National Geographic

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Creature feature | Pangolin still in trouble!

This shy, scaly creature is the world’s most trafficked mammal—with more than a million pangolins poached in the past decade. Learn more about the pangolin, why all eight pangolin nspecies are at risk of extinction, and the conservation efforts needed to save them.  According to Nat Geo – Smuggling networks that once focused on ivory are increasingly turning to pangolins. From 2019 : It was a monumental win for pangolin conservation as all 8 pangolin species were uplisted to Appendix...

Hippos… beware the water horse!

  It’s World Hippo Day So…. on an overland trip in East Africa in the 1990s, my wife and I learned that the hippo – not the lion or elephant or rhino – is categorised as the most dangerous wild animal in the continent! Why? Those teeth and jaws are ultra powerful Some more facts about the hippo… “Hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius) are large, round, water-loving animals that are native to Africa. The word “hippopotamus” comes from the Greek word for...

Geography | Iceberg!

What is an iceberg? The iceberg is a famous natural phenomenon- made ‘famous by such films as Titanic An iceberg is a large piece of freshwater ice is floating freely in open (salt) water. To be an iceberg, the height of the ice must be greater than 5 m (16 ft) above sea level and the thickness must be greater than 30 m (100 ft) and the ice must cover an area of at least 500 square m (5400 sq...

Are there enough women in science? Does it really matter?

The election in the United States of America of the first woman Vice President has been applauded as historic.  While it begins to re-balance the gender  imbalance, it also highlights the gender issue – women , or the absence of, in high office – in the first place. In the field of nature conservation/ science/ etc , the high profile women are certainly there – Dr Jane Goodall  Dr Sylvia Earle  Susan Goldberg  Audrey Azoulay Mechtild Rosser Christine Lagarde However...

Snakes

Snakes – they are amazing, beautiful animals – they can also bring out the ‘fear and loathing’ in some people, as they have the potential to do real damage, but only of course if confronted or threatened. This sign I photographed recently – the classic ‘S’ movement – made my heart skip a beat, also as I was with a suitcase (strange I know, but ‘travel’ ). The late Steve Irwin ( above with Terri his wife), one of my...

Trees – global breathe machine!

The Dyerville Giant fell to earth in 1991. The Dyerville Giant was a 113-meter (370-foot) coast redwood tree, taller than the Statue of Liberty, in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California. The crash was so loud that people in the closest towns thought it was the noise of a big train accident. The redwood’s fall moved the earth so much that it registered on a nearby seismograph, a device scientists use to measure earthquakes. Dave Stockton, who runs the Humboldt Redwoods Interpretive Association, remembers visiting the downed redwood the day after it...

All about manta rays

Manta rays—highly intelligent and highly threatened—are the largest rays in the world. The sea creatures live in tropical, subtropical, and temperate ocean waters across the globe. “Manta” means blanket or cloak in Spanish, describing the look of the animals’ large, flat, diamond-shaped bodies, which are characterized by triangular pectoral fins. Manta rays have two horn-shaped fins protruding from the front of their heads, which has also given them the nickname “devil fish.” For decades, scientists thought there was just one...

COVID-19 impact on the animal kingdom

While the human tally of COVID-19 cases has risen, animal cases have remained novelties. As of this moment, you can count the affected species on one hand: lions, tigers, domestic cats, dogs, mink. The pets contracted the virus from their owners; the big cats, likely from an asymptomatic caregiver; and the mink, likely from fur farm workers or possibly other infected animals.Beyond that conclusion is a sea of unknowns. There’s no evidence that domesticated animals can pass the virus to humans, but there’s...

Crocodiles

World Crocodile Day: Experts call for patience regarding human-croc conflict At Australia Zoo they are all about caring for and conservation and raising awareness, for the saltwater crocodiles. Founder Steve Irwin, who used to live in a house , now his family run the Zoo, would be very proud. Down To Earth (DTE) spoke to crocodilian experts in four human-crocodile conflict hotspots in India: Vadodara in Gujarat, Kota in Rajasthan, Bhitarkanika in Odisha and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Vadodara, the third-largest...

Insects populations are crashing!

Insects and lights – now there’s a combination that we have you ducking for cover or scratching as they invade your garden. However, National Geographic reports, insects numbers are crashing – and life on earth would not be the same…. “It’s said that we live in the Anthropocene—an epoch defined by human impacts on the planet. Still, by many measures, it’s bugs that dominate the world. At any given moment, it’s been estimated, there are 10 quintillion insects flying, crawling, hovering,...

Beloved gorilla killed

Rafiki, the well-known and beloved male gorilla, has been killed due to an increase in illegal activities during the lockdown, according to National Geographic Poachers have killed a well-known mountain gorilla, delivering a setback to decades-long conservation efforts to pull the subspecies back from the precipice of extinction. After the gorilla went missing and its mutilated body was found, rangers tracked a suspect to a nearby village, where he was allegedly found with bushmeat as well as snares, a spear, and bells to...

World Oceans Day

Here’s a roundup of some of the many charities involved in conservation of and education for , in and about the oceans… World Oceans Day 2020 Marine Conservation Society UK produces the Good Fish Guide. Plastic Oceans uses science to engage people Mission Blue inspires action to explore and protect the ocean. Led by legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is uniting a global coalition to inspire an upwelling of public awareness, access and support for a worldwide network...

Top animal photos

Here are a selection of some of best websites featuring animal images… Photo Ark founded by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore has taken images of 10, 000 species in a bid to ‘show the world before it’s too late’ …. There are education resources called Photo Ark in the Classroom using Endangered Species, Storytelling and a special Save the Frogs project , all via the massive resource that is National Geographic The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition brings together...