Posts Tagged ‘In Africa’
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
After writing an article last week on if the UN was making a mistake in their plans for gorilla conservation, titled “Are Gorillas Doomed, Is the UN Making a Huge Mistake,” I got a lot of great feedback from readers. In the article I pointed out some of the things that we as individuals can do to help gorillas. Reader, naturalist, and artist Dave Derrick commented that there is an art for gorillas program on the Year of the Gorilla 2009 Website (http://www.yog2009.org) that he is a part of. Special thanks to Dave for pointing this out. You can check out Dave’s Artwork who’s proceeds go to gorilla conservation here. The art for gorilla program also has some fine photographic prints available for sale.
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Tags: About Animals, About Environment, Artwork, Dave Derrick, Feedback, Gorilla Conservation, gorillas, In Africa, In Europe, In Global, In The Americas, Lot, Mistake, Naturalist, Photographic Prints, Proceeds, Special Thanks
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Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Comparing DNA from seized ivory to an elephant DNA database is revealing new information on how poaching syndicates and illegal dealers are operating.
The development of a DNA forensics technique may prove to be a valuable weapon in the bloody war against elephant poaching.
According to BBC News, Professor Sam Wasser of the Center or Conservation Biology at the University of Washington is fighting back against these criminals using DNA collected from elephant dung and ivory to expose poaching hotspots.
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Tags: About Animals, About Science, Bbc, Bbc News, Bloody War, Conservation Biology, Criminals, Csi, Dna Database, Dna Forensics, Elephant, Elephant Dung, Elephant Ivory, Elephant Poaching, Illegal Dealers, In Africa, Professor Sam, Syndicates, University Of Washington, Wasser
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Saturday, August 1st, 2009
A shocking undercover journey reveals that a poaching cartel known as ‘The Crocodile Gang’, led by Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa, is slaughtering rhinos and elephants to fulfill ‘requests’ for horn and ivory.
Dubbed the Crocodile Gang, this cartel - whose existence can be revealed by the Mail today - is behind the ‘industrial-scale slaughter’ of black rhinos, prompting warnings that the species will be hunted to extinction in the region within two years.
And the “godfather” of the poaching cartel is said to be Emmerson Mnangagwa - known by locals now as “The Crocodile.” Also referred to as “The Butcher of Matabeleland”, he is the architect of Zimbabwe’s terrifying state security apparatus, creator of Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Office (CIO) - and rumored to be next in line for president after Mugabe.
Probably risking his life, Andrew Malone, a writer for The UK’s Daily Mail, reports that he went undercover, posing as an overseas buyer of illegal rhino horn to dig deeper into the widespread rhino massacre that stands to wipe out an entire species. What he reveals is an appalling world of cruelty, corruption, death threats - and the consequences suffered by those who have tried to speak out.
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Tags: About Animals, Andrew Malone, Black Rhinos, Cartel, Central Intelligence, Chinese Nationals, Crocodile, Daily Mail, Death Threats, Elephant Ivory, Emmerson Mnangagwa, In Africa, In Asia, Intelligence Office, Mail Reports, Mugabe, Overseas Buyer, Rhino, Rhino Horn, rhinos, S Central, Security Apparatus, State Security
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Thursday, July 30th, 2009
Ecologists and biologist who study the world’s flora and fauna have been reporting a species decline amongst amphibians for over a decade or more. This decline has been attributed to a combination of habitat loss and diseases (a fungus pandemic, a virus). A 2007 paper (Becker, et al) made a case for “habitat splitting” wherein certain Brazilian, Amazon frog species that are born in water, but then occupy land ecosystems as adults, are “cut off” from making this transition, due to human road building and development.
And yet, despite this trend, there remain biological (or biodiversity) “hot spots” around the globe in which a great many amphibian species are found to be thriving in the same ecosystem. In some cases, such hot spots offer potentially hundreds of new species for discovery and analysis. One such hot spot is the island of Madagascar. It is an “Eden” for amphibians.
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Tags: 4270, About Animals, Amphibian Species, Amphibians, Becker, Biodiversity Hot Spot, Biologist, Brazilian Amazon, Diseases, Ecologists, Ecosystem, Eden, Flora And Fauna, Frog, Frog Species, Fungus, Habitat Loss, Hot Spots, In Africa, Island Of Madagascar, Land Ecosystems, Pandemic, Species Decline
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Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
Hungary villagers have been caught stealing meat from the nearly extinct lions of Waza National Park.
The villagers likely scare off the lions with sticks or fire shortly after they make a fresh kill. Researchers fear the practice may be more common than previously thought, and it may help explain why lion numbers are plummeting in Cameroon.
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Tags: About Animals, Hungary, In Africa, Lion, Lions, People
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