Between 2015 and 2019 30 tonnes of ivory and 167 tonnes of pangolin scales were seized. This equates to roughly 4400 elephants dead, and 167,000 pangolins. As in other places, the illegal wildlife trade tends to bring in crime, with the same gangs handling humans drugs minerals and weapons..
Continue reading “Nigeria is becoming the clearing house for poached animals from throughout west Africa: they must stop it”The Colorado population has voted to reintroduce wolves, and how does this square with Trumps delisting of wolves in the USA
At the end of last year, the people of Colorado have voted to reintroduce wolves to the state by 2023. It should be noted that a wolf has been collared in the state in the last few months. It came from a neighbouring state, and therefore clearly wolves would return on their own eventually.
The proposal squeaked across the line with 50.4% of the vote. Now, this decision is complicated by Trumps foolish move to delist wolves throughout the USA, despite their current position. Estimates of the number of wolves in the USA when settlers arrived, range from 250,000 up to 2 million. Even if we assume the low end of the range, the current wolf population of the lower 48 states in the USA is just 6000, a number that we can safely say is at the most, roughly 2% of historical numbers.
Continue reading “The Colorado population has voted to reintroduce wolves, and how does this square with Trumps delisting of wolves in the USA”Liberia has huge areas of intact rainforest: some of the last in west africa. Now its under threat
After the civil war, the Liberian government made a sensible decision in giving communities control to conserve the rainforests around their villages.
Despite this exploration companies have started turning up with permits to explore. These are often dubious, but it is quite common that by the time a permit has been proved false, it is too late.
Continue reading “Liberia has huge areas of intact rainforest: some of the last in west africa. Now its under threat”Previously unknown group of blue whales found
Given how large they are, you would have thought that we would know about all populations of the blue whale, but it would appear not.
A new population has been found living in the Indian ocean. It was discovered, when a researcher off the coast of Madagascar, recorded their song, and it did not match any of the known songs.
Lion population expected to half in the wild during the next 15-20 years
While increasing amounts of land is given to wildlife in southern Africa and the lion population grows, unfortunately in east and central Africa the opposite is happening.
Unfortunately in west and central Africa, the lions (many of these lions are orphaned relict populations of the Asiatic lion, and therefore highly important) tend to live in fragmented and small groups cut off from others of their kind. If humans can reconnect these populations then the dramatic decline that is expected in this region, could be halted.
Continue reading “Lion population expected to half in the wild during the next 15-20 years”Use of tools: amongst insects
Asian honey bees are known to stick small pellets of animal poo to their hives, because it puts of hornets from attacking.
Given the incredible cleanliness of bee hives, this behaviour seems foreign, though given the incredible success of the scheme, perhaps it is a sacrifice that they have had to make.
Continue reading “Use of tools: amongst insects”It seems that the mara river is threatened as well as the ecosystem
There are many threats to the Serengeti mara ecosystem, from roads crossing to global warming and more. Unfortunately fish in the river are now being driven to extinction as well – putting the livelihoods of millions of people in jeopardy.
From farming deforestation mining illegal fishing and invasive species, there are many different factors damaging this population.
Continue reading “It seems that the mara river is threatened as well as the ecosystem”Last year a wolf was seen in Normandy for the first time on more than a century
Wolves were exterminated from France during the first half of the 20th century. However at the end of the century and the beginning of the 21st, wolves started to recolonise from their stronghold on the Italian peninsula.
The first wolves were sighted around 1996-7 back in France. In the 25 years since, the wolf in France has multiplied and spread.
Continue reading “Last year a wolf was seen in Normandy for the first time on more than a century”Indonesia has recently changed its rules, designating large areas once protected forests for food production
I wrote the other day, about the ability of brewing palm oil, rather than creating huge estates to grow it. Perhaps these two issues could be combined to solve both problems
Well a few months ago, Indonesia changed its regulations which would allow large areas of protected land to be cleared for food production.
Continue reading “Indonesia has recently changed its rules, designating large areas once protected forests for food production”The Cantabrian brown bear is returning, will it be allowed
Back around the 1900 there were around 1000 bears roaming the mountains of the Iberian peninsular. Unfortunately by 1950 this population had been reduced to two small populations consisting of 50-60 in one and perhaps as low as 14 individuals in the other.
