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Post by clone on May 30, 2012 18:38:02 GMT -8
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Post by moabiter on Jun 7, 2012 11:20:33 GMT -8
Searching For A Ghost Bird - Friday, December 23rd, 2011 This is the only known photographic documentation of the Imperial woodpecker, a 2-foot-tall relation of the Ivory-billed woodpecker. Found in a mountain range in Mexico, the Imperial is highly endangered, if not extinct. William Rhein, a dentist and amateur ornithologist who captured the bird on film in the 50s, wasn't pleased with the footage, and never publicly released the film. Tim Gallagher, editor-in-chief of Living Bird magazine, describes how the film was found and how it inspired Gallagher to pay a visit to the very same area a half century later. www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201112235
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Post by surgery 4sturgeons on Jun 17, 2012 5:54:27 GMT -8
Reintroducing European sturgeon in the Rhine River 05/22/2012 Seventeen sturgeon were released on 9 and 10 May 2012 in Rotterdam and Milligen in the Netherlands (a few kilometres from the German border) for reintroduction into the Rhine River. The EPBX research unit at Irstea Bordeaux participated in this operation to restore the river's biodiversity... Transmitters were placed in the fishes' body cavities wha- Sturgeon are a species that almost disappeared following the excessive exploitation of its caviar and the deterioration of water quality. Various programmes for saving the sturgeon since the mid-1970s have succeeded in delaying the extinction of this species The remaining fish will be transported to the Netherlands in mid-June for a second release. www.irstea.fr/en/reintroducing-european-sturgeon-rhine-river
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Post by clone on Aug 12, 2012 21:54:03 GMT -8
Snail believed extinct found in Cahaba River by student August 8, 2012 Shown is a live Oblong Rocksnail from the Cahaba River in Bibb County, Ala. The freshwater snail, declared extinct in 2000, was recently rediscovered by a University of Alabama graduate student. phys.org/news/2012-08-snail-believed-extinct-cahaba-river.html
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Post by clone on Aug 13, 2012 5:42:04 GMT -8
Photos prove rare Sumatran rhino is still alive Seven of the world's rarest rhinoceroses have been found in a national park in Indonesia. This is the first time the creatures have been seen in 26 years. Deforestation is still pushing the Sumatran toward extinction. Hidden cameras buried deep in an Indonesian national park have snapped images of seven critically endangered Sumatran rhinos. The rhinos haven't been seen in more than a quarter of a century and conservationists had feared the Sumatran was extinct. But, six females and one male rhino are now known to live in the Mount Leuser National Park, which is on the northern tip of Sumatra. www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,16158200,00.html 10.08.2012
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Post by clone on Sept 24, 2012 9:56:49 GMT -8
Meet the man recording the sound of extinction - updated 12:50 AM EDT, Fri September 21, 2012 (CNN) -- He provided the sense of dread to Martin Sheen's journey upriver in "Apocalypse Now," but for musician and soundscape ecologist Bernie Krause the authentic sound of the wild can be more disturbing than any synthesized film score. www.cnn.com/2012/09/20/world/eco-sound-ecology-bernie-krause/index.html"The overwhelming evidence is that the wildcat is going to be extinct within months, anything else is blind hope." www.facebook.com/Thelifecairn
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Post by clone on Oct 6, 2012 18:52:28 GMT -8
We can't help but reiterate our concerns about the last 55 Maui's Dolphins which could soon become extinct unless full measures are taken to protect them. The New Zealand government is expected to announce their Threat Management Plan in November. We now have over 3,400 "Let's Face It" Visual Petitions, with just 2,100 needed to reach our goal of 5,500. Time is running out for both critically endangered Maui's and Hector's Dolphins. www.lets-face-it-dolphins.com/news-blog/article-44-2012-09/through-the-dolphins-eyes-by-dove-joans
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Post by 12days on Dec 8, 2012 6:51:17 GMT -8
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Post by clone on Dec 15, 2012 8:08:34 GMT -8
Rare Singing Dog Photographed in New Guinea? Elusive canine was feared extinct in mountain habitat. A rare dog may finally be having its day: The New Guinea singing dog, an elusive canine related to the Australian dingo, has been possibly spotted in New Guinea. Feared extinct in its highlands habitat, the singing dog—whose name comes from its coyote-like howls—was last photographed in the wild 23 years ago. At least 200 captive singing dogs live in zoos and as pets around the world, descendants of a few wild dogs captured in the 1950s. But the animals—which resemble a domestic dog breed called the Shiba Inu—are severely inbred due to a lack of new genes. In September, members of an Adventure Alternative Borneo tour group hiking the remote Mandala Mountain in West Papua, Indonesia (map), were surprised to see a tawny, thick-coated dog staring at them from a hillside. "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," tour director Tom Hewitt wrote on his blog. news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/12/121213-singing-dog-sighting-new-guinea-rare-animals-science/
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Post by basenji on Dec 15, 2012 8:19:36 GMT -8
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Post by clone on Dec 22, 2012 8:38:53 GMT -8
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Post by Lazarus taxon on Jan 5, 2013 7:59:57 GMT -8
The Coelacanth is the most famous of all “living fossils” and deserves to be #1 in this list, because it is the best example of a “Lazarus taxon”, this is, animals that were supposed to be long extinct and are unexpectedly found to be alive. Coelacanths were supposed to have become extinct in the Cretaceous period, along with the dinosaurs, but in 1938, a live specimen was caught in South Africa. Since then, more specimens have been seen and photographed, and a second coelacanth species was even found in Indonesia in 1999. Coelacanths are large predators, up to 2 meters (6′ 6″) long; they feed on smaller fish, including small sharks, and are usually found in deep, dark waters. Although rarely captured and consumed due to their horrible taste, coelacanths are critically endangered nowadays. listverse.com/2010/05/14/top-10-prehistoric-fish-alive-today/
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Post by gnu on Jan 11, 2013 6:23:52 GMT -8
Flying Frog: New Species Found In Vietnam The Australian biologist has found a new species of flying frog near Vietnam's busiest city. 5:59pm UK, Thursday 10 January 2013 A new species of flying frog which can glide from tree to tree using its webbed hands and feet as parachutes has been discovered. Despite living in a small patch of lowland forest only 90km from Vietnam's largest city, Ho Chi Minh, the bright green 10cm frog has managed to evade scientists until now. news.sky.com/story/1036070/flying-frog-new-species-found-in-vietnam
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Post by on eating pandas on Jan 18, 2013 14:59:45 GMT -8
Shark finning must stop now January 15, 2013 7:54 PM Author: Dr. Reese Halter Since 2006, 26 million to 73 million sharks have been slaughtered annually, making for a total of nearly half a billion dead animals. That means as many as 90 percent of sharks around the globe have been decimated in the vast open oceans. Poachers are now even hunting sharks in reserves like Columbia’s Malpelo Wildlife Sanctuary. When top predators are removed, there’s a dreadful reverberation that results throughout entire ecosystems. Predators keep ecosystems in balance. They cull the old and weak — essentially ensuring a high level of fitness amongst their prey. When humans brutally massacre sharks for their fins (finning them alive and throwing them back into the sea) food webs unravel. Currently, we are knowingly impoverishing all oceans. As a result, jellyfish populations are exploding and new diseases are emerging. Since 2006, approximately 1.7 million tons of shark meat has been harvested annually. Exactly what’s going on? There’s a burgeoning middle-class in East Asia with large disposable incomes fueling the demand for these heinous acts of environmental crimes. Shark fins, which are cartilage and have no food value, are winding up in Asian soup bowls for $56 a serving. It’s considered a status symbol, one that was traditionally reserved for either royalty or very high levels of society. Today, it has become the dish central to middle-class banquets and weddings. At this rapacious rate of killing 73 million sharks per annum, all shark species (approximately 400) and all rays (about 400 species) will be extinct by 2030 or sooner. more: www.smdp.com/shark-finning-must-stop-now/116723
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Post by yup on Mar 7, 2013 19:50:49 GMT -8
** a call for comments that ends March 10th **I am writing with regards to the Fowler's Toad Recovery Strategy, the goal of which is to protect Fowler's Toads and increase the toads' population size. Specifically, I am writing to ask you to revoke the Molinaro Group's permits for the proposed construction of a 12-storey condominium building on the Crystal Beach shores of Lake Erie savethefrogs.com/toads Habitat destruction is the number one cause of amphibian population declines worldwide, and thus it is of utmost importance that Canadian federal, provincial and local governments protect amphibian habitat. Permitting the Molinaro Group to "damage and destroy" Fowler's Toad habitat and to "harm, harass, kill, and collect the toads" is thoroughly unethical. Furthermore, no overall benefit to the species can be expected within any reasonable timeframe and thus such permits are in direct violation of Ontario's Endangered Species Act. I know of no published studies that demonstrate an increase in Fowler's Toad population size due to habitat destruction. The Molinaro Group's proposed building would undoubtedly destroy and degrade Fowler’s Toad habitat through (1) outright destruction of habitat due to construction of parking lots, roads and the building itself; (2) increased car and foot traffic in the vicinity; (3) increased noise and light pollution; (4) construction activities that require heavy equipment for months on end; (5) through altered water flow due to the increase in permeable surfaces; (6) changes in the soil structure, which impedes burrowing by the toads; and (7) increased human trash and chemical runoff from vehicles. It is unfathomable to believe that the mitigation strategy that has been approved by the Ontario government would yield any "overall benefit" to the species -- as is required by law for the permits to be issued. Fort Erie’s Fowler Toads chose their current breeding, foraging and shelter sites for a reason, and no human on the planet knows more about how to increase those Fowler’s Toads chances of reproductive success than do the toads themselves. Thus it is naïve to accept the developer’s claim that building artificial sand dunes will provide a benefit to the toads. Canada is one of the world’s least densely populated countries and there is ample non-critical habitat on which to build, yet reasonable alternatives such as building further from the shore have apparently not been considered. Furthermore, there are almost certainly many vacant buildings in which to put living units, gift shops and restaurants. Why not take advantage of those buildings and in doing so also reduce the amount of natural resources and related environmental destruction required to build a 12-storey building? Amphibians are rapidly disappearing worldwide and over 2,000 species are already threatened with extinction. Ontario's Endangered Species Act protections were enacted for a reason and should not be disregarded solely for human convenience (in this case so that wealthy humans can have lakeside views and developers can increase their profits). Doing so would set a dangerous precedent and would undoubtedly further tarnish Canada's reputation. Fortunately the building construction has not yet begun, and thus I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity and act in a way that will mark Fort Erie, Ontario and the whole of Canada as leaders in wildlife conservation. The world is watching, and this is Canada's single greatest opportunity to support amphibian conservation efforts and protect Canada's wildlife for future generations of humans. In conclusion, I strongly urge you to revoke the permits for any activities at Crystal Beach that include the construction of non-essential buildings on or near Fowler’s Toad habitat and I urge you to see www.savethefrogs.com/toads for more information on the threats amphibians face and the importance of protecting remaining amphibian populations. Thank you for your consideration. www.savethefrogs.com/actions/lake-erie-toads/index.htmlwww.crystalbeachstrand.com/FowlersToad.html
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