Atlantic sturgeon's listing as endangered could affect Delaware dredging

It lives at the bottom of the river.

It's ancient and ugly - often described as a dinosaur with fins.

And although it once made the region the caviar capital of the world, the Atlantic sturgeon is being declared an endangered species, a decision that could affect the Delaware River deepening project.

No one is saying the sturgeon will become the snail darter of the Delaware. Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service, which is making final the endangered listing, and the Army Corps of Engineers say the fish does not have the power to scuttle the project.

But they concede that schedules might have to change or other alterations be made to accommodate the spectacularly picky sturgeon, which will spawn only in certain areas.

"We are concerned about dredging and the impacts on the species," said NOAA's Kim Damon-Randall, supervisory fishery biologist. One of the agency's documents said the scope of the project, plus the ample unknowns about the fish's preferred spawning habitat, "indicate that the project could be very harmful" to the sturgeon.

In anticipation of the listing, the Army Corps has already been working with federal fisheries officials, said spokesman Ed Voigt.

"As we move forward, we're coordinating . . . to ensure that with each step of the project, we avoid impacts to the Atlantic sturgeon and other species."

But, he said, "there's no reason to expect some kind of change is going to transform the cost and scope of the project."

Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper, disagreed. She said the listing should "have significant ramifications" for the deepening project. If it does not, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network is "well positioned for a very strong legal case."

Scientists are still trying to figure out what portions of the river the fish prefers and why, and preliminary results indicate that a favored habitat is a tanker anchorage near Marcus Hook - which is slated for deepening.

"There are usually several big tankers anchored there, and right below them, baby sturgeon," said Delaware fisheries biologist Matt Fisher, who has caught young sturgeon and implanted acoustic equipment so they could be tracked.

Continued reading:  http://articles.philly.com/2012-02-02/news/31017049_1_atlantic-sturgeon-young-sturgeon-critical-habitat

Working to save Nicaragua’s hawksbills

January 2012: Estero Padre Ramos is recognised as a globally important site for the Critically Endangered hawksbill turtle. Located in northwest Nicaragua, it is a shallow marine estuary comprising lagoons, inlets, beaches and mangroves. For more than five years, community leader Luis Manzanares has been working to protect sea turtles in the area and now runs the Proyecto Carey hawksbill turtle conservation project which is supported by Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative (ICAPO). The project has now completed its second season - here Luis shares the results...

More than 11,500 hatchlings successfully released

This year the field team built a hatchery to protect relocated turtle eggs, as well as an experimental hatchery to test the effects of different environmental conditions on hatching success.

Nightly beach patrols took place from May to October last year along three miles of beach and an exchange visit took place with its ‘sister' hawksbill project at Bahia Jiquilisco in El Salvador.

‘This initiative is helping local people meet their daily subsistence needs, providing vital income to improve their diet, diversify their crops and support their families,' says Luis.

By the end of the 2011 nesting season, the project team had recorded 150 hawksbill nests, tagged 32 nesting females for future identification, and successfully released almost 11,500 hatchlings to the sea.

Over the two seasons of the project, 90 per cent of nests recorded have been successfully protected, a strong indicator of the ‘buy-in' from local community members and stakeholders (in comparison, it is estimated that all nests were illegally poached prior to 2010).

Luis concludes: ‘The community is happy that Estero Padre Ramos is known worldwide for its number of hawksbill turtles and people now have hope that in future years their numbers will increase and our children will have the opportunity to know them.'

Despite the 2011 hawksbill nesting season drawing to a close in October, FFI's specialist turtle teams in Nicaragua, led by José Urteaga, Perla Torres and Gena Arbarca, are kept busy throughout the year. Marcial Chàvez is a local community leader involved in monitoring olive ridley turtle arribadas in the Chacocente Wildlife Refuge, where FFI has been working for ten years.

During that time between 30,000 and 60,000 olive ridley nests have been recoreded each year at this beach alone, resulting in many millions of olive ridley hatchlings returning to the sea (more than 1.5 million in the 2010-11 season - this year's data is still being collated!)

This season, Marcial and his team have recorded five arribada mass nesting events at Chacocente since July, each involving between 2,000 and 20,000 nesting females, alongside smaller-scale nesting activity.

Marcial works closely with FFI to reduce the plundering of turtle eggs from the arribada beach and strengthen turtle-friendly economic alternatives through rural community tourism.

500 leatherback nests protected

As for the majestic leatherback turtle - the original flagship species of FFI's turtle conservation programme - FFI now supports conservation activities at three of the most important nesting sites for leatherbacks along Nicaragua's pacific coast.

Since FFI's pioneering leatherback conservation work began, more than 500 leatherback nests at Chacocente, Isla Juan Venado and Salamina have been protected. Juan Manuel, is a community leader involved with FFI's leatherback turtle conservation project at Chacocente.

‘My hope is that in 20 years' time we will witness the return of some of the leatherbacks I have seen hatch out in the nursery and be released into the sea over the past ten years,' he says. ‘I will then feel satisfied to have contributed to the recovery of this species.'

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/nicaragua-turtles.html

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.

Latest reports by WCS suggest that fewer than 3,500 tigers remain in the wild; 1,000 are breeding females.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131135414.htm

Captive rhino romance may be last hope for species

(Reuters) - Puntung is a Sumatran rhino, one of roughly two hundred left in the world

Captured in a Borneo forest on Christmas Day, she is the latest addition to Malaysia's Borneo Rhino Sanctuary -- and experts say she may also be one of the last hopes for a species on the brink of extinction.

Veterinarians want to introduce Puntung to Tam, a 20-year-old male Sumatran rhinoceros in the enclosure next door, in the hopes that they will breed -- Although this cannot take place for a number of months yet, until Puntung is deemed ready.

Estimated to be 10 to 12 years old, she was airlifted to the sanctuary in the Tabin Forest Reserve after her capture, and has since been adjusting to her new home, eating more than 60 kg (132 lb) of leaves each day.

"She doesn't look stressed, she's eating well ... but the stress (of a new environment) is enough to offset her cycle, her normal cycle," said Zainal Zahari Zainuddin, a veterinarian with the Borneo Rhino Alliance.

"So she may not have a cycle now. That's why we're monitoring her."

Captive breeding is now regarded as the only way to boost the population of the two-horned Sumatran rhino, which at 500 to 600 kg (1,100 to 1,322 lb) and 1.3 metres tall (4.3 feet) is the world's smallest rhinoceros.

Deforestation and illegal hunting have decimated the population in the wild, and habitat fragmentation has cut the surviving animals off from potential mates. The animals are ageing to the point where they are too old to breed.

But even the capture of Puntung, dubbed a "Christmas miracle" by scientists, does not mean success is assured.

Though she is the right age to breed, she may well turn out to be infertile, said John Payne, at the Borneo Rhino Alliance.

"The rhinos that were caught in Malaysia. Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sumatra in the past ... quite a few wild caught females did have reproductive tract problems. They weren't producing eggs or they had cysts or tumors in the fallopian tubes," Payne said.

"So we are not over the hurdle yet. It may prove that she's not fertile, in which case we need to go on what sort of treatments might be possible to make her fertile."

The sanctuary's only other female rhino, Gelegob, was unable to conceive even with the help of fertility treatment, since she could not produce eggs. She is now 30 years old and blind.

If Puntung shows signs of being ready after six months of observation, she'll be released into an enclosure with Tam, who walked out of a palm oil plantation in 2008 and refused to go back into the forest.

The two are now being kept in adjacent paddocks so each is aware of the other's existence. But Sumatran rhinos are solitary animals and only come together in the wild for courtship and the rearing of young.

Two breeding attempts have been made since the Malaysian captive breeding project began in 1983, but neither succeeded. The last successful attempt to breed captive rhinos took place at the Cincinnati Zoo in the United States.

Rhinoceros horns are a coveted ingredient in traditional Eastern medicine, which has led to widespread illegal hunting.

The WWF said last year that the Javan rhinoceros had been poached into oblivion in Vietnam and is now believed to be confined to one population of less than 50 individuals in an Indonesian national park.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/01/17/us-malaysia-environment-rhinos-idUKTRE80G08Q20120117

Hope for species as rare Sumatran rhino is captured

Capture of rare Sumatran rhino gives hope for species
Malaysian wildlife authorities said Monday the capture of a young female Borneo Sumatran rhino had given them a last chance to save the highly endangered species from extinction.

The female rhino, aged between 10 and 12 years old, was caught on December 18 and is being kept in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah on the Malaysian area of Borneo island where it is hoped it will breed with a lone captive male.

"All of us in Sabah are relieved that we have been able to capture this rhino after almost a year-and-a-half," Borneo Rhino Alliance director Junaidi Payne told AFP.

The female rhino, which has been named Puntung, was caught in a joint operation by the Borneo Rhino Alliance and the Sabah Wildlife Department.

"This is now the very last chance to save this species, one of the most ancient forms of mammal," Laurentius Ambu, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, said in a statement.

Puntung had been specifically targeted since early 2010 as the mate for a 20-year-old, lone male rhino named Tam, who was rescued from an oil palm plantation in August 2008.

"It is an ideal age for breeding. Puntung and Tam are being kept in adjacent paddocks. They can see each other and there is some communication," Payne said.

Previous attempts in the 1980s and 1990s to breed Borneo Sumatran rhinos failed but Payne said he was "cautiously optimistic" the latest captive breeding programme would succeed.

The critically endangered Sumatran rhino is a mostly solitary animal except for courtship and rearing young.


Read more here ...

Shark threat fears raised in NSW

There are concerns the critically endangered grey nurse shark remains under threat because of a lack of action from the New South Wales Government.


When it took power the O'Farrell Government reversed fishing bans at Fish Rock and Green Island on the state's north coast.

The lifting of the bans outraged conservationists, who say it placed the critically endangered grey nurse at further risk.

The east coast population of grey nurse sharks is listed as a critically endangered species under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

When the bans were revoked Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson announced a review of protections for grey nurse sharks in the area.

"As promised prior to the election, we want to ensure the public as well as the scientific community have a proper chance to be consulted before any final decision is made," Ms Hodgkinson said.

Submissions to the three-month review closed in August.

Opposition spokesman Luke Foley is angry no measures to protect the grey nurse shark have been put in place.

"The O'Farrell Government has declared open season on the Labrador of the ocean, the harmless, majestic, beautiful grey nurse shark," said Mr Foley.

"They lifted the restrictions on harming the grey nurse shark for a three-month review, eight months later that review hasn't reported.

"We are going into the peak holiday season with the grey nurse shark unprotected."

Mr Foley says he has received numerous reports of sharks in the area with fish hooks in their mouths.

A spokesman for the Department of Primary Industries has defended the delay, saying a report on the submissions it received will be released shortly.

"The summary report will initially be provided to a key stakeholder organisations, in order that they are able to have time to examine the information," said the spokesman.

"The NSW Department of Primary Industries will then undertake independently facilitated consultation to engage and involve key stakeholders in order to develop future management options for grey nurse sharks in NSW."

On its website the DPI says "despite their fierce appearance, grey nurse sharks are not a threat to divers or swimmers unless provoked".

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-21/shark-threat-fears/3742454/?site=newcastle

Tiger sanctuary being felled by paper giant

Two million hectares of forest have been destroyed

December 2011: The Senepis Tiger Sanctuary - a prominent feature of the massive international greenwash campaign of paper giant Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) - is being subject to clear cutting operations by one of the company's wood suppliers, an investigation by WWF and partners finds.

A new report, called The Truth Behind APP's Greenwash, has been released by Sumatra-based NGO coalition Eyes on the Forest and it estimates that APP, part of the Sinar Mas Group, has pulped more than two million hectares of Indonesia's tropical forests since it started paper production there in 1984.


Deap peats are being drained to make way for plantations

According to Eyes of the Forest, APP's continued clear-cutting of forests including elephant, tiger and orang-utan habitat and the immense climate change impacts of draining deep peats to establish high turnover plantations is completely contrary to the image of environmental responsibility it is pushing through front groups and media advertising.

The report details how the company made the same promise on moving to 100 per cent plantation sourcing of timber for major pulp mills four times - missing self-imposed deadlines to stop using native forest timber in 2004, 2007 and 2009.

APP is now announcing it will meet its commitment on timber sourcing by 2015 - a deadline Eyes on the Forest says it expects APP to also miss.

APP's claims are greatly exaggerated
Through field investigations in June and October 2011 and historical satellite image analysis, Eyes on the Forest found that the APP supplier, PT Ruas Utama Jaya has been clear cutting tropical forest inside the Senepis Tiger Sanctuary.

‘This is clear proof that the global advertising claims of APP that it actively protects Sumatran tiger are highly exaggerated,' said Anwar Purwoto of WWF.

The investigation shows a tiger sanctuary reality vastly different from the picture being pushed to the world media and through various front groups by APP.

After apparently trying to halt a government-proposed Senepis National Park that would have protected tiger habitat targeted by APP for pulping, the company switched to advertising a leading role in creating the Senepis Tiger Sanctuary in 2006, claims the Eyes of the Forest report.

It alleges a very minor additional APP conservation contribution for Sumatra's critically endangered tigers - some 86 per cent of the sanctuary is located on the already-protected forests of a Forest Stewardship Council-certified logging concession held by unrelated company PT Diamond Raya Timber.

'They are misleading customers about the brutal reality on the ground'

Now, according to the report, at least one APP supplier is engaged in clear cutting and drainage of the small areas that were APP's only real contribution to the sanctuary.

‘It's appalling that APP is pulping even the small blocks of forest it had told the world it would protect as tiger habitat,' Hariansyah Usman of WALHI Riau said. ‘This report shows a different picture to this and other, much-touted APP "conservation projects".

‘We would like the Sinar Mas group's buyers and investors who read this report to realise how APP's media campaigns are exploiting their lack of knowledge or inexperience about Indonesia and how they mislead their customers about the brutal reality on the ground.

‘APP is interested only in feeding its giant mills with as much tropical forest wood as possible, and hoping that customers and investors will continue to believe conservation commitments and advertisements that past experience shows to be unrealistic.'

Muslim Rasyid, of Jikalahari, NGOs network In the Netherlands, said: ‘We urge global buyers and investors to no longer support Asia Pulp & Paper's continuing shameless destruction of Indonesia's tropical forests and the homes of Sumatra's last surviving tigers.'
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/senepis-felling.html

Australia's Ground parrots are distinct species - Critically Endangered

Only about 110 birds survive in the wild

December 2011: A new, critically endangered species of ground parrot has been discovered in Western Australia.

A team of researchers, led by Australian Wildlife Conservancy's Dr Stephen Murphy, used DNA from museum specimens up to 160 years old to reveal that populations of ground parrots in eastern and western Australia are highly distinct from each other and that the western populations should be recognized as a new species, Pezoporus flaviventris.

‘The discovery has major conservation implications,' said Dr Murphy. ‘The western ground parrot has declined rapidly in the past 20 years, there are now only about 110 birds surviving in the wild and most of these are confined to a single national park. It is now one of the world's rarest birds.'

An urgent need to protect the remaining population
WA Department of Environment and Conservation's Dr Allan Burbidge said: ‘A single wildfire through the national park or an influx of introduced predators, such as cats, could rapidly push the species to extinction. There is now an urgent need to prevent further population declines and to establish insurance populations into parts of the former range.'

Team member Dr Jeremy Austin, of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA at the University of Adelaide, said: ‘Our findings demonstrate that museum collections, some going back more than 150 years, continue to be relevant and can provide critical information for understanding and conserving the world's biodiversity into the future.'

Director of CSIRO's Australian National Wildlife Collection, Dr Leo Joseph, said: ‘Even after 200 years of study, we are still recognizing new species of birds in Australia. This finding highlights the need for further research on Australia's unique, and sometimes cryptic, biodiversity.'


http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ground-parrot2011.html

Critically Endangered Haiti lizard gives birth to 12 young in the UK

The galliwasp is critically endangered

December 2011: The Animal Zone, at South Staffordshire College, has welcomed the birth of Haitian galliwasps, a small skink-like lizard. The female had been noted to be heavily pregnant for several weeks and she surprised keepers by giving birth, several days early.

The baby galliwasps are very small at birth, weighing between 1 and 2 grams, and, like their parents, burrowing down in their substrate and resurfacing to bask and for feeding. Their diet consists of small crickets and a specially prepared mince. They are housed individually so they grow uniformly and there is no food competition with the parents.


Breeding programmes are vital to the lizard's survival
The decline and fragmentation of the galliwasp's habitat is one of the main factors in the population decline and breeding programmes, such as the one at South Staffordshire College, are vital to the lizard's future.

Several months ago the college installed night vision cameras above the galliwasp enclosure, as part of a student project investigating their feeding behaviours. This footage allowed staff and students an extra insight into the night behaviours of these secretive animals.

Senior keeper Emmeline Cureton was then able to monitor the expectant mothers' growth and ensure she was getting equal access to food.

Emmeline said: ‘We are very pleased. These are the first Haitian galliwasps to be bred at South Staffordshire College and they are in good health. It is hoped that the youngsters will join galliwasps at other animal collections, where the pool of knowledge on this valued species can be expanded further.'

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/haitian-galliwasp.html

World’s rarest marsupial moves to Australia’s mainland

bert's potoroos recovering after population plummets to just 40October 2011: The release of 12 Gilbert's potoroos into a tiny mainland population on Western Australia's south coast is aiding the recovery of the world's rarest marsupial.

The critically endangered quokka-like animal has been subject to conservation efforts by Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) since the discovery of the only known wild population of about 40 animals at Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve near Albany in 1994.

DEC principal research scientist Tony Friend said ten potoroos were translocated between 2005 and 2007 from the original colony at Two Peoples Bay to predator-free Bald Island, as insurance against the loss of the mainland population.

Population on Bald Island is thriving‘Early last year, nine potoroos were released into a predator-free 380ha enclosure in Waychinicup National Park, 25km east of Albany, with six of the animals coming from Bald Island and three from Two Peoples Bay,' he said.
‘Eight more were transferred from Bald Island in September last year, and we have just translocated 12 potoroos into Waychinicup, using animals bred on Bald Island.

‘The seven males and five females, four of which have pouch young, have been fitted with radio transmitters and will be tracked to provide information about behaviour and habitat types. This will teach us even more about this fascinating and rare species and help us select future release areas on the mainland.'

Dr Friend said DEC trapped a record 58 adult or sub-adult potoroos on Bald Island in June this year.
‘Last week, we trapped 18 potoroos in one day, which is more than ever before and demonstrates that the population on Bald Island is thriving,' he said.

‘The team was able to select the 12 most suitable animals for the translocation from the 18 trapped, to give the species the best possible chance of establishing a healthy population in Waychinicup National Park.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/potoroo-translocation.html

Hybrid mountain pygmies hold hope of a bright future

''I HOPE you're sitting down,'' the email sent to Marissa Parrott last week began. As the reproductive biologist at Zoos Victoria read on, she discovered why. The email contained the results of a much-anticipated paternity test on Healesville Sanctuary's precious population of mountain pygmy possums.

The results showed that the tiny alpine possums, listed as endangered in Victoria and critically endangered internationally, were capable of doing what Dr Parrott had hoped for but had never seen any evidence of - producing a litter fathered by two males.

''We're all extremely excited,'' Dr Parrott said. ''It's a huge step forward in the conservation of the species.

But there was more to come. The paternity tests conducted at Melbourne University also proved for the first time that hybrid males were fertile - providing a vital new path for boosting the species' genetic diversity.

Since 2007, the mountain pygmy possum captive breeding program at Healesville Sanctuary - the only one of its kind in Australia - has been breeding hybrid animals, with one parent from Mt Buller and the other from Mt Hotham. But because the two populations are genetically distinct - a result of being separated for 10,000 years - there was no guarantee that the hybrid offspring would be fertile.

The first hybrid litter was born in 2008. All three females produced young last year, but it was only last week that the sole male of the litter, Beau, was confirmed as a first-time father.

''This was what we were hoping for, as it shows that a genetic rescue to conserve the species is possible,'' Dr Parrott said.

With just 1500 of the animals left in the wild, scientists' main challenge is keeping the species' gene pool deep enough to maintain healthy populations.

The Mt Buller population - which now numbers fewer than 30 - is of greatest concern, and it is there that the hybrid possums will be released in 2013.

The author of the email was Andrew Weeks from Melbourne University's centre for environmental stress and adaptation research. He said the Mt Buller population had had a genetic diversity rate of 60 per cent in 1996. That has since crashed to 20 per cent.

Dr Weeks said establishing that a single litter could be fathered by multiple males would bode well for the species, as the rate of genetic diversity had the potential to increase at a faster rate. ''It means we can breed up a population that is not as related as it could be and then we can release them back into the wild a lot quicker.''

Healesville Sanctuary's 81 mountain pygmy possums are about to come out of hibernation and begin their breeding season. Dr Parrott said that even before she received the paternity results confidence was high that this would prove a bumper season, with the number of young born eclipsing the record 38 last year.


Bridie Smith
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/animals/hybrid-mountain-pygmies-hold-hope-of-a-bright-future-20111016-1lriq.html#ixzz1b2J6uj6e

Unarmed forest ranger and 2 Critically Endangered gorillas killed by poachers

WWF mourns forest ranger murdered by poaching gang October 2011. A forest ranger has been killed and another seriously injured in a violent clash with gorilla poachers outside a national park in Cameroon, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The attack occurred on September 27 about 10 kilometres from Cameroon's border with Central African Republic.

Critically Endangered gorillas killed
The two rangers were on patrol near Lobéké National Park, where WWF provides critical support to forest rangers, when they discovered the carcasses of two critically endangered Western lowland gorillas in a forest camp, authorities say. Intending to take the perpetrators into custody, the rangers concealed themselves nearby while waiting for the poachers to return to the camp.

Seeing the rangers, a group of six or more men opened fire on the unarmed forest guards who both sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Ranger Jean Fils Mamendji, who was hit in the arm and shoulder, was able to escape.

Mamendji's partner Zomedel Pierre Achille, a 12-year veteran of the patrol, was hit in the chest and back. "I staggered with Achille some 300 metres but had to let go because the poachers were closing in on us and shooting simultaneously," Mamendji tearfully told WWF from his hospital bed.

Severely beaten
A rescue mission was dispatched and searched through the night for Achille. His body, stripped naked, was located the following day having been tied to a tree by the assailants. Evidence suggests that the victim was also severely beaten about his head and body, possibly with a rifle, before his death. He may also have sustained stab wounds.

"This brutal attack was a deliberate attempt to intimidate the government," said David Greer, WWF's African Great Ape Coordinator. "Poaching gangs are waging a war for Cameroon's forests and sending a message that they do not respect the law."

Retaliatory attacks by poachers against rangers have increased in recent months in response to increased law enforcement efforts by the government. Illegal activity has been particularly prevalent in Southeast Cameroon, where dedicated WWF teams are working harder than ever to support the government efforts. Victims of the violence have not been restricted to forest rangers. Earlier this year a group of six Baka pygmies were shot and wounded by poachers.

"Rangers are putting on a uniform every day to protect their wildlife, their forests and ultimately, the wellbeing of their communities from individuals who seek only to commit criminal acts such as trafficking protected species," Greer says.

"These brave men are going into battle underequipped and often without proper training. Law enforcement efforts at all levels need to be dramatically scaled up, especially in the typically weak judicial systems," Greer says. "That is where a criminal deterrent can be established that will not only save Africa's dwindling wildlife, but will also protect its people from lawless violence such as this."

Achille, who leaves behind five children, is the first ranger to lose his life in the line of duty in this area in recent years. His killers are being pursued by authorities from both Cameroon and Central African Republic.

"This is the saddest day in the history of conservation in Southeast Cameroon," said Basile Yapo, WWF's Cameroon Country Director. "It is a clear testimony of the danger we face in this landscape. This incident calls for firm action against poachers."

"As this case goes well beyond wildlife crime, we expect that our government partners will take the necessary steps to locate and bring these assailants to justice, while making a firm statement that criminal behavior will receive swift and severe punishment," Greer says. "Anything less would dishonor to the memory of our brave, fallen colleague."

Rampant poaching, often occurring within protected areas, is driving gorillas closer to extinction. Poaching and the illegal wildlife trade are also decimating forest elephants, which are being killed in large numbers for their ivory.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/cameroon-gorillas.html

No place for crocodiles in Philippines: official

No place for crocodiles in Philippines: official

(AFP) – Sep 14, 2011

MANILA — Efforts to save the Philippine crocodile, a "critically endangered" reptile, could go in vain as bureaucrats oppose their release into the wild, a top Philippine environment official said Wednesday.

A 24-year-old captive breeding programme in the country has produced about 7,000 Philippine crocodiles and saltwater crocodiles, but they have nowhere to go, the environment secretary Ramon Paje told reporters.

Releasing them into rivers and marshes would ideally lead to the delisting of the Philippine crocodile -- Crocodylus mindorensis -- from the country's "critically endangered" species list, he said.

"The problem is, we cannot delist it yet because the rules say you can only delist from the endangered species list if it's already surviving in its natural habitat," Paje said.

"There is no mayor anywhere in the Philippines who would allow the release of crocodiles in his municipality."

The environment ministry has been threatened with lawsuits over such planned releases, he said, with local officials expressing concern that the reptiles could attack locals in surrounding areas.

Government-employed crocodile hunters captured a 21-foot (6.4-metre) saltwater crocodile from the southern Agusan marsh in early September after it reportedly killed two people.

Local officials from the northern towns of San Mariano and Palanan complained that they were not consulted when 19 captive-bred Philippine crocodiles were released recently in a nearby forest reserve, Paje said.

Paje did not say how the national government planned to resolve the deadlock.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature in Switzerland listed Crocodylus mindorensis -- a large freshwater crocodile found only in the Philippines -- on its "critically endangered" list in 1996.

Experts working with the environment ministry say there are less than 100 of them left in the wild.
The ministry says the Philippine crocodile and the saltwater crocodile are "critically endangered" mainly due to loss of habitat as a result of human population growth and expansion.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hpObdw1uHThE2I0KhwXVn48HznkQ?docId=CNG.3f504f40e2fa04f86688eb68b5588ddf.3f1

Test-tube spiders raised at Chessington200 babies are being hand-reared

200 babies are being hand-reared
September 2011: Chessington World of Adventures is taking part in a national conservation programme to help stem the decline of an endangered spider - by individually hand-rearing 200 baby spiders in test tubes.

The fen raft spider is one of the UK's most endangered species and is found at only three sites in the UK. The 200 babies are being hand-reared by experts at Chessington Zoo in Surrey in readiness for being released next month when they will contribute to new populations being established in the Suffolk Broads.

Each spider has to be hand-fed fruit fliesThe tiny spiders, from the Redgrave and Lopham Fen National Nature Reserve on the Suffolk/Norfolk border, have to be kept apart in individual test tubes so they do not attack each other - and with each having to be individually hand-fed fruit flies every four days, it's a very time consuming operation.

Rob Ward, Reptile Keeper at Chessington Zoo, explained: ‘Having to feed 200 spiders one at a time is certainly a challenge, but it is vital to help see them through the most vulnerable period of their lives before they are released back into the wild, as they will then have a much better chance of surviving.

One spider had 714 babies‘The spiders' mums were collected from the wild in June when they carry their eggs in huge silk sacs held in their mouths. When the babies emerge from the sac - this year one of them had 714 babies - the mother guards them in a big silk tent called a nursery web. In the wild the babies leave the web after about a week to fed for themselves. Our captive mums made their nurseries in five-litre water bottles.

‘After a week we used a "pooter" to collect the spiderlings from the nursery, which involves sucking them up into a tube with a piece of mesh and then dropping them into a container - but now we're seeing them grow and they're actually getting too big for the pooter.'

Fen raft spiders grow to a 10cm leg-span, and are one of just two British spiders fully protected by law. They get their name from their ability - thanks to their hairy legs - to float on water in fens and wetlands.

Project partners for the programme include NE (Natural England), the BBC Wildlife Fund, and the Suffolk and Sussex Wildlife trusts.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/test-tube-spiders.html#cr

Encouraging signs from Northern white rhinos – But Ol Pejeta rhino sanctuary needs your help

Encouraging signs, but no pregnancies yet
September 2011. Sudan, Suni, Najin and Fatu, four of the only seven Northen white rhinos in existence, made their remarkable journey from Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya almost two years ago (December 2009).

The four northern white rhinos are doing well and continue to live a happy and quiet life in their enclosures on Ol Pejeta. The bad news is that there are still no signs of any pregnancy or birth. All four animals are showing positive signs of adapting to life in the wild; signs such as Fatu and Suni mating regularly, Najin gaining weight and Sudan getting close to the southern white females.
Fatu and Suni have been successfully mating every cycling period (every time Fatu is on heat) with the last confirmed mating being at the end of August.

Earlier in June, Najin was moved from the enclosure she shared with Sudan into the enclosure where Fatu and Suni are as part of the strategy to encourage natural breeding. Fatu was so excited to see her mother that she stayed close to her, keeping Suni away for a couple of days. All three rhinos are now settled and are getting along great. In fact we have noticed Suni showing signs of interest in Najin.

Southern white rhino females
In addition to Najin being moved from the big enclosure, Jomo, a southern white male was also moved out making Sudan the only adult male in the area. Sudan now has four southern white females at his disposal and there have been encouraging signs of his mating with two of them; Aramiet and Darling.

Dehorning
As part of security management, Najin and Fatu were dehorned again last month to reduce the size of their back horns. Sudan had been dehorned earlier in May.

Dr. Dana Holeckova, who had looked after these rhinos all their lives when they were in the Czech Republic, came for a routine visit to Kenya only a few days ago. Dana was happy with the body conditions of all the rhinos and their management. "The rhinos are doing very well in the wild with very encouraging body conditions, they are absolutely satisfied," she said.

The northern white rhinos are constantly monitored.

Ol Pejeta rhinos threatened by poaching

Last month we announced the brutal death of one of southern white rhino named Max at Ol Pejeta. In August one of the black rhinos that had been wounded by poachers also died; so since the beginning of 2011, Ol Pejeta has lost 5 rhinos to poaching.

This is a real crisis, and one that threatens East Africa's largest black rhino sanctuary. Today, poaching has reached unprecedented highs as the price of rhino horn has surpassed that of gold.

But Ol Pejeta is fighting back and taking measures to improve thei security and surveillance capacity to combat this poaching menace. In order to do this, they need to raise $465,000. So far, they have raised $148,000 and now appeal to anyone that can help to raise the rest.

So how can you help?

1. Make a donation. Every amount counts and however small your donation, it will make a difference. Donate via JustGiving (UK and Europe) or FirstGiving (USA and rest of the world)

2. Name a Rhino. Ol Pejeta have 20 young rhinos on Ol Pejeta that need to be named and for a minimum of $500, you can name the rhino of your choice. Do you want to honour a loved one, name a rhino for your mother or father, your wife or husband, your children? Well now is your chance! By naming a rhino, you will also help us raise much needed funds for rhino protection. Contact them via email and we will guide you on the process.

Anyone who names a rhino will receive a photo of the rhino, an electronic certificate and a yearly update on your rhino.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/pejeta-rhinos.html

'Hidden' hawksbill turtles found (via Dawn Holloway)

Scientists have found hawksbill turtles "hiding" in mangrove forests of the eastern Pacific.

The team, that has been tracking the turtles for three years, also found that the critically endangered animals nested in these estuaries.

The discovery of this previously unknown sea turtle habitat was published recently in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

It could explain why the species went undetected in the region for so long.

Mangrove forests, which are unique coastal tree and shrub habitats, are also under threat. They could represent an important breeding and nesting site for the species, which was thought to depend on coral reefs.

Alexander Gaos, a conservation scientist with San Diego State University and the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative, led the research.

He and his colleagues tracked hawksbills in four countries - El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Ecuador - using satellite tracking tags glued to the turtles' backs.

These trackers revealed that adult hawksbill turtles in the eastern Pacific inhabited in-shore mangrove estuaries.

"For upwards of five decades sea turtle scientists thought hawksbills had [disappeared from] the eastern Pacific Ocean", Dr Gaos told BBC Nature.

"Despite hundreds of sea turtle projects and scientists focusing efforts in the region, no one had located hawksbills.

Our findings help explain this… it's hard to spot hawksbills in mangrove estuaries."

Dr Gaos said that the turtles might be spending their entire lives in these "cryptic habitats".

"Couple that with the fact that there are very few individuals left - hawksbills in the eastern Pacific are one of the world's most endangered sea turtle populations - and it's no wonder researchers didn't know about them!"

The scientists worked with local fishermen and even illegal egg collectors, in order to find hawksbill turtles to fit their tags to.

They hope their revelations about the species' habitat will inform conservation efforts.

Why the turtles were "seeking shelter" in mangroves was not clear.

The scientists think it might be a recent adaptation brought on by a lack of their more typical habitat of coral reefs in the region.

Dr Gaos said: " We now have a better idea of where to look for them, which may help us direct research and conservation of the species, upon which their survival may ultimately depend."
By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC Nature
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/14735144

African Golden Cat: Rare Footage Of Animal Recorded (VIDEO)

One of Africa's "most elusive" animals has been recorded by scientists, and shared in what may be the only publicly released video, according to CNN.

The African golden cat is extremely reclusive in nature, and thus little is known about its behavior, other than that it feeds mainly on rodents, and is nocturnal.

The footage, which was recorded by a motion-activated camera, could be used along with photos to better understand the species.

Laila Bahaa-el-din, a graduate student leading the study, told CNN what it was like to see the footage for the first time:

"I don't think I can put (capturing the video) into words. I live and dream golden cats most days. To get back to camp and put the (footage) on the computer and have this cat basically posing for the camera, it's incredible. I watched it five times in a row and pretty much didn't sleep that night."

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the African Golden Cat is "listed as Near Threatened as it seems reasonable to believe that the species could have declined on the order of 20% over the course of the last 15 years across its range, due mainly to the impact of habitat loss, hunting and loss of prey base."

In Feburary, scientists used a similar camera to captured footage of four of the world's rarest rhinoceroses in Indonesia.

One of the world's most endangered species, the Javan rhino population is estimated to consist of no more than 50 animals in the Ujung Kulon National Park.

A few weeks ago, endangered cats at the Florida Big Cats rescue had some much-deserved fun in the sun with some giant chew toys and tires.

For some more good news for cats, three adorable baby Asian fishing cats were born in a zoo in Ohio committed to protected endangered species.

To learn about supporting Panthera, the conservation group who funded most of the study, click here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/30/african-golden-cat-rare-footage-video_n_942382.html?ir=Weird%20News

Mekong dolphin on the verge of extinction

Urgent action needed to avoid extinction of Mekong dolphins August 2011. The critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin population in the Mekong River numbers just 85, WWF research has revealed. Calf survival was found to be very low, leading researchers to conclude that the small population is declining and at high risk of extinction.

Cambodia and Laos
Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) inhabit a 190km stretch of the mainstream Mekong River between Kratie, Cambodia and Khone Falls on the border with Lao PDR.

According to Dr. Li Lifeng, Director of WWF's Freshwater Programme, the research is based on photographic identification of dolphins through individually unique features of their dorsal fins. "Most of the dolphins can be identified, and we use that information to estimate the population size."

Although this population estimate is slightly higher than the previous estimate, the researchers were quick to note that the population had not increased over the last few years.

"With a larger dataset and recent analytical advances, previously unidentifiable dolphins which had few marks on their dorsal fins have been included," Dr. Li said.
Slow declineHowever, surveys conducted from 2007 to 2010 show the population slowly declining.


"Evidence is strong that very few young animals survive to adulthood, as older dolphins die off and are not replaced," Dr. Li explained.

The population is ranked as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, the highest international threat ranking for endangered species, and Irrawaddy dolphins are fully protected under the highest level of Fishery Law in Cambodia and Lao PDR. Dolphins in the Mekong continue to be threatened by gill net entanglement and the causes of calf mortality remain unclear.

Gill nets and high calf mortality
"This tiny population is at high risk by its small size alone. With the added pressures of gill net entanglement and high calf mortality we are really worried for the future of dolphins," Dr. Li said.

7-8 individuals in Laos
The research also indicates that the small population resident in the transboundary pool on the Cambodia - Lao PDR border may number as few as 7-8 individuals. This is the only area in Lao PDR where dolphins remain. WWF is working to coordinate transboundary management with government agencies and local communities in Cambodia and Lao PDR at this most critical dolphin site.

"Our best chance of saving this iconic species from extinction in the Mekong River is through joint conservation action," said Dr. Li. "WWF is committed to working with the Fisheries Administration, the Dolphin Commission, and communities all along the river to reverse the decline and ensure the survival of this beautiful species in the Mekong."

WWF is asking the government of Cambodia to establish a clear legislative framework to protect dolphins in Cambodia. This should include the designation of dolphin conservation zones and should allow a ban or limit on the use of gillnets where needed. Doing so will require formalizing special legislation to protect dolphins or amendments to existing Fishery Law.

Mekong Dolphin Conservation in Cambodia
WWF is implementing the Cambodian Mekong Dolphin Conservation Project in collaboration with the Fisheries Administration and the Cambodian Rural Development Team. The project conducts research on the dolphin population and causes of mortality, environmental education, and alternative livelihood development for local communities in dolphin habitat areas.

Each year, the Cambodian Mekong Dolphin Conservation Project conducts at least two population surveys of Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong River. The current population estimate is based on 11 surveys from 2007-2010, usually conducted in March to May when dolphins congregate around deep pool areas in the low water.

The Irrawaddy dolphin is regarded as a sacred animal by both Khmer and Lao people, and is an important source of income and jobs for communities involved in dolphin-watching ecotourism initiatives.

Irrawaddy dolphins are found in coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia, and in 3 rivers, the Ayeyarwady (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo) and the Mekong. All riverine populations are red-listed by the IUCN as critically endangered, and the species in general is listed as vulnerable.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/mekong-dolphin-2011.html

Protecting the Galapagos Islands' wildlife

Officials are cracking down on tours of the Galapagos Islands, in a bid to protect the area's iconic species.


Endangered breeds like the giant tortoise, which can live for over 150 years, are protected by the conservation programme.

John McIntyre reports from the reserve.

watch video here: 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/fast_track/9554939.stm

Joanna Lumley, Ricky Gervais and Sir Roger Moore join a host of stars fighting to save the last 3,200 wild tigers on earth

July 2011. Joanna Lumley has added her support to TigerTime the new global campaign to save the last 3,200 wild tigers on earth.


Urging people all across the world to join TigerTime Joanna said, ‘Animals share the earth with us: that is to say, they are equal partners in the right to live on this planet. In our anxiety to make the world a better place for ourselves, let us be very careful that we don't obliterate the needs of other species. If the tiger disappears from the wild because of our behaviour we humans shall have lost all claims to be called civilised and compassionate. The greatest enemy is indifference. Please join Tiger Time right now to help to save the lives and habitat of these magnificent creatures. This is extremely urgent. The clock is ticking: real time is running out'.

Joanna Lumley joins an amazing list of celebrities from all across the world of entertainment in both the UK and USA including:

Joanna Lumley
Ricky Gervais
Sir Roger Moore
Sir Michael Parkinson
Mel C
Anjelica Huston
Susan Sarandon
Gemma Atkinson
Vicki Roberts
Simon King
Naomie Harris
Neil Gaiman
Claire King
Abi Titmuss
Elizabeth Emanuel
Paula Abdul

There are only 3,200 wild tigers left on earth. TigerTime was established by the renowned British wildlife artist and conservationist David Shepherd CBE on his 80th birthday in May of this year. David said, ‘I am thrilled that Joanna Lumley and this magnificent group of stars and celebrities from all across the world of entertainment are supporting TigerTime. When I was born 80 years ago there were 100,000 wild tigers - now there are 3,200. Within a few years, their numbers will fall so low that they will pass the point of no return and literally die out. I know that our stars and celebrities will inspire people from all across the world to join us to stop this happening'.

David's daughter and organiser of the TigerTime campaign Melanie Shepherd said, ‘TigerTime is a truly global campaign using the internet to reach out to the world. In the first few weeks, thousands of people have signed up from a wide range of countries. TigerTime will do more than raise awareness of the critical nature of the situation. It will raise funds to provide more anti poaching patrols and to increase efforts to stop people across Asia using tiger body parts in traditional ‘medicines' which stimulates the demand for poaching. We have seen just how powerful ‘people power' can be in recent months in so many areas of our lives. TigerTime aims to be the first ‘people power' campaign to save a species. We need literally hundreds of thousands of people to back us. It is free to sign up as a supporter. Together, we can save the wild tiger'.