News
We bring you the latest from around the World in wildlife and conservation news.
Wild Ethiopian Lions Rescue Kidnapped Girl
A 12-year-old girl who found herself kidnapped and beaten by a group of men who were attempting to force her to get married was later found being guarded by three lions who according to the girl, chased of her kidnappers a policeman involved in the case said. The girl had been missing for a week and had been abducted by seven men who were trying to force her into marriage with one of them said Sergeant Wondimu Wedajo a policeman who serves in the Ethiopian city of Bita Genet.
New Species Of Orangutan Discovered
Scientists studying a tiny population of orangutans in the Northern part of Sumatra have discovered a new species of great ape. Great apes are a group that include humans, gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos, with orangutans being the most distant relatives of human beings. Until the latest discovery, there have only been two distinct orangutan species, the Bornean and the Sumatran. Now apparently, there is a third species of orangutan.
Adélie Penguins Suffer Breeding Catastrophe
Thousands of penguin chicks in Antarctica have been wiped out by mass starvation caused by unusually thick sea ice which has forced their parents to travel further in order to forage for food. Conservationists are calling the event a catastrophic breeding failure. French scientists that have been funded by WWF have been monitoring a breeding colony made up of 18,000 pairs of Adélie penguins in East Antarctica for the last seven years. In the most recent breeding season, the scientists discovered that only two chicks managed to survive.
Deadly Snake Venom Could Be Key To Pain Management In Humans
Scientists seeking better techniques to manage pain relief are turning to the snake with the largest venom glands in the world for answers. The snake which is nick named the “killer of killers” is officially known as the long-glanded blue coral snake and often feeds on other snakes such as king cobras. The snake which can grow up 2 metres long and is native to South East Asia possesses venom that acts almost immediately causing its prey to spasm.
Extremely Rare Albino Orangutan Rescued From Captivity
An extremely rare albino orangutan that was separated from her mother has been found and rescued on the Indonesian island of Borneo. According to a report by the Associated Press, this is the first time in its 25 years of conservation work, that the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation has ever seen an albino orangutan. The female ape was rescued from villagers earlier in the year and the foundation is now providing her with round-the-clock care in a darkened room in order not to subject the sensitive ape to too much light. Apparently, she is getting stronger every day.
For The Third Time In History White Giraffe’s Spotted
For just the third time in the history of mankind, extremely rare white giraffes have been spotted and filmed in Kenya recently. Conservation rangers were stunned to discover the albino giraffes near the Ishaqbini conservation area in Garissa County. The rangers had heard rumours of a pair of white giraffes and finally spotted them earlier this year.
Rescued Tiger Cub At San Diego Zoo Gets A New Friend
Last month a teenager was caught allegedly trying to smuggle a tiger cub into the United States from Mexico and the cub was sent to the San Diego Zoo. Fortunately for the seized cub, he has a new friend. A 9-week old male Sumatran tiger cub from the National Zoo in Washington D.C. was flown in to join the Bengal tiger cub that was confiscated at the Mexican border. The Sumatran tiger cub has been fed by humans since the start of August because the mother stopped feeding it either because she wasn’t producing enough milk or had completely ceased milk production altogether.
Teenager Buys Bengal Tiger Cub For $300 On Streets Of Tijuana
A teenager from California who claims he purchased a Bengal tiger cub on the streets of Tijuana for US$300 was arrested as he tried to enter the United States with the tiger cub in his 2017 Chevy Camaro. Luis Eudoro Valencia was charged with attempting to smuggle a Bengal tiger into the United States after the furry cub was found lying on the floor of the passenger side of his vehicle during an inspection by Customs and Border Protection agents.