Dugongs are another animal that benefited from the lockdown

Dugongs, a close relation of the sea cow, have not done well over the last few centuries. In places like Australia they still live in large numbers. In places like Thailand though there are only thought to be about 250 remaining.

They particularly dislike motorboats and often get injured by them. The lockdowns have therefore been an incredible gift to these animals, and it is fascinating to see how quickly their behaviour changes where humans are absent.

A drone shot this image

This herd had about 30 individuals, but it is rare to see such a large herd near land.
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The UK has had much positive impact on conservation around the world, so why keep culling badgers despite the evidence?

Research done in the UK though not published (despite being completed 2 years ago) clearly shows that badgers are highly unlikely to infect cattle.

A highly popular species the government continues to blame them for a disease which at best they are a small factor in
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The Ugandan environmental authority allows clearing of Bugoma forest

Sugar cane companies managed to get the rights to the land on which this forest stands in controversial circumstances, yet they were given the right to clear the land.

Bugoma forest is an area which supports many chimpanzees and monkeys. Through a corrupt sale it is now going to be lost

Home to both around 5000 chimpanzees and Mangabeys, under the “common good of the citizens of Uganda act” from 1998, areas like this are held in trust and may not be leased out or sold by the government.

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A place where the African Lion lives alone

The stereotypical image of wild lions, is generally that of a group lying on there back in the middle of the open plains, snoozing.

However, this is not necessarily the most common way that lions would have lived. We have to bear in mind that this would not have been the standard behaviour everywhere. Lion population estimates from the past vary wildly, however it is reasonable to be confident in a wild lion population in the hundreds of thousands back in 1950. Different people will estimate anything from 200,000 up to 500,000.

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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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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
Continue reading “In modern day Africa Bonobos live south of the Congo river, and Chimpanzees live to the north – has that always been so?”
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