Nature

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Renewed efforts to save the tiger

“Save the tigers before they are silenced forever.” – Unknown “Global Tiger Day is a powerful reminder of the urgent need to protect tigers and their habitats. Born from the ambitious goals set at the 2010 Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit to double the wild tiger population, this day is a pivotal occasion to honour conservation efforts, rally communities worldwide, and inspire continued action to safeguard these majestic creatures. India’s pre-event celebrations across ten villages will include drawing competitions, storytelling, quizzes,...

Creature Feature | Australian bird, New Zealander too?

The Australasian swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus) is a species of swamphen (Porphyrio) occurring in eastern Indonesia), Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand. The New Zealand bird, known as the pūkeko, some believe to be a subspecies of the purple swamphen.   Establishment in New Zealand According to the Heather and Robertson Field Guide, the bird seems to have become established in New Zealand about 1000 years ago. According to Millener (1981), it invaded from Australia less than 1,000 years ago. It...

Hot Topic | Why shark fin soup is bad

  Many types of sharks are exploited for their fins, including endangered species such as the Scalloped Hammerhead and Great Hammerhead. Shark products can contain dangerous levels of mercury, presenting a public health risk. Read more here ...

Creature Feature | Unique ‘Tinker frog’ amongst many critically endangered

Several frog species are critically endangered OR presumed extinct – they gave NOT been spotted in the wild for years / decades despite surveys. One key reason is – disease: ‘ Faded out: What environments did Australian frog populations disappear from due to disease? ” By looking at historical and recent frog records across Australia, including from FrogID, we reveal how Australian frog distributions have changed in response to the introduction of a deadly pathogen. Globally, biodiversity is in trouble,...

Water Wednesday | How Plastic Pollution Harms Ocean Animals

Items like plastic bags, discarded fishing line and balloon strings are highly lethal to marine animals, who swim through them and become entangled. Turtles, seabirds and even dolphins get caught in these plastic traps. If they cannot swim and reach the surface, mammals that rely on regular breaths of air will eventually drown. For others, the plastic strings may choke them or cut off circulation to their limbs. We can save animals from entanglement by banning plastic bags and balloons,...

Tuesday Talk | ferns

  Ferns generally reproduce by producing spores. Similar to flowering plants, ferns have roots, stems and leaves. However, unlike flowering plants, ferns do not have flowers or seeds; instead, they usually reproduce sexually by tiny spores or sometimes can reproduce vegetatively, as exemplified by the walking fern....

Sharks… vital creatures of the ocean!

  Sharks are crucial to our marine ecosystems, a role often overshadowed by their scary reputation. Shark Awareness Day is marked on 14 July each year. Many Sharks Species Are Endangered. Great hammerhead shark (Critically Endangered) Sand tiger shark (Critically Endangered) Sandbar shark (Endangered) Blacktip reef shark (Vulnerable) Silky shark (Vulnerable) Nurse shark (Endangered) Whitespotted bamboo shark (Near Threatened) Brownbanded bamboo shark (Near Threatened) Coconuts Are More Dangerous Than Sharks. Sharks Can Lose More Than 30,000 Teeth In A Lifetime...

World Orca Day

Orcas are very, very special creatures….. Just check out the book by Eric Hoyt – Orca: The whale called killer  Here are some top facts about Orca Killer Whales? More like Killer Dolphins! How to identify an Orca. They are a top predator. Orcas have a similar lifespan to humans. Orcas are pregnant for 17 months. They travel great distances. Orcas have their own languages. Whales are warm-blooded like other mammals. A fatty tissue called “blubber” keeps them warm. Echolocation...

HOT TOPICS | Wildlife crime must receive a strong signal, for the Planet

Long jail term for Malaysian ex-police officer caught with Critically Endangered Pangolins Almost six years after he was caught for illegal possession of 81 pangolins, a former police officer has been sentenced to one of the longest jail terms Malaysia has meted out for a crime involving the world’s most trafficked mammal, reports TRAFFIC.  Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, director General of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (PERHILITAN), the agency responsible for Sharwandy’s arrest and successful...

Tuesday Plant Talk | Rescuing our vital plant species – refocusing on extinctions today

We are witnessing the unprecedented collision of deep time—the time of species evolution and the formation of complex mutualistic and other relationships—with the historical time of human-induced climate change and habitat destruction. Plants are fundamental to our sense of place, and their gradual disappearance not only disrupts the ecosystems on which we rely for survival, but also deeply ingrained forms of spiritual and communal belonging that we mourn. The observation – from among scientists, artists, humanists, and horticulturists – that...

Creature Feature | Emu

  Fast Facts about this incredible creature…. The emu is a species of flightless bird endemic to Australia, where it is the largest native bird. It is the only extant member of the genus Dromaius and the second-tallest living bird after its African ratite relative, the common ostrich. The emu’s native ranges cover most of the Australian mainland. The common ratite species include ostriches, emus, rheas, cassowaries and kiwis. Compare the eggs of different birds, including emu. Emus are the...

Habitat snapshot | All about ponds

Why ponds are good and important…. They add visual interest to your garden.  The pond can become a focal point They draw and help wildlife. They help gardeners They can hide street noise. They can cut down on mosquitoes. … But… They require time and labor to construct They cost money to create. They can pose a safety issue. Pond ecology vocabulary Some common pond myths Profile of a pond   Building your own pond Some charities working with ponds...

Plant Talk | What makes a tree a ‘tree’

We know that some of the world’s tallest trees are amongst the tallest/longest living things Coast redwood of California – Sequoia sempervirens – 116.07 m Himalayan cypress – Cupressus torulosa – 102.3 m In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are usable as lumber or plants above a...