KINANGOP, Kenya — From his home on the Kinangop plateau, overlooking the Aberdare mountain range, James Gichia can see thin fingers of smoke rising from scattered settlements, farmers at work in their potato fields, the darker green marking stands of eucalyptus trees, and flocks of sheep grazing on open grassland. Every year there’s a little […]
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Scientists: Fishing boats compete with whales and penguins for Antarctic krill
Two huge fishing vessels make their way through the icy waters of the Southern Ocean, passing among a pod of dozens of whales while slowly hauling on board bulging nets hundreds of meters long. The scene recalls a bygone era before commercial whaling was banned. Now, however, the vessels are not fishing whales but whale […]
Poverty-fueled deforestation of Nigerian reserve slashes hope for rare chimps
Formed in 1938 on a swath of primary forest nearly four times the size of Paris, Nigeria’s Akure-Ofosu Forest Reserve is home to a diverse array of wildlife. These include red-capped mangabeys (Cercocebus torquatus), putty-nosed monkeys (Cercopithecus nictitans), mona monkeys (Cercopithecus mona), and Nigerian white-throated guenons (Cercopithecus erythrogaster pococki). But perhaps the reserve’s most iconic […]
Bangladesh captive elephant death by train highlights need for conservation
On May 17, an elephant was killed after a train hit it in the capital Dhaka’s Uttara area. The incident took place in the Court Bari area while two captive elephants, guided by their mahout, were crossing the railroad tracks. Immediately after the incident, the mahout fled the spot, and nobody took responsibility for the […]
Sweet solution: Armadillo-friendly honey helps Brazil beekeepers, giant armadillos
When beekeepers in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul complained that giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus) were destroying their beehives, Arnaud Desbiez was dubious. Research showed that giant armadillos feed almost entirely on ants and termites, not honey. But the video camera traps revealed a surprising truth. “Lo and behold, we saw that giant armadillos […]
In Sri Lanka, humans mistakenly attempt to ‘rescue’ leopard cubs
From time to time, there are media flashes about leopard cubs being rescued and some reports carry moving video footage of how well-meaning village folk, especially estate workers in the central hills, hand these cubs over to wildlife authorities. Unlike the majestic and fiery demeanor of leopard moms and dads, leopard cubs are cuddlesome balls […]
Effort to save rare Colombian monkey looks to crowdfund its conservation
For 38 years, Colombian-based NGO Fundación Proyecto Tití has successfully run a reforestation program to protect the critically endangered cotton-top tamarin and its tropical dry forest habitat in northwestern Colombia. Using rigorous science-based reforestation methods, the program has helped create four protected areas that cover some 5,100 hectares (12,600 acres). During this time, Proyecto Tití […]
Meet the kipunji: A rare primate success story in Tanzania
In January 2003, when Wildlife Conservation Society researchers working in Tanzania’s Southern Highlands heard from local hunters that there was a monkey called the kipunji living on the slopes of Mount Rungwe, they didn’t know what to think. They had never heard of the kipunji, but the local Wanyakyusa are storytellers, and the line between […]