Gharials Reclaiming River?

 © Sanjib Chaudhary

Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), Critically Endangered

The Gharial, a critically endangered crocodilian, survives only in fragmented habitats throughout India and Nepal. In the past, it also occupied rivers in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar. It's current population is thought to be a mere 200 individuals.

Good news then, that it has recently been seen in places where it hasn't been for 40 years or more--the Hooghly District (near Kolkata) on the Ganges River in India.

iREBEL, a conservation organization, and Innovative India Tourism Pvt. Ltd, teamed up with other partners to conduct surveys in the area after hearing Gharials had been sighted there. They discovered a viable breeding population in a 170 km stretch of the river.

The group hopes to establish reserves along the river to protect the Gharials, as well as Gangetic Dolphins and other species living in the area, as many threats still face these nearly extinct and beautiful crocodilians.

The main threats to Gharials are outlined in a report published by the group:

1. Fishing – especially with gill nets and set nets. Juvenile gharials often become entangled and die.
2. Destruction of sandbanks for use in brick factories
3. Disturbance by humans while basking in the sun
4. Industrial pollution
5. Perception that gharials are man-eaters like other crocodiles

If you want to help, you can support the gharials through eco-tourism. You can sign up for wildlife tours with iREBEL, Innovative India Tourism Pvt. Ltd, or WWF-India, or even volunteer to help with their work.

You can also support the Gharials through the Gharial Conservation Alliance.

3000 Frogs Isn't Very Many

Photos courtesy of Frogwatch.

White-bellied Frog (Geocrinia Alba), Critically Endangered

Sixty White-bellied Frogs are now exploring their native habitat for the first time, after being released into the wild last week. These glossy bellied frogs live only in the province of Western Australia, where they have the dubious distinction of being this region's only critically endangered frog species.

The total population of all White-bellied Frogs is estimated at less than 3000. This might be an impressive number if you were talking about Facebook friends or gigabytes of data, but when you're talking about the entire population of a species, 3000 equals hanging by a thread.

They are mostly being affected by habitat loss, and a related problem, habitat fragmentation. As humans encroach on their living space, they also divide it. These frogs are known to exist in 56 subpopulations, with no movement between any of the groups.

This latest release is the first time young frogs (aka froglets) have been introduced to the wild from the captive breeding program run by the Department of Environment and Conservation. Transplantations of large numbers of eggs have occurred, but the results of this new approach will help scientists determine the best methods of helping boost the population of this unique amphibian.

Check out the Amphibian Ark--an organization dedicated to helping endangered frogs all around the world.
Read more details here or some technical data here.

IYOB

The year has just started, but already one month has already nearly passed. The rest of the year will be gone before we know it, and soon it will be December once again.

Despite how fast this year will go by, there are plenty of opportunities to make a difference. The UN has designated 2010 the Internatial Year of Biodiversity (IYOB), to celebrate all of life of earth, and the ways in which our lives are enriched by it.

In order to promote biodiversity and raise awareness of endangered species, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is highlighting a species a day. There's a link to the Species of the Day to the right, so follow along and learn a bit more about some of the threats facing the biodiversity of our planet.

Click here to find a IYOB celebration near you.

More Than We Thought

Gurney's Pitta (Pitta gurneyi), Endangered

Some good news, from BirdLife International.

"A recent paper published online in BirdLife's journal Bird Conservation International, provides strong evidence that the global population of Gurney's Pitta . . . once believed to be one of the rarest birds in the world, is much greater than was previously estimated."

Back to Canada!

Black-footed Ferret (Mustela Nigripes), Endangered

The Black-footed Ferret is being reintroduced to Canada! Thirty-four endangered ferrets were released into Saskatchewan's Grassland National Park on Friday. They were released near a colony of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, their main prey, as well as their architects, since the Ferrets live in abandoned Prairie Dog burrows.

All of the Ferrets released had a few things in common. They all were born in captivity, and therefore had to spend some time in a special facility in Colorado, where they learned which predators to fear, and how to hunt and survive in the wild. They also all have a small electronic chip implanted under their skin, which will help conservationists keep track of and study them.

For each of the next few years, 30-40 Black-footed Ferrets will be released into the park, with the eventual aim of having wild populations across North America. Conservationists warn, however, that time is still a long ways off. Although Black-footed Ferrets have been reintroduced to 19 sites across North America, only three of these are self-sustaining. The rest require new captive-bred ferrets each year to maintain their populations.

The only ferret native to North America, it looks like a cross between a raccoon and a weasel, with distinctive dark markings across its face and feet. It disappeared from north of the 49th Parallel around 1937 and was thought to have gone extinct across its range throughout Mexico and the United States sometime in the 1970s. Then came 1981, and a tiny population of 18 Black-footed ferrets was discovered in Wyoming. They were trapped, and taken into captivity, effectively making the species extinct in the wild.

With those original 18 animals though, a successful captive breeding program was begun, and Black-footed Ferrets have been reintroduced to the prairies of the United States and Mexico since 1991. The current wild population stands at around 750, with 250 more still in captivity.

The reason for the Black-footed Ferrets decline in the 20th century was tied to its main source of food--Prairie Dogs. As farmers and ranchers cultivated the land, they tended to see the Prairie Dogs as pests and a hindrance to agriculture. This view led to widespread poisoning and trapping, and huge reductions in population size, which were exacerbated by outbreaks of sylvatic plague. They continue to be threatened by the extreme fragmentation of their primary habitat, which has been occupied by humans for food production and living space.

You can learn more at the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program.

Or you can adopt one. As the adoption website notes: This is a sponsorship program. You will NOT receive a black-footed ferret.

See if there's a zoo near you that has Black-footed Ferrets on display.

Get Us Out of Here!

Giant Ditch Frog (Leptodactylus fallax), Critically Endangered

The Giant Ditch Frog, also known as the Mountain Chicken by locals due to its size and the taste of its flesh, is confined to two small islands in the Carribbean: Montserrat and Dominica. Although it used to inhabit several other nearby islands, it's total current range on the two islands is less than 50 km squared.

What caused it's decline? Environmental factors such as hurricanes and volcanoes may have played a part, as well as over-harvesting for food, with an estimated annual take of 8,000-36,000 (the government imposed a hunting ban on this former national dish, when populations started to decline).

Adding to the dilemma of this critically endangered amphibian is the world wide chytrid fungus crisis, a disease that is decimating frog populations around the globe. Although the island of Dominica has been infected since 2002, the island of Montserrat managed to remain disease free--until recently. In late 2008 or early 2009 the fungus made the jump to Montserrat and is currently decimating the Giant Ditch Frog population there, killing hundreds in just the past few weeks.

Fortunately, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) have stepped in to help save this rare animal. Going into an area of healthy frogs where the disease had not yet reached, conservationists have successfully removed 50 individuals and airlifted them to Europe for use in a captive breeding program. Twelve of the Frogs will go to the ZSL, 12 to Durrell Wildlife, and the remaining 26 will go to Parken Zoo in Stockholm. The frogs will be kept in special biosecure housings to prevent infection by the chytrid fungus.

The goal is to breed the frogs and reintroduce individuals to disease-free areas of Montserrat within two years. Although the frogs have been bred in captivity before, it is a difficult process, as they have huge appetites and have unusual breeding habits for frogs. After digging a hole in the ground and filling it with foam, the female deposits 15-50 tiny eggs. The eggs hatch and develop into tadpoles, all in this isolated foam nest. For food, the mother deposits unfertilized eggs every few days for the young to feed on.

Although the captive breeding program promises hope for the Giant Ditch Frog, more needs to be done. Durrell Wildlife is currently raising funds to build an additional bio-secure facility to house these endangered frogs. For as little as 10 pounds (15 USD, 18 CAD), you can support the care of a Giant Ditch Frog. Donate or shop online or call Natalie Ranise on 01534 860013 (UK).

Population Explosion, Kind Of

Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), Vulnerable

In early April, the Wildlife Conservation Society announced that a population of close to 6000 Irawaddy Dolphins has been discovered in Bangladesh. Before the discovery of the populations in Bangladesh, only a few small pockets of dolphins were known, most numbering less than 150. In short, the dolphins from Bangladesh have increased the known population more than six times.

Brian Smith, who led the study, expressed optimism for the future of the Irrawaddy Dolphin, but cautioned that the many threats still exist, including entanglement in fishing nets, declining freshwater supplies, and climate change.

The Wildlife Conservation Society is working with Bangladeshi officials to create a sanctuary for the dolphins in the mangrove forests where they live.

Keep your fingers crossed if you want to help the Irrawaddy Dolphin. Or you can take action and send an email to your Congressperson (if you live in the US), or support the WCS in their mission of Saving Wildlife.

Thanks to Colie for sharing the news.

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs

Kakapo (Strigops habroptila), Critically Endangered

According to Radio New Zealand, this year could be a lucky one. With a population of less than 100, the critically endangered Kakapo has been slowly increasing due to dedicated conservation efforts. This breeding season, the Kakapo Recovery Programme is hoping for forty chicks.

Previously on this blog, the importance of rimu fruit to Kakapo breeding was discussed, and it appears that a bumper crop may be in the works. Additionally, there are more fertile adult females, than there have been in years. If these factors come together, the Kakapo population could increase by nearly 50 percent. With so many chicks, some would be raised by their parents, instead of hand-reared by humans, as they sometimes are when chicks are rare.

The breeding season has started less than a month ago, with the first mating of the season occurring on Christmas night. Chicks are expected in late February.

Keep up to date by following the Kakapo Ranger Diaries.

Donate, Volunteer, or Get Involved.

Little Rhinos Offer a Little Hope

Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), Critically Endangered

The Javan Rhinoceros is believed to be the rarest large mammal in the world. With only 40-60 individuals still alive, scientists worry whether the population was large enough to recover. It once lived in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR. Today, it survives in two tiny isolated parks in Viet Nam and Indonesia. To really get an idea of its current and historic range, check out this excellent map from Wikipedia. Ujung Kulon National Park, on the western tip of Java has an estimated 50 individuals. Cat Tien National Park in Viet Nam has a mere 6 to 8, which may no longer be a viable population.

Some good news for these giants--scientists recently observed four young rhino calves and their parents in Ujung Kulon. According to the head of the park, the young rhinos were between 6 and 7 months and were in the company of their parents. This is a ray of light for the declining species and offers hope that they may be able to breed quickly enough to recover. Still they face difficult times, with the largest threat coming from poaching for traditional Chinese medicine. There are no Javan Rhinos in captivity to provide captive breeding or insurance populations.

How you can help:

Shop for rhino related products (t-shirts and such, not horns).

Join Crash! the Social Network for People who love Rhinos.

Donate to one of these Rhino Conservation organizations:

International Rhino Foundation, Save the Rhino

Abundant or Rare?

Pgymy Tarsier (Tarsius pumilus), Data Deficient

The Pygmy Tarsier, thought by some to be extinct, has been rediscovered. This giant-eyed, four inch long primate lives on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, and was previously known only from a few specimens collected for a museum in 1921. In 2000, scientists accidentally trapped and killed one, while studying rats.

Determined to learn more about these creatures, Sharon Gursky-Doyen set out to find them. With the help of her graduate student Nanda Grow, a team of locals, and a large number of mist-nets (very fine netting for catching small animals and birds), two males and one female were captured and fitted with radio collars.

So far, there are more questions than answers. Why do Pygmy Tarsiers have claws instead of nails, as most primates do? Why don't they call to each other or mark their territory with scent? (Gursky-Doyen thinks they may be vocalizing at frequencies out of the range of human hearing). How many Pygmy Tarsiers are still out there and where exactly do they live?

This is perhaps the most important question. Listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN, Pygmy Tarsiers may be on the brink of extinction. With fragmented habitat and humans encroaching on their space, they might be extinguished like a match in the wind. Or, they might be numerous and widespread, and simply very hard to observe, since they live in the high mountains and only come out at night.

Gursky-Doyen and Grow are working on a paper that will hopefully answer some of these questions. They hope that whatever happens, the rediscovery of this species will encourage government officials to offer it some protection. Although part of its range is within the 2000 square kilometers of Lore Lindu National Park, it shares that space with 60 villages, some of which are expanding into the mountains.

If you want to help the Pygmy Tarsier, you can donate to the Nature Conservancy, which is working to protect Lore Lindu National Park. Make sure to direct your donation to Indonesia.

First Home for Blue-throated Macaws

Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis), Critically Endangered

With only an estimated 300 individuals surviving in the wild, the Blue-throated Macaw is critically endangered. The threats come mainly from habitat loss and illegal trapping. To nest, the birds require motucu palms, which grow in islands dotting the grasslands of Bolivia. Unfortunately, the only known habitat suitable for the birds exists on private ranch lands, where annual burning and intensive cattle grazing occur. The other major threat to these birds is illegal trapping for the caged-bird market.

Fortunately, several conservation organizations working together have purchased an 8500+ acre ranch where Blue-throated Macaws are known to nest. This is the first protected area for these rare birds, which is great news. However, much more area needs to be protected to ensure the recovery and continued well-being of these magnificent birds. There are four other ranches for sale, that combined with the new purchase, hold 41% of the Blue-throated Macaw population. Unfortunately, at $30 an acre, the land is being eyed by foreign cattle ranchers.

If you want to help protect the habitat of the Blue-throated Macaw, you can donate to the World Land Trust, Bird Endowment, Loro Parque Foundation, or Asociación Armonía, all organizations involved in the conservation of the Macaws.

You can also buy a stuffed toy Blue-throated Macaw or sign up for a Parrot Lover's Cruise from Bird Endowment.

Step 1: Find them.

Wetar Ground Dove (Gallicolumba hoedtii), Endangered

The Wetar Ground Dove, a bird known from only a few specimens since the early 1900s, all of them outside its native island of Wetar. Now, it has been rediscovered on the island for which it was named, and in larger numbers than ever observed. Thirty to forty of the birds were seen together, the largest recorded congregation.

Wetar is a large island, and perhaps, according to scientists working on the island, "the single most pristine in South-East Asia". Unfortunately, the island is already facing significant pressure from development, as plans to extend an existing asphalt road will open up the interior of the steeply hilled island.

You can support Columbidae Conservation, who are working to protect the Wetar Island, for the Wetar Ground Dove and the other unique species and ecosystems that currently thrive there.

Fortune 500

Booroolong Frog (Litoria booroolongensis), Critically Endangered

Over a year ago, I wrote of the Booroolong Frog, a critically endangered species, confined to less than 10 square kilometers, and decimated by drought and forest fires.

Now, the species will receive a boost of 500 captive bred frogs, who are primed to breed. The 9 month old frogs are the offspring of 6 adults and 20 tadpoles that were taken into captivity two years ago. According to scientists involved with raising them, the males will mate in a brief breeding frenzy and die.

The species has declined because of habitat degradation and the chytrid fungus, which has affected amphibian species around the globe.

Donate to the Taronga Zoo, which is breeding Booroolong Frogs for release into the wild.

Or Donate to the Amphibian Ark, a movement working to save all frog species in decline.

More Monkeys Is Good News

Gray Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus brelichi), Endangered

This endangered monkey is confined to a 400 square kilometer reserve in China. Up until 1978, their mountainous home was severely disturbed and damaged due to mining activities. Since then, the Fanjing Mountains Natural Reserve has been established, and their population has increased from an estimated 400 in 1979 to 850 today.

Since 1992 the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve Administration Bureau has successfully bred seven captured individuals, producing a mere 16 offspring-an average of one per year.

You can donate to Save the Primates to aid conservation of primates world-wide.

One. Five. Zero.

Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), Critically Endangered














One. Five. Zero.

That's the estimated number of Vaquitas Marinas, or little sea cows still alive. These miniature porpoises (featured here previously), which live only in the Gulf of California, are the most endangered cetacean. If nothing is done, they are likely to become extinct within the next year or two, or sooner.

The main cause of their decline, is not habitat loss, climate change, or pollution (although these things do affect the Vaquita). The biggest threat to the survival of the Vaquita is the nets local fishermen. The nets are intended for other fish and shrimp, but an estimated 40 are caught accidentally each year. When your total population is 150, losing 40 is a big deal.

The Mexican government is pledging 16 million US dollars to pay fishermen to avoid the Vaquita's habitat or to stop fishing altogether. Some of the money will also be spent to teach fishermen alternative techniques using snares that are too small to endanger Vaquitas.

So far, about 1000 fishermen (40%) have agreed to stay out of Vaquita habitat or stop fishing altogether. This is a good start, but more is needed. With the population already so low, if the Vaquita is to make a full recovery, accidental deaths due to fishing must be reduced to zero.

Here's a great site with information about the history of the conservation of the Vaquita and the threats it faces.

Support the survival of the Vaquita (cheque only).

Still Hanging On

(Teucrium ajugaceum)
(Rhaphidospora cavernarum)

Two plants thought to be extinct, have been rediscovered in Cape York, Queensland, Australia. Neither plant had been seen since the late 1800s

Short Snouts are Back

Short-snouted Seahorse (Hippocampus hippocampus), Data Deficient

Earlier this month, conservationists from the Zoological Society of London announced that several Short-snouted Seahorses (which are actually fish, for those who wondered) had been found in the Thames River. Though they had been found earlier, the announcement was delayed, until official protection for the Seahorses came into effect on April 6, 2008, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Conservationists believe that the rediscovery of the Short-snouted Seahorse illustrates the improving health of the Thames as habitat for marine life.

The conservation status of Short-snouted Seahorses is unknown, and the IUCN classifies them as Data Deficient. They could be abundant and plentiful . . . or they could be teetering on the brink of extinction.

The Seahorse Trust works worldwide to conserve Seahorses, and you can donate to their cause from their website.

A Friend for Kim Qui

Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), Critically Endangered



Back in December, I wrote about the Yangtze Giant Soft-shelled Turtle. Then, there were only two known Rafetus swinhoei known to exist, both in captivity, in separate zoos in China. It turns out that they aren't, in fact, the last two in existence. There are at least two others. One, highly revered by the Vietnamese and figuring prominently in legends as Kim Qui, the Golden Turtle God, lives in Hoan Kiem Lake, in Hanoi.

The discovery of the fourth, and only other known surviving turtle of this species, was recently announced by the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Scientists backed by the zoo spent three years searching in Vietnam, up and down the Red River. They finally found success at a lake just west of Hanoi, where locals said they occasionally spotted the rare turtle. As there are so few of these rare turtles left, every individual offers a greater hope for recovery. With only four known, however, prospects of long-term survival aren't very positive.

Rafetus swinhoei can live to be up to 100 years old, and perhaps it's not too late. There is a plan in the works to breed the male and female turtles from the Chinese zoos. So far though, no one knows for sure whether that attempt will be successful. Keep your fingers crossed.

You can join the Turtle Survival Alliance if you want to make a difference. You could also make a donation.

Incremental Increase

Iberian Lynx (Lynx Pardinus), Critically Endangered



Three Iberian Lynx kittens have recently been born in captivity, boosting the population of the worlds rarest cat.

Saliega, raised in captivity since birth, has produced her fourth litter in as many years. Three kittens were born, but only two survived, which is often the case in the wild. However, Brisa, Saliega's daughter, produced two kittens of her own within days of her mother. Of those two, one was still-born, and the other is being cared for by staff at the breeding center in Huelva, Spain.

Azahar and Frans, another pair of Iberian Lynx at a zoo in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, are expected to have a litter in mid-April.

There are currently only about 150 Iberian Lynx living in the wild, and scientists have estimated that there is a 95% chance the they will be extinct within 32 years, without drastic measures. A captive breeding program is underway, and additional centers are being constructed, but the problems of habitat loss and fragmentation continue to plague the recovery of Europe's last large feline.

Support efforts to save the lynx through petitions, donations, and other methods.

Home Sweet Home

Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus), Vulnerable



A new bear rescue center in Vietnam welcomed it's first inhabitants today--four Asiatic Black Bears, also known as Moon Bears. The bears were rescued by police seven months ago, when they were found in the luggage compartment of a bus. The center will eventually be able to hold up to 200 bears.

Animals Asia, the group operating the center, say they hope to end the illegal bear trade in Vietnam. Although it is legal to raise bears, the sale of bear meat and bile are forbidden. However, both are sold in a thriving black market. Some 4000+ bears are still trapped in cages across the country at illegal farms, in part because there is no place for them once they are rescued. Animals Asia hope that by providing a home for these bears, the government will be able to actually enforce the laws.

The use of bear bile for traditional medicine is still widespread and deeply rooted in the culture. Farmers extract the bile from the animals with a syringe, and sell it for use in cures of the eyes and liver, and other illnesses. Animals Asia hope that the center will send a message about the importance of animal protection to the Vietnames people.


Take a minute to sign a petition to help prevent the abuse of bears.
Donate to the Moon Bear Rescue effort.
Read more, here, here, and here.