Safari Notes

The Snow Leopard. They scale the great, steep slopes of mountains in Central Asia with ease, blending into the landscape. They are known for their beautiful, thick fur, with white, yellowish or soft gray coat and ringed spots of black on brown - which help camouflage them from prey. Here are some basic facts about these beautiful cats :

The Kakapo Parrot If asked to choose which animal is their most favorite, most people's choice would be an animal that is common and known to most people. My choice is the elephant ; of all animals, for many reasons - I like and love elephants . ARkive , a charitable non-profit organization, recently asked people around the world to vote on and say what their World's Favourite Species is, and the result is surprising but very encouraging. Furthest from my thoughts, was a creature that very few people know of or have heard of; and even fewer, have seen: a critically endangered, flightless, heavy parrot found in the wild only in New Zealand. The Kakapo - scientific name Strigops habroptila . The magnificent kakapo stole 9% of the total votes. It’s a beautiful bird that cannot fly and is only found in New Zealand. But from the many thousands of creatures with which we share our precious planet, what made the kakapo stand out from the crowd? For most of you, tragically, it ...

Almost 3,000 live great apes are stolen annually from the forests of Africa and South-east Asia in an illicit trade increasingly linked to organized crime and trans-boundary networks that move the animals in the same ways as drugs, arms and laundered money, according to a new United Nations report released today.  “Stolen Apes: The Illicit Trade in Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Bonobos and Orangutans,” produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) through the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), estimates that at least 22,218 great apes have been lost from the wild since 2005 – either sold, killed during the hunt, or dying in captivity – with chimpanzees comprising 64 per cent of that number. “The current scale outlined in this report underlines how important it is that the international community and the organizations responsible for conserving endangered species remain vigilant, keeping a step ahead of those seeking to profit from such illegal activities,” UNEP Executive Di...

Save Elephants and Tigers! I have just read a heart wrenching, painful report on how more cruel and merciless poaching for wildlife and 'trade' in them and their parts has become. The report by the award winning photojournalist and filmmaker, James Morgan, is one of many that's coming out of Africa and Asia. Every day in the savannas and forests of Africa, elephants are being gunned down for their ivory tusks. Across Africa, tens of thousands of these majestic animals are being slaughtered each year. In many places the species has already been poached to extinction . As for tigers, it is one of the most endangered mammals on Earth. Numerous tiger species are on the brink of extinction; the numbers of all existing species are declining rapidly. If nothing is done, now, both these two very majestic animals will soon be wiped out from the wild. The main market for both elephant and tiger parts, is Asia. And the main, central hub for this very cruel and merciless 't...

Africa Coral Reefs It is not only the Great Barrier Reef that is in danger of disappearing. Found mainly along eastern and southern Africa, stretching from the Red Sea to Madagascar to South Africa - Africa's coral reefs are no better off. The threats are many: climate change is one   - which cause rising sea temperatures and cyclones which are destructive to reefs. Bleaching (when either the algae inside die, or the algae leave the coral) and toxic pollution from industrial waste and other human activities, such as uncontrolled fishing, mining, shipping and tourism, are other factors that are causing the destruction of the reefs. The ongoing oil and gas exploration and drilling along eastern Africa, is another major cause for the reefs being more threatened.

Lesula Monkey It is the 21st Century and, incredibly, a new monkey species has been discovered in Africa. In the Democratic Republic of Congo. In June 2007, a previously undescribed monkey known locally as “lesula” was found in the forests of the middle Lomami Basin in central Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) .

African Gray Parrot With the Ugandan Wildlife Authority last week releasing over 200 African gray parrots back into the wild after being confiscated from poachers near Kasese, many animal lovers in Uganda and around the world were and are still celebrating. Just six months ago, a woman trying to smuggle over 130 parrots was arrested by Ugandan authorities.  African grey parrots are so prized and so highly valued by 'pet lovers', especially in the West, that, these birds are in danger of being wiped out completely from the wild. The African gray parrots are considered among the most intelligent of birds. Several sub-species of this very loveable birds have been identified, but it is only the Congo African Grey Parrot or CAG ( Psittacus erithacus erithacus ) and the smaller Timneh African Grey Parrot or TAG ( Psittacus erithacus timneh ) that are universally recognized as Gray Parrots . Grey parrots habitat, range from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Angola all the way to Ivo...

Snow Leopard Great, wonderful news this week: first - a good number of the very elusive, endangered snow leopard has been discovered, thriving, in, of all places: Afghanistan. The Wildlife Conservation Society has discovered a surprisingly healthy population of rare snow leopards living in the mountainous reaches of northeastern Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, according to a new study. The discovery gives hope to the world’s most elusive big cat, which calls home to some of the world’s tallest mountains. Between 4,500 and 7,500 snow leopards remain in the wild scattered across a dozen countries in Central Asia . Read more here . The discovery was made using camera traps high up in the remote Afghan north-east mountains. As with most wild animals, the leopard's greatest danger is from man: mainly poachers. Long-legged Borneo Rainbow Toad Then, another more elating, wonderful news : a toad that was thought to be extinct and was last seen 87 years ago - and never photographe...

To most people who have no knowledge of cats, the Iberian lynx looks just like many other lynxes. If you have ever set eyes on the Iberian lynx ( Lynx pardinus ), then you are one of the very lucky few who have had that privilege. It only exists in the Iberian Peninsular, in Spain, and it is so rare, that - of all cats on Earth - it has been classified as the most threatened and the most endangered; if it goes extinct, then it would be the first cat to do so in thousands of years. The Iberian lynx, like North America's, Black Footed Ferret , is on the brink of extinction due to its main food not being easily available anymore on its habitat. The ferret depends on the prairie dog; the lynx's main prey is the rabbit which has been decimated by successive diseases, the last pandemic which nearly wiped out rabbits in the wild, was in 1988. More on the Lynx: IUCN Red List , Iberia , Worldwildlife , Animal Info , Arkive , Facts , National Geographic , Suite101 , New Scientist , Spe...

For years now, environmentalists have been calling for more efforts to protect the argun palm; which is a rare desert tree prized by the ancient Egyptians that is on the verge of extinction. It is now being reported that less than fifty of the trees remain in Egypt and a few hundred in Sudan. Due to its association with ancient Egyptians, the seeds health benefits and how - before, when they were many, the palms helped in keeping the desert green, many people have been very fascinated by the argun palm also known as the medemia argun. More on the palm tree: IUCN Red List , Kew , Free Republic , IPS ,  Wired New York , Rare Palm Seeds , Right Health , Alert Net , Plant A Palm , Palm Society , Facts , Images

This is very unnerving: lions are disappearing fast, and if nothing is done immediately to reverse this,  experts predict that - lions could be wiped out from the wild in ten years. It is hard to imagine this let alone accept it. For a number of years now, we are being warned on the precarious numbers of this most majestic of animals: Lions may soon become extinct in large parts of Africa. According to a commission set up under the auspices of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), there is not a single population of lions in West or Central Africa that is large enough to be viable. New Scientist ~ November, 2001 According to wildlife experts, there are now only 23,000 lions left in Africa. That compares with over 200,000 in the 1980's, and if the populations continue to fall, experts predict lions will soon become extinct.......a wildlife biologist from the University of California, said the only way to save lions and other predators is to learn how humans and the animals can live...

Endangered . There are only a few hundred of them left in the wild. Maybe six-hundred-and-seventy of them. In Kenya and Uganda; and probably - in Southern Sudan. Sixty percent of them are said to be in Kenya. About 70 of these, are at the non-profit, breathtaking  Soysambu Conservancy on the shores of Lake Elmenteita in the Great Rift Valley. The Rothschild’s giraffe fared the worst after Kenya’s Independence in 1963. Huge ranches in western Kenya around Soi were subdivided and sold, leaving the Rothschild’s giraffe with no habitat. The giraffe was endemic there. The Maasai giraffe covers a larger range south of the Equator, while the Reticulated giraffe is found in the drylands of the north. Both the Reticulated giraffe of northern Kenya and the Masaai giraffe of southern Kenya are facing challenges, too. Loss of habitat is widespread, hence the decline in their populations. Although giraffes have no competition for food resources with other browsers, (they can reach 20 f...

Nectophrynoides asperginis the Kihansi spray toad was originally discovered and described in 1998 . The Kihansi spray toad is now extinct in the wild. The Kihansi spray toad lived in the spray wetland of the Kihansi Falls in the Kihansi Gorge in the Udzungwa Mountains of eastern Tanzania The serious decline and extinction of this species appears related to the construction of a hydroelectric dam in 2000 upstream on the Kihansi River, which cut off 90% of the original water flow to the gorge, thereby hugely reducing the volume of spray, particularly in the dry season. Read more >>>> More on the Kihansi Toad: IUCN , AmphibiaWeb , Wikipedia , Mongobay , Science Daily , WCS , Guardian ,

With the recent voting down on proposals to protect sharks at the UN conference on endangered species, the future for the endangered sharks is very bleak. Millions of hammerhead and whitetip are extracted from seas each year, mainly to satisfy a burgeoning appetite for sharkfin soup, a prestige food in Chinese communities around the world. The nations gathered in Doha, Qatar, for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, rejected proposals that would have required countries to strictly regulate — but not ban — trade in several species of scalloped hammerhead, oceanic whitetip and spiny dogfish sharks. NYT What is very sad and shameful about all this destruction, is that - some of the wealthiest countries in the world are the most exploiters of wildlife: China is the largest consumer of shark fins; imagine - sharks are caught, their fins are removed and the rest of the fish is thrown; many times, all this - the cutting of the fins and the thr...

This just in from WWF : Marine turtles are a globally important species, but the number of turtles has plummeted and some populations are now on the brink of extinction. These gentle creatures of the sea swim great distances and come to land only to nest. They play a critical role in keeping marine ecosystems healthy; the same ecosystems which sustain our fisheries and tourism industries that provide food and livelihoods for millions of people. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Leatherbacks and Hawksbills are listed as Critically Endangered, while Green turtles are Endangered and Olive ridleys are categorised as Vulnerable. Four out of the 7 species of marine turtles land and lay their eggs on beaches in Malaysia; Leatherbacks, Hawksbills, Olive Ridleys and Green turtles. They face many threats, including the practice of consuming turtle eggs, becoming accidentally caught in fishing gear, pollution and the illegal trade of turtles and their parts. But key to all thi...

Wildlife crisis worse than economic crisis - that's the very sobering report from the IUCN. In relation to Africa, some of the very dire reports state: ...28 percent of all fishes in Eastern Africa are threatened.. The Sidamo Lark (Heteromirafra sidamoensis), from the Liben Plain of Ethiopia, has been moved from Endangered to Critically Endangered and is in danger of becoming mainland Africa’s first bird extinction due to changes in land use. “Across Africa, widespread birds of prey are also disappearing at an alarming rate, and emblematic species such as Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) and Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) have been placed in a higher category of threat as a result," In Mauritius, the stunning Mauritius Fody (Foudia rubra) has been rescued from the brink of extinction after the translocation and establishment of a new population on a predator-free offshore island. It is now classified as Endangered, rather than Critically Endangered. The saddest and mos...

The Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher or the Vev in Creole ( Terpsiphone corvina ) can never be found any where else on Earth in the wild, except in the Seychelles. Even in this stunningly, beautiful island nation, the bird which was once common in Praslin and other nearby islands, is now restricted to La Digue Island, especially in the Veuve Nature Reserve. This beautiful bird, is one of the world's rarest bird and is under immense threat; and although, great care has been taken by the Seychelles government to increase their numbers, human activity and animals like cats, still threaten the survival of this very rare bird.  More reading: Nature Seychelles , Arkive , Wildlife Vets International , Bird Watch Image: Birdlife

A baby gorilla has been seized from animal traffickers by ICCN following a 3-month undercover investigation to bust an international wildlife smuggling ring , reports the official website of Virunga National Park . One suspected trafficker was caught and arrested at Goma International Airport on Sunday while disembarking from a flight from Walikale (in the interior of the country and close to gorilla habitat) with an eastern lowland gorilla (remember these animals are only found in DR Congo). The gorilla was found concealed under clothes at the bottom of a bag and was suffering from over-heating and dehydration after spending over 6 hours in transit. Baby gorillas can be sold for up to $20,000 each; for some people, that's a price that can drive them to such extreme cruelty. As for whoever would want to buy gorillas and other such wild animals, and accept the animals being so mistreated, they must be utterly heartless and sick. Gorillas should be in the wild. There are less th...

I can not think of any other living creature that is as awesome to look at and yet so gentle, majestic and noble as elephants . I have seen African elephants at close range many times, and yet, I am awed and have to stare and gawk at these incredible creatures whenever I see them. I quote from the movie White Hunter Black Heart : I've never seen one before, outside the circus or the zoo. They're so majestic. So indestructible. They're part of the earth. They make us feel like perverse little creatures from another planet. Without any dignity. Makes one believe in God. In the miracle of creation. Fantastic. They're part of a world that no longer exists, Hod. Feeling of unconquerable time. How true. Facts about elephants , are amazing. Elephants are incredibly social creatures who have lasting memories, and can communicate over long distances through low range sound waves ; they can cry, play, have incredible memories, and can even laugh ; and they grieve at a loss of a s...

Lake Victoria - the second largest fresh water lake in the world - is said to have experienced the greatest mass extinction of vertebrates in modern times. Thirty years ago the Lake boasted over 400 fish species. More than half are now extinct. The Nile Perch, most probably introduced in to the Lake deliberately in the 1950s - has been as disruptive to Lake Victoria's ecosystem as Man has been. The legendary river, the Nile, that flows from the Great Lake - is no better off: it's listed as one of the top ten World's rivers that are fast dying as a result of climate change, pollution and dams.' Human activity has already excessively polluted the Lake but now Lake Victoria faces another great danger : water hyacinth has re-invaded the Lake choking thousands of hectares of the lake's surface - especially in Kenya. The species, which is originally from South America but today is a costly invasive species worldwide, first established itself in Lake Victoria, Africa...