Rattlesnake roundup in Georgia now a humane wildlife festival

Calls for final roundup to do the same

January 2012: Georgia could soon say goodbye to the outdated ‘rattlesnake roundups'. The Evans County Wildlife Club in Claxton, Georgia, have changed their annual round-up to a wildlife festival where snakes will be celebrated rather than collected in their hundreds and butchered for their meat and skin.

The Center for Biological Diversity, Coastal Plains Institute, Protect All Living Species and One More Generation have sent a letter to the club, congratulating them on the decision, and are also presenting a 5,000-strong petition to Whigham Coummunity Club, which hosts the state's last remaining rattlesnake roundup.

‘We're so happy the rattlesnake roundup in Claxton is being switched to a humane event that celebrates these great native animals and recognizes the importance of saving them,' said Collette Adkins Giese, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity who works to protect rare and vanishing reptiles and amphibians. ‘The Whigham Community Club needs to follow suit. It needs to recognize that massacres of endangered animals are just wrong, and clearly the wrong message to send to young people about our relationship to the natural world.'

'All wildlife has a valuable place in nature'The Evans County Wildlife Club is replacing its annual rattlesnake roundup with the Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival, which will feature displays of the imperilled eastern diamondback rattlesnake and other native wildlife. Educational programmes, entertainment and a variety of other activities will be offered at the event, held during the second weekend in March.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/rattlesnakes-roundup2012.html

Eco-toilets help save hippos and birds in Kenya

It may appear unintuitive that special toilets could benefit hippos and other wetland species, but the Center for Rural Empowerment and the Environment (CREE) has proven the unique benefits of new toilets in the Dunga Wetlands on Lake Victoria's Kenyan side. By building ecologically-sanitary (eco-san) toilets, CREE has managed to alleviate some of the conflict that has cropped up between hippos and humans for space.

With extreme population and land pressures in the region, people have moved into the Dunga Wetlands to exploit its rich, though quickly exhaustible, soils for agriculture. However the resulting habitat loss has hurt many native species, besides the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), which is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, the wetlands are also home to the sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii) and the spotted-necked otter (Lutra maculicollis). In addition the Dunga Wetlands are listed as an International Bird Area (IBA), including sporting populations of the papyrus gonolek (Laniarius mufumbiri), listed as Near Threatened, and the papyrus yellow warbler (Chloropeta gracilirostris), listed as Vulnerable, and a number of other key African wetland birds. Eco-san toilets are being used to stem the destruction of further habitat.

Read more:http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0104-hance_ecosan_cree.html#ixzz1isaeHp3e

Red-tailed phascogale population diminishing

FARMERS and locals in WA’s Wheatbelt are to helping to ensure the conservation of the endangered red-tailed phascogale (Phascogale calura).

Once recorded across much of arid and semi-arid Australia, populations have contracted to the Wheatbelt and even there, its range is shrinking.

Now largely confined to the far western Wheatbelt, the small, squirrel-like, carnivorous marsupial has been threatened historically by feral and domestic cats and more recently by intensive agriculture.

Wildlife Research and Management director and principal research scientist Dr Jeff Short was part of the group trying to work out where the species still occurs.

“We were engaged by the South West Catchments Council and in partnership with local landcare group the Wagin Woodanilling Landcare Zone [to do the research] so we could provide advice to farmers on what sort of tree planting they could do that might benefit the species,” Dr Short says.

Generally regarded as confined to the Wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo) vegetation, the group found the species to be more broadly distributed than was previously thought.

“[We found that] the species occurred in lowland habitat in York gum (Eucalyptus loxophleba) and a lot of that habitat was along riverine corridors or around lake margins.

Much of this habitat exists on private agricultural land.

“Unfortunately a lot of that habitat is increasingly affected by salinity and many of the mature trees with hollows for nesting are now dead or dying. A lot of that habitat will probably become less suitable over time, so it’s on a continued downward trajectory over the longer term,” he says.

However, increased awareness by farmers and the community has led to action on conservation efforts.

“Part of the problem is that in the Wheatbelt there are small areas of habitat which are fragmented and separated,” Dr Short says.

Whilst numbers of the species appear to be on a slow decline, Dr Short says populations in the Wheatbelt seem stable thanks to conservation efforts.

“The positive side is that a lot of farmers are much more aware and willing to construct corridors to allow crossing between habitats…that’s facilitating movement of phascogales between the remnants,” he says.

“Many farmers are doing a lot more to plant or replant trees along fence lines.”

Dr Short says whilst too small themselves to support a population, movement between the remnants often provides adequate habitat.

“It’s on a continued downward trajectory over the longer term but the phascogale does seem secure in what remains in the Wandoo belt. So even though that’s even a very small fraction of its former range, it seems reasonably secure there.”

http://www.sciencewa.net.au/3765.html

Pygmy hippo caught on camera in Liberia

Scientists have caught a rare glimpse of the elusive pygmy hippo in Liberia.

The team from Fauna and Flora International, the Zoological Society of London and the Forestry Development Authority of Liberia has been using camera traps to study the endangered animal.

Approximately 2,000 pygmy hippos are thought to be left in the wild, and they are found in the Upper Guinea forest, which extends through the Ivory Coast, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Little is known about these nocturnal animals, and the researchers are hoping to learn more about the hippos so they can develop a conservation action plan.

See video here ...

Sabah's proboscis monkeys in crisis

Habitat is being destroyed to make way for oil palm plantations

December 2011: Sabah's proboscis monkeys are suffering as the riparian forest on which they depend are destroyed to plant oil palm, and mangrove areas reclaimed for development.

‘The proboscis monkey is declining in numbers because we have oil palm plantations planting all the way down to the river edge and in areas closer to towns we have seen their habitat lost as the mangrove areas they occupy are reclaimed and built upon,' said director of the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), Dr Laurentius Ambu.

Only 6,000 proboscis monkeys are left
‘The oil palm industry does not have to plant all the way down to the river edge, they should leave the riparian forest with a buffer of preferably 1km for wildlife and also as a measure to protect our waterways for as the water is also ultimately used for human consumption,' he added.

Sabah had given much for oil palm production and, said Laurentius, it was now time for the industry to give back by replanting riparian areas in particular.

He also expressed his frustration that many areas unsuitable for oil palm plantation due to regular flooding were being planted with the crop then destroyed as they become submerged by water.

We need to create forest corridors

The SWD estimates that there are only 6,000 proboscis monkeys left, with five viable populations in Sabah .

‘We have one population on the West Coast, one in the South and three on the East Coast including the Lower Kinabatangan where oil palm has had a dramatic effect on a variety of Sabah wildlife including this large nosed monkey,' said Laurentius.

Conversion of small patches of forest for oil palm in the area has also seen the orang-utan population decline. Without these small patches of forest, wildlife is unable to disperse and mate nor have access to adequate food sources at times.

‘This is why we have been continuously pushing for forest corridors particularly along the riparian areas. They are crucial not just for primates but all wildlife particularly in the Lower Kinabatangan , which is heavily broken up between protected areas and non-protected areas,' said Laurentius.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/proboscis-monkey.html

Iceland exports 131 tonnes whale meat, despite sanction threat

The Icelandic killing of Fin whales is illegal'
September 2011: More than 100 tonnes of whale products from Iceland's endangered Fin whales was exported in July - despite the pending threat of US trade sanctions.

America had warned Iceland it was considering the sanctions because it had violated a global ban on commercial whaling - but this has failed to prevent the export of a further 133 metric tonnes of whale meat.

The meat, worth more than $1.2million was exported to Japan in July.

Only US sanctions will stop this crime‘There is a line in the sand that Iceland has just crossed,' said Allan Thornton, president of America's Environmental Investigation Agency.

‘The Icelandic killing of Fin whales is illegal and its illegal export of whale meat will lead to further illegal killing of Fin whales. Only US sanctions against fish imports by the seafood company linked to Iceland's whaling company will stop this environmental crime.'

Since 2006, 280 endangered Fin whales, the second largest animal on the planet, have been killed by the Icelandic whaling company Hvalur, and earlier this year America confirmed that Iceland was undermining the effectiveness of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) by permitting commercial whaling and international trade in endangered Fin whale meat.

Iceland has exported almost 1400 metric tonnes of Fin whale meat and blubber to Japan , worth around $18 million, since it began killing Fin whales.

Meat shipped to Japan, Norway and LatviaAs well as the shipments of whale meat and blubber to Japan, Iceland has exported whale products including whale oil to Norway, the Faroes Islands and Latvia, despite a ban on such international trade in products of great whale species by the Convention on International trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Conservationists are now pressing for action. Sue Fisher, policy director for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said: ‘Not only is Iceland abusing two international conservation agreements, it is setting Fin whale quotas that are three times higher than sustainable levels according to the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the world's foremost authority on whale science.

‘American citizens overwhelmingly oppose commercial whaling, and nothing less than economic sanctions will fulfill President Obama's promise to strengthen the commercial ban on whale hunting.'

Susan Millward, executive director of the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) said: ‘This recent export demonstrates the urgent need for President Obama to immediately impose economic measures including trade sanctions against Iceland.'
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/iceland-sanctions.html

New species of dolphin discovered

Researchers have determined that dolphins found in southeastern Australia represent a previously unknown species.

Around 150 of the dolphins live around the Melbourne area and had until now been assumed to be one of the known bottlenose dolphins.

But detailed DNA studies and analysis of skulls in museums showed the two populations are in fact a new species.

The new classification as Tursiops australis is described in PLoS One.

The common name of Burrunan dolphins derives from the Aboriginal Australian for "large sea fish of the porpoise kind".

Previous research had shown that the DNA found in the dolphins differed from that of the known bottlenose species Tursiops truncatus and Tursiops aduncus.

But in order to define a new species, more evidence is needed. Kate Charlton-Robb of Monash University in Melbourne and her colleagues studied dolphin skulls found in a number of museums, as well as more detailed analysis of DNA, to show that T. australis is clearly a different animal.

"This is an incredibly fascinating discovery as there have only been three new dolphin species formally described and recognised since the late 1800s," Ms Charlton-Robb said.

"What makes this even more exciting is this dolphin species has been living right under our noses, with only two known resident populations living in Port Phillip Bay and the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria state."

In fact, now that it is recognised as a separate species it may immediately qualify under Australia's criteria for endangered animals.

"The formal recognition of this new species is of great importance to correctly manage and protect this species, and has significant bearing on the prioritisation of conservation efforts," the authors wrote.

"This is especially crucial given its endemism to a small region of the world, with only two small known resident populations."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14921665

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.

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