News
We bring you the latest from around the World in wildlife and conservation news.
Captive Dolphins Are Happy In The Company Of Humans But Does That Mean We Should Keep Them?
Scientists working with dolphins at a French marine park are trying to measure how they feel about different aspects of their captive lives. The researchers say this is the first time anyone has ever sought to examine captivity from the perspective of the animal. The scientists were trying to determine what activities the dolphins looked forward to the most. What they found is the dolphins most keenly anticipated interacting with humans they were familiar with.
Leopard Gets Up Close And Personal With Tourist On Safari
Recently a tourist on safari in Botswana’s Okavango Delta was sitting in a vehicle and was approached by a young leopard that appeared to be extremely curious. The leopard then set about biting and playing with the tourist’s shoe. Whilst the tourist was probably quite disturbed by the incident, fortunately it ended without any injury or death. Experts however were none to pleased and said the result could have been very different.
Spending Time With Wild Mountain Gorillas Is A Life Changing Experience
Usually after tourists return from visiting mountain gorillas in Rwanda, they declare it to be “a life changing experience”. Mountain gorillas are an incredibly unique species that display complex behaviour and exhibit distinct personalities so it is not surprising that eco-tourists feel this way. Just getting to the mountain gorilla in the wild is a thrilling experience since they live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Their habitat is one of the few remaining tropical mountain forests, perched on the steep slopes of the Virunga volcanoes.
Snow Leopard Census To Take Place Over The Next Five Years
Due to their high-altitude habitat in the bitterly cold Himalayas, snow leopards are one of the most difficult apex predators to study. Despite many decades of research, no one is quite sure how many of these elusive big cats exist. There are 12 countries in Asia that the snow leopard calls its home, and they have all got together to conduct a five-year census of the species through the use of camera traps and radio collars as well as hair and scat identification.
The Death Of The Last Male Northern White Rhino Is A Symptom Of A Global Extinction Crisis Conservationists Warn
Conservationists are warning that the death of the last male Northern white rhino should serve to remind us that we need to act in order to prevent mass extinctions of species all over the world. The death of Sudan the last male Northern rhino in Kenya is a signal that human activity has simply become unsustainable and is responsible for an era of mass extinctions globally.
Landmark Deal Struck With Seychelles To Create Protected Ocean Area The Size Of UK
The government of Seychelles is doing its bit for conservation and has created a protected area which is the size of the UK in the Indian Ocean. The government created the zone in exchange for having some of its national debt paid off. As a result, the island nation agreed that it will ensure that 210,000 square kilometres of ocean will be protected. The Ocean reserve will prevent tourism and fishing activities in the Seychelles so that no further damage to aquatic life caused by humans occurs.
The Right Whale Is On The Brink Of Extinction Experts Warn
This year the birthing season for the critically endangered right whale which takes place during winter ended without a single new born calf. This has not occurred for more than thirty years and experts are warning that the incredibly rare species with roams the South East coast of the United States during the winter is a step closer to extinction. Barb Zoodsman who overseas the conservation effort for the species says it is a pivotal moment and if conservation is not taken more seriously it may mark the beginning of the end of the right whale.
Indian National Park To Conduct One-Horned Rhino Census
Kaziranga National Park in India is full of biodiversity and authorities who manage the park have decided to conduct a census of the park’s population of one-horned rhinos. The people responsible for undertaking the census will make use of sports vehicles and elephants to count the rhinos. The park itself is a Unesco World Heritage Site and it is located in the North-Eastern part of India in a state known as Assam and serves as home to more than two-thirds of the world’s one-horned rhino population.