Category Archives: Animals

Cull invasive mammals to save island species, experts urge

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Move ‘would save 10% of all endangered birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles’

Nearly 10% of the world’s bird, mammal, amphibian and reptile species currently on the brink of extinction could be saved by killing invasive mammals such as cats and rats on 169 islands, according to a new study.

Islands comprise just 5.3% of the Earth’s landmass yet have experienced 75% of known bird, mammal, amphibian and reptile extinctions since 1500. More than a third of species currently classified as “critically endangered” on the IUCN Red List are found on islands, with many particularly vulnerable to just eight species – including feral pigs, dogs, goats and mongooses – introduced by humans.

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‘A double-edged sword’: Mumbai pollution ‘perfect’ for flamingos

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The flamingo population of India’s largest city has tripled. Is it thanks to sewage boosting the blue-green algae they feed on?

There is an air of anxious excitement among the urban professionals and tourists on board our 24-seater motorboat as we enter Thane Creek.

A chorus of “oohs” and “aahs” breaks out as we spot the visions in pink we came to see – hundreds of flamingos listlessly bobbing in the murky green water – followed by the furious clicking of cameras.

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Hunt for bogus asthma cure threatens pangolins

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The most trafficked mammal on the planet is in dangerous decline

One of nature’s most remarkable creatures, the pangolin, is being driven to extinction as hunting and trafficking have soared in recent years. Studies have discovered that hundreds of thousands of these distinctive, scaly animals are now being killed every year to satisfy markets in Asia, making it the most trafficked and poached mammal on Earth.

The pangolin is hunted for its meat – and also for its scales, which are believed to have important medicinal properties as cures for poor circulation, skin complaints and asthma.

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Drugged orangutan found in Russian’s airline luggage

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Police at Indonesian airport also found two live geckos and five lizards in suitcase

A Russian tourist attempting to smuggle a drugged orangutan out of Indonesia in his suitcase to bring home and keep as a pet has been arrested in Bali, police said on Saturday.

Andrei Zhestkov was detained in Denpasar airport late on Friday while passing through a security screening before a planned flight back to Russia.

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Report calls for reform of ‘unhealthy’ land ownership in Scotland

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Commission set up by Scottish government recommends new powers to split monopolies

Scottish land ownership rules must be radically reformed to reverse the concentration of the countryside in the hands of a small number of ultra-wealthy individuals and public bodies, a major review has warned.

The study by the Scottish Land Commission, a government quango, says that in extreme cases where landowners abuse their power they could face compulsory purchase or community buyouts.

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China clones ‘Sherlock Holmes’ police dog to cut training times – report

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Kunxun was cloned from a police sniffer dog in Beijing but cost of process remains an obstacle

Scientists in south-west China’s Yunnan province have reportedly cloned what they called the “Sherlock Holmes of police dogs” in a programme they hope will help cut training times and costs for police dogs.

The dog, named Kunxun, was cloned from a police sniffer dog by the Beijing-based Sinogene Biotechnology Company and the Yunnan Agricultural University, with support from the Ministry of Public Security, the state-owned tabloid Global Times reported.

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Jaguar attacks woman who climbed Arizona zoo barrier to take a selfie

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Woman in her 30s returned to the zoo to apologise after she was treated in hospital for her injuries

A jaguar has clawed an Arizona woman who climbed over a barrier to take a picture at the Wildlife World Zoo near Phoenix, officials said.

Mobile phone video of the incident showed at least one gash on the woman’s left forearm as she writhed on the ground in pain after the attack on Saturday.

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‘It looked prehistoric’: angler describes fish that resembled creature from Alien

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Rare mud-dwelling fish, with sharp teeth and no eyes, is believed to be a worm goby, but is not dangerous

An Australian fisherman, who captured a rare, unsettling fish that resembled a creature from the sci-fi film Alien, says it was “not all that exciting” and he caught it with a beer in his hand.

Andrew Rose was fishing in the Northern Territory’s Kakadu national park when he snagged a 15cm-long worm goby – a rare, mud-dwelling fish with no eyes, a bony head and sharp teeth.

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Fat rat stuck in manhole rescued by firefighters in Germany

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Overweight rodent found itself in trouble after it tried to squeeze through a small gap in a sewer cover

A multi-agency rescue operation has taken place in the town of Bensheim in Germany after a tubby rat became stuck in a manhole cover.

The rat, still plump with winterspeck – which translates literally as winter bacon and refers to extra pounds piled on in the colder months – became stuck after it tried to squeeze through a small gap in the sewer cover.

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World’s deepest waters becoming ‘ultimate sink’ for plastic waste

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Scientists say it is likely no marine ecosystems are left that are not affected by pollution

The world’s deepest ocean trenches are becoming “the ultimate sink” for plastic waste, according to a study that reveals contamination of animals even in these dark, remote regions of the planet.

For the first time, scientists found microplastic ingestion by organisms in the Mariana trench and five other areas with a depth of more than 6,000 metres, prompting them to conclude “it is highly likely there are no marine ecosystems left that are not impacted by plastic pollution”.

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Snake on a plane goes 9,300 miles from Australia to Scotland in woman’s shoe

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Holidaymaker shocked to see stowaway python in her slip-ons on return from Queensland

As souvenirs go, it is a unique one. A woman has returned to Scotland from a holiday in Australia to discover a stowaway snake hidden in one of her shoes.

In an incident that will confirm the worst fears of visitors to Australia, Moira Boxall unpacked her luggage after the more than 9,300-mile journey from Queensland to find the small and very much alive creature curled up in her slip-ons. It even shed its skin during its voyage in her footwear.

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Tug-of-war with a lion? Dartmoor zoo offers ‘cruel’ challenge – video

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Visitors to Dartmoor zoo are being offered the opportunity to take part in its ‘human v beast’ challenge, with groups of people playing tug-of-war against a lion as it tries to wrestle meat attached to a rope.

The controversial attraction, which costs £15 per person, has sparked a backlash with more than 2,000 people signing a petition to stop the practice. The petition’s author, Sue Dally, described it as, ‘cruel and shows a total lack of respect for these beautiful majestic wild animals’

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Why the zebra got its stripes: to deter flies from landing on it

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Pattern seems to confuse flies, researchers who dressed horses up as zebras find

The mystery of how the zebra got its stripes might have been solved: researchers say the pattern appears to confuse flies, discouraging them from touching down for a quick bite.

The study, published in the journal Plos One, involved horses, zebras, and horses dressed as zebras. The team said the research not only supported previous work suggesting stripes might act as an insect deterrent, but helped unpick why, revealing the patterns only produced an effect when the flies got close.

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Return of wolves to Germany pits farmers against environmentalists

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EU regulations outlaw killing of wolves unless people are in danger or there is ‘no satisfactory alternative’

More than a century ago, wolves were hunted to extinction in Germany. These days, they’re back – and their presence is a source of political strife.

Wolf attacks on livestock increased drastically in 2017, according to government statistics released at the weekend: they carried out 472 attacks, an increase of 66% over the previous year. The number of killed, injured or missing livestock – mostly sheep and goats – rose 55%, to 1,667.

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‘If it gets me, it gets me’: the town where residents live alongside polar bears

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Residents of Churchill, Canada share their streets with the largest land carnivore in the world as their isolated town’s identity faces a reckoning: a revitalized port

Spend enough time in Churchill, and you will hear the stories.

Of hearing a noise outside, pulling open the drapes and seeing a polar bear looking in through the window.

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Russian islands declare emergency after mass invasion of polar bears

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Experts deployed to remove dozens of hungry bears besieging Novaya Zemlya

Analysis: what the polar bears reveal about the climate crisis

Russian environmental authorities have deployed a team of specialists to a remote Arctic region to sedate and remove dozens of hungry polar bears that have besieged the people living there.

The move came after officials in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, with a population of about 3,000 people, appealed for help.

“There’s never been such a mass invasion of polar bears,” said Zhigansha Musin, the head of the local administration. “They have literally been chasing people.”

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