefighters battle blaze, and many, many pythons
Firefighters trying to control a trailer fire in southern Utah discovered they had an unexpected further problem to contend with: lots of snakes.
Tom Phillips
Kristeen Checketts, the animal control officer in St. George, Utah, said there were about 19 pet pythons in the trailer when it caught fire Thursday morning at a park for recreational vehicles.
Once the fire was put out, Checketts and firefighters began pulling out snake after snake - most of them in cages, and some up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) long.
Checketts says 11of the reptiles survived, according to The Spectrum newspaper.
The snakes' owner tried to revive another by massaging it and blowing into its mouth through a plastic pipe.
Fire Captain Jason Whipple says the accidental fire started with a heat lamp in one of the snake cages.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/807709-firefighters-battle-blaze-and-many-many-pythons
Tom Phillips
Kristeen Checketts, the animal control officer in St. George, Utah, said there were about 19 pet pythons in the trailer when it caught fire Thursday morning at a park for recreational vehicles.
Once the fire was put out, Checketts and firefighters began pulling out snake after snake - most of them in cages, and some up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) long.
Checketts says 11of the reptiles survived, according to The Spectrum newspaper.
The snakes' owner tried to revive another by massaging it and blowing into its mouth through a plastic pipe.
Fire Captain Jason Whipple says the accidental fire started with a heat lamp in one of the snake cages.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/807709-firefighters-battle-blaze-and-many-many-pythons
Puffin warden wanted for Welsh island
A fresh start for the New Year is up for grabs - as a castaway on a remote island with just half a million birds for company.
Published: 10:09AM GMT 04 Jan 2010
The vacancy for the job as warden of Skomer Island is expected to attract hundreds of applications from people wanting to get away from it all.
It is being described as the British equivalent of The Best Job in the World - the competition held last year to find a warden for Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Skomer, two miles off the Pembrokeshire coast, has no blazing sunshine, coral reef or exotic wildlife.
But to those who want the great escape, it is closest Britain has to a desert island paradise.
It has no mains water, no electricity, no roads, shop, or pub, and is separated from the mainland by Jack Sound, one of the most treacherous stretches of water off the British coast.
It is inhabited by puffins, manx shearwaters, kittiwakes, razor bills and guillemots, along with thousands of wild rabbits.
It even has its own unique species - a tiny creature called the Skomer Vole which is not found anywhere else in the world.
The island is carpeted by bluebells throughout the spring and surrounded by a marine reserve, rich in sealife, including dolphins and porpoises.
And the new warden will live in a clifftop bungalow in the heart of the island's main puffin colony.
Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales chief executive Sarah Kessell said: "We are looking for a very special person to take care of our flagship reserve.
"The warden will have to manage people and resources, be familiar with conservation techniques and be confident on board boats."
The vacancy has come up because the current warden Jo Milborrow wants to return to the mainland after six years on Skomer and its sister island Skokholm.
She and her husband Dave, the assistant warden on Skomer, want a fresh challenge.
Jo, 33, said: "After six unforgettable years we have packed up and shipped our belongings off for the last time.
"I feel incredibly lucky to have lived in such an amazing place.
"Gaining an intimate knowledge of one place, its wildlife and seasonal rhythms are things I value greatly.
"This in-depth relationship with our surroundings is hard to establish in modern life."
The job pays between £14,000 and £16,000 for a 48 hours week with accommodation thrown in free.
Part of the work involves greeting the hundreds of birdwatchers and day trippers who arrive by the tiny ferry boat in the spring and summer - weather permitting.
But only the warden and a few overnight visitors get to see the island's greatest spectacle - the nightly arrival of hundreds of thousands of Manx Shearwaters, a rare seabird which lives underground.
A third of the world's breeding population of Manx Shearwaters breed each summer on Skomer before flying off to warmer climes in the winter.
Jo said: "To have shared my home with puffins, peregrine falcons, shearwaters and storm petrels and to be able to help protect these birds and inspire other people about them has been a high point of my life.
"I wish the new warden as many memorable times as we have been lucky enough to share."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/6931016/Puffin-warden-wanted-for-Welsh-island.html
Published: 10:09AM GMT 04 Jan 2010
The vacancy for the job as warden of Skomer Island is expected to attract hundreds of applications from people wanting to get away from it all.
It is being described as the British equivalent of The Best Job in the World - the competition held last year to find a warden for Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Skomer, two miles off the Pembrokeshire coast, has no blazing sunshine, coral reef or exotic wildlife.
But to those who want the great escape, it is closest Britain has to a desert island paradise.
It has no mains water, no electricity, no roads, shop, or pub, and is separated from the mainland by Jack Sound, one of the most treacherous stretches of water off the British coast.
It is inhabited by puffins, manx shearwaters, kittiwakes, razor bills and guillemots, along with thousands of wild rabbits.
It even has its own unique species - a tiny creature called the Skomer Vole which is not found anywhere else in the world.
The island is carpeted by bluebells throughout the spring and surrounded by a marine reserve, rich in sealife, including dolphins and porpoises.
And the new warden will live in a clifftop bungalow in the heart of the island's main puffin colony.
Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales chief executive Sarah Kessell said: "We are looking for a very special person to take care of our flagship reserve.
"The warden will have to manage people and resources, be familiar with conservation techniques and be confident on board boats."
The vacancy has come up because the current warden Jo Milborrow wants to return to the mainland after six years on Skomer and its sister island Skokholm.
She and her husband Dave, the assistant warden on Skomer, want a fresh challenge.
Jo, 33, said: "After six unforgettable years we have packed up and shipped our belongings off for the last time.
"I feel incredibly lucky to have lived in such an amazing place.
"Gaining an intimate knowledge of one place, its wildlife and seasonal rhythms are things I value greatly.
"This in-depth relationship with our surroundings is hard to establish in modern life."
The job pays between £14,000 and £16,000 for a 48 hours week with accommodation thrown in free.
Part of the work involves greeting the hundreds of birdwatchers and day trippers who arrive by the tiny ferry boat in the spring and summer - weather permitting.
But only the warden and a few overnight visitors get to see the island's greatest spectacle - the nightly arrival of hundreds of thousands of Manx Shearwaters, a rare seabird which lives underground.
A third of the world's breeding population of Manx Shearwaters breed each summer on Skomer before flying off to warmer climes in the winter.
Jo said: "To have shared my home with puffins, peregrine falcons, shearwaters and storm petrels and to be able to help protect these birds and inspire other people about them has been a high point of my life.
"I wish the new warden as many memorable times as we have been lucky enough to share."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/6931016/Puffin-warden-wanted-for-Welsh-island.html
Couple taped up tortoises to smuggle into Britain
A couple kept seven wild tortoises in a hotel room while holidaying on a Greek island then tried to smuggle them into the UK, a court heard today.
Published: 3:54PM GMT 04 Jan 2010
Herpetologist Michael Mates and his partner Carol Wormley, both 42 and from Walthamstow, east London, returned from Corfu with the animals hidden in luggage, magistrates in Harlow, Essex, were told.
Both were ordered to carry out unpaid work and banned from keeping reptiles for 10 years after admitting breaking laws designed to protect wildlife.
Prosecutor Angela Hughes said the Hermann's Tortoises had been taken from their natural habitat in Corfu then packed in bags and suitcases. She said one was taped to stop it moving around.
Miss Hughes said the couple kept the creatures in a hotel room before taking them on to a plane and flying to Stansted.
She told the court that both were arrested when they landed at the airport in July.
Magistrates were told that Gates was a herpetologist who had a collection of reptiles.
Jeremy Sirrell, for Gates, said his client had been trying to rescue the tortoises after seeing them treated cruelly and had not intended to sell them.
Mr Sirrell said while on holiday Gates had picked up tortoises he saw being kicked around by boys, then bought more from a ''woman selling flowers''.
He said Gates had been ''stupid'' by deciding to bring the tortoises home instead of going through proper channels.
David Dadds, for Wormley, said his client had ''gone along'' with Gates' wishes and had not understood that what she was doing was wrong.
Gates, who worked as a driver, admitted causing unnecessary suffering, failing to ensure animals' needs were met and transporting live animals taken from the wild. He was ordered to carrying out 150 hours of unpaid work. Wormley, who worked in the retail industry, admitted failing to ensure animals' needs were met and transporting live animals taken from the wild. She was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6932083/Couple-taped-up-tortoises-to-smuggle-into-Britain.html
Published: 3:54PM GMT 04 Jan 2010
Herpetologist Michael Mates and his partner Carol Wormley, both 42 and from Walthamstow, east London, returned from Corfu with the animals hidden in luggage, magistrates in Harlow, Essex, were told.
Both were ordered to carry out unpaid work and banned from keeping reptiles for 10 years after admitting breaking laws designed to protect wildlife.
Prosecutor Angela Hughes said the Hermann's Tortoises had been taken from their natural habitat in Corfu then packed in bags and suitcases. She said one was taped to stop it moving around.
Miss Hughes said the couple kept the creatures in a hotel room before taking them on to a plane and flying to Stansted.
She told the court that both were arrested when they landed at the airport in July.
Magistrates were told that Gates was a herpetologist who had a collection of reptiles.
Jeremy Sirrell, for Gates, said his client had been trying to rescue the tortoises after seeing them treated cruelly and had not intended to sell them.
Mr Sirrell said while on holiday Gates had picked up tortoises he saw being kicked around by boys, then bought more from a ''woman selling flowers''.
He said Gates had been ''stupid'' by deciding to bring the tortoises home instead of going through proper channels.
David Dadds, for Wormley, said his client had ''gone along'' with Gates' wishes and had not understood that what she was doing was wrong.
Gates, who worked as a driver, admitted causing unnecessary suffering, failing to ensure animals' needs were met and transporting live animals taken from the wild. He was ordered to carrying out 150 hours of unpaid work. Wormley, who worked in the retail industry, admitted failing to ensure animals' needs were met and transporting live animals taken from the wild. She was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6932083/Couple-taped-up-tortoises-to-smuggle-into-Britain.html
Giant tongue almost kills dog
04 January 2010 16:30 PM
A dog in Scotland almost died after an accident left her with a giant tongue.
Family pet Penny almost suffocated when her tongue swelled to four times its normal size following a bizarre accident.
The pooch was tucking into to her favourite treat - a pig's heart - when part of the dead animal's aorta became stuck around the base of her tongue.
As her mouth muscle started to swell, the 18-year-old animal frantically clawed at her face to try and free it.
Penny's owner Linda Donnelly rushed the animal to a pet hospital in Glasgow.
Vet Dermot Mullen said: "I am just pleased I was able to save her. The prognosis was not at all good."
Linda added: "Pigs' hearts are now completely off the menu!"
http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/147971-giant-tongue-almost-kills-dog/
A dog in Scotland almost died after an accident left her with a giant tongue.
Family pet Penny almost suffocated when her tongue swelled to four times its normal size following a bizarre accident.
The pooch was tucking into to her favourite treat - a pig's heart - when part of the dead animal's aorta became stuck around the base of her tongue.
As her mouth muscle started to swell, the 18-year-old animal frantically clawed at her face to try and free it.
Penny's owner Linda Donnelly rushed the animal to a pet hospital in Glasgow.
Vet Dermot Mullen said: "I am just pleased I was able to save her. The prognosis was not at all good."
Linda added: "Pigs' hearts are now completely off the menu!"
http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/147971-giant-tongue-almost-kills-dog/
Ivory Power
A forensic zoologist has devised a smart way to limit the world trade in illegal ivory. Under EU law, only antique ivory from before 1947 can be traded legally but there was no accurate way to date ivory... until now.
Dr Ross McEwing from Edinbugh Zoo has devised a technique to test for levels of the carbon 14 isotope in bones and tusks. The higher the level, the more likely it is to originate for the post-1947 era. Testing begins this summer.
Metro, 4 January 2010, p9.
Dr Ross McEwing from Edinbugh Zoo has devised a technique to test for levels of the carbon 14 isotope in bones and tusks. The higher the level, the more likely it is to originate for the post-1947 era. Testing begins this summer.
Metro, 4 January 2010, p9.
Frito the llama escapes getting munched, back at home in Wyo. after 2nd llama killed by cougar
Associated Press
Last update: December 31, 2009 - 1:50 PM
ALTA, Wyo. - Frito the llama defied his name and didn't get eaten.
Lou Centrella seemed sure that was Frito's fate after a mountain lion killed another of his llamas on Sunday. Frito was nowhere to be found after the attack on the other llama, named Grayson.
On Monday, the cougar returned to the Centrellas' yard in western Wyoming to feed on the llama it had killed. Concerned the big cat may have acquired a taste for llama, Centrella shot it.
Wildlife officials say he was within his rights, but Centrella says he felt bad about killing the mountain lion.
Centrella and his daughters Lane and Mila went looking for Frito on Wednesday. They found him four miles away, across the state line in Driggs, Idaho.
They put a rope on the errant llama and led him home through the snow.
___
Information from: Jackson Hole News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/
http://www.startribune.com/nation/80430382.html?elr=KArks:DCiU1OiP:DiiUiacyKU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUX
(Submitted by D.R. Shoop)
Last update: December 31, 2009 - 1:50 PM
ALTA, Wyo. - Frito the llama defied his name and didn't get eaten.
Lou Centrella seemed sure that was Frito's fate after a mountain lion killed another of his llamas on Sunday. Frito was nowhere to be found after the attack on the other llama, named Grayson.
On Monday, the cougar returned to the Centrellas' yard in western Wyoming to feed on the llama it had killed. Concerned the big cat may have acquired a taste for llama, Centrella shot it.
Wildlife officials say he was within his rights, but Centrella says he felt bad about killing the mountain lion.
Centrella and his daughters Lane and Mila went looking for Frito on Wednesday. They found him four miles away, across the state line in Driggs, Idaho.
They put a rope on the errant llama and led him home through the snow.
___
Information from: Jackson Hole News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/
http://www.startribune.com/nation/80430382.html?elr=KArks:DCiU1OiP:DiiUiacyKU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUX
(Submitted by D.R. Shoop)
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