News
We bring you the latest from around the World in wildlife and conservation news.
Experiment Finds Killer Whales Able To Mimic Human Speech
It is a well-known fact that whales have an impressive ability to communicate enabling pods to ‘talk” with one another through a series of complex clicks and singing, even when the pods are more than 100 miles apart. A new study has revealed that these mammals also have the ability to mimic human speech which until now was a skill believed to be limited to primates, birds, elephants, dolphins and seals. Scientists have a recorded a killer whale named Wikie repeating the words hello, bye bye, counting till three and even the name of her trainer Amy.
Amur Tiger Terrorising Siberian Village
Russian forest officials are searching the frozen countryside in a frantic bid to locate a Siberian tiger that is hunting local dogs in remote Siberian village. The Amur tiger is an endangered species and the tiger that is killing the dogs was actually bred in captivity and then released into the wild as part of a conservation program that has been personally endorsed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
How Wild Dogs Tigers And Leopards Coexist In India’s Jungles
Whilst domesticated cats and dogs may fight tooth and nail, India’s big cats and wild dogs seem to get along with each other just fine. Tigers, leopards, dholes (the Asian wild dog) living in India’s Western Ghat region all compete with each other for exactly the same resources. However, according to a new study which used camera traps to monitor what is happening, all three species seem to coexist with very little conflict between them.
Scientists Develop Better Understanding Of Origins Of Bornean Elephant
Genetic analysis of the Bornean elephant has provided new insights into how the Asian elephant subspecies made its way to occupy a small sliver of the island of Borneo in South-East Asia. Until recently the origins of the species remained a complete mystery, however the recent analysis shed some light suggesting that elephants crossed over to the island on the last land bridge that linked the mainland with the Sundra Islands.
Killer Whales Have Started To Hunt Great White Sharks
There is an intense battle raging under water off the coast of South Africa as killer whales hunt and kill one of the world’s most iconic apex predators, the great white shark. The killings began in May last year when scientists spotted a couple of killer whales cruising off South Africa’s South-Western coast. A few days later bodies of great white sharks began washing up ashore. Shark biologists say that from a scientific perspective the trend is completely without precedent.
Indian Forest Guard Heroically Saves Baby Elephant
A forest guard patrolling the jungles of Southern India recently made headlines by saving a baby elephant that had become separated from its mother and found itself trapped in a ditch. Palanichamy Sarathkumar who is just 28 years old has been lauded since it emerged that he rescued the baby elephant by carrying it on his back. People wanted to find out how he managed to carry an animal that weighs more than he does to safety.
UN Withdraws Funding For Asiatic Cheetah Conservation Dooming The Species To Extinction
The UN has decided it will no longer fund conservation efforts to protect the Asiatic cheetah and experts are warning that species is on the brink of extinction. There are less than 50 wild Asiatic cheetahs left and all of them are in Iran. Conservationists are worried that unless immediate action is taken there is almost no chance that one of Earth’s most distinctive and graceful hunters will survive.
Sumatran Rhinos Have Been On The Decline Since The Last Ice Age
Scientists have managed to decode the Sumatran rhino’s genome. The species is one of the most endangered on the planet and according to its genetic blueprint, its population has been steadily falling for quite a while now. The species population decline began to occur during the last Ice Age when its habitat effectively shrank. Since then humans have been the problem causing populations to fall further. It is estimated that there are fewer than 250 wild Sumatran rhinos left.