Changing Careers

Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), Critically Endangered

Cambodia, home to a critically endangered subpopulation of Irrawaddy Dolphins, is taking action to prevent this rare dolphin from becoming extinct. There are several populations of these dolphins found near coasts and estuaries in south-east Asia, all of which are critically endangered. The Cambodian population inhabits the Mekong River, and is threatened mainly by poaching, accidental killings by fishermen, and depletion of their food-supply, also by fishermen.

Now, the Cambodian Government is working with the World Tourism Organization, to increase prosperity in the area, as well as protect the Dolphins. The plan calls for locals to make a shift from depending mainly on fishing, to depending mainly on tourism. The idea is that if the dolphins can become the center of a thriving eco-tourism trade, thousands of visitors will flock to the area, allowing locals to find their livelihoods away from fishing the river.

Questions

Yangtze Giant Soft-shelled Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), Critically Endangered

The Yangtze Giant Soft-shelled Turtle is on the verge of disappearing forever. Only two known turtles exist, a 100-year-old male, and an 80-year-old female, each living in a separate zoo in China. Hope certainly exists that artificial insemination and breeding may ensure future generations of Yangtze Turtles, but many questions still remain. Can these two turtles produce viable offspring? Do they possess, between them, enough genetic diversity to recreate a healthy population. Will there be a healthy river ecosystem to return any future turtles to? Would the money be better spent on breeding these two turtles, or on attacking the root causes of over-development, pollution, and overharvesting?

Answers to these questions will come in time, but until they are answered, let's hope that these two turtles stay alive and healthy.

Tigers, North and South

Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris ssp. altaica), Critically Endangered
South China Tiger (Panthera tigris ssp. amoyensis), Critically Endangered

Good news for tiger fans, from South Africa and Russia. Two critically endangered subspecies of tigers have provided new hope, in the form of young, captive-born cubs.

In Russia, Iris, an Amur (or Siberian) Tiger, has given birth to two cubs this year. With less than 500 Amur Tigers in the wild, every birth is a reason for hope, especially since these Tigers are not well-known for breeding in captivity.

In South Africa, Cathay and Tiger Woods, two South China Tigers, have given birth to a young male cub, the first of his kind to be born outside of China. This young cub will be an important part of South Africa's Save China's Tigers program, which aims to build up a stock of Tigers which can be reintroduced to the wild in China. With only 30 South China Tigers in the wild and 60 in captivity, this program has potential to bring these majestic cats back from the brink.

Watch some extraordinary footage of the pre-birth, birth, and post-birth of the South China Cub.



Donate to help save the South China Tiger.
Donate to help save the Amur Tiger

Caught!

Fly River Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta), Vulnerable

Fly River Turtles, having a unique nose, are also referred to as Pig Nosed Turtles. And this is pretty self-explanatory. They are the only freshwater turtles to have flippers resembling those of marine turtles.

Back in March of 2004, a San Francisco pet shop owner smuggled 14 live baby Fly River Turtles into the United States, hiding them in his clothes. He was caught, and the turtles confiscated and given to zoos and aquariums in California. Last Thursday, he pleaded guilty to the charges, and in February, will be sentenced.

These animals, found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, are protected in these countries as well as by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). They are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with the declines in their population being noted over the past decade. Probably the largest contributor to their decline? Over-harvesting by humans.

Devils' Hope

Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)


The Tasmanian Devil, the largest surviving marsupial carnivore, has been dealing with a nasty disease for the past decade. Referred to as Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), this rare cancer is infectious, meaning it can be passed between individuals. Devils are often violent with each other, and it is believed that the cancer cells are transmitted during such bouts, either during fights over food, or while mating.

Devils contracting the disease develop large cancerous tumours around their face, mouth, and eyes, preventing them from eating or functioning, and usually die within six months. So far, 59% of the island state of Tasmania has been affected by the disease, with a 53% decline in devil populations over the past ten years. Up until recently, no devil had ever survived or shown an immunity to DFTD.

Now, a devil from unaffected western Tasmania, has shown resistance to the disease. After being injected with tumour cells, the three-year-old devil known as Cedric, was able to develop antibodies. Researchers hope that the disease-free western population may be genetically distinct, and that this distinctness may help fight DFTD, either through the development of a vaccine, or through selective breeding, to increase the numbers of devils able to resist the disease.

However, it's not the only hope. Disease free devils have been captured and a captive breeding program is underway, to ensure that disease free populations remain, whatever happens to the wild devil populations. Up to 150 devils will be in captive breeding programs by early next year, both in Tasmania, and in zoos and parks on mainland Australia.

Help the Devils.

733

Whooping Crane (Grus americana), endangered

Operation Migration, a program which is reintroducing whooping cranes to the Eastern United States, has reason to celebrate.

Each year, 20 or so captive born endangered whooping cranes, are taken on a journey guided by an ultralight aircraft. Young whooping cranes learn their migration routes from their parents, and being captive born, must learn the migration route from their breeders.

This year, during the journey between Wisconsin and Florida (see the route), a crane dubbed 733, dropped out of the flight during a difficult stretch of the trip. Crane watchers everywhere held their breath, hoping that 733 might have survived and be found. And a few days ago, they all breathed sighs of relief, as 733 was found in Kentucky, and will soon continue the journey to its winter home.

Get involved.

Breeding Rails

Guam Rail (Gallirallus owstoni), Extinct in the Wild

Guam is a tiny island territory, comprising a mere 541 square kilometers, or a little more than half the size of New York City. Until the 1980s, this little island paradise was home to the Guam Rail, which existed only on this tiny patch of land. In 1980 The Guam Rail disappeared from its natural home.

What happened? It all goes back to World War II, when foreign ships accidentally imported the Brown Tree Snake. The ground-dwelling Guam Rails had never had to deal with predators such as snakes before, and were completely defenseless. The snakes decimated not only the Rails, but also 9 other native species, 5 of which were found nowhere else in the world.

The Guam Rail is not extinct yet, however, as it is still held in captivity in Guam and American zoos, and has been bred successfully. Although reintroduction efforts are underway on the nearby island of Rota, their success is far from guaranteed, as the Brown Tree Snake persists and continues to threaten introduced birds. Researchers have had some success in keeping snakes out of small controlled areas, but as long as the snakes pose a threat, this species will require monitoring and management.

Recently, the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, one of the few zoos working to breed the birds, shipped off another year-and-a-half old Rail to join its struggling fellows back in the wild. Godspeed and goodluck!

An Absence of Amphibians

Old pond
and a frog-jump-in
water-sound

This famous haiku by the Japanese poet Bashô evokes images of an evening filled with the chorus of croaking frogs and splashes as they leap into an old pond. Unfortunately, unnoticed by the majority of the world's population, frogs around the world are falling silent. As various threats to their survival converge, like ants on a fallen bread crust, amphibian species in every nation are facing extinction. Threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, pollution, and invasive species are stacking themselves up against amphibian populations. To top it all off, the deadly chytrid fungus, perhaps helped along by global warming, is devastating amphibians everywhere. Chytridiomycosis, the disease caused by the fungus, causes a problem in the functioning of the amphibian's pores, making it difficult for them to absorb water. Without the ability to rehydrate, they soon die from a lack of water.

Now, scientists around the world are working together in an effort to save the amphibians from impending doom. Amphibian Ark, a collaboration between several conservation organizations, is asking zoos and botanical gardens around the world to create a safe haven for a species of amphibian. These havens would only be temporary, until the disease crisis has been averted, and the animals can be safely returned to their natural habitats. If their efforts are unsuccessful, I don't want to imagine what will happen to the balance of the world's ecosystems as a whole class of animals is wiped out.

This issue is not something to be taken lightly. It's downright scary when you think of the implications of what could happen if all of the frogs, toads, and other amphibians disappeared. Frog Matters, a blog with the latest happenings from Amphibian Ark has a great post on things that anyone can do to help prevent a mass extinction.

Donate now to help prevent the next great extinction.

Last Chance for the Vaquita

Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), critically endangered










Way back in February, I blogged about the 'little cows' or Vaquitas, which live only in the upper regions of the Gulf of California. At that time, their numbers were estimated to be under 400. That number has dropped to an estimated 150, although it's possible this number may be lower.

Then, as now, the greatest danger to the Vaquita is accidental death in the nets of fishing crews. At least 40, and possibly more, are killed each year as by catch. Scientists say that at least 100 Vaquitas must survive to preserve enough genetic diversity for the porpoises to prosper. That leaves, optimistically, only two years in which a turn around must occur. While there have been efforts in the past to create zones where fishing is not allowed, they have failed.

Now, in a last ditch effort to save the Vaquita, WWF, Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, and the Mexican government have pledged $14 million to buy boats and nets that kill the Vaquita, and developing economic alternatives for local fishermen. If this and other efforts do not work, the Vaquita will go extinct.

Here's an article with more info.

Support the survival of the Vaquita (cheque only).

Cats!

Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus), critically endangered

I've been away from the world of computers and internet and news in general for quite some time, having been limited to 10-30 minute spurts of online time, every week or so. So it was a nice surprise that one of the first pieces of news I stumbled upon was good. The critically endangered Iberian Lynx, found mainly in southern Spain, has been reduced to about 100 individuals, in two isolated populations. Recently, however, a previously unknown population has been discovered in central Spain, offering a bit of hope for the survival of "Europe's Tiger." Still, the Iberian Lynx is a long way off from stability or full recovery, still being threatened by habitat and prey loss, and accidental death by vehicles.