WildAid's Top 5 Stories of 2013

#5- Ivory Busts
As the poaching crisis gained attention this year, the media reported on the ongoing smuggling efforts of illegal traders. CNN’s Ramy Inocencio reported on “one of the biggest busts of its kind in Hong Kong” when officials seized 1,120 ivory tusks and 13 rhino horns valued at more than $5.3 million.

 #4- Big Names Join Demand Reduction Campaigns
This past year saw several big names join the fight to reduce the demand for endangered wildlife products. The Clinton Global Initiative launched a campaign to save African elephants while the Obama administration sought input from NGOs, including WildAid to stop demand for products like ivory and rhino horn. The Duke of Cambridge spoke out in support of demand reduction, even in Mandarin, joining us in our latest message that also features iconic athletes David Beckham and Yao Ming.

 #3- Ivory and Terrorism
National security became the focus of several media reports as more evidence linked the trade in illegal wildlife products to groups including Somalia's al-Shabaab and Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army.

#2- Rhinos Killed in Record Numbers
Rhinos were poached at a record pace this year. Nearly 1,000 were killed in South Africa for their horns, up from a then record 668 in 2012 and 13 in 2007. The grim reports came directly from South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs and were tempered slightly in December with news that Thandi, a rhino who survived poachers taking her horn, is now pregnant.

 #1- Sharks Gain Respect 
In 2013 we saw children come together (on a beach) to protect sharks as well as some airlines pledging not to ship fins. Several states in America banned shark fin and even Hong Kong took a stand against shark in soup. However, news that China banned shark fin from state banquets two years ahead of a self imposed deadline sent a message around the globe that will put other governments on notice.

WildAid.org 

Biggest new animal discoveries of 2013

 

Thousands of species were scientifically described for the first time in 2013. Many of these were "cryptic species" that were identified after genetic analysis distinguished them from closely-related species, while others were totally novel. Below are some of the most interesting "new species" discoveries that took place or were formally announced in 2013. 

Click here for the complete list of discovered species in 2013

Salvador Dali and His Pet Anteater

Endangered Species Act Celebrates 40th Anniversary

For 40 years, the Endangered Species Act has protected America's imperiled plants and animals—from the carnivorous green pitcher plant of Southeastern wetlands, to the western snowy plover of northwestern beaches, to the iconic polar bear of the Arctic.

This video takes us through the successes the ESA has brought in the last four decades, and looks ahead to the work that still needs to be done. - See more at: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa40/#sthash.c4QSyBCm.dpuf

For 40 years, the Endangered Species Act has protected America's imperiled plants and animals—from the carnivorous green pitcher plant of Southeastern wetlands, to the western snowy plover of northwestern beaches, to the iconic polar bear of the Arctic.

This video takes us through the successes the ESA has brought in the last four decades, and looks ahead to the work that still needs to be done. - See more at: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa40/#sthash.c4QSyBCm.dpuf

There are approximately 2,140 species listed under the ESA. Of these species, approximately 1,515 are found in part or entirely in the U.S. and its waters; the remainder are foreign species.

The Endangered Species Act itself also needs protecting. Politics, commercial industry, and funding cuts threaten to weaken or choke the ESA's ability to protect endangered species. With more and more species being added the the Endangered Species list, now more than ever is it important that the ESA remain intact.

25 Most Endangered Species on Earth


Fish & Wildlife Service
Defenders of Wildlife
National Wildlife Federation
Sierra Club
World Wildlife Fund
Nature Conservancy

Season's Greetings!

B is for Butterfly

Check out this amazing poster of all 26 letters of the alphabet found on butterfly wings! There is also a variation of the alphabet poster featuring different animals. The website also provides the option to pick your own letter combination to make names or messages! The perfect gift for any nature lover!

Click here to purchase: ButterflyAlphabet.com

Happy Steve Irwin Day!

November 15th is designated for remembrance of one of the greatest friends an animal could ever have. Get your khakis on and tune in now to catch the live events at the Australian Zoo-

 Steve Irwin Day Broadcast

Crikey, we miss you, Steve!

Happy Veterans Day- Animals of War

Did you know dogs and horses weren't the only types of animals used in war? A variety of species were used to carry out different tasks such as detection, protection, therapy, and sledging.

Carrier Pigeons carried messages. Cher Ami saved 200 US troops by carrying a message 25 miles despite being blinded and shot twice.

Dogs pulling machine guns

Camel Corps

 Mule Team

Oxen Team

Canaries used to help calm wounded soldiers

Dolphins were used for locating underwater mines

Glow worms were collected and used to light maps and charts in the trenches in WWI

Circus Elephants were used to pull heavy loads and plow fields as horses and mules were taken off to war. They were also used in WWII to haul supplies through jungles, and across rivers and mountains. The movie Operation Dumbo Drop was based on a true story.

African Rats are being trained to sniff out landmines that still remain several years after the civil war in Mozambique. Rats are easy to train and their light weight prevents tripping any mines that may be in the search area.

As you can see, a variety of animals were used in war. No matter how big or small, they all played a significant role and were held with high esteem. Of course, behind every great animal there is a great handler as well. Whether 2 legged, 4 legged, feathered, finned, or furred, your dedication to your country is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Sources: Denver Post

GWPDA.org

Slate.com

BBC News

History.com

80-year-old Orca 'Speiden' missing, presumed dead

 

SEATTLE -- An 80-year-old Orca whale has been missing for about six weeks and Orca spotters are presuming her dead.

The Orca J8, also known as "Speiden," was last seen on Sept. 19 near Victoria and has not been seen the last two times the J Pod was in the Puget Sound's Saratoga Passage, officials with Orca Network said. Speiden has a distinct sound when she breathed and a notch at the base of her fin making her easy to identify, day or night.

"At 80 years old, she was right in the upper limits of longevity for females," said Howard Garrett, co-director of the Orca Network. "It was probably just a natural passing after a long life."

Garrett said that Speiden was not known to have any offspring during their studies, but it's hard to know for sure since their research didn't begin until after the whale capture era from 1966-1976, when dozens of whales were taken from the area waters.

"Over 40 were delivered from her family, so she may have lost several offspring during those years," Garrett said.

Garrett says Speiden is especially missed now that her J Pod and neighboring K Pod families have both been sighted in the Puget Sound waters this week.

"She was always great to have out there because she was so familiar," Garrett said. "We'll miss her. It's always reassuring to see the whales that we know and recognize out there. She was one of the ones that everybody who watched these whales knew very well."

The Orca Network said Spieden was not the most senior Orca in the pod. Orca J2, "Granny," is believed to be 102 years old.

Source: Komo News 

Just a lil reminder.....

..... to "Fall Back" today!!!

(for those that apply)

Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed tonight, and enjoy that extra hour of sleep!

Police dogs blessed during Tihar Festival

Blessing of the canines

Nepalese police dogs wear marigold garlands and vermillion pigment on Nov. 13 during the local Tihar festival in Kathmandu. Tihar is the Nepalese equivalent of Diwali, an important five-day festival celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs and Arya Samajists. Each day of the festival is dedicated to different religious figures including cow, crow and dog, which signifies the relationship between human beings, god and animals.

 

Source: Mother Nature Network 

What the duck is up with this traffic?

Traffic stops as over 5,000 ducks cross a road in Zhejiang, China.

Source: Pets.ie 

An important message from the White House

On a more serious note, President Obama speaks out against BSL stating that targeting a dogs breed is ineffective and a waste of resources-

We don’t support breed-specific legislation — research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are largely ineffective and often a waste of public resources.
In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at twenty years of data about dog bites and human fatalities in the United States. They found that fatal attacks represent a very small proportion of dog bite injuries to people and that it’s virtually impossible to calculate bite rates for specific breeds.
The CDC also noted that the types of people who look to exploit dogs aren’t deterred by breed regulations — when their communities establish a ban, these people just seek out new, unregulated breeds. And the simple fact is that dogs of any breed can become dangerous when they’re intentionally or unintentionally raised to be aggressive.
For all those reasons, the CDC officially recommends against breed-specific legislation — which they call inappropriate. You can read more from them here.
As an alternative to breed-specific policies, the CDC recommends a community-based approach to prevent dog bites. And ultimately, we think that’s a much more promising way to build stronger communities of pets and pet owners.

 A huge victory for ALL dog owners and dog lovers who have fought tirelessly against the monster that is BSL. Hopefully this will lead to more effective solutions and the reversal of state level BSL regulations.

Sources: LifeWithDogs.tv

TailsInc.com

Can Orcas keep pets?

We often observe fur seals or Dall's porpoises following groups of fish-eating orcas. But this group we saw some days ago had an unusual companion. A single Pacific white-sided dolphin was travelling with the orcas, as a normal group member, for at least 1.5 hours. At first we mistakenly thought he was a strangely coloured calf. This is amazing to us not only because of this weird companionship, but also because Pacific white-sided dolphins are rarely seen in this area. We have never observed them before in the nearshore waters of the Commander Islands. Perhaps this dolphin was travelling with orcas for a while and then followed them to our research area from offshore or more southern waters where this species is more common. The more you look closely at nature, the stranger it becomes.

Source: RussianOrca.org 

Orca Hunt Photo Series

Check out this amazing series of photos showing the final moments of 2 hour chase between an Orca and its prey, a bottlenose dolphin-

Source: DailyMail.co.uk

Laborador Beetriever

A specially trained sniffer dog helps keep Australian bee populations healthy by sniffing out a deadly bee disease called American foulbrood. 

Source: DogHeirs.com

Colorful new Tarantula species discovered

New to nature No 107: Typhochlaena costae 

Little is known about a new species of tarantula found in Brazil – but it is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. 

Click here for more

10 Month Old Orca Calf, Vicky, Dies At Loro Parque Tenerife

The reasons for this sudden death are still not known, but the veterinarians and experts are working on the necropsy to determine the causes. In recent days the Orca Ocean team, which everyday cares for the animals and monitors all their movements, had noticed changes in her behavior. For this reason, the leading experts in the field were consulted, including the chief veterinarian of Sea World who came especially from the United States to perform a check on Vicky.

Vicky is the second calf rejected by mother Kohana. Inbreeding is a possible contributor to death. 

Click here for more details

Motorcyclist Chased By Wolf

 

 "To me, it was more exciting than scary, I’ll put it to you that way. In my gut, I didn’t feel threatened at all. I would have felt threatened if I was walking or on a bicycle, but I knew I could outrun it. It also didn’t have a real aggressive feel. I don’t think it was after me, it was probably after the bike. That’s just the way I felt; I could have been wrong, I’m no wolf expert."

Click here for the full story and more pics of the chase 

GoPro Project New Zealand

An overview of some wildlife encountered and filmed with the GoPro HD Hero 2 & 3 cameras whilst out on the water looking for orca. Edited and filmed by Robert Marc Lehmann & Dr Ingrid N. Visser for the Orca Research Trust.

Don´t miss the "coming soon" GoPro Orca Project Teaser sequence at the end!

www.orcaresearch.org

Stunning footage!!!

Bloodsucking flies help scientists identify rare, hard-to-find mammals

The face of the blue bottle fly (Calliphora vomitoria). New research shows how this carrion-eater carries the mammals of the forest in his stomach. Photo by: J.J. Harrison.

Last year scientists released a study that is likely to revolutionize how conservationists track elusive species. Researchers extracted the recently sucked blood of terrestrial leeches in Vietnam's remote Annamite Mountains and looked at the DNA of what they'd been feeding on: remarkably researchers were able to identify a number of endangered and rarely-seen mammals. In fact two of the species gleaned from these blood-meals had been discovered by scientists as late as the 1990s. In the past, trying to find rare and shy jungle animals required many man hours and a lot of funding. While the increasing use of remote camera traps has allowed scientists to expand their search, DNA sampling from leeches could be the next big step in simplifying (and cheapening) the quest for tracking the world's mammals. But now a new study in Molecular Ecology adds another twist: flies. 

Click here to read more

Cornell University's biodiversity recordings made public

The Macaulay Library is the world's largest and oldest scientific archive of biodiversity audio and video recordings. Our mission is to collect and preserve recordings of each species' behavior and natural history, to facilitate the ability of others to collect and preserve such recordings, and to actively promote the use of these recordings for diverse purposes spanning scientific research, education, conservation, and the arts.

Shift in Wind Frees Trapped Orcas

Photo by Andy Moorhouse

During Thursday night, a shift in wind and tide opened up gaps in the ice through which the trapped Orca pod could escape the ice flow in Hudson Bay. Helicopters and ice hunters were sent out to confirm that they were no longer trapped in their breathing hole. No recent disturbances in the slush and no sightings of the Orcas since Thursday indicate that they have left the area. 

Orcas Trapped in Ice at Hudson Bay

Quebec - The race is on to rescue between eight to 17 orcas filmed trapped in ice near Inukjuak, northern Quebec. Activists are now urging Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), to step in and help the whales.

Video of the orcas who are spyhopping and appear stressed was originally sent to CTV by Lisa Di Ciero. Clement Rousseau then uploaded the video to his Facebook page, in the hopes of getting the killer whales some help.

 Rousseau said he posted Di Ciero's film, "hoping that the right person will see this video, a person that can help us to bring them back to the open water ..." 

Now the activist community is putting pressure on Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), to step in and seek a solution. Reminiscent of the 1988 grey whale rescue in Point Barrow, Alaska, that was featured in the film Big Miracle, activists are using social media to urge Canada to take action. 

 News of the trapped whales reached CTV Montreal who said "Residents of Inukjuaq are concerned that there is not enough open water for the whales to swim out." How many orcas are trapped remains unknown, but estimates put the number somewhere between eight to 17 mammals. 

 According to CBC News, DPO officials haven't decided yet what to do about the orcas. Johnny P. Williams of Inukjuak told the station he visited the whales, and they seem desperate for air. 

 "It is difficult to go near the ice since the waves from the whales are making it impossible," he said in Inuktitut. "The breathing hole is getting smaller and smaller. Their whole body jumps up for air." 

An airplane was dispatched to determine how far the whales were from open water. Williams reported, "the open ice is too far away for the whales to go on their own and only an icebreaker could help them out." 

In 2005, six killer whales trapped by thick ice in Russian waters died exhausted and wounded after an attempt to break free. Strong winds blew in ice floes which trapped the whales in shallow waters in the Sea of Okhotsk. It is unclear how the current pod of whales became trapped. 

Erin Cunliffe said that she has already called emergency fisheries of Canada and they have the information on the orcas. "All he could tell me," Cunliffe said, "was that they are doing something about it." 

Activists are urging people to call DFO's emergency number to request they intercede on behalf of the orcas. They can be reached at (877)-722-5346. 

Inukjuak is a northern village located on Hudson Bay at the mouth of the Innuksuak River in Nunavik. It is in the Nord-du-Québec region of northern Quebec, Canada. 

 Digital Journal has contacted DFO and we will update this story as it unfolds.

Update: Nathalie Letendre of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, told Digital Journal a short while ago that DFO is "aware of the situation and confirms that a pod of killer whales is trapped in ice near Inukjuak."

Letendre added, "a team of experts from DFO is working very closely with its partners in Nunavik to evaluate the situation. Situations where marine mammals are trapped by the ice are not unusual in the North."  

Digital Journal asked DFO if this situation is not unusual in the North, would you say then that DFO does not think the situation critical at this point?  
NL: By unusual, I mean that it is not the first time that marine mammals are stuck in the ice. DFO considers it important to be on site to evaluate the situation correctly. That’s why our experts are presently travelling in the direction of Inukjuak.

 Digital Journal also asked how available immediate help is and whether DFO has the resources to rapidly respond and assist these whales if needed. DFO has not yet responded to the question.

Source: DigitalJournal.com

Dancing With the Stars Judge Starts Animal Foundation

Just call her Captain Elf! Carrie Ann Inaba may be a Dancing with the Stars judge by day, but most other waking hours are spent caring for animals, including six dogs and cats she calls her own. This year, Inaba also fulfilled a lifelong goal of starting an animal foundation when she launched The Carrie Ann Inaba Animal Project, which aims to support the rescue, welfare and well-being of animals.

Source: People.com 

Bee Species Named After 'Big Bang Theory' Catchphrase

If you watch "The Big Bang Theory," you probably laugh every time Sheldon Cooper says the B-word: "Bazinga!"

Now, in one of those amusing science-imitates-art moments, "bazinga" has been officially dubbed a species of a bee.

The writers of the hit comedy probably never imagined that the persnickety physicist Cooper's favorite word would be immortalized in actual science.

But thanks to a team of Brazilian biologists, a Brazilian orchid bee is now known by the name Euglossa bazinga.

"The idea was to honor actor Jim Parsons and his brilliant interpretation of Sheldon Cooper," Dr. André Nemésio, a biology professor at the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia in Brazil told CNN.

"The show exaggerates a little bit, but in a sarcastic way, it shows how things do happen in the academic world," he added. "It is fantastic!"

Of course, it doesn't hurt that the name draws attention to these creatures.

"Many orchid-bee species inhabit forested areas that may soon vanish and, as a consequence, it is possible that the bees might disappear, too," Nemésio said.

"For many areas and many species, only a strong action from the society can reverse the extinction process. So, I think it is also a valid way to make people know about these wonderful creatures and the situation concerning their conservation status."

For his part, "Big Bang Theory" executive producer Steve Molaro responded in a press release: “We are always extremely flattered when the science community embraces our show. Sheldon would be honored to know that Euglossa bazinga was inspired by him. In fact, after ‘Mothra’ and griffins, bees are his third-favorite flying creatures.”

Source: CNN.com 

Rarest Dog in the World Photographed in the Wild

A rare New Guinea Singing Dog was seen by a group on an adventure trek on Western New Guinea Island. Photo: Tom Hewitt 

Tom Hewitt, who runs an adventure company in Papua New Guinea was out on an expedition when the group encountered the rarest dog on earth. Tom managed to take a photograph of the New Guinea Singing Dog. This may only be the second time the canine has been photographed in the wild in the last 25 years.

The ancient dog has the nickname "stone age dog", and they may be older than Australian dingos. There are 100 in captivity worldwide and it is unknown how many are in the wild.

Tom Hewitt, who has been living and working in SE Asia for the last ten years, is now based in Sabah and Sarawak from where he runs Adventure Alternative Borneo.  He was trekking with a group up the Star Mountains of Western New Guinea Island when they spotted the secretive singing dog.

Said Tom, "We watched it for around 15 minutes as it continued to watch us. It seemed as curious as we were but not particularly scared or nervous. What stood out was how healthy it looked upon closer examination with binoculars."

Tom's sighting is the first in the region. The rare dogs often live in remote, high elevations. They have an unusual reddish coat and are known for an ability to climb trees.

Source: DogHeirs.com