Category: News

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Iberian Lynx continues to recover

Back in 2002 there were only 94 Iberian lynx left in the wild. This wild cat had declined for a number of reasons, unfortunately all down to humans.

Wild Iberian lynx: tourism visits to see these cats have increased over the years.

The main threat to Iberian lynx was the loss of their main prey. Back in 1952 a doctor, fed up of rabbits overrunning his garden, introduced Myxomatosis. Myxomatosis is an illness, which kills rabbits. Within 2 years this illness had spread across Spain, and eventually went on to reduce the population by 95%.

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Super enzyme that eats plastic, now 6 times faster

I have written in the past, about a discovery made on a Japanese dump back in 2016 of a plastic eating enzyme. By working in the lab, scientists have been able to speed this process up 6 times, such that full recycling is thought to be possible of plastics within 2 years.

Could the days of sites like this – legal or otherwise, potentially become a thing of the past?
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Can Cheetah be saved by moving them around?

In South Africa, as much of the cheetah population as much of the cheetah population live either outside protected land or in reserves that are small, with space for only a few individuals. Cheetah, being small, cannot defend their kills from Leopards Lions and Hyena, as well as loosing many of their young to these bigger predators.

Could cheetah be saved by moving them around between the small reserves they inhabit?
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Might rising temperatures kill the Congo rainforest? Its a carefully balanced system

Recent studies have shown a potential problem for the Congo basin rainforest – one of the remaining “lungs” of the world.

It would appear that rising temperatures are having an adverse impact on the amount of fruit that is produced by this forest.

Forest elephants carry out many important tasks in the Congo basin. From dispersing seeds to knocking down small trees, the forest may well collapse without them
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In modern day Africa Bonobos live south of the Congo river, and Chimpanzees live to the north – has that always been so?

Chimpanzees and bonobos look very similar to the untrained eye. Indeed, in the past it was not uncommon for them to be housed together, at least until the keeper saw the bonobo getting beaten over and over again.

On the left is a Chimpanzee on the right is a Bonobo (both male) Bonobos do look smaller, and they are far weaker so cannot usually fight back effectively
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10 years to save the worlds wilderness?

1/3 of the worlds species are threatened with extinction. There are many suggestions that this is just a natural process, but in recent decades it is not. This is not happening because of natural mechanisms, it is happening because of human behaviour. Indeed, while many of these species are being pushed to extinction through loss of habitat, there are many others that are disappearing because of overexploitation by humans.

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A forest is replanted after minister is found to have illegally cleared it

This story is extremely encouraging. Around the world, large plantation companies often encourage small holders to clear the land and then buy it from them.

This area of deforested land was within a protected area, and should never have been cleared

The idea that this behaviour of getting other people to clear the land is permissible is insane. I personally would like countries to punish illegal clearance by always requiring full reforestation at the cost of the guilty party – this would likely end the scourge of illegal deforestation (then we must start working on so called legal deforestation)

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Wildcats set to return to southern England 150 years since their extinction in England and Wales

Once common across the whole of the UK, they were hunted to extinction. Currently, just a handful remain in Scotland. While interbreeding between wildcats and feral domestic cats is normally rare, in the current situation feral cats outnumber wildcats 1000 to one, and as such the wildcat is essentially extinct.

Could wildcats roam an English county once again – as early as next year?

The farmer who is looking to reintroduce them, currently has 6 pairs, which he is hoping to increase to 150 individuals and to start reintroducing perhaps as early as next year.

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Elephants still under threat

According to the latest census, the elephant population of the Selous is now over 15,000! which sounds fantastic. Of course, you have to remember that this huge untamed wilderness once hosted over 100,000 elephants and that number comes into focus.

Initially set aside as a hunting reserve, increasing numbers of the concessions are going to those interested in photographic safaris.

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