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Animal News (Except Bigcats)
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Scientists discover 'shark' in Sumatran forest
Read the full article in the link below http://news.mongabay.com/2014/0528-hadin...-fish.html
Forests in Indonesia's concession areas being rapidly destroyed
1/3 Indonesia's land mass allocated for industrial development  *This image is copyright of its original author Forest clearing within areas zoned for timber, logging, oil palm, and mining accounted for nearly 45 percent of deforestation in Indonesia between 2000 and 2010, finds a new study that examined forest loss within industrial concessions. The research, published in the journal Conservation Letters, used a combination of satellite data and concession data to link specific activities to forest cover change. It found that of the 14.7 million hectares of forest cleared in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, the Moluccas and Papua during the 2000's, 6.6 million hectares occurred within industrial concessions: 1.9 million hectares in fiber plantations; 1.8 million ha in logging concessions, 1.6 million ha in oil palm concessions, 0.9 million hectares in concessions with overlapping zoning, and 0.3 million hectares in coal mining concessions. The study did not assess the roughly 55 percent of deforestation that occurred outside concession areas, but oil palm development, illegal logging, industrial and smallholder agriculture, other types of mining, and fire would account for the majority of that loss.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author Geographically, 48 percent forest loss within industrial concessions occurred in Kalimantan, followed by Sumatra (32 percent), Papua (12 percent), and Sulawesi (5 percent). Lowland forest accounted for three-quarters of forest loss in industrial areas. Peatlands conversion amounted to 21 percent of total loss. The study also looked at greenhouse gas emissions from concession development. Pulp and paper plantations were the single largest source of carbon emissions during the period, accounting for more than a third of total industrial emissions. Oil palm (28 percent), logging (22 percent), and mixed concessions followed. Drivers varied dramatically by island: in Sumatra fiber plantations amounted to nearly 60 percent of emissions, while the palm oil industry in Kalimantan accounted for about 40 percent. Logging concessions were the biggest source of industrial land use emissions in Papua, Sulawesi, and the Moluccas.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author While the study assessed what happened in the past in terms of forest loss and emissions, it also provides insight into the potential future of Indonesia's forests, including the extent of forest cover surviving inside and outside concessions. It found that almost 35 percent of the 77.4 million hectares of forest remaining in Kalimantan, Sumatra, Sulawesi, the Moluccas, and Papua lies within industrial concessions. 70 percent of that is within logging concessions, indicating the importance of these areas in efforts to curtail Indonesia's high level of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the authors.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author "Logging concessions retain ~33% of lowland forests (~15.5 Mha) and ~16% of peat swamp forests (~1.6 Mha) in Kalimantan, Sumatra, Papua, Sulawesi, and Moluccas," they write. "Gaveau et al. (2013) showed that logging concessions maintained forest cover as efficiently as protected areas, provided they were not reclassified for industrial plantation development. A growing number of studies also suggest that selectively logged forests might be valuable for biodiversity conservation. Indeed, well-managed logging concessions might present a realistic and cost effective strategy for forest protection in addition to protected areas." But developing strategies — and incentives — for maintaining forest cover requires good data. The authors note that is still lacking for Indonesia and call for greater transparency around land use to improve accountability around issues like deforestation and haze. They add that "clarifying land ownership and concession boundaries" would not only help address environmental problems, but "could also help reduce the level of social conflicts with local communities."  *This image is copyright of its original author CITATION: Sinan A. Abood, Janice Ser Huay Lee, Zuzana Burivalova, John Garcia-Ulloa and Lian Pin Koh. Relative contributions of the logging, fiber, oil palm and mining industries to forest loss in Indonesia. Conservation Letters DOI: 10.1111/conl.12103 http://news.mongabay.com/2014/0410-defor...areas.html
In rare first, striped hyenas sighted in Dudhwa tiger reserve
The intensive camera trappings at the Dudhwa tiger reserve have sprung up another surprise. For the first time, two packs of striped hyenas have been sighted in the reserve, thereby ushering hope for the endangered species. "This is the first confirmed presence of striped hyena in Dudhwa. It is known to exist in the Vindhyachal and Bundelkhand region," said deputy director, Dudhwa tiger reserve, VK Singh. The striped hyenas have been sighted in two ranges of the reserve — Sathiana and Bankati. The animal is protected under Schedule (III) of the Indian Wildlife Act (1972) owing to threat to its habitat and shortage of food. Wildlife enthusiasts see it as a signal of terai grasslands slowly becoming home to endangered, rare and migratory species. Earlier, Schedule (I) species like bengal floricans and elephants, and non-resident large Indian civet and king cobra were also sighted in the terai belt. The latest tiger census has also shown higher count of the big cat in the Dudhwa reserve. Former director of Project Tiger, RL Singh, termed the sightings as a significant development for the reserve. "Hyenas' existence is supported by primary level hunters like tigers, leopards, wolves and jackals. If hyena number is increasing it shows that primary level hunters too are growing in numbers," said Singh. Hyenas eat leftovers by primary level hunters. Jackals have already been recorded hunting cheetals in Dudhwa. And now hyena also being spotted, Dudhwa is gradually becoming a home for secondary level carnivores as well. "Hyena has a strong jaw. It's the only animal which can crush the bone of buffaloes," said Singh added. The growth in human settlements near the Dudhwa reserve could also be the reason behind the presence of hyenas in terai region. Hyenas feed on animal carcasses and are known to exist closer to human settlements or areas with cattle population. At least 22 Tharu villages along the Dudhwa and vast sugarcane fields near its boundary provide enough food for scavengers. "We will depend on Wildlife Institute of India to help us study the findings of ongoing census and data collected by us," said Dudhwa's deputy director. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/...574745.cms
Only three Great Indian Bustards sighted during census
It's wakeup call for all concerned as only three of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) were sighted in the three-day annual estimation exercise in Warora, Chandrapur from July 15-17. Around 14 teams of forest staff scanned GIB habitat in Bhadravati and Warora tehsils. "Our teams sighted one female on July 15 and two female birds on July 17 in Wanoja-Marda area. Last year, presence of seven GIBs was recorded. Low sightings do not mean their number has gone down," said RM Talande, RFO of Warora. Talande said due to low rains, the census time was not opportune. "This might be one of the reasons for poor sightings," he added. In Nagpur division, the exercise was not carried out seriously during July 10-12 and hence not a single bird was sighted. At a time when GIBs are getting rarer, the wildlife wing has launched a recovery project for the bird under which ministry of environment & forests (MoEF) has granted permission to fit platform terminal transmitters (PTTs) to these birds to know about their habitat. Talking to TOI, senior scientist of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Bilal Habib said he had placed orders for five more PTTs, which were expected from the US next month. "We fitted one male GIB with a solar-powered PTT. Its life was for six months. In September, we will fit one PPT to a female," said Habib. Two PTTs will be fitted to two birds in Nannaj bustard sanctuary. Remaining two transmitters will be fixed to two lesser floricons. Each PTT costs around Rs4 lakh. Of the Rs37 lakh project, Rs27 lakh has been paid to WII by the state government under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/...568899.cms  (07-18-2014, 11:30 AM)'Apollo' Wrote: In rare first, striped hyenas sighted in Dudhwa tiger reserve Amazing how a eco system thrives when the apex predators thrive.... [img]images/smilies/dodgy.gif[/img] Tell me again why we are still allowing people to hunt these animals????? This also shows that, if protected, nature will take care of it self, animals that we never see may start to appear again. If it thrived once, it can again if the conditions are right.
WCCB seizes wildlife species in joint raid
The western region of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, in a joint raid with Maharashtra forest department, seized two live baby crocodiles, 19 Indian tent turtles, 15 Indian star tortoises and 15 red eared sliders - an exotic species. The raid, led by BN Patil, deputy conservator of forests, Borivili division, alongwith the team from Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), was conducted at Thakur village in Kandivili (Mumbai) on July 18. Another team of WCCB was led by regional deputy director (western region) M Maranko. Wildlife inspectors Doki Adimallaiah and Rakesh Burman also took part. Crocodiles and Indian tent turtles are listed in Schedule I and star tortoise are listed in Schedule IV of the wildlife (protection) act, 1972. Trade, possession, transport, sale or offer of sale of an animal species listed in Schedule I attracts minimum 3 years and maximum 7 years of punishment, which may extend to three years. Three persons were arrested including main accused Immanvel Raja (28) of Dharavi, who transported live animals in his uncle Peppin's autorickshaw. After interrogation, another accused Rishi Jaiswal, who works in an aquarium shop at Kurla East, was also arrested and all the three were produced before the court. Maranko said WCCB received intelligence information which was shared with the state forest department and the joint raid was organized to nab the culprits involved in selling and smuggling of live animals. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/...802992.cms
Illegal wildlife trade along the Burma-China border - in pictures
Check the link below for the full article http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2...ina-border Some pics  *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 
New spider named after city naturalist
Check the link http://www.punemirror.in/pune/others/New...184086.cms
We Are In Early Stages of Sixth Mass Biological Extinction Event: Scientists
Check the link to read the full article http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/we-are-early-st...ts-1458255
Sanctuary Asia12 hrs · Edited ·Is India planning to drown the very forests in Nepal that could stabilise Himalayan slopes? What is it with our successive governments that hypnotises them into believing they are more powerful than the forces of nature? Not satisfied with our plans to drown our own forests for hydro-power, we are now luring Nepal into the maelstrom.http://www.thethirdpole.net/planned-deve...de-damage/
http://www.thethirdpole.net/planned-deve...de-damage/Home > Blogs > Planned development key to reducing landslide damagePlanned development key to reducing landslide damageArun B. Shrestha, Narendra R. Khanal, Mandira Shrestha, Hari Krishna Nibanupudi, David Molden 05.08.2014 · 1 Comment  *This image is copyright of its original author By Arun B. Shrestha, Narendra R. Khanal, Mandira Shrestha, Hari Krishna Nibanupudi and David MoldenIn the early hours of 2 August 2014, a landslide occurred above Jure village, about 1.4 km upstream of the Sunkoshi Hydropower project’s intake site. In an instant, a 1.9 km long slope of land perched 1,350 metres above the river bed collapsed.The massive landslide created a high dam across the Sunkoshi river. A river gauging station of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) at Pachuwarghat about 38 km downstream of the landslide dam showed a rapid decline in water flow three hours after the landslide, after which the flow of water completely stopped for approximately 12 hours. *This image is copyright of its original author Discharge and water level at a river gauging station in Pachuwarghat on 2 August 2014 (Source: http://www.hydrology.gov.np)An inflow of about 160 cubic metres per second (cusec) of water quickly created a large lake behind the dam. Within 13 hours the newly formed lake – which rapidly grew to a volume of an estimated seven million cubic metres – extended about three km upstream, completely submerging the 2.6 MW Sanima hydropower station.Had Nepal’s security forces not taken timely action to release some of the stored water through controlled explosions, the backwater would have extended further upstream and caused great damage in Barabise, the nearest upstream town.However, the risk that the dam will breach still remains, bringing with it the threat of a catastrophic flood. Nepal’s Home Ministry has declared the area a ‘flood crisis zone’, and has issued a warning to communities downstream, with many vulnerable villages being evacuated.It cannot be predicted when and how the landslide dam will erode and how the stored water will be released. However, it is probable that the Arniko Highway, a major trade link between China and Nepal with exchange that stands at nearly at 38 million Nepali rupees per day (nearly $400,000), will remain blocked for a long time. *This image is copyright of its original author Mosaic of Google Earth images showing the landslide, inundation area, and major hydropower installations along the river corridorThis could mean serious medium-term impacts for Nepal. Damage from the landslide has already interrupted power supply from several hydropower plants in the valley, including the Sunkoshi and Bhotekoshi power plants, adding to the country’s power crisis.Monitoring hazards to prevent disastersThis is not the first time the Sunkoshi valley has experienced a lethal flood, and this is certainly not the last time. Like many places around the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, the Sunkoshi’s weak geological formation and steep topography combined with frequent intense rainfall and the increasing impact of climate change makes it prone to different types of water-induced hazards, including landslides.Over the last 30 years, the Sunkoshi valley has experienced three major floods. In 1982, a landslide dam outburst flood (LDOF) in the Balephi river, a tributary of the Sunkoshi, killed 97 people. Another flash flood in 1987 killed 98 people, and a 1996 flood swept away Larcha village, killing 54 people.The valley is also vulnerable to the outburst of growing glacial lakes located in the northern part of the catchment in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. In 1981, the Zhangzangbo glacial lake located 20 km upstream of the Nepal-China border breached; the resulting flood caused extensive damage in Nepal from the border down to the village of Dolalghat.Landslides and other natural disasters are also common outside the Sunkoshi valley. Nepal alone experienced 13 large landslides between 1967 and 2010, the most recent being the 2010 Madi landslide in central Nepal.Recent natural disasters across the Hindu Kush Himalayan region include the Swat valley flash flood and Attabad landslide in Pakistan in 2010; the 2012 Seti flash flood in Nepal; the Uttarakhand flash floods in June 2013; and the landslide in Badakhshan, Afghanistan this May.Although we cannot control natural hazards like landslides and floods, there are many things that can be done to minimize their adverse impact on lives, livelihoods, and valuable infrastructure. More efforts to map landslide risks are needed, and much more frequent monitoring of potential landslide sites is necessary. Both will help in designing mitigation measures and reducing risks.In hindsight, photos from 2013 show a number of scars along the mountain slope in Jure. If there had been an appropriate monitoring mechanism in place, measures could have been taken to raise awareness about the potential of a larger land slip. While the exact timing and size of landslides are difficult to predict, potential landslide areas can be mapped relatively accurately and the approximate size of the potential landslide can be calculated. *This image is copyright of its original author A landslide above Jure in 2013 (left); the same landslide after the bigger landslide on 2 August 2014 (right) (Photo: Rocky Talchabhadel/Department of Hydrology and Meteorology)Knowledge and information from past disasters can also support disaster risk management. Regular monitoring of hydrological and meteorological variables generates valuable information that can be fed into hydrological models. These models can be used to provide information about areas at risk of inundation during a flood event, including for potential glacial lake outburst floods. This type of analysis can be used in zoning river corridors and preparing land use plans.Putting planning into practiceWhile zoning and land use planning are essential elements of risk management, these efforts are futile if not properly implemented. Despite an entire village being washed away by the 1996 Larcha flood, a village has been resettled in the same location. With these settlements constructed along the flood plain, many households remain at risk of being destroyed in future floods.Even commercial enterprises are taking calculated risks, with a mini-hydropower project now constructed in Larcha. In areas with significant commercial activity like Khadichaur, the construction of settlements along the flood plain has increased in the past decade. *This image is copyright of its original author Google Earth image of Khadichaur village in the Sunkoshi valley in 2000 (top) and 2012 (bottom). In this stretch of just 1 km, at least four settlements were constructed in high hazard zone areas in 12 yearsAcross the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, improper or insufficient planning of infrastructure and settlements has put lives and investments in harm’s way. It is believed that unregulated and haphazard development is partially to blame for the severity of the 2013 Uttarakhand disaster. During such events infrastructure may also create additional risks, for example when stored water is released from hydropower reservoirs into river channels that are already full.The 1981 GLOF in the Sunkoshi valley showed the value of proper planning. Following the 1981 flood, more than $3 million was spent to rebuild the Arniko highway. During this process, the 27 km stretch of road damaged by the flood was raised 20-30 metres above its previous position, and the three destroyed bridges were replaced with arc structures. Both moves reduced the potential losses of infrastructure during future floods.Enhancing cooperation to reduce riskBecause of the transboundary nature of rivers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, events of a large magnitude often impact more than one country. The government of Nepal has informed the government of India about the potential threat of flooding should there be a sudden outburst of the temporary lake formed behind the landslide dam. Recognizing the risk for communities downstream, all of the gates of the Saptakoshi barrage, which is under the control of the government of Bihar, were opened. The Bihar government has sounded a flood alert in eight districts and have begun the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people living along the Koshi embankment in India.The governments of China and India have already offered technical support to the government of Nepal in its response to the Sunkoshi event. China has good experience in managing mountain hazards, including a landslide following the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake that blocked a valley. Their technical expertise would prove invaluable in managing the massive landslide in the Sunkoshi valley.However, this cooperation should be extended beyond this particular event to long-term transboundary collaboration in managing risks, including in regular monitoring and assessment of potential risks and the implementation of early warning systems.The scale of the Sunkoshi landslide is beyond the capacity of local communities to manage alone. However, national governments must promote the central role of communities in landslide risk management, including preparedness, adaptation and mitigation. This is especially true in remote areas where limited access can delay national disaster response efforts.Consultation with local communities and the use of indigenous knowledge is crucial, particularly in the case of landslides. Use of indigenous knowledge in scientific and technical risk assessments can strengthen the resilience of communities, help communities take decisions informed by their own knowledge, and, when combined with scientific data, correct their own misperceptions about potential risks. This will help communities translate risk perceptions into enhanced preparedness for landslides and other hazards.
The African elephant just 'might' have the keenest nose in the animal kingdom.
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/...a-science/ We’ve long known that African elephants have a great sense of smell—but a new study shows that the large mammals have truly superior schnozzes. Compared with 13 other mammal species studied, African elephants have the most genes related to smell: 2,000 That’s the most ever discovered in an animal—more than twice the number of olfactory genes in domestic dogs and five times more than in humans, who have about 400, according to research published July 22 in the journal Genome Research. The previous record-holder was rats, which have about 1,200 genes dedicated to smell. Why so many? “We don’t know the real reason,” study leader Yoshihito Niimura, a molecular evolutionist at the University of Tokyo, said by email. But it’s likely related to the importance of smell to the poorly sighted African elephant in interpreting and navigating its environment. For instance, smell is a crucial sense for the functioning of an elephant trunk, which acts like a hand as it grips food and other objects. (Related: “Elephants Use Their Trunks to Ace Intelligence Tests.”) “They use olfaction to quest the outer world, which may drive [their] superior sense of smell,” Niimura said. “Imagine the situation [in which] we have a nose on our palm!” Sniffing Out Genes The team wanted to discern smell-related genes for as many species as possible, but very accurate genome information is available for only 13 mammal species, he said. The team ran a special computer program that identified the elephant’s 2,000 olfactory genes. In doing so, they also wanted to get a better understanding of the function of these genes. Their analysis revealed that over the course of evolution, one ancient gene dedicated to smell has created as many as 84 additional genes that the animals likely use to detect odors specific to their environment—for instance, the smell of certain foods on the savanna. (Get a genetics overview.) “On the other hand, some other genes are evolutionarily very stable, without any change in number and with very few changes in sequence. These genes [are likely] very important for the survival of any mammal,” said Niimura. He also emphasized that research on olfactory genes is still limited, and that another species—say, the Asian elephant—could very well break the African elephant’s record. Superior Smellers Overall, though, his research supports behavioral studies that show African elephants have an incredible nose for detecting odors. For instance, studies have revealed that African elephants can distinguish between the scents of two ethnic groups in Kenya: the Maasai and the Kamba. (Related: “Elephants Know How Dangerous We Are From How We Speak.”) “Maasai men spear elephants to show their virility, while Kamba people are agricultural and give little threat to them; therefore, elephants are afraid of Maasai men,” he said. Joyce Poole, co-founder of the conservation group ElephantVoices, also referenced this ability of elephants to distinguish between tribes. “This is a fascinating study that confirms what we have observed in the field,” Poole, also a National Geographic explorer, said by email. (See National Geographic’s elephant pictures.) “If the wind is blowing in the correct direction, elephants can pick up the scent of humans … from over a kilometer [0.6 mile] away or detect and find the exact location of a tiny sliver of banana from over 50 meters [160 feet] away,” she said. In addition, “experimental studies show that by sniffing urine-soaked soil, elephants can discriminate between and keep track of the location of family members. “Want to know what is going through the mind of an elephant? I have always said: Watch the tip of its trunk.”
Great find brotherbear, It would be great if you also post some content from the linked website and then paste it.
South Africa is cracking down on poachers - big time. A convicted rhino poacher
was sentenced to 77 in prison. Its about damn time governments took a hard line stance against poaching. Hopefully this sends out the message killing protected wildlife for profit will cost dearly. Other governments should take note.
I think African rahino will be in first few species which is going to be disappear in wild within decade
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