The number of wild animals living on Earth is set to fall by two-thirds by 2020, according to a new report, part of a mass extinction that is destroying the natural world upon which humanity depends. The analysis, the most comprehensive to date, indicates that animal populations plummeted by 58% between 1970 and 2012, with […]
Cuban Tody!
For more than a decade, I’ve been blathering on and on about todies. For a time, if you googled “Most adorable bird in the universe,” the first page you got was from one of my blog posts about the Cuban Tody. It really does live up to those words, but unless you’re an ornithologist or […]
POLL: Should whales and dolphins be protected in the South Atlantic?
Japan and other pro-whaling nations have defeated a proposal to create an sanctuary for whales in the South Atlantic. The push to create the protected area during a biennial meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was defeated after 38 countries voted yes and 24 against, as proposals at the conference require 75% of votes […]
Alaska seal can be protected based on future climate threat, court says
Species can be listed as “threatened” and receive protection based on climate change projections that stretch until the end of the century, a federal appeals court has ruled, in a decision that could have major implications for the fate of animals as their environment rapidly changes. A three-judge panel at the US ninth circuit court […]
POLL: Should lion canned hunting be banned?
Some 8,000 lions bred for the sole purpose of being hunted are kept on game ranches in South Africa. Every year thousands of hunters – mostly Americans – pay handsomely to kill these lions within the confines of walls and fences, a practice known as canned lion hunting. But starting today they’ll no longer be […]
Tasmanian devil milk fights superbugs
Milk from Tasmanian devils could offer up a useful weapon against antibiotic-resistant superbugs, according to Australian researchers. The marsupial’s milk contains important peptides that appear to be able to kill hard-to-treat infections, including MRSA, say the Sydney University team. Experts believe devils evolved this cocktail to help their young grow stronger. The scientists are looking […]
Crested lark
Galerida cristata – Everybody knows the Disney cartoon character Beep beep inspired by the American Roadrunner… well to me this is the bird that resembles it the most in Europe!! It is usually common in Spain but this summer it seemed they were fewer. Cochevis huppé – A mon avis voici l’oiseau qui s’en approche […]