Often referred to as ships of the desert, the camel family (Camelidae) first evolved in North America approximately 44 million years ago during the Eocene period. Yes, it’s hard to believe when you consider that today they are only found in the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Asia, such as China’s Gobi Desert […]
Tag: camel
Russian Soldiers Ate Zoo Animals to Survive, According to Rescue Workers in Ukraine
Russian soldiers were reportedly so hungry that they resorted to eating zoo animals at the Yampil Zoo in Ukraine. Volunteer rescue workers reported that the soldiers killed and apparently ate two camels, a kangaroo, a bison, some piglets, birds, and wolves. The Yampil Zoo is located in the eastern Donetsk region, where the Yampil village […]
‘Strange’ giraffoid fossil shows giraffes evolved long necks to win mates: study
Scientists have puzzled over the distinctive form of giraffes at least since Charles Darwin and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (figuratively) butted heads over how the towering ungulates got their long necks. The Darwinian theory still prevails, but which of the two processes —natural selection or sexual selection—plays a more important role still divides evolutionary biologists. A new […]
The case of the disappearing deer – and how a new corridor could save it
It is twilight in Las Horquetas valley in Patagonia’s northern Aysén region. Several cars have pulled over beneath sandy cliffs on a wide paved road. Just metres away, three deer graze unperturbed in the glow of the car lights. The Patagonian huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus), or South Andean deer, is the most endangered hoofed animal in […]
Organizations aim to block funds for East African oil pipeline
National and international NGOs from around the world have asked more than two dozen banks not to finance a 1,445-kilometer (898-mile) pipeline to shuttle oil from fields in Uganda to a port on Tanzania’s coast. The groups contend that the project is already impinging on communities and exacerbating poverty in the region. Their representatives also […]
Petition: Camels Are Dying Due to Plastic Pollution
A recent study out of the Journal of Arid Environments is stating that 1% of camels in the United Arab Emirates are dying due to ingesting plastic pollution. As has also been found with marine life and seabirds, the ingested plastic builds up in the digestive system of camels, leading to a range of health […]