Nature

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From bush to butcher: the game meat value in northern Tanzania

  In just four years Tanzania has rolled out an ambitious suite of regulations to address its poaching crisis and ensure ordinary people can benefit from sustainable, safe, and legal trade in wild meat. If successfully applied, the GMSR hold the potential to holistically address threats to both people and wildlife, connecting issues such as poaching, zoonotic and other food borne diseases transmission, climate change, poverty, sustainable development, and alternative livelihoods.” Qudra Kagembe, TRAFFIC East Africa’s Project Officer and lead...

World albatross Day 2024

  Did You Know – the albatross has one of the widest wing spans of any bird! The albatross, as a seabird, gets caught in many fishing lines…..which result in them drowning! “The Albatross Task Force, led by BirdLife International and its UK partner, the RSPB, is an international team of experts on a mission to reduce seabird bycatch by 80% in some of the world’s deadliest fisheries. For more info click here  In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient...

Tuesday Tree Talk | Trees as habitats

    We know that trees are excellent carbon store, slowing or stopping soil erosion. There’s more aspects too….. Trees support the lives of many large organisms. are used for food, shelter, and sites for reproduction. are used for resting, nesting and for places from which to hunt or capture prey. When the trees mature, animals are able to enjoy delicious fruits and foraging opportunities....

Creature Feature | Red kites were once persecuted …..

Red kites were considered vermin across Britain and Ireland during the 16th century and their numbers were rigorously controlled. While public perceptions have changed, gamekeepers and farmers still illegally shoot, poison and trap red kites for the perceived harm they cause to livestock and game. In company with many other species of bird and mammal, they were seen as a direct threat to food supplies at a time when the human population was growing. There are now Red Kite re-introudction...

First ever Vietnam bird race

More than 120 avid nature lovers and photographers gathered in the wetlands of Tràm Chim National Park located in the Mekong Delta to take part in the very first, Việt Nam Bird Race. The race was jointly organised by Tràm Chim National Park, WildTour, Việt Nam Wildlife Photography Club and BirdLife International, with sponsorship from Mapletree Investments and Canon Vietnam. Additionally, the event also drew over 80 school children from Ðồng Tháp province to participate in an art competition focusing...

Creature Feature | How birds fly…..?

Why Do birds fly? Birds are ready to fly at any moment in order to escape from predators or to catch prey. It is essential for them to preen their feathers in order to also remove mites, ticks, and other parasites. Q. How does a bird fly forward by moving its wings up and down? A: Birds have feathers on their wings, called “primary feathers,” which help them fly forward. Primary feathers have a difference in width on the right...

Indonesia names its eighth Wetland of International Importance

  Indonesia has designated Menipo Nature Recreational Park as its newest Wetland of International Importance. This “Ramsar Site” (Site no. 2543 on the “Ramsar List”), established in 2010 as a National Recreation Park, is located in Nusa Tenggara Timur Province. Its coastal wetlands include mangroves and intertidal mud, sand and salt flats. The Site includes Menipo Island, which is separated from the island of Timor by a narrow strait and features freshwater lakes and marshes. Menipo Island provides habitat for vulnerable...

TREE TUESDAY | The cabbage tree

The cabbage tree is one of the most distinctive trees in the New Zealand landscape, especially on farms. They grow all over the country, but prefer wet, open areas like swamps. Commonly known as the cabbage tree, or by its Māori name of tī or tī kōuka, is a widely branched monocot tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to 20 metres tall with a stout trunk and sword-like leaves, which are clustered at the tips of the branches...

Creature Feature | Richmond birdwing butterfly

  The Richmond birdwing butterfly  – Ornithoptera richmondia – is the largest subtropical Australian butterfly, found only in subtropical northern New South Wales and South East Queensland. Richmond birdwing butterfly populations have declined in Queensland since the 1920s following the loss and fragmentation of their habitats, mainly rainforests. The species is protected in Queensland, where it is classified as a threatened species at risk of extinction. The RBCN – Richmond Birdwing Conservation Network – hopes to recover the vulnerable Richmond...

Threatened species of parrots includes NZ unique bird

World day for parrots is May 31st. The most threatened parrots of the world include….  Kakapo (New Zealand): With its unique features,  is one of the most interesting birds of the world. See related post   Puerto Rican Amazon. … Blue-throated Macaw. … Sinú Parakeet. … Orange-bellied Parrot – … Coxen’s Fig Parrot – … Spix’s Macaw – … New Caledonian Lorikeet  ...

The unique otter

With World Otter Day,, the focus is on……. Groups of otters can be referred to as a bevy, family, lodge, romp, or raft when in water, indicating their social and playful characteristics. Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among other animals.  ...

The very unique (strange) ‘monotremes’

A previous post has explained why the platypus is so special.  This wild animal – often called a ‘freak of nature’ – and the echidna – together make up the ‘monotremes’ …. Monotremes are different from other mammals because they lay eggs and have no teats. The milk is provided for their young by being secreted by many pores on the female’s belly. The echidna The Short-beaked echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus is the only species of echidna in Australia. There are...

Loss of biodiversity a critical concern!

Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter. As humans put increasing pressure on the planet, using and consuming more resources than ever...