The Decline of the African Lion...
Lions, lords of the African Savannas are being forced to their knees. Death threats come swinging at them from every angle but perhaps the most unforgivable would be the murder of lions for human pleasure. Primarily practiced in South Africa, wealthy, self entitled men and women pay thousands of dollars to hunt captivity bred lions in closed off areas. 60% of the 600 lions killed per year are shipped to America to be stuffed and mounted over a fireplace, an ironic afterlife for the kings of the jungle.
Adult males are often singled out to be hunted which leaves the lion’s pride vulnerable to be taken over by another male lion. Oftentimes, a new male lion will kill all the cubs fathered by the previous lion ruling the pride which leads to the loss of an entire generation. Furthermore, the killing of primarily adult male lions is counter evolutionary as this leads to a decrease in the best genes in the gene pool for future generations. Although some good in the form of income for rural communities can be said to be salvaged from the wreck that is game hunting, it is not the case. It is estimated that only 3% of the revenue generated goes toward such communities while the rest is snatched up by foreign companies and the government.
Of course, there are other reasons for the decrease in the population of the African lion. The decrease in their habitat by 80% has resulted in African lions living in 70 different locations, some of which can be considered strongholds while the smaller populations live on marooned islands of temporary safety, genetically stunted and destined for eventual extinction. The demand for lion bones in place of tiger bones in Asia fuel the poaching industry and revenge killing by subsistence farmers who have lost a limb or a loved one to a lion have further limited the lion’s chances of survival. Although trophy hunting is not the main cause of the loss of the lions, it is the most selfish.
With only 35,000 lions left in the wild, it is inconceivable that such a practice is allowed to continue however because the African lion is not protected under the Endangered Species Act in the USA, demand for the hunting of lions remains high. If African lions are classed as an endangered species in the USA, it will send a strong message to the international community after all, how can the conservation of lions be taken seriously if people are killing them for sport? When humans and lions collide, one thing is clear- the lions are always harmed.
by Upeksha Hettiarachchi on 26/11/2013
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Why the Goblin Shark should get the lead in the next 'Jaws'...
by Upeksha Hettiarachchi on 13/01/2014
The Goblin shark, or Tenguzame as known by the Japanese, was named after the Tengu, a creature of Japanese folklore with a long snout not unlike the one that protrudes from the elusive shark’s head. Its mouth is basically a vacuum with teeth that, although, are not as large as a Great White’s, are just as scary in appearance. Its highly obtrude jaws are attached to ligaments rather than its skull, allowing them to catapult forward and grab unknown prey. As the upper jaw drops and catapults forward, a vacuum is created which is further augmented by its basihyal, a tongue made of cartilage.
Its large, flexible mouth is useful in an environment that lacks a variety of prey - one that is 1,200m under the ocean’s surface. In the darkness of such depths, the goblin shark cannot rely on eyesight as much as on its incredibly sensitive electroreceptors, located in its snout, that detect approaching fish, sharks and rays, all of which are potential food. Due to the lack of light, the shark’s skin lacks colour and is translucent as well. Once brought up to the surface and seen in the light, the shark looks bloodied and bruised but what is, actually, being seen are blood vessels under its skin. Muscles are also needless in the deep - the goblin shark is held together by a few muscles, which results in it having excess skin hanging loose off its body. The lack of muscles makes sense as it means that less energy is required, which is useful in an environment where food is scarce and hard to come by. In line with saving energy, the goblin shark hovers most of the time, lying silently in wait for its next catch.
Steven Spielberg take heed - the eerie goblin shark is just waiting to come out of the depths of the ocean for its big break.
New Dolphin species discovered in Australia...
by Felicia Gaitanou on 13/01/2014
A newly discovered species of humpback dolphin has been spotted swimming off the northern Australian coast, an international team of scientists reported this week.
The discovery came when scientists with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) tried to settle a decade old argument among marine mammal researchers. Marine biologist Howard Rosenbaum and his team decided to revisit this old argument, and started collecting physical and genetic samples from humpback dolphin populations. Samples came from West Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and off the coast of Australia. Genetic analyses into the question of new species consider only DNA from an organism's mitochondria. This is because mitochondrial DNA is inherited only through the mother and is easier to work with than DNA from a cell's nucleus.
The dolphins belong to the humpback family, so called because of a peculiar hump just below the dorsal fin. The humpback dolphin grows up to 8ft in length and ranges from dark grey to pink and/or white in colour. The Atlantic humpback is already a known and recognised species, but the discovery of the latest dolphins provides the best evidence yet of three different types, including one which is completely new to science. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in New York and the American Museum of Natural History said that there are now four species of humpback dolphin in the world. One lives in the Atlantic, one in the central and western part of the Indian Ocean, one in the western Indian and Pacific Ocean, and now a new, unnamed species living in the waters off northern Australia.
The species lives in coastal waters, deltas, estuaries, and occurs throughout the Indian and Pacific oceans up to the coasts of Australia. The Wildlife Conservation Society said it was a significant finding as identifying a new mammal species is rare and it’s hoped that this finding will boost conservation efforts.
Two of the three already identified species are in decline and considered at risk from habitat loss and fishing. The Chinese white dolphin, found in the eastern Indian and West Pacific Oceans, is listed as near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
"We are not born for ourselves but for the world."