WildFact
Bigcats News - Printable Version

+- WildFact (https://wildfact.com/forum)
+-- Forum: Nature & Conservation (https://wildfact.com/forum/forum-nature-conservation)
+--- Forum: News, Events & Updates (https://wildfact.com/forum/forum-news-events-updates)
+--- Thread: Bigcats News (/topic-bigcats-news)



RE: Bigcats News - Lycaon - 05-19-2019

For the first time, the Iranian Leopard was filmed in the Fiesa

Link to the picture and story : https://www.instagram.com/p/BxobdSQHTe-/


RE: Bigcats News - Lycaon - 05-20-2019

In a first, presence of tiger recorded at Goa national park

“The striped tiger presence in the area indicates the level of protection, quality of wildlife habitat and management practices in the national park are of high levels,” a statement released by the National Park said.


*This image is copyright of its original author

The 240 square kilometer area of the forest was being scanned for the presence of the “elusive big cat” since last year.

For the first time, presence of a tiger has been reported in Goa’s Bhagwan Mahaveer National Park. The movement of the tiger was recorded through camera trapping method on May 14.



“The striped tiger presence in the area indicates the level of protection, quality of wildlife habitat and management practices in the national park are of high levels,” a statement released by the National Park said.

The 240 square kilometer area of the forest was being scanned for the presence of the “elusive big cat” since last year, the statement added. The department has procured more camera traps to strengthen field staff.
The national park is spread across the western ghats in Sanguem Taluka of Goa along the eastern border of the state.

Link : https://indianexpress.com/article/india/goa-tiger-bhagwan-mahaveer-national-park-5735183/



RE: Bigcats News - Rishi - 05-30-2019

Why are tigers orange? Prey see them as GREEN, experts say

Colin Fernandez, Daily Mail
28th May 2019


*This image is copyright of its original author
  • A computer simulation was run to see how animals viewed the tiger.
  • Prey such as the deer are effectively colourblind so view tigers as green.
  • This allows them to better camouflage against their natural background.

It is a question that has long puzzled scientists - exactly why are tigers orange?
One might think it makes them more conspicuous - particularly against a leafy green forest background.

William Blake summed it up in his famous poem known by generations of schoolchildren: ‘Tyger, tyger, burning bright/ In the forest of the night.’ But now the answer is at hand.
While conspicuous to us, computer simulations of what the big cats look to the main animals they prey on, deer, shows a different picture.

While conspicuous to us, computer simulations of what the big cats look to the main animals they prey on, deer, shows a different picture

WHICH ANIMALS ARE COLOURBLIND? 

The study simulating what colours preys of the tiger see when looking at the predator found that animals like deers are essentially red-green colour blind like some humans.
This means they only pick up greens and blues and not oranges and reds.
This means they are more sensitive to the blue-green portion of the spectrum (due to their eyes' high rod density) and less sensitive to light of long wavelengths (orange and red).
Therefore the tiger appears green to deers rather than orange, which helps their camouflaging effect.
Other animals that are red-green 'colourblind' include: wolves, coyotes, foxes, bulls, dogs and cats
Humans with normal colour vision, can see red, blue and green colours.
But deer can only pick up blue and green light, they are effectively colourblind to the colour red, like some humans.
It means the tigers’ orange colouration look green to them, allowing them to blend perfectly into the background, new research claims.
Dr John Fennell at the University of Bristol and colleagues said that they used computers to estimate how detectable a given animal was.
They did this by using images of the environment in which the animal lives, and then generating images to see whether the camouflage helps the animal to blend in.
Dr Fennell writes that by simulating what the world looks like to animals who are ‘dichromats’ - who cannot detect the difference between red and green - ‘we also identify the optimum colours for concealment and visibility’.


RE: Bigcats News - BorneanTiger - 05-30-2019

(05-30-2019, 08:26 AM)Rishi Wrote: Why are tigers orange? Prey see them as GREEN, experts say

Colin Fernandez, Daily Mail
28th May 2019


*This image is copyright of its original author
  • A computer simulation was run to see how animals viewed the tiger.
  • Prey such as the deer are effectively colourblind so view tigers as green.
  • This allows them to better camouflage against their natural background.

It is a question that has long puzzled scientists - exactly why are tigers orange?
One might think it makes them more conspicuous - particularly against a leafy green forest background.

William Blake summed it up in his famous poem known by generations of schoolchildren: ‘Tyger, tyger, burning bright/ In the forest of the night.’ But now the answer is at hand.
While conspicuous to us, computer simulations of what the big cats look to the main animals they prey on, deer, shows a different picture.

While conspicuous to us, computer simulations of what the big cats look to the main animals they prey on, deer, shows a different picture

WHICH ANIMALS ARE COLOURBLIND? 

The study simulating what colours preys of the tiger see when looking at the predator found that animals like deers are essentially red-green colour blind like some humans.
This means they only pick up greens and blues and not oranges and reds.
This means they are more sensitive to the blue-green portion of the spectrum (due to their eyes' high rod density) and less sensitive to light of long wavelengths (orange and red).
Therefore the tiger appears green to deers rather than orange, which helps their camouflaging effect.
Other animals that are red-green 'colourblind' include: wolves, coyotes, foxes, bulls, dogs and cats
Humans with normal colour vision, can see red, blue and green colours.
But deer can only pick up blue and green light, they are effectively colourblind to the colour red, like some humans.
It means the tigers’ orange colouration look green to them, allowing them to blend perfectly into the background, new research claims.
Dr John Fennell at the University of Bristol and colleagues said that they used computers to estimate how detectable a given animal was.
They did this by using images of the environment in which the animal lives, and then generating images to see whether the camouflage helps the animal to blend in.
Dr Fennell writes that by simulating what the world looks like to animals who are ‘dichromats’ - who cannot detect the difference between red and green - ‘we also identify the optimum colours for concealment and visibility’.

Now it makes sense, because a tiger hiding in a green jungle is not the same as a lion hiding in yellow or light brown vegetation: 

Bangladeshi Sundarban tigers' number rises in 3 years (news in itself): https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/bangladesh-royal-bengal-tiger-number-rises-eight-3-years-1746550

*This image is copyright of its original author


Masai lion hiding in grass: https://www.allposters.com/-sp/Lion-Panthera-Leo-Young-Male-Camouflaged-in-Tall-Grass-Masai-Mara-Kenya-Posters_i8633503_.htm 

*This image is copyright of its original author



RE: Bigcats News - BorneanTiger - 06-09-2019

2 shocking news from the area of Kruger National Park in northeast South Africa: 

1) A leopard entered a fenced camp an killed a toddler, before getting killed itself: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/06/toddler-killed-by-leopard-in-south-africas-kruger-park

*This image is copyright of its original author


2) Later, it was revealed that 14 lions escaped from the park: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48553562

*This image is copyright of its original author



RE: Bigcats News - BorneanTiger - 06-09-2019

(06-09-2019, 06:45 PM)BorneanTiger Wrote: 2 shocking news from the area of Kruger National Park in northeast South Africa: 

1) A leopard entered a fenced camp an killed a toddler, before getting killed itself: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/06/toddler-killed-by-leopard-in-south-africas-kruger-park

*This image is copyright of its original author


2) Later, it was revealed that 14 lions escaped from the park: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48553562

*This image is copyright of its original author

Also, lion attacks on livestock, like this cow, in southern Cameroon is causing villagers to flee: https://www.voanews.com/a/cameroon-villagers-flee-lion-attacks-amid-human-wildlife-conflict/4945325.html

*This image is copyright of its original author



RE: Bigcats News - Rishi - 06-10-2019

(06-09-2019, 06:45 PM)BorneanTiger Wrote:  2) Later, it was revealed that 14 lions escaped from the park: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48553562

*This image is copyright of its original author

I had no idea that Kruger too is one of those fenced big-zoos!
It's the world's largest lion metapopulation. How would the minor ones around it thrive if they aren't allowed to range free, spreading the surplus & genes?


RE: Bigcats News - Pckts - 06-10-2019

(06-10-2019, 09:34 AM)Rishi Wrote:
(06-09-2019, 06:45 PM)BorneanTiger Wrote:  2) Later, it was revealed that 14 lions escaped from the park: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48553562

*This image is copyright of its original author

I had no idea that Kruger too is one of those fenced big-zoos!
It's the world's largest lion metapopulation. How would the minor ones around it thrive if they aren't allowed to range free, spreading the surplus & genes?

Fenced Or Not Fenced – That Is The Question
Filed under: African Safari,South Africa — Tags: Buffaloeastern capefenced reservesimpalaKapamakrugerlionsizeSouth Africathornybushwildebeest — TraceyCampbell @ 1:58 pm

A very common phrase that you will see when you are searching for your South African safari is the term ‘fenced reserve’.
But what exactly does this mean? For those not in the travel industry, it may seem like an extra word that has just been added to the description of the reserve, to fill out the page.  Surely everywhere has to have a fence somewhere?
Technically, yes, in South Africa every game reserve or National Park does have a fence, even Kruger and it’s neighbouring private reserves.  Somewhere along the border, there will be a fenceline that will act as a deterent to the wildlife, to stop them leaving the safe sanctuary of the reserve/Park and wandering off to visit local villages.
However, in Kruger, you are talking of an area that covers over 2 million hectares (for those reading this in the UK that is about the size of Wales (minus the sheep); for those in the States this is somewhere between the size of Conneticut and New Jersey; and for those in the rest of Europe, it is about the size of Slovenia).  So the chances of spending your entire game drive looking at a fence is fairly low, as with so much land to cover why would you?
Fenced reserves is a term therefore that is used for smaller reserves, and that is where it does actually have some significance.
For example, in the Eastern Cape, all the reserves are fenced, and in the Kruger area, you have a couple of fenced reserves, such as Kapama and Thornybush.  This is because these reserves are all independently owned, so therefore the owners have to firstly differentiate their land from their neighbours, but more importantly, they have to keep their wildlife on their land too!  As a land/reserve owner, you certainly do not want your larger game such as elephant, rhino or lions wandering off to visit another reserve, so that your guests who pay to stay at your reserve don’t get to see them!  How annoying would that be!  Equally, you don’t want your pride of lions deciding to go for a wander through the local village!
Fenced reserves tend to range vastly in size – anything from 1,500 hectares up to 25,000 hectares and upwards.  Obviously, the larger the reserve, the more wildlife the area can sustain, but this will be reflected in the rates charged.
Larger reserves can also play ‘home’ to more predators, as they equally have the space to keep the plains game and buffalo that the predators will naturally hunt for food.  Get the balance between predators and their ‘food’ incorrect and you will have a reserve full of hungry lions and no buffalo!
I have spent many a happy game drive in a fenced reserve, and to be honest, I have had some wonderful game drives and game viewing experiences.  As long as you go to a fenced reserve knowing that you will not see a herd of a million wildebeest wandering across in front of your game vehicle, or expect to see 20 different prides of lions, then there really is no reason not to have a great safari experience in a fenced reserve.

http://www.travelbutlers.com/blog/2013/10/16/fenced-or-not-fenced-that-is-the-question/


*On fences with in the parks*

The Greater Kruger National Park has a fence around it. The Greater Kruger National Park consists of the Kruger National Park as well as some private reserves (Klaserie, Balule, Sabi Sand, Timbavati etc). There are no fences between these private reserves and the Kruger National Park, so the animals are free to roam between National Park and private reserves, however as I said, the GREATER KNP has a fence around it, and as the private reserves are situated around the edges of the National Park, there are indeed fences along some of the private reserves, thereby separating the Greater KNP from the human settlements. So, the fences that some people have seen while on safari at the private reserves, are fences that keep the wildlife from moving into human settlements (and also from keeping the humans out of the wildlife regions). They are not fences that keep the animals from moving to the KNP as those boundaries are unfenced.

Hope this helps!

Tanya * owner * Africa Direct


RE: Bigcats News - Sully - 06-14-2019

Indochinese tiger rips man's arm off

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9232721/tiger-rip-man-arm-off-vietnam-bath/

*This image is copyright of its original author



RE: Bigcats News - Rishi - 06-14-2019

(06-14-2019, 01:42 AM)Sully Wrote: Indochinese tiger rips man's arm off

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9232721/tiger-rip-man-arm-off-vietnam-bath/

*This image is copyright of its original author

"Giving a bath" often constitutes of assisting with a high-pressue waterhose.


RE: Bigcats News - Rage2277 - 06-22-2019

Indian Supreme Court Halts Road Works Through Tiger Reserves.
JUNE 21, 2019 BY CHRIS SLAPPENDEL·COMMENTS OFFON INDIAN SUPREME COURT HALTS ROAD WORKS THROUGH TIGER RESERVES.

*This image is copyright of its original author
India – source: The Hindu
The Supreme Court on Friday ordered an immediate halt to the construction of a road that passes through a corridor between the Rajaji and Corbett Tiger Reserves. “There appears to be numerous violations of the Forest Conservation Act,” it said.
A Vacation Bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Surya Kant issued notice to the Uttarakhand government, asking it to reply, within three weeks, to a report filed by the court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
The road, which traverses a “critical” corridor between the Rajaji Tiger Reserve and the Corbett Tiger Reserve, is being built without the statutory approval of the National Board for Wildlife, the CEC said in its report. “As per the 2014 data of All India Tiger Estimation, the area supports up to four tigers per 100 sq km…,” it said.
Read more: [url]https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/supreme-court-halts-road-works-through-tiger-reserves/article28103105.ece
[/url]



RE: Bigcats News - Rishi - 06-30-2019

Don’t disclose tiger count: NTCA to Tiger Reserves

[email protected]

Hyderabad: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has issued orders to all 50 tiger reserves in the country and 18 tiger states asking them to not disclose local tiger census figures on their own.

NTCA releases tiger census for the entire country every four years. The last tiger census released was in 2014. In January 2018, a nationwide exercise was done and a yearand-a-half later, the census is yet to be released. With state governments and tiger reserve authorities disclosing figures, the NTCA has barred them from doing so to prevent the dissemination of raw data.

Telangana additional principal chief conservator of forests Munindra told TOI, “States have collected both direct and indirect evidence of tiger presence. Direct sighting information and as well camera trap, pugmark and tiger scat were collected and sent to NTCA. The state has sent the raw data. We haven’t analysed it. NTCA, with the help of the Wildlife Institute of India, is processing the data. Only NTCA can give the exact picture. As some of the states are leaking raw data, which is not authentic, NTCA issued orders last week asking them to stop.”

NTCA redid the survey in 2018 as some data was missing. States are also adding tiger cubs and giving updated figures. But the delay in the release of figures by NTCA is not going down well with tiger conservation experts and state wildlife departments.

A tiger conservationist in Telangana told TOI: “The tiger census is supposed to be released every four years. Why is there a delay in the release of figures? Release of the census will help authorities improve management of tiger reserves where numbers are dwindling.”

Project Tiger is implemented by NTCA along with the state governments of 18 states. The NTCA uses a refined double sampling method using camera traps in a statistical framework, first used in 2006.


RE: Bigcats News - BorneanTiger - 07-09-2019

The mother's name 'Khalilah' is Arabic indeed, but did they check the genes of the parents of the new cubs at Dvur Kralove's Safari Park in the Czech Republic, or is the name of the Barbary lion a marketing brand for them? These cubs are nevertheless cute: https://www.apnews.com/6f5660f5a939403fb5b60e77b3ff1d76https://www.reuters.com/article/us-czech-lion/rare-barbary-lion-cubs-make-their-debut-at-czech-zoo-idUSKCN1U410Khttps://en.annahar.com/article/994684-2-rare-barbary-lion-cubs-born-in-czech-zoo,https://www.timesnownews.com/the-buzz/photo-gallery/unaware-and-unfazed-of-being-extinct-in-the-wild-these-two-playful-barbary-lion-cubs-will-make-you-twinkle/450994 

AP:

*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author








RE: Bigcats News - Rishi - 07-10-2019

(07-09-2019, 11:56 PM)BorneanTiger Wrote: The mother's name 'Khalilah' is Arabic indeed, but did they check the genes of the parents of the new cubs at Dvur Kralove's Safari Park in the Czech Republic, or is the name of the Barbary lion a marketing brand for them? These cubs are nevertheless cute: https://www.apnews.com/6f5660f5a939403fb5b60e77b3ff1d76https://www.reuters.com/article/us-czech-lion/rare-barbary-lion-cubs-make-their-debut-at-czech-zoo-idUSKCN1U410Khttps://en.annahar.com/article/994684-2-rare-barbary-lion-cubs-born-in-czech-zoo,https://www.timesnownews.com/the-buzz/photo-gallery/unaware-and-unfazed-of-being-extinct-in-the-wild-these-two-playful-barbary-lion-cubs-will-make-you-twinkle/450994 

AP:

*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author






Prague Zoo recieved them directly from Morocco. They're as pure Atlas lions as you'll get in today's time.


RE: Bigcats News - BorneanTiger - 07-11-2019

Forward from (https://wildfact.com/forum/topic-crocodile-and-big-cats-interaction?page=6), there was a controversy over a video of a caiman defecating the carcass of a felid, identified as a jaguar, in Brazil earlier:




There have been arguments that this could be a female or juvenile jaguar, or even another felid species, such as an ocelot. About the jaguar, let me clarify what the situation is with its size:

Generally, the size of jaguars increases from north to south: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4380383/https://www.earthtouchnews.com/conservation/conservation/king-of-the-carnivores-how-bears-wolves-jaguars-stack-up-against-pumas/

* Central or North American jaguars, ranging from southern USA and northern Mexico in the north, to Panama in the south, are fairly small, with those in the Camela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve on the Mexican coast of the Pacific, northern Mexico and Belize at least weighing about 50–60 kg (110–132 pounds), similar to average cougars: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-zoology/article/food-habits-of-jaguars-and-pumas-in-jalisco-mexico/035C96247BD24E086381BC75E1DC9FF5https://www.earthtouchnews.com/conservation/conservation/king-of-the-carnivores-how-bears-wolves-jaguars-stack-up-against-pumas/

El Jefe the Arizonan jaguar, likely of Mexican origin: http://www.delhidailynews.com/news/El-Jefe--North-Americas-Last-Jaguar--Caught-On-Video-1454851534/

*This image is copyright of its original author


* Large male Northern South American jaguars (as in, South American jaguars north of the Amazon River) in the Amazonian region, which includes Guyana and Venezuela, may weigh 90–120 kg (200–260 lbs), with the average for male and female Venezuelan jaguars being respectively 95 kg (209.4 lbs) and 56.3 kg (124 lbs, similar to Central American males in Belize), and Venezuelan females weighing up to 90 kg (200 lbs): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4380383/https://web.archive.org/web/20100620231016/http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-340-01-0001.pdfhttps://books.google.com/books?id=T37sFCl43E8C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA831&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

Northern South American jaguar in Guyana: https://phys.org/news/2013-01-guyana-pledges-jaguars.html

*This image is copyright of its original author


* Certain Southern South American jaguars (as in, South American jaguars south of the Amazon River) from the Pantanal region are the largest of the species, with lengths of about 2.7 m (8.9 ft), and average weights of 94.8 kg (209 lbs) for males and 77.7 kg (171 lbs) for females (https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/Zeitschrift-Saeugetierkunde_43_0296-0301.pdf). Some individuals weighed up to or more than 135 kg (298 lbs): https://web.archive.org/web/20071228061053/http://www.focustours.com/brazil.htmlhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4380383/

Pantanal jaguar: https://www.tripadvisor.co.za/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g488170-d6867083-i245027667-Gasparetour_Pantanal_Tours-Cuiaba_State_of_Mato_Grosso.html

*This image is copyright of its original author