Australia is isolated and home to dozens of unusual creatures including koala bears, numerous marsupials, lots of poisonous snakes and the dingo a somewhat mysterious canine. Dingoes are the subject of a recent study that sheds light on the origin of these dogs but doesn’t quite settle the question of whether they were ever domesticated.Continue reading “New Study Sheds Light On Dingo DNA; They Are Related To Domestic Dogs, But Were They Ever Domesticated?”
Author Archives: ursusrising
Endangered Sand Cats Are Among Species Jordanian Conservationists Aim To Protect
They are tiny – less than 8 pounds- but ferocious and they are endangered. Sand cats are one of the most unusual of the 41 species of cat on earth. They inhabit unforgiving desert land and can stand temperature extremes to eke out a living in a nearly waterless climate. Like many of the 34Continue reading “Endangered Sand Cats Are Among Species Jordanian Conservationists Aim To Protect”
Chinese Monk Devotes Himself To Rescuing Strays; Rescues An Estimated 8,000 Since 1994
Since beginning this blog I have been staggered by the size and scope of problems facing wild and domestic animals throughout the world. From the captive animal trade to highway deaths animals face terriffic threats from uncaring humans. The captive animal trade is thought to be in the top three illegal trades in the worldContinue reading “Chinese Monk Devotes Himself To Rescuing Strays; Rescues An Estimated 8,000 Since 1994”
Feeding Wild Animals: Research, Insects, Mice Are Major Players In Finding High Protein Food
it isn’t much of a secret that wild animals kept in zoo, veterinary or sanctuary settings need quite a lot of food. Much of what they need has to be high protein and the need forces animal rescue groups to fundraise constantly. Tigers and lions, for example, are estimated to eat 20 to 25 poundsContinue reading “Feeding Wild Animals: Research, Insects, Mice Are Major Players In Finding High Protein Food”
Ribbon Cutting And Tribute To Young Patron Slain In Road Rage Incident To Mark May 13 Opening of Orange County Zoo Large Mammal Enclosure – Orphan Cougars Have New Home
It will be a mixture of happiness and sadness Friday at the Orange County Zoo. The zoo recently rescued two mountain lion kittens from Thousand Oaks, who will have a new home. But one of the zoos youngest patrons will not be there to see it. Aiden Leos, who was 6, was shot to deathContinue reading “Ribbon Cutting And Tribute To Young Patron Slain In Road Rage Incident To Mark May 13 Opening of Orange County Zoo Large Mammal Enclosure – Orphan Cougars Have New Home”
Traffic Accidents Kill Wild Animals Daily, But What Are The Numbers, Exactly
I think we are all aware of the risks posed to wild and domestic animals trying to cross highways and roadways in the United States. In this blog we have spotlighted the deaths of wolves in California, deer in Pennsylvania including OR93 the wolf who traveled 1,000 miles from Oregon to California but wound upContinue reading “Traffic Accidents Kill Wild Animals Daily, But What Are The Numbers, Exactly”
The Wild Animal Sanctuary Rescues South Korean Bile Bears
In an earlier post we discussed the plight of Asian “bile bears” and today we are glad to report that The Wild Animal Sanctuary (TWAS) has in fact rescued 22 Asiatic Black Bears who were kept on a quasi-legal bear bile “farm.” Bears have been hunted all over the world for many centuries. Hunters consumedContinue reading “The Wild Animal Sanctuary Rescues South Korean Bile Bears”
How To Rewild Jaguars: The Story of Arami And The Jaguar Reintroduction Centre
As we mentioned yesterday Argentina is the center of bold efforts to reintroduce jaguars into areas from which they have been extirpated. The focus of yesterday’s story was Mariua and her two cubs, the first to be released into the 1.7 million acre Ibera National Park. The park is good jaguar habitat and contains aContinue reading “How To Rewild Jaguars: The Story of Arami And The Jaguar Reintroduction Centre”
Conservation Groups in Argentina Attempt “Re-Wilding;” Releasing Jaguars Into Wetlands From Which They Disappeared 70 Years Ago
Yesterday we discussed efforts to protect jaguar numbers by recognizing and protecting cross roads from development. There is another and perhaps even more difficult way: “re-wilding” and releasing previously captive jaguars into selected habitat. Argentina has become the site of an intensive effort to do just that by reintroducing jaguars into a wetlands habitat fromContinue reading “Conservation Groups in Argentina Attempt “Re-Wilding;” Releasing Jaguars Into Wetlands From Which They Disappeared 70 Years Ago”
Liberty Canyon Freeway Overcrossing Concept May Help Pave Way For Jaguars Return to United States – And Protect Them in Belize
The recent groundbreaking for the Annenberg over-crossing in Liberty Canyon marks a shift in understanding of how to protect vulnerable species from extinction. National parks and protected areas are no longer seen as enough. Fragmented populations must be able to connect with each other to breed and eliminate inbreeding which eventually causes local extinction. TheContinue reading “Liberty Canyon Freeway Overcrossing Concept May Help Pave Way For Jaguars Return to United States – And Protect Them in Belize”