Happy Penguin awareness day!!

I'm back!! 
I know, I know, it's been a whole month since I last posted but I've been extremely busy with my uni work and Christmas etc etc. 
Never mind, I'm back now and what a better way to start 2014 than with Penguin Awareness Day! 

Now don't lie and tell me you haven't watched Happy Feet and that you didn't fall totally head over heels with that hip-hoppity little fella...but what about real penguins? I'm sure a lot of you love them but how much do you really know about those tuxedo wearing guys?

Well, there are approximately 18 species of Penguin worldwide and sadly 13 of those species are considered at risk. Some species only have a few thousand individuals left and that may sound like a lot but it's really, really not. 
When you think about Penguins, I bet your first thoughts are cold, snow, the Antarctic...but Penguins are actually found in many other places around the world. Species can be found in really hot places too! Places like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa all have species of Penguins living there. They can also be found as far north as the Galapagos Islands. 

It's no surprise that Penguins becoming endangered was largely down to us humans. Man-made pollution, oil spills, habitat destruction and exploitation of food sources are some of the reasons that Penguins have become endangered but, to my surprise, deforestation is also one of the things causing problems for Penguins!
Other problems such as climate change are also part of the problem. With the ice-caps melting, the poor Penguins habitats are slowly but surely disappearing. 

Photo Credit: Atmos News.

How can we help? I hear you ask!
Well there are many ways in which you can help save the Penguins and I have gathered a few for you here to help you on your way. 

Adopt a Pengiun with the WWF - Through the WWF you can adopt a Penguin and your money can help with the following: 
- Managing resources and safeguarding Antarctica's wildlife
- Establish protected areas in the Southern Ocean
- Reduce illegal and unsustainable fishing practices
and much more! 
For £3, £5 or £10 a month (or whatever you can afford) you will receive an adoption pack with a cuddly toy, bookmark, stickers, a certificate and loads more cool stuff! 

You can also donate to other organisations that help penguins - 
- Defenders of Wildlife
- Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust
- Oceana
- Penguin Foundation
- Sanccob

Keep the oceans clean -
You can help keep the oceans clean by recycling, cleaning up beaches when you visit, buying organic foods that reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides and disposing of chemicals correctly! You can read more about how to keep the oceans clean here. 

Only eat fish that has been sustainably caught - 
Penguins are huge fans of sardines, krill, anchovies and other small fish that us humans also like to eat. The over-fishing of these small fish is using up the Penguins food supplies and without them they cannot survive! 

There are many other ways in which you can help save the Penguins. As with all conservation effort, education is key! So why not have a little read up about the different species of Penguin and the other ways that you can help save them from becoming extinct!

Shark cull plans for Western Australia

I came across this story in the Nature journal today and the mere thought of it disgusted me. 
The Western Australian Government have recently announced a $6.85 million plan to cull sharks that come too close to the shore in order to reduce attacks on humans. $2 million is set to be allocated to the tracking and destroying of the sharks, with a further $2 million being allocated to the setting of traps to kill any sharks that come too close to the shore. 

The plan, which is set to be put in place in January 2014, will include setting drum lines - a line of baited hooks - a kilometer offshore aiming to kill any sharks that come too close to the shore. It will also arrange 'management zones' around some of Western Australia's most popular beaches in which any shark that enters the area will be killed. 

This plan is supposed to reduce attacks on humans that take to the water for recreation however is likely to severely damage population numbers of the species being hunted.
The three species most commonly known to attack humans are the infamous Great White, the Tiger Shark and the Bull shark; all three being listed as threatened by the IUCN with the Great White being listed as vulnerable to extinction. 
George Burgess, a shark researcher from the Florida Museum of Natural History, rightly states that "If they take enough sharks out of the water, sure it’s going to reduce shark attacks", but how many will need to be killed before a difference can be seen? 

Currently the average number of shark attacks per year in Australia is 15, with a study from 2011 showing that fatalities were as low as 1.1 per year on average over the past 20 years. 
Some may say that these numbers are too high, however I think people need to remember that the ocean is their habitat - not ours. 

Not only will this cull damage shark population numbers, it may also have a hugely detrimental effect on the marine ecosystems that they survive in and may also be dangerous to other species, such as Dolphins, that are common in those areas. 

I was shocked to hear that three shark control programs are currently in place worldwide; two in Australia (in Queensland and New South Wales) and the other in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. However, with this region of Western Australia thought to be a migration route for Great Whites, the plans for this new 'control' program has caused uproar once again. 

Besides being environmentally irresponsible and totally archaic behaviour, this new plan also goes against current legislation that protects Great Whites in Commonwealth and WA waters. 

I urge all of you reading this to go and SIGN this petition to try and stop this plan going ahead. It appears that humans need reminding that they do not own this world, and that every species has as much right to live on this earth as we do. Humans are not marine animals and we should not alter such a delicate environment to suit our needs. 

New species of Tapir discovered!

Exciting news has been revealed this week regarding the discovery of a new species of Tapir in Brazil and Colombia! Published by the Journal of Mammology, scientists say that this is the biggest zoological discovery of the 21st century and the first species of Tapir discovered since 1865.

The newly discovered species, Tapirus kabomani, has apparently been known to the indigenous tribes of South America for many years and, although reports were made of this "different kind" of Tapir, scientists disregarded the information saying that the indigenous people must have been wrong.
The Kabomani tapir, named so after the Paumari word for tapir, is closely related to the Brazilian tapir however genetic research suggests that the the two species separated from one another around 300,000 years ago. The Kabomani tapir is much smaller than any other tapir and sports much darker hair. Being the smallest of the five species, conservationists are likely to name this new species the Pygmy or Dwarf tapir.   

Photo credit: Fabrico R. Santos - A female (left) and male (right)
 Kabomani tapir caught on a camera trap.

Tapirs first appeared around 50 million years ago in North America and eventually migrated to Asia, South America and even Europe. Unfortunately many species died out leaving us with the five species known today; four found in Central and South America and one in Asia. All five are listed as threatened with extinction due to over-hunting and human pressures on their environments such as habitat destruction.
 As megafauna, their existence is highly important for the maintenance of the ecosystems in which they live and they also play an important role in many indigenous tribes, both as food and in mythologies.  Sadly, due their scarce numbers, the Kabomani tapir is likely to become more threatened than the other species. The area in which they are found, in the southwest Amazon, is also facing huge road-building projects and increasing rates of deforestation therefore further threatening them. 

It is now down to conservationists to confirm their numbers and distributional range and put in place efforts to ensure their conservation status is managed effectively. 

Virunga National Park threatened by British oil company!

Virunga National Park, situated on the eastern border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is the oldest national park in Africa and consists of 7800km squared of savanna, lava plains, swamps, erosion valleys, forests, active volcanoes and the ice fields of the Rwenzori mountains. The park is home to many species including 200 mountain Gorillas that are critically endangered with as little as 880 individuals existing worldwide. 

The park is a World Heritage site and a Ramsar wetland of international importance but this appears to be of little importance to British oil company Soco International PLC who are pursuing approval to carry out exploration and oil extraction in the park. 

Such activities are illegal in this protected area of the Democratic Republic of Congo and may be extremely damaging to the ecosystems that exist there. According to WWF, significant oil exploitation may consist of; disruptive seismic tests, deforestation, deep underground drilling and the laying of oil pipelines. The increase of human presence may also be detrimental to the animals residing in the park. 

The park is thought to contain more individual species than almost anywhere else in the world and, with the planned areas for exploration covering up to 85% of the land there, endangered animals such as chimps, hippos, okapi and forest elephants are in danger of having their habitats destroyed. There are over 200 species of mammal living in the park and over 700 types of bird. 

Even the British government have made it clear that they strongly oppose the oil extraction but the London-based company are still moving forward with their proposal.

You can help stop the go-ahead of this by signing this petition NOW! 

Lion hunt photo causes outrage on twitter!

This week, big game hunter and Outdoor Channel TV personality, Melissa Bachman caused outrage on social networking site Twitter after posting a photo of herself posing with a Lion she had shot earlier that day. 

Photo credit: National Geographic

The photo was followed by the following tweet that caused unbelievable controversy and countless negative comments in response. 

Even world famous comedian Ricky Gervais had something to say on the matter and tweeted "Spot the typo" in reference to the word "hunt" in Bachmans tweet, one can only assume. 
Furthermore, shocked opponents of Lion hunting launched a petition on Change.org, in order to try and convince the South African government to deny future entry to the Minnesota-based hunter, which closed with 487,315 signatures. 

Is it legal?
To some peoples surprise, big game hunting IS actually legal in South Africa and preserves exist to facilitate such controlled hunts. In this instance, the Maroi Conservancy was responsible for facilitating the hunt and has stated on their facebook page that their motto is "conservation through sustainable hunting" and that meat from the animals shot on their site is distributed locally to communities. They also stated that the funds raised through hunting are used to put up fences and guard against poachers. 

Although the Maroi Conservancy has no Lions, they hooked the professional hunter up with another hunting outfitter that had Lions on their land.
It was stated that Bachman had all the necessary government permits and that the Lion was not drugged or enclosed prior to its shooting. 

Why is it still legal?
Not to be bias, although I'm sure you can all guess where I stand on this matter, it has been estimated that each hunt can raise up to $125,000 and conservation needs more money than ever. Between 2008 and 2011 Tanzania generated £75 million through controlled hunting and, without such revenue, 11 out of their 15 wilderness areas would not be able to continue operating. 
Melissa Simpson, director of science-based wildlife conservation for The Safari Club International Foundation, says "As with the regulated hunters in the United States, the regulated hunters in Africa make a vital contribution to conservation efforts, primarily through the revenues their hunting expeditions generate for local communities and wildlife resource agencies,".

What will happen to Lions if they continue to be hunted? 
Many argue that these "trophy" hunts are unsustainable and cause unnecessary pressures on wild populations. Large male Lions are often the favourite targets which could have detrimental evolutionary impacts by killing out the healthiest genes. It may also cause further deaths, as other males may fight to the death for the dominant position in a pride and may then kill any cubs that were the offspring of the previous male. 

An anonymous source for National Geographic has, however, stated that all Lion hunting in South Africa is carried out on private reserves where individuals are bred specifically for hunting. Therefore, Bachmans Lion was most definitely not a breeding member of a wild population therefore their conservation status would not be affected. 

That said, many agree that every Lion is precious and should be treated so. Each year around 600 Lions are killed through hunting and although this does not affect wild populations it is, at the end of the day, morally wrong. 

Two faced cat beats all odds!

Now I know that this isn't exactly breaking news and some of you may have heard this story before, but I have only just come across this incredible animal and felt it was definitely worthy of a spot on Animal News. 

For those of you who don't know, this is the story of Frankie and Louis the two faced cat who has beaten all odds and survived until the ripe old age of 13!
Frankie and Louis are what is known as a Janus Cat - Janus being the Roman God who had two faces - meaning he (they?) were born with two faces, two mouths, two noses and three eyes. 

Photo Credit: Steven Senne, Associated Press. 

Similar deformities are often seen in conjoined twins but this cat is not the result of an incomplete separation of two embryos. The scientific term for this is Disprosopus, or cranial duplication, and is the result of an increase of the protein Sonic Hedgehog homolus (yes...sonic hedgehog is a REAL protein) during embryonic development. 

Animals with this condition usually suffer multiple ailments, such as cleft pallet, which usually cause the animals to die before or soon after they are born. 
Miraculously, Frankie and Louis did not suffer any of these ailments and have beaten all the odds by living to see 13!
At just a day old their original owner brought them into the vets to be euthanased but Marty Stevens, who worked at the veterinary surgery at the time, rescued the kitten and took him (them?) in. 
For the first three months of their life Marty used feeding tubes to make sure they didn't choke but it turns out that Frankie and Louis only use one mouth to eat. They can also only see out of their two outer eyes, the middle one can't even blink!

Now 13, Frankie and Louis have earned themselves a spot in the Guinness World Records as the longest living Janus animal! 

Meet Frankie and Louis

Global warming threatens Canada Lynx kittens.

The Canada lynx, often known as the Ghosts of the North, can be found thriving in the dense forests of Canada down to some of the northern states of the USA such as Maine, Montana, Washington, Oregon and Wyoming. Smaller populations are known to be living in other states, however in the year 2000 they were officially listed as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to poaching for fur.

Not to be confused with the similar looking Bobcat, these leggy felines are perfectly adapted for the snowy habitats in which they live, with their giant paws giving them the perfect advantage over other predators (Bobcats and Coyotes) when it comes to hunting the snowshoe hare that makes up the majority of their diet. They also have noticeable ear tufts that aid in hearing and are typically grey in colour compared to the spotted coat of the Bobcat.

Photo credit: kdee64 (Keith Williams) on Flickr

Lynx kittens usually spend the first five weeks of their lives in a cosy den that the mother scopes out before she gives birth. They then follow her every move in order to learn the vital hunting skills they will need to survive by themselves. By 7-9 months of age they are able to hunt by themselves and are almost ready to leave home. Lynx are usually solitary animals but have been known to travel in small groups at times.

The habitats where these Lynx are found are known to have up to 2.7m of snowfall annually and this is just how the Canada Lynx likes it. However, the inevitable climate change is already decreasing snow fall and destroying the habitats that these cats depend on for survival.

New kittens may have a struggle on their hands (or paws) as this species is particularly sensitive to climate change. They rely so much on their physical adaptations to give them an advantage when hunting that, without the snowy landscapes, their physical attributes will be useless.

This may lead to less successful hunting and may cause the species to suffer further.

New fossil find reveals big cat origins.

The big cats, such as lions, tigers and leopards, are among some of the most successful predators on the planet, but when and where did they first arrive on earth?

Well a new fossil find may just give us the answer that has been long sought after!

Before now, the oldest big cat fossil was found on the continent of Africa and suggested that big cats were around 3.8 million years old. However, DNA comparisons have lead scientists to believe that big cats are in fact as old as 6 million years old...and now they have the bones to prove it.

Whilst carrying out their usual research and scoping out possible new digging sites on the Tibetan Plateau in Asia, Jack Tseng and his colleagues came across a discovery that is set to change scientific history. They discovered the skull of an ancient big cat - Panthera blytheae.

Usually digging up the bones of the native hoofed animals and the occasional rhino, this discovery brought excitement to the team as they carefully removed the remains from the fossil-rich ground.

Photo Credit: Gary Takeuchi

After further examination back in the Los Angeles lab, the scientists discovered that the animal they had dug up was in fact the ancient sister to the modern snow leopard. They had expected the remains to belong to the common ancestor of all living felids but bone comparisons put the animal distinctly on the snow leopard line.

Big cats were originally native to all continents except Australia and Antarctica and moved freely across continents when land bridges occurred due to a drop in sea levels.  When these land bridges disappeared, populations were isolated and eventually adapted and evolved to survive in their new environments. These adaptations eventually meant that original populations could no longer breed, giving rise to new species. This is how the big cat species that we know today would have come about and how they ended up in their current homes.

This discovery of the P. Blytheae skull, along with the remains of other species found nearby, help to paint a clear image of what the environment was like when these animals roamed the Tibetan Plateau and how they adapted and survived in the constant cold climates of that time.

Although this discovery was extremely exciting, it is not the end of the big cat story. As it was the sister of a modern snow leopard, it is clearly not the oldest fossil of its kind. Fossils still remain out there of the first ever common ancestors of the felines.

Scientists say that the more that is known about the success of ancient big cats under different environmental conditions, the easier it will be to predict their success to future changes.

Tseng says "studying these origins isn't just a sentimental things, in some ways it's a survival thing".  

5 Reasons why sharks are in trouble!

Photo Credit: National Wildlife Federation

There are 5 main reasons why Sharks are in trouble today, and all of them are man-related. 

1. Commercial Shark fishing - Fishing for Sharks has been around for decades and in the past 60 years has depleted populations drastically. Shark fishing occurs worldwide and they are hunted for their fins, liver oil, cartilage and meat.
2. Shark bycatch - Bycatch is when sharks are accidentally caught in commercial fishing nets. Unfortunately they are then often killed. This is usually unreported and illegally carried out, causing a decrease in shark numbers over the years. 
3. Consumer demand - Worldwide shark fins are in high demand, especially in Asia where they are used for the delicacy Shark Fin Soup. Over the years this industry has increased in value from $400 to $500 million a year. 
4. Lack of regulation - Unfortunately these species are not as protected as they need to be, meaning that shark fishing is still taking place across the world. 
5. Misunderstanding - These giants of the sea are very misunderstood creatures and, as a consequence of movies such as the famous Jaws, get very bad press. In reality, Sharks play a very important role as the oceans top predators and without them a lot of marine ecosystems would suffer. 

Disease causing starfish to turn to goo

Photo Credit: Melissa Miner - LiveScience

Researchers have discovered a disease that is killing hundreds of starfish along the East and West coast of the United States. 

The disease, which has been named Sea Star Wasting Syndrome, causes lesions and eventually limb loss, effectively turning them to goo. Researchers have been unable to figure out exactly what is causing the disease and are unsure whether it is bacterial, viral or a combination of effects that have been caused by environmental stressors such as increasing water temperatures.

This disease may also be a consequence of our behaviour as the ocean absorbs about half of the carbon dioxide that man releases, causing the pH of the water to drop to more acidic levels.
This increased acidity may be causing the shells and skeletons of marine animals to dissolve, including starfish who have a calcium-based skeleton. 
You can read more about this here where some researchers from my local Marine Laboratory have studied the affects of global warming on marine wildlife. 

Sea star wasting syndrome is not thought to be spreading to other marine species, however this drastic loss of starfish may have serious detrimental effects on marine ecosystems. It has been recorded that this disease has killed up to 95% of some populations consisting of hundreds of individuals.
Some species of starfish, such as the West Coasts Ochre sea star and the Sunflower sea star (the largest sea star on earth) are thought to be keystone species, meaning that without them the ecosystem they exist in will simply not exist, killing every other species that relies on them to survive. 

This has occurred in sea stars before and populations have bounced back from it, so it is not 100% certain that this disease will be catastrophic however it will certainly be kept a close eye on. Some starfish are important indicator species, meaning that they help us to find out what is going on in the environment and a loss of these indicators may suggest something is going wrong elsewhere.

Blinky the three-eyed crab

Photo Credit: Gerhard Scholtz, Peter K. L. Ng and Stephen Moore

This strange creature is Blinky, a three-eyed freshwater crab that was found in the Hoteo river on New Zealands north island. Many of you may have heard of Blinky the three-eyed fish from The Simpsons but, unlike the fish whose deformities were comically blamed on nuclear waste pollution, this little critter is likely to be the result of conjoined crab twins.

German researcher Gerhard Scholtz and colleagues discovered this individual crab during their research in the Hoteo river and at first must've thought they had discovered a new species that defied all rules of biology. Unfortunately, closer examination showed a perfectly reasonable, yet rare, explanation for Blinkys abnormalities.

As well as the obvious three eyes, the little crab also has an antennae-like protrusion on it's back. Scientists believe that this would have been the fourth eye, but the damaged tissue regenerated into this antennae-like deformity.
It was also seen that Blinky had an abnormally small and deformed brain.

Although rare, conjoined twins have been seen in humans however this pattern of deformities has never before been seen in animals.

Tail wagging shows different emotions in dogs

New scientific studies have shown that the direction in which a dog wags its tail can show how it is feeling.
The study was carried out on 43 dogs of different breeds, who were fitted with heart rate monitors and filmed whilst they were shown two different videos. The first video showed a dog wagging its tail to the left, which caused an increase in heart rate and the presence of more stressed or anxious types of behaviours. In comparison, the second video showed a tail wagging to the right and dogs that were shown this video seemed more relaxed and had a lower heart rate. 

It has also been seen that dogs wagged their tails to the left more often when faced with something they did not want to approach, such as another dog showing aggressive behaviour, and to the right when faced with something they liked, such as their owner. 

Scientists believe that this link is due to the different roles, and increased activity, that the left and right hemispheres of the brain have in different situations. This can also been seen in humans and are responsible for the emotions we feel under certain circumstances. Scientists are unsure if these directional tail wags are intended as a signal to other dogs, or whether they are simply a by-product of the use of different hemispheres of the brain. It is hoped that some practical uses could come of these findings for example; a veterinarian may be able to approach a dog from a preferred side to avoid aggression, or for teaching or training purposes. 

The results were published on October 31st 2013 in the journal Current Biology. 

The number of green sea turtles is declining rapidly due to the pollution caused by oil extraction!
Go and SIGN this pledge to help stop investors investing in these old-fashioned energy sources and help save the sea turtles (and all the other animals that live in our oceans)!!

Story of the week: Humpback whale spotted in UK

Sorry that I've been lacking in the post department recently! I've been pretty busy with all the Halloween festivities and Uni but here is last weeks story of the week...better late than never! 

Last week, for possibly the first time ever, a Humpback Whale was spotted off of the coast of the UK. The 10-12m Whale was spotted off of the coast of Great Yarmouth and was only around 600m from shore! From there it moved to Winterton-on-sea where it stayed and fed in front of onlookers for about 2 hours.
Today, what appears to be the same whale has been spotted AGAIN, this time off the coast of Suffolk!
It was spotted about 1.5 miles offshore where it stayed and fed off fish for about an hour before swimming north. 

This is thought to be the first ever recorded sighting of this species in this area of the UK, says Carl Chapman, Norfolk’s cetacean recorder and coordinator for the national Sea Watch Foundation. He has examined records dating back to the 1700's and has found no recorded sighting of this species in the UK. 

These gigantic creatures are easily identified by the size of their flippers - reaching up to a third of their body size - and by the hump on their back. They can grow up to 50ft in length and can weigh as much as 40 tonnes!

Photo credit: BBC News

• Humpback whales hunt cooperatively using the 'bubble net' strategy where several whales circle underwater emitting a stream of bubbles, which trap fish within an air ring. The whales can then gorge on the contents of their 'net'.
• The whales are renowned for their acrobatic aerial breaching and complex songs performed by males during courtship

Source: BBC Nature

Halloween horror for animals!

As all of you are aware, Halloween is upon us with bonfire night following at the beginning of next week.
This may be the cause of much excitement for everyone what with all the food, sweets, fireworks and costume parties but this year please make sure you take a step back and think about how stressful and horrible this all is for our furry friends. As much as we all love the beautiful firework displays, a dogs hearing is twice as sensitive than a humans, and a cats three times more sensitive!

Photo Credit: Orsi on weheartit

Every year animals are terrorized by the loud bangs and bright flashes of fireworks and hundreds of little critters, such as hedgehogs, are killed in bonfires due to the carelessness of people. 

Earlier this year I went to the annual firework championships down on Plymouth Hoe and, in the middle of the huge crowds of people, was a terrified little Jack Russell barking madly at each bang. The owners, who clearly didn't have a clue (or worse, didn't care) just tried hushing the poor dog but to no avail. It was clear to me and everyone around that this dog was scared, but the owners did not leave until the very end. 

So this is my own personal warning to all you pet owners out there! If your dog, cat, rabbit or any other pet is scared or anxious of fireworks please do NOT take them out whilst they are happening. 

Here are some ways in which you can help your pet during this time of year: 

• Ensure you take your dog for a nice long walk during daylight hours before the fireworks begin
• Close windows, curtains and doors to try and muffle the loud bangs and hide the bright flashes
• Try turning up the tv/radio to help disguise the noise
• Make sure your pet has a nice comfortable place to escape to (give them blankets and toys to comfort them)
• Attempt to soothe your animal by stroking them and staying close by
• Make sure your pets are micro-chipped (this can be done at your vets for as little as £15) just in case they attempt to escape.

There are also some calming treatments that may help your pets, such as DAP (dog appeasing pheromones), diffusers, collars and tablets which should all be available from your vet. 

As for the wildlife, please CHECK and CHECK AGAIN any bonfires that you have set up in your back gardens or on local fields/parks. These large piles of sticks, wood and leaves are the perfect little home for sheltering hedgehogs and if any of these little creatures have set up house then I'm sure you do not want to be responsible for killing them. 

Photo Credit: Ben Hall

Are the Dartmoor hill ponies dying out?

Photo Credit: Mike on Flickr. 

Last week, the annual Dartmoor hill pony auction took place in Tavistock, Devon, however this years traditional, and much loved, event brought more gloom than ever before. 

By the end of the morning just 20 out of the 60 ponies up for auction had been sold, with prices dropping as low as just £20 per head. This dramatic drop in sales means that the surplus ponies will be sent to slaughter to become meat for pet food and even sent to the local Dartmoor Zoo that uses the pony meat to feed their tigers and other big cats. 

The commoners that bring their ponies down from the moor every year to take to auction say that they do not expect to make a lot of money from them, however the money that they do make does help to manage the remaining ponies. 

The lack of market is causing concern that the Dartmoor hill ponies may become extinct much faster than expected. Along with the current financial crisis, the rules and regulations surrounding keeping and transporting these ponies are increasing, which in turn is putting people off buying them. 

It is thought that a century ago the number of Dartmoor hill ponies stood at around 30,000 but now numbers may be fewer than 1,000. 

The extinction of this species would not only be a sad event, it would also majorly affect the ecosystem up on the moor itself. The ponies, along with cattle and sheep, are essential for managing the moors that we see today through their specific and unique grazing patterns, and without them the moors will simply not exist as they are. 

Use of wildlife in circuses banned!

The UK had great news this week that the use of all wild animals in circuses will finally be banned by 2015! 

Earlier this summer MP's recommended that Elephants and all big cats be banned from being kept and used in the travelling circus trade, however this ban will now be extended to include all wild animals. 

Animals have been used in circuses since the early 18th century, with some of the most common species seen being big cats, elephants, horses, and bears. 

The RSPCA has expressed its relief that this ban will eventually be made law in the UK but hopes that eventually it will occur worldwide. Many countries have already banned the use of wild animals but there are still countries where performing animals are still common. There already exists a licensing scheme to protect animals in the circus, however it does not successfully safeguard the welfare of the animals. 

Many charities and organisations have been involved in the campaign to remove wild animals from the circus due to the poor living conditions that they endure whilst performing and travelling around the country. 

"“As the Government has pointed out, there is absolutely no basis for protecting only a select group of wild animals, and no desire to do so from MPs, the public or animal welfare groups. No wild animals belong in a circus." - RSPCA senior scientist Dr Ros Clubb.

According to the article published in The Express this week, the RSPCA and the Born Free foundation have offered to help re-home the animals after they leave the circus. 

There is, however, a downside to this brilliant news. Although the ban will prohibit the use and display of wild animals, no doubt dramatically reducing the number of animals exposed to these poor conditions, there is a loophole that states that animals may still be kept by circuses. This loophole means that, providing they are not used for performance or put on display to the public, circuses are still able to keep and travel with their animals. 

Born free USA have compiled a list of Ten facts about animals in the circus including the fact that from 1994 to 2005, at least 31 elephants died premature deaths in the circus. 

I'm sure that all animal lovers agree that no animal should be kept in such awful conditions and forced to perform in front of extremely large and noisy crowds, so the news of this ban will be appreciated by many. However it seems that we are still a long way from ensuring that animals are banned from being kept in these conditions permanently. 

Snapshot Saturday #1

Kapela, the rhino calf. Photo Credit: animalrescueblog on Flickr.

Story of the Week: Turtles released back into wild

Photo Credit: National Aquarium

                                                              

So here it is,  my first ever Story of the week!

Now I realise it didn’t occur in the UK, but it was way too happy for me to ignore (plus turtles are one of my favourite animals so this story was a given).

On October 20th 2013 the National Aquariums remaining two loggerhead turtles, Portsmouth and Rooney (Yeah they could've picked a better name for the last one) were finally released back into their natural environment.
Over 300 spectators gathered on Virginia Beach to wave off Portsmouth and Rooney, as well as two loggerheads from the Virginia Aquarium.

Rooney was one of the Aquariums first cold stunned turtles of 2013 and Portsmouth was caught on a fishing hook at the Ocean View Fishing Pier on July 4th. Both turtles required extensive veterinary and husbandry care and after the pair had gained sufficient weight, the were ready to be released back into their natural habitat.

The two turtles, who have satellite and acoustic tags, will be continuously monitored and tracked to ensure they are doing well in their new, and very large, ocean habitat.

Soon you will be able to follow Portsmouth and Rooney's adventures through the National Aquariums website, so go and have a look and see how they're getting on! 

I love Amazon week!

Photo credit: WWF

This week is I love Amazon Week and the WWF are asking for 5000 forest-friendly people to pledge to help save the rainforest! 

Every minute an area the size of three football pitches is destroyed in the 55 million year old rainforest, meaning that eventually man will have destroyed every last inch of it. By pledging, you will be helping to save up to 1 billion trees and reduce our impact on this beautiful area of the world. 

I pledged and it took all of about 30 seconds! You have no excuse so go and pledge NOW and then comment below to let me know how many of you have pledged!!