Recent studies have indicated that expansion of our planet’s forests is a critical step toward mitigating climate change. This, along with conservation of our existing forests, specifically ones that host a large amount of biodiversity – like rainforests – is more important than ever. The rainforests of Indonesian Borneo house millions of tons of carbon […]
Tag: critically endangered species
Hotspots of exploitation: where are species under greatest threat?
By now, almost everyone knows that many rhinoceros species around the world are threatened with extinction because of commercial overexploitation for their horns, which are sold on the black market. Likewise, all pangolin species have been pushed to the brink of extinction, particularly by hunting for their meat and scales. Unsustainable exploitation is the greatest […]
Lapwings of various species – Haradh
Haradh is a well known wintering location for Northern Lapwing, with flocks of several hundreds seen in recent winters. This trip we located many birds scattered around the fields, but no large flocks and probably saw more than 100 Northern Lapwings in total. The species is an uncommon winter visitor to the northern areas of […]
Shorebirds can no longer count on the Arctic as a safe haven for rearing their young
A new analysis of over 70 years’ worth of shorebird population data suggests that climate change has altered the migratory birds’ Arctic safe haven to such a degree that it is now helping drive rapid declines in their numbers. After studying data from 38,191 nests found across all seven continents and belonging to 237 populations […]
Plan Dooming Red Wolves to Extinction Just Got Major Public Opposition
Red wolves have continued to slide closer to the brink of extinction in the wild since recovery efforts began, but they just got some major support from members of the public who have made it clear that letting them slip away when we have the chance to save them is unacceptable. Red wolves once roamed […]
The death dealer: Russian surgeon makes $1m a year charging tourists £16,000 to kill lions, £42,000 for white rhinos and £421,000 to slay critically endangered black rhinos
A Russian surgeon has boasted about how he has built a £1.2 million-a-year business offering wealthy tourists the chance to hunt elephants, rhinos and lions as trophies. George Ragozin, who is nicknamed the ‘crazy Russian’ by his clients, offers trophy-seeking foreigners packages that include shooting beasts of their choice, alongside accommodation, food, beer and wine […]
Video: A Rare Look at the Secret Life of Orangutans
In the vanishing lowland rainforests of Borneo, new research is underway to uncover and understand the unique cultural behaviors in wild orangutans. Photographer Tim Laman, researcher Cheryll Knott, and National Geographic Young Explorer Robert Suro have documented rarely-seen unique orangutan behaviors such as making pillows, fashioning umbrellas, and displaying regional greetings. With orangutan habitats disappearing […]
Facebook video shows orangutan defending forest against bulldozer
Dramatic footage released last week by an animal welfare group shows a wild orangutan trying in vain to fight off destruction of its rainforest habitat in Borneo. The video, filmed in 2013 but posted on Facebook on June 5th for World Environment Day by International Animal Rescue (IAR), was shot in Sungai Putri, a tract […]