More than 10,000 snakes bound for China were seized recently in Burma.
The Associated Press, 1/20/12
YANGON - Forestry officials in central Burma have seized nearly 10,000 snakes in 400 crates that were to be smuggled to China.
The weekly journal Modern reported Friday that 50 cobras were among the 9,176 snakes seized in Pyin Oo Lwin district near Mandalay on Jan. 12.
Wildlife smuggling is endemic in Asia, where exotic species are used for food and traditional medicine.
The report did not say how many people were arrested but said those involved would be charged under the Protection of Wildlife and Conservation of Natural Areas law, which carries a five-year prison sentence.
It said the 7,000 non-poisonous snakes were released into a wildlife reserve, while the vipers and cobras were sent to the state pharmaceutical company for their venom.
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
'Cat-Eye' Boy Video Said To Show Chinese Child Who Sees In Dark
According to a news reel from China, a young boy there possesses the ability to see in the dark. Like a Siamese cat's, his sky-blue eyes flash neon green when illuminated by a flashlight, and his night vision is good enough to enable him to fill out questionnaires while sitting in a pitch black room — or so say the reporters who visited Nong Yousui in his hometown of Dahua three years ago.
The footage of Nong and his strange-looking eyes originally surfaced in 2009; it got little attention at the time, but is now making a splash all over the Web. If the boy really does have a genetic mutation that confers night vision, then he would be an interesting subject for analysis by vision scientists, evolutionary biologists, and genetic engineers alike — but does he?
The experts we shared the video with say Nong does have unusually colored irises considering his ethnicity, but he's not the next step in human evolution.
Night vision is made possible by a layer of cells, called the tapetum lucidum, in the eyes of cats and other nocturnal animals. This thin layer is a "retroreflector" — when a beam of light hits it, it reflects the light directly back along its incoming path. The reflected beam constructively interferes with the incoming light beam, amplifying the overall signal that hits the retina and enabling the animal to see in very low-light conditions. Retroreflection also causes cat eyes to flash when they are lit upon at night, and experts say Nong's eyes, if they are truly catlike, should do the same. [Red-Green & Blue-Yellow: The Stunning Colors You Can't See]
"It would be easy to test the boy’s eyes for retroreflection (eyeshine), which would be indicative of a tapetum lucidum," said Nathaniel Greene, a physicist at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania who has studied retroreflection.
Read on and see video: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/31/cat-eyes-boy_n_1244543.html
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Volunteers Clear Tiger Snares in China
ScienceDaily (Jan. 31, 2012) — The Wildlife Conservation Society has just announced that a group of volunteers working in northeast China have cleared 162 illegal wire snares in an ongoing effort to protect the
The group, which concluded their campaign on January 13th, braved freezing temperatures and deep snow as they searched the northeastern province of Heilongijang to clear snares set by poachers. Fifty-nine volunteers, including doctors, computer engineers, public servants and college students, worked side by side with WCS staff in the six-day event.
"It's heartening to see a new generation of environmentally committed young Chinese willing and able to volunteer their time to do something challenging but important for their country's natural heritage," said Joe Walston, WCS Director of Asia Programs. "Tigers need our help whether it's from grass roots efforts like these or governments putting more funding toward enforcement."
The snares are set to catch animals like rabbits and roe deer, but they sometimes catch tigers. Last October, a tiger was found dead in a snare near the city of Mishan in Heilongjiang Province.
The snare removal campaign was organized by WCS, Harbin Newspaper Company, the Forestry Department of Heilongjiang Province, and the Forestry Industry Bureau of Heilongjiang Province. Amur tigers exist in very low numbers in China, though conservationists are encouraged by increasing signs of these big cats as they venture from the nearby Russian Far East where several hundred remain. This region is critically important in stemming the poaching and illegal trade of tiger parts. Several U.S. government agencies have played a vital role in supporting those efforts, including the U.S. State Department, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The group, which concluded their campaign on January 13th, braved freezing temperatures and deep snow as they searched the northeastern province of Heilongijang to clear snares set by poachers. Fifty-nine volunteers, including doctors, computer engineers, public servants and college students, worked side by side with WCS staff in the six-day event.
"It's heartening to see a new generation of environmentally committed young Chinese willing and able to volunteer their time to do something challenging but important for their country's natural heritage," said Joe Walston, WCS Director of Asia Programs. "Tigers need our help whether it's from grass roots efforts like these or governments putting more funding toward enforcement."
The snares are set to catch animals like rabbits and roe deer, but they sometimes catch tigers. Last October, a tiger was found dead in a snare near the city of Mishan in Heilongjiang Province.
The snare removal campaign was organized by WCS, Harbin Newspaper Company, the Forestry Department of Heilongjiang Province, and the Forestry Industry Bureau of Heilongjiang Province. Amur tigers exist in very low numbers in China, though conservationists are encouraged by increasing signs of these big cats as they venture from the nearby Russian Far East where several hundred remain. This region is critically important in stemming the poaching and illegal trade of tiger parts. Several U.S. government agencies have played a vital role in supporting those efforts, including the U.S. State Department, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Latest reports by WCS suggest that fewer than 3,500 tigers remain in the wild; 1,000 are breeding females.
Endangered monkey helped in China
BEIJING, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- China says its population of white-headed langurs, one of the world's rarest monkeys, has grown in the last decade with conservation efforts.
Government efforts to conserve the critically endangered species in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region have resulted in the number of the white-headed monkeys living in the region growing from 598 in 2003 to 937 today, China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
The majority of the langurs live in a 30-square-mile nature reserve set up by the regional government in 2005 to protect the species, conservationists said.
The preserve was recently upgraded to a state-level reserve meaning more efforts will be devoted to conserving the species, officials said.
White-headed langurs ranks as one of the world's 12 most endangered species due to a sharp population decrease over the past half-century caused by poaching and increased human activity damaging their habitats, wildlife experts said.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2012/02/01/Endangered-monkey-helped-in-China/UPI-69401328132921/#ixzz1lDonfzNC
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Rare Chinese white dolphin gets DNA bank
A Hong Kong conservation group said Saturday it has set up a DNA bank for the rare Chinese white dolphin, also known as the pink dolphin, in a bid to save the mammals facing a sharp population decline.
There are about 2,500 Chinese white dolphins in the Pearl River Delta region, the body of water between Macau and Hong Kong, with the majority of the mammals in Chinese waters and the rest in Hong Kong.
But experts say their number has dropped significantly in the past few years due to overfishing, an increase in maritime traffic, water pollution, habitat loss and coastal development.
In a bid to save the dwindling population, the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong said it had joined hands with a Chinese university to set up a DNA bank, which will also spearhead a genetic research project.
"We hope to offer the scientific community a standardised genetic analysis platform to assess the sustainability of Chinese white dolphin populations," Judy Chen, the foundation chairwoman said in a statement.
"The collected data will provide important reference to governments in the region for developing critical strategies of Chinese white dolphin conservation," she added.
The biological samples of these dolphins will be sent to the DNA bank to investigate the environmental impacts on the mammal, the statement said.
The Chinese white dolphins, a sub-species of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, are unique for their pink skin. They are listed as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The mammal was the official mascot at the handover ceremony when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997, while dolphin watching is a favourite tourist attraction in Hong Kong.
Its population in Hong Kong has dropped from an estimated 158 in 2003 to only 75 in 2010, according to the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Tycoon 'Killed By Poisoned Cat Meat Stew'
Police investigating the sudden death of a billionaire fear he was killed when he ate the poisoned flesh of a cat.
Tycoon Long Liyuan died in Guangdong province in China after having dinner with two business associates on December 23.
The trio ate slow-boiled cat meat stew, a local delicacy. While all three men became sick, 49-year-old Mr Long died.
Officers initially detained the owner of the restaurant for allegedly serving unsanitary food, but the dead businessman's family refused to believe it was food poisoning and pressed police to make further checks.
Local official Huang Guang has now been arrested on suspicion of poisoning the dish with a toxic herb called Gelsemium elegans. Police say the pair had fallen out over money.
Mr Long attended the lunch to discuss plans to develop a piece of woodland, according to state newspaper Nanfang Daily.
One of the men present said the meal tasted "more bitter" than usual.
Businessman Mr Long reported feeling sick and dizzy before going into fatal cardiac arrest.
His family has posted a 100,000 yuan (£10,100) reward for further information about his death.
Central China's Shennongjia Nature Reserve named national 5A-Class Scenic Spot (via Lindsay Selby)
WUHAN, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Central China's Shennongjia Nature Reserve, the rumored hometown of a Bigfoot-like ape-man, was named one of the nation's 5A-Class Scenic Spots by the country's National Tourism Administration on Monday, local authorities said Tuesday.
Located in the northwestern mountains of Hubei Province, the Shennongjia Forestry District, which administers the nature reserve, was established in 1970.
As the only well-preserved sub-tropical forest ecosystem in the world's mid-latitudes, Shennongjia boasts rich natural forest resources with more than 5,000 species of animals and plants.
Being dubbed a national 5A-Class Scenic Spot means Shennongjia Nature Reserve has become a comprehensive tourist area with charming scenery and high-quality service, said Liao Mingyao, an official with the Shennongjia Forestry District.
The Shennongjia area has long been rumored to be the home of the "Yeren," literally "Wild man." The creature is also referred to as "Bigfoot," like the legendary North American ape-man. In the past 100 years, more than 400 people have claimed to have seen the creature, but no hard evidence of the creature's existence has been found.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Goat-riding monkey raids farm
Chinese farmer is claiming that a goat-riding monkey keeps sneaking onto his land to steal his vegetables. Ye Shu, of Donguan, Guangdong Province, says the animals are owned by a neighbouring circus.
He claims the pair sneak into his field nearly every day, eat a lot of vegetables and damage many others.
"This has been going on for two weeks since the acrobatic troupe was first stationed here," he complained.
Ye says the clever monkey first stands on the goat's back to make sure the coast is clear before launching his raids.
"If the monkey sees that nobody is working in the field, he rides in on the goat and they start eating and causing trouble."
A circus spokesman admitted there was nobody to keep an eye on the animals after they had finished their part of the performance.
"We have compensated Ye Shu, and we are sorry for our neglect," said Wu Jun, the troupe leader.
Wu said he was now recruiting more animal keepers to prevent the pair from getting out of hand again.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Rare robin breeding sites found
Rare black-throated robins have been recorded in the Qinling mountains, north central China, by scientists.
The 14 new sightings double the total number for the species since its first discovery 125 years ago.
A team of Chinese and Swedish researchers located two breeding areas after hearing the males' distinctive calls.
The national nature reserves where the birds were found are also home to rare giant pandas and snub-nosed monkeys.
Also known as the blackthroat and black-throated blue robin, the species (Luscinia obscura) was first discovered in 1886.
The birds resemble a European robin in size and shape but the males sport a jet-black throat and chest rather than the familiar red.
To date, very little is known about the species and there have never been any definitive sightings of females.
"The species is extremely secretive and difficult to see in the dense bamboo where it lives," explained Prof Per Alstrom, of the Swedish Species Information Centre, a part of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala.
Prof Alstrom and colleagues were able to identify the birds' breeding grounds after hearing their distinctive song.
"It's likely that there are approximately as many females in the wild as there are males, but males are more easy to find [because] they sing," he said.
Read more here ...
By Ella Davies
Reporter, BBC Nature
The 14 new sightings double the total number for the species since its first discovery 125 years ago.
A team of Chinese and Swedish researchers located two breeding areas after hearing the males' distinctive calls.
The national nature reserves where the birds were found are also home to rare giant pandas and snub-nosed monkeys.
Also known as the blackthroat and black-throated blue robin, the species (Luscinia obscura) was first discovered in 1886.
The birds resemble a European robin in size and shape but the males sport a jet-black throat and chest rather than the familiar red.
To date, very little is known about the species and there have never been any definitive sightings of females.
"The species is extremely secretive and difficult to see in the dense bamboo where it lives," explained Prof Per Alstrom, of the Swedish Species Information Centre, a part of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala.
Prof Alstrom and colleagues were able to identify the birds' breeding grounds after hearing their distinctive song.
"It's likely that there are approximately as many females in the wild as there are males, but males are more easy to find [because] they sing," he said.
Read more here ...
By Ella Davies
Reporter, BBC Nature
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Two snouts are better than one: Poor three-eyed pig that always hogs the trough
A piglet from Changtai County in southern China's Fujian Province has been born with three eyes and two mouths.
Xiao Jintu, owner of a local pig farm, said the piglet is one from a 12-strong litter. 'It came out 5th and I was stunned in seeing its appearance'.
The piglet has two symmetrical mouths and an extra eye in the center of its forehead.
Neighbours have been visiting the pig farm nonstop since the birth of the piglet and Mr Xiao says he plans to keep it as a pet.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2073654/Two-snouts-better-Poor-eyed-pig-hogs-trough.html
Xiao Jintu, owner of a local pig farm, said the piglet is one from a 12-strong litter. 'It came out 5th and I was stunned in seeing its appearance'.
The piglet has two symmetrical mouths and an extra eye in the center of its forehead.
Neighbours have been visiting the pig farm nonstop since the birth of the piglet and Mr Xiao says he plans to keep it as a pet.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2073654/Two-snouts-better-Poor-eyed-pig-hogs-trough.html
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
China bans auction of tiger wine after outrage in UK
Tiger bone wine sale
December 2011. The Chinese Government has banned a private auction of 400 bottles of tiger wine, made from crushed tiger bones, which was planned to take place in China. It comes at a time when there is increasing concern about the practice of farming tigers and the imminent threat that the tiger in the wild is facing extinction. There are estimated to be only 3,200 wild tigers left on the planet.
Hundreds of TigerTime supporters responded to the call from the TigerTime Campaign Team to email Chinese officials demanding that the auction be banned.
David Shepherd
The renowned artist and conservationist Davis Shepherd CBE, whose Foundation set up the TigerTime campaign on his 80th birthday in June 2011 said, ‘China is allowing a so called ‘licensed' trade in tiger skins and body parts from so called ‘tiger farms'. The practice of ‘farming' tigers is barbaric in its own right. They are treated like battery hens. Worse still, farming helps support a demand for tiger skins, bones and other body parts that is the perfect smokescreen for the continued shooting, trapping and poisoning of wild tigers. I'm delighted that this horrific auction has been cancelled but the world needs a total ban on all trade in tiger parts if the tiger is to be saved'.
Sam Fox
The former model and now International singer Samantha Fox, one of the celebrities helping lead the TigerTime campaign said, ‘This just shows that people power can work and does work. We've helped stop this awful auction. I'm thrilled we've helped to pull this off - but there is so much more to do. The Chinese Government must ban ALL trade in ANY tiger or Asian big cat body parts from ANY source if we are to save the wild tiger'.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/tiger-wine-sale.html
December 2011. The Chinese Government has banned a private auction of 400 bottles of tiger wine, made from crushed tiger bones, which was planned to take place in China. It comes at a time when there is increasing concern about the practice of farming tigers and the imminent threat that the tiger in the wild is facing extinction. There are estimated to be only 3,200 wild tigers left on the planet.
Hundreds of TigerTime supporters responded to the call from the TigerTime Campaign Team to email Chinese officials demanding that the auction be banned.
David Shepherd
The renowned artist and conservationist Davis Shepherd CBE, whose Foundation set up the TigerTime campaign on his 80th birthday in June 2011 said, ‘China is allowing a so called ‘licensed' trade in tiger skins and body parts from so called ‘tiger farms'. The practice of ‘farming' tigers is barbaric in its own right. They are treated like battery hens. Worse still, farming helps support a demand for tiger skins, bones and other body parts that is the perfect smokescreen for the continued shooting, trapping and poisoning of wild tigers. I'm delighted that this horrific auction has been cancelled but the world needs a total ban on all trade in tiger parts if the tiger is to be saved'.
Sam Fox
The former model and now International singer Samantha Fox, one of the celebrities helping lead the TigerTime campaign said, ‘This just shows that people power can work and does work. We've helped stop this awful auction. I'm thrilled we've helped to pull this off - but there is so much more to do. The Chinese Government must ban ALL trade in ANY tiger or Asian big cat body parts from ANY source if we are to save the wild tiger'.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/tiger-wine-sale.html
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Tiger bone wine auction in China a disgrace
Chinese auction flaunts tiger trade banDecember 2011. A Chinese auction of traditional health tonics, scheduled for Saturday 3 December in a Beijing hotel, will feature at least 400 bottles of wine made from tiger bone in blatant disregard of a global trade ban, according to IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare).
"IFAW has alerted the Chinese authorities to this illegal trade and urges them to shut down this auction," said Grace Ge Gabriel, Asia Regional Director for IFAW. "Selling products made from tiger bone is not only illegal, but also ignores the pledge of China's Premier to crack down on the trade of tiger products."
Poached for their body parts for medicinal purposes, wild tigers have all but disappeared from China. Illegal trade in tiger body parts and products, driven by the Chinese demand, continues to threaten the remaining populations of tigers, which declined from over 100,000 a century ago to as few as 3,000 left in the wild.
Tiger bone wine
IFAW discovered hundreds of bottles of "tiger bone wine" from various Traditional Chinese Medicine manufacturers listed in the online catalogue of Beijing auction house Googut, which claimed the products were produced before a 1993 Chinese trade ban on all tiger bone products. The tiger bone products were on display at the auction preview in Beijing on Friday, along with carved rhino horn, which is also illegal to buy and sell in China.
"It doesn't matter whether the tiger bone products are pre-ban or not, their trade is forbidden by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and domestically in all tiger range states," said Gabriel. "Moreover, the sale of tiger products of any kind confuses the public, stimulates market demand and fuels poaching of tigers."
The 1993 State Council trade ban explicitly forbids all trade of tiger bone and rhino horn, including selling, buying, and transport. Products produced before the ban went into effect are also required to be sealed and banned from trade.
The Chinese ban was reconfirmed by Premier Wen Jiabao at the global tiger summit in St. Petersburg, Russia exactly a year ago this week. The summit represented the first time top political leaders from 13 tiger range states came together to save a species. They adopted a global plan to double the wild tiger population over the next 12 years by stepping up efforts to protect tiger habitat, stop poaching, and end tiger trade.
Growing demand from Chinese elite
The likely buyers for tiger bone wine at the Beijing auction are wealthy elite consumers, a growing class in China who are driving renewed demand for tiger body parts.
Strategies for reducing this escalating demand were among the issues discussed by experts from tiger range countries, the World Bank, and tiger protection organisations, including IFAW, who gathered in Washington, D.C. earlier this week to assess progress since the St. Petersburg summit.
IFAW supports anti poaching patrols in tiger habitats, trains law enforcement officers to control illegal trade, and conducts public awareness campaigns in consumer countries to reduce demand.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/tiger-wine.html
"IFAW has alerted the Chinese authorities to this illegal trade and urges them to shut down this auction," said Grace Ge Gabriel, Asia Regional Director for IFAW. "Selling products made from tiger bone is not only illegal, but also ignores the pledge of China's Premier to crack down on the trade of tiger products."
Poached for their body parts for medicinal purposes, wild tigers have all but disappeared from China. Illegal trade in tiger body parts and products, driven by the Chinese demand, continues to threaten the remaining populations of tigers, which declined from over 100,000 a century ago to as few as 3,000 left in the wild.
Tiger bone wine
IFAW discovered hundreds of bottles of "tiger bone wine" from various Traditional Chinese Medicine manufacturers listed in the online catalogue of Beijing auction house Googut, which claimed the products were produced before a 1993 Chinese trade ban on all tiger bone products. The tiger bone products were on display at the auction preview in Beijing on Friday, along with carved rhino horn, which is also illegal to buy and sell in China.
"It doesn't matter whether the tiger bone products are pre-ban or not, their trade is forbidden by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and domestically in all tiger range states," said Gabriel. "Moreover, the sale of tiger products of any kind confuses the public, stimulates market demand and fuels poaching of tigers."
The 1993 State Council trade ban explicitly forbids all trade of tiger bone and rhino horn, including selling, buying, and transport. Products produced before the ban went into effect are also required to be sealed and banned from trade.
The Chinese ban was reconfirmed by Premier Wen Jiabao at the global tiger summit in St. Petersburg, Russia exactly a year ago this week. The summit represented the first time top political leaders from 13 tiger range states came together to save a species. They adopted a global plan to double the wild tiger population over the next 12 years by stepping up efforts to protect tiger habitat, stop poaching, and end tiger trade.
Growing demand from Chinese elite
The likely buyers for tiger bone wine at the Beijing auction are wealthy elite consumers, a growing class in China who are driving renewed demand for tiger body parts.
Strategies for reducing this escalating demand were among the issues discussed by experts from tiger range countries, the World Bank, and tiger protection organisations, including IFAW, who gathered in Washington, D.C. earlier this week to assess progress since the St. Petersburg summit.
IFAW supports anti poaching patrols in tiger habitats, trains law enforcement officers to control illegal trade, and conducts public awareness campaigns in consumer countries to reduce demand.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/tiger-wine.html
Friday, November 25, 2011
China breaks 2010 promise- still killing tigers for profit
Tiger skins traded openly in ChinaNovember 2011. One year on from the International Tiger Conservation Forum in St Petersburg, tiger campaigners have launched an impassioned petition calling on the Premier of China, Wen Jiabao, to end the trade in tiger and big cat skins from so called ‘tiger farms' in his country.
China is still allowing the trade in tiger skins of so-called ‘legal origin', including ‘farmed tigers'. But, a lack of transparency over how authorities determine the legality of the skins coupled with insufficient enforcement and growing corruption is creating a smokescreen for the illegal trade in tiger parts and products in China.
‘Licensed trade' in tiger skins is a disaster
Wildlife artist and outspoken conservationist David Shepherd CBE said: "Tiger farms are barbaric. The sight of hundreds of tigers in small cages being bred just for their parts is repulsive. The Premier of China is on the record as saying he is committed to saving the wild tiger. His government is simply not living up to this commitment. Allowing a so called ‘licensed trade' in skins from tiger farms is a disaster for two reasons. First, it keeps up the scandalous demand for tiger parts by pandering to the market. Second, corruption and this ‘legal' trade make it almost impossible for enforcement agencies to police the situation.
"If Wen Jiabao means what he says about saving tigers, he can clear this up by setting a zero tolerance and end all trade, in all parts, from all sources policy now."
Read more here ...
China is still allowing the trade in tiger skins of so-called ‘legal origin', including ‘farmed tigers'. But, a lack of transparency over how authorities determine the legality of the skins coupled with insufficient enforcement and growing corruption is creating a smokescreen for the illegal trade in tiger parts and products in China.
‘Licensed trade' in tiger skins is a disaster
Wildlife artist and outspoken conservationist David Shepherd CBE said: "Tiger farms are barbaric. The sight of hundreds of tigers in small cages being bred just for their parts is repulsive. The Premier of China is on the record as saying he is committed to saving the wild tiger. His government is simply not living up to this commitment. Allowing a so called ‘licensed trade' in skins from tiger farms is a disaster for two reasons. First, it keeps up the scandalous demand for tiger parts by pandering to the market. Second, corruption and this ‘legal' trade make it almost impossible for enforcement agencies to police the situation.
"If Wen Jiabao means what he says about saving tigers, he can clear this up by setting a zero tolerance and end all trade, in all parts, from all sources policy now."
Read more here ...
Monday, November 21, 2011
Loyal Dog Guards Grave Of Deceased Master
People living in a Chinese village have been so moved by a dog that has been guarding the grave of its deceased owner they plan to build a kennel for him.
The yellow dog belonged to Lao Pan, a single man who died earlier this month aged 68.
After his room in Panjiatun village near Qingdao city, Shandong Province, was cleared his dog disappeared.
But villagers later found the dog by the grave of its owner. Reports say that for seven days, the dog stayed there, refusing to leave.
Seeing that the dog was going without food, the locals tried to take it back to the village and gave it some buns.
The dog took the buns and returned to the graveyard.
Now the villagers are taking food and water to the dog regularly and plan to put up a kennel for it near its owner's grave.
The story is reminiscent of Edinburgh's Greyfriar Bobby, a Skye terrier who, history recalls, spent 14 years at his master's grave in the 19th century.
He is now immortalised with a bronze statue in the city and has his own website.
Bobby belonged to John Gray, who worked for Edinburgh City Police. He was two when Gray died of tuberculosis in 1858 and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard.
The dog apparently spent the rest of his life sitting on his master's grave, cared for by well-wishers.
Several books and films have been based on his story.
Read more and see video here ...
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Chinese knotweed woman found in all her curvaceous glory
Pulled straight from the ground in Anshun, Guizhou province, the knotweed appeared to have thick protruding roots in areas that looked all too familiar to the man who found it.
The buxom vegetation can be seen apparently posing in a confident fashion with two legs, folded arms, two big eyes and a nose - but, most noticeably, rather appropriately positioned bosoms.
The local man who discovered the 41cm-long, 6kg knotweed showed villagers, who were stunned at the uncanny resemblance.
China has revealed human-like knotweeds before, with Langzhong farmer Zheng Dexun unearthing a 62cm-long knotweed man 'standing' perfectly upright.
Unsure at the meaning of his discovery, Zheng said: 'I don’t know whether it is good or bad to dig out a Chinese knotweed that looks like a human. I’d better put it back in the earth!'
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/880654-chinese-knotweed-woman-is-found-in-all-her-curvaceous-glory#ixzz1cptrQQdQ
The buxom vegetation can be seen apparently posing in a confident fashion with two legs, folded arms, two big eyes and a nose - but, most noticeably, rather appropriately positioned bosoms.
The local man who discovered the 41cm-long, 6kg knotweed showed villagers, who were stunned at the uncanny resemblance.
China has revealed human-like knotweeds before, with Langzhong farmer Zheng Dexun unearthing a 62cm-long knotweed man 'standing' perfectly upright.
Unsure at the meaning of his discovery, Zheng said: 'I don’t know whether it is good or bad to dig out a Chinese knotweed that looks like a human. I’d better put it back in the earth!'
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/880654-chinese-knotweed-woman-is-found-in-all-her-curvaceous-glory#ixzz1cptrQQdQ
Friday, October 14, 2011
Amur leopard captured on camera in China for first time since 1949
One of the world's rarest big cats has been captured on camera in China for the first time since 1949.
An Amur leopard, also known as a Wild Manchurian leopard, was photographed in a forest in Wangqing county, on the border of Russia and North Korea.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8823786/Amur-leopard-captured-on-camera-in-China-for-first-time-since-1949.html
An Amur leopard, also known as a Wild Manchurian leopard, was photographed in a forest in Wangqing county, on the border of Russia and North Korea.
The adult leopard was caught by an automatic infrared camera set up by a researcher from Peking university.
Sun Ge, the researcher, said the photograph had been a stroke of serendipity. "I am actually researching herbivorous animals in three forests around the county, and I had not expected to capture an image of an Amur leopard at all," he said.
Mr Sun had set up 40 cameras around the forest in the Spring, returning to collect the images every 20 days. The leopard was photographed on September 19.
There are fewer than 50 Amur leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis) left living in the wild, almost all of them in Russia. The cat is classified as technically extinct in China, although there could be around ten of them roaming the Sino-Siberian border.
An Amur leopard, also known as a Wild Manchurian leopard, was photographed in a forest in Wangqing county, on the border of Russia and North Korea. The adult leopard was caught by an automatic infrared camera set up by a researcher from Peking university.
Sun Ge, the researcher, said the photograph had been a stroke of serendipity. "I am actually researching herbivorous animals in three forests around the county, and I had not expected to capture an image of an Amur leopard at all," he said.
Mr Sun had set up 40 cameras around the forest in the Spring, returning to collect the images every 20 days. The leopard was photographed on September 19.
There are fewer than 50 Amur leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis) left living in the wild, almost all of them in Russia. The cat is classified as technically extinct in China, although there could be around ten of them roaming the Sino-Siberian border.
By Malcolm Moore, Shanghaihttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8823786/Amur-leopard-captured-on-camera-in-China-for-first-time-since-1949.html
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Featherless penguin back with parents
A featherless penguin abandoned by its parents just days after its birth has been accepted back into the family.
The successful re-introduction of the little penguin was thanks to the efforts of keepers at LHT Pole Aquarium in China's Liaoning Province.
The little penguin was born on 17 August and was ill treated by its parents in the first few days after its birth.
A keeper said: "Its parents kicked it out from time to time, or even left it on the icy ground to let it die".
Keepers at the aquarium decided that the baby penguin's lack of feathers and weak condition was due to difficulties digesting food and absorbing nutrition.
Spokeswoman Wang Dan said: "In the beginning we tried to send it back to its parents, hoping they would still take care of it and help it grow stronger, but they neglected it and even kicked it out. We then decided to feed it by ourselves."
http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/featherless_pengiun
The successful re-introduction of the little penguin was thanks to the efforts of keepers at LHT Pole Aquarium in China's Liaoning Province.
The little penguin was born on 17 August and was ill treated by its parents in the first few days after its birth.
A keeper said: "Its parents kicked it out from time to time, or even left it on the icy ground to let it die".
Keepers at the aquarium decided that the baby penguin's lack of feathers and weak condition was due to difficulties digesting food and absorbing nutrition.
Spokeswoman Wang Dan said: "In the beginning we tried to send it back to its parents, hoping they would still take care of it and help it grow stronger, but they neglected it and even kicked it out. We then decided to feed it by ourselves."
http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/featherless_pengiun
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
An extra mouth to feed
This tiny porker has an excuse for making a pig of himself at mealtimes - he really does have two mouths to feed.
The two-month-old youngster - part of a litter born on a farm in Deshengtang, Jilin province, northern China - can use both his mouths to eat and appears otherwise normal, say his owners.
Farmer Li Zhenjun and his wife Yu Wanfen named the piglet Xiaobao - or 'Babe' in English - after the movie about an extraordinary talking pig.
Li explained: "The mouths aren't much of an advantage because his head is very heavy and he gets pushed around by the others.
"I'm feeding her with a bottle now and she's doing very well."
http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/An_extra_mouth_to_feed
The two-month-old youngster - part of a litter born on a farm in Deshengtang, Jilin province, northern China - can use both his mouths to eat and appears otherwise normal, say his owners.
Farmer Li Zhenjun and his wife Yu Wanfen named the piglet Xiaobao - or 'Babe' in English - after the movie about an extraordinary talking pig.
Li explained: "The mouths aren't much of an advantage because his head is very heavy and he gets pushed around by the others.
"I'm feeding her with a bottle now and she's doing very well."
http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/An_extra_mouth_to_feed
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Bird flu deaths in Asia prompt call for scrutiny
(Reuters) - Virologists warned on Tuesday that there was no vaccine against a mutant strain of H5N1 bird flu now spreading in China and Vietnam and called for closer monitoring of the disease in poultry and wild birds to stop it spreading to people.
The call came after the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Monday of a possible resurgence of bird flu and said a mutant strain of the H5N1 was spreading in Asia and beyond.
While scientists are uncertain if this new strain -- called H5N1-2.3.2.1 -- is more virulent in people, they said it was different enough from its predecessor to escape a human H5N1 vaccine that can tackle the parent strain.
"There is a human H5N1 vaccine candidate that is a (WHO)recommended vaccine ... But it doesn't confer full protection against the (new variant)," said leading virologist Malik Peiris at the University of Hong Kong.
"But that is not unusual. H5 viruses keep changing and we have to change the vaccine strain."
The World Health Organization meets twice a year, in February and September, when experts discuss and decide on the makeup of candidate influenza vaccines.
H5N1 kills up to 60 percent of the people it infects. It has resurfaced in recent months, most notably in Cambodia where it has infected eight people this year, killing all of them.
"H5N1 cases in Cambodia always have high mortality because they are detected late," Peiris told Reuters in an interview.
"It doesn't necessarily indicate that this particular virus strain is more virulent to humans. But it is a threat because it has become more widespread globally."
(Reporting by Tan Ee Lyn; Editing by Nick Macfie)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/30/us-birdflu-asia-mutant-idUSTRE77T1VM20110830
The call came after the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Monday of a possible resurgence of bird flu and said a mutant strain of the H5N1 was spreading in Asia and beyond.
While scientists are uncertain if this new strain -- called H5N1-2.3.2.1 -- is more virulent in people, they said it was different enough from its predecessor to escape a human H5N1 vaccine that can tackle the parent strain.
"There is a human H5N1 vaccine candidate that is a (WHO)recommended vaccine ... But it doesn't confer full protection against the (new variant)," said leading virologist Malik Peiris at the University of Hong Kong.
"But that is not unusual. H5 viruses keep changing and we have to change the vaccine strain."
The World Health Organization meets twice a year, in February and September, when experts discuss and decide on the makeup of candidate influenza vaccines.
H5N1 kills up to 60 percent of the people it infects. It has resurfaced in recent months, most notably in Cambodia where it has infected eight people this year, killing all of them.
"H5N1 cases in Cambodia always have high mortality because they are detected late," Peiris told Reuters in an interview.
"It doesn't necessarily indicate that this particular virus strain is more virulent to humans. But it is a threat because it has become more widespread globally."
(Reporting by Tan Ee Lyn; Editing by Nick Macfie)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/30/us-birdflu-asia-mutant-idUSTRE77T1VM20110830
Monday, August 29, 2011
Chinese doctors to call for ‘cruel’ bear farms to be closed
China’s bear farms, where for decades bile has been extracted from the endangered animals in horrific conditions, have been condemned by eminent Chinese scientists.
At a conference in London on Friday, the experts will say there is no justification for the farms because their latest research has shown that that herbal substitutes have greater health benefits than those claimed for bear bile which is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
At a conference in London on Friday, the experts will say there is no justification for the farms because their latest research has shown that that herbal substitutes have greater health benefits than those claimed for bear bile which is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
The rare public criticism of ‘bile farms’ by traditional Chinese medicine experts will be led by Dr Yibin Feng, an associate professor and assistant director at the School of Chinese Medicine at the University of Hong Kong.
He will unveil new research showing that the bears’ suffering on the farms is “unnecessary” and will call for the farms to be closed down.
“Bears are being inhumanely treated and bear farming must end in the near future,” Dr Feng will tell the conference in Westminster.
“Our research provides evidence that other easily available animal bile and plants can be used as bear bile substitutes.”
His conclusions will delight campaigners who for years have fought against the farms and freed hundreds of bears from captivity.
They claim that opposition to the industry is growing as China’s burgeoning middle class become increasingly opposed to such cruelty.
Dr Feng will warn the World Traditional Chinese Medicine Congress conference, however, that opponents face a hard battle with traditionalists who remain convinced that real bear bile can help cure many ailments including stomach and digestive disorders and kidney problems. Many people, including government officials, will refuse to accept substitutes, he will say.
On the farms, the bears - mostly Asiatic black bears - are kept in tiny, cramped cages and milked for their bile through crude holes cut into the abdomen wall and the gall bladder.
The wounds are deliberately left open, leaving the bears exposed to infection and disease. They are kept hungry and denied free access to water because this helps produce more bile.
The farms are still found in many parts of China and other Asian countries, fuelling poaching and illegal trade in the animals.
Dr Feng’s research shows that herbal alternatives and bile from other animals such as cattle - which can be collected cheaply at abbatoirs - can be more effective than bear bile.
He will argue that growing opposition to animal substitutes will mean that, eventually, only plant substitutes will be acceptable. “The final choice will have to be to use plants to substitute bear bile,” he will tell the conference at Central Hall.
“Completely replacing the real one in chemical compositions is really difficult, but it is possible and we are close to proving the reality which is that the pharmacological effects of the substitute are better than those of the real one.”
Animal welfare campaigners point to growing opposition to the farms inside China. Earlier this year the owner of one of the biggest bear bile farms in China - who also owns a large pharmaceutical company - sparked protests in China when he applied for approval to list his company on a stock exchange.
Another speaker at the conference, Toby Zhang, of the charity Animals Asia, said: “There has been a groundswell of public opinion against bear bile farming which shows that the Chinese people are increasingly concerned about animal welfare issues. Now even tradtional medicine doctors are advising against the use of bear bile.”
Jill Robinson, the English founder and chief executive of the charity, which has a sanctuary for rescued bears in China, said: “Bears are dying in droves across the country in conditions that are just as horrendous as they were when we began rescuing bears in 1995. This appalling trade has to end.
“There are over 54 different herbal alternatives and man-made synthetics that can take their place. No one is going to die from a lack of bear bile.”
In December 2009, 19 of China’s mainland provinces committed to becoming bear farm free. Another province, Shandong, closed its last bear farm in 2010.
But there is growing concern that the bear bile trade is still widespread throughout Asia.
The Chinese government estimates that there are currently between 7,000 and 10,000 bears kept for their bile in China. There are an estimated 16,000 Asiatic bears living in the wild.
A report in May by TRAFFIC, the wildlife monitoring network, found that poaching and illegal trade of bears, “continues unabated”, and on a large scale, mostly in China, but also in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam.
The most common products on sale were pills and whole bear gall bladders where the bile secreted by the liver is stored.
International trade in the bears, and their parts and derivatives, is prohibited under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The report found that the ban was widely flouted. Domestic trade of bear bile is legal but regulated in China and Japan and illegal in other countries.
Bear bile has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 3,000 years.
Until about 30 years ago, the only way to acquire bear bile was by killing a wild animal and removing its gall bladder. In the early 1980s bear farms began appearing in North Korea and quickly spread to China.
Bears rescued from farms by Animals Asia are found to be suffering from liver cancer, blindness, shattered teeth and ulcerated gums. Contaminated bile from sick bears poses a threat to human health.
The campaign has won support from celebrities including Joanna Lumley, the actress. “Bear farming is a cruel and unnecessary practice,” she said.
“The bears are suffering and dying from liver cancers - and doctors in Asia are now urgently highlighting concerns for those who consume the diseased bile.”
Karen Mok, China’s biggest music star, said: “Animals deserve to live in a world without fear or suffering. We must all help the thousands of bears suffering terrible cruelty.”
Dr Jidong Wu, president of the UK association of traditional chinese medicine at Middlesex university, which prohibits the use of bear bile by its practitioners, said extracting bear bile was “inhumane and unethical” and “against the general principle and law of traditional Chinese medicine which emphasises keeping the balance between mankind and nature.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/laos/7950161/Inside-a-bear-bile-farm-in-Laos.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/1414897/More-bears-face-torment-on-Chinas-bile-farms.html
By David Harrison
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8727071/Chinese-doctors-to-call-for-cruel-bear-farms-to-be-closed.html
His conclusions will delight campaigners who for years have fought against the farms and freed hundreds of bears from captivity.
They claim that opposition to the industry is growing as China’s burgeoning middle class become increasingly opposed to such cruelty.
Dr Feng will warn the World Traditional Chinese Medicine Congress conference, however, that opponents face a hard battle with traditionalists who remain convinced that real bear bile can help cure many ailments including stomach and digestive disorders and kidney problems. Many people, including government officials, will refuse to accept substitutes, he will say.
On the farms, the bears - mostly Asiatic black bears - are kept in tiny, cramped cages and milked for their bile through crude holes cut into the abdomen wall and the gall bladder.
The wounds are deliberately left open, leaving the bears exposed to infection and disease. They are kept hungry and denied free access to water because this helps produce more bile.
The farms are still found in many parts of China and other Asian countries, fuelling poaching and illegal trade in the animals.
Dr Feng’s research shows that herbal alternatives and bile from other animals such as cattle - which can be collected cheaply at abbatoirs - can be more effective than bear bile.
He will argue that growing opposition to animal substitutes will mean that, eventually, only plant substitutes will be acceptable. “The final choice will have to be to use plants to substitute bear bile,” he will tell the conference at Central Hall.
“Completely replacing the real one in chemical compositions is really difficult, but it is possible and we are close to proving the reality which is that the pharmacological effects of the substitute are better than those of the real one.”
Animal welfare campaigners point to growing opposition to the farms inside China. Earlier this year the owner of one of the biggest bear bile farms in China - who also owns a large pharmaceutical company - sparked protests in China when he applied for approval to list his company on a stock exchange.
Another speaker at the conference, Toby Zhang, of the charity Animals Asia, said: “There has been a groundswell of public opinion against bear bile farming which shows that the Chinese people are increasingly concerned about animal welfare issues. Now even tradtional medicine doctors are advising against the use of bear bile.”
Jill Robinson, the English founder and chief executive of the charity, which has a sanctuary for rescued bears in China, said: “Bears are dying in droves across the country in conditions that are just as horrendous as they were when we began rescuing bears in 1995. This appalling trade has to end.
“There are over 54 different herbal alternatives and man-made synthetics that can take their place. No one is going to die from a lack of bear bile.”
In December 2009, 19 of China’s mainland provinces committed to becoming bear farm free. Another province, Shandong, closed its last bear farm in 2010.
But there is growing concern that the bear bile trade is still widespread throughout Asia.
The Chinese government estimates that there are currently between 7,000 and 10,000 bears kept for their bile in China. There are an estimated 16,000 Asiatic bears living in the wild.
A report in May by TRAFFIC, the wildlife monitoring network, found that poaching and illegal trade of bears, “continues unabated”, and on a large scale, mostly in China, but also in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam.
The most common products on sale were pills and whole bear gall bladders where the bile secreted by the liver is stored.
International trade in the bears, and their parts and derivatives, is prohibited under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The report found that the ban was widely flouted. Domestic trade of bear bile is legal but regulated in China and Japan and illegal in other countries.
Bear bile has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 3,000 years.
Until about 30 years ago, the only way to acquire bear bile was by killing a wild animal and removing its gall bladder. In the early 1980s bear farms began appearing in North Korea and quickly spread to China.
Bears rescued from farms by Animals Asia are found to be suffering from liver cancer, blindness, shattered teeth and ulcerated gums. Contaminated bile from sick bears poses a threat to human health.
The campaign has won support from celebrities including Joanna Lumley, the actress. “Bear farming is a cruel and unnecessary practice,” she said.
“The bears are suffering and dying from liver cancers - and doctors in Asia are now urgently highlighting concerns for those who consume the diseased bile.”
Karen Mok, China’s biggest music star, said: “Animals deserve to live in a world without fear or suffering. We must all help the thousands of bears suffering terrible cruelty.”
Dr Jidong Wu, president of the UK association of traditional chinese medicine at Middlesex university, which prohibits the use of bear bile by its practitioners, said extracting bear bile was “inhumane and unethical” and “against the general principle and law of traditional Chinese medicine which emphasises keeping the balance between mankind and nature.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/laos/7950161/Inside-a-bear-bile-farm-in-Laos.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/1414897/More-bears-face-torment-on-Chinas-bile-farms.html
By David Harrison
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8727071/Chinese-doctors-to-call-for-cruel-bear-farms-to-be-closed.html
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