Ostrich, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, by Jerry Teng

You may know that the Ostrich is the largest bird on Earth today, standing about a metre tall weighing up to 300 pounds. But did you know that the ‘Elephant Bird’ (Aepyornis maximus), a bird from Madagascar stood 12 feet tall and weighed as much as 900 pounds! It’s thought that the Elephant Bird was extinct by the 1600′s, but nobody agrees on the exact time.

The Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus)
is listed on the IUCN List for Threatened Species as ‘least concern‘

Smalltooth Sawfish, by Diliff (details below)

This extraordinary fish was once largely distributed, but is extinct in much of its former range due to fishing and habitat modification. Although it’s no longer fished commercially, its long, tooth-studded saw means it often gets tangled in fishing nets.

This photograph was taken in captivity.

The Smalltooth Sawfish (Pristis pectinata)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “critically endangered“
Population trend: decreasing 

(Photo by Diliff used under a Creative Common licence)

Tiny Meerkats and their 'Babysitter'. By Anna Tinker

The Meerkat (Suricate) is endemic to Southern Africa
and they prefer to live in the region’s arid areas.

by Anna Tinker

A few weeks ago I moved to the Kalahari Desert. Specifically, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park– it’s the ‘pointy bit’ on the map of South Africa.  Every day here, i’m finding new things that amaze me.

You can’t deny that life up here is tough. The nearest grocery store or dentist (been there, done that), is 260kms to the south.  That means a round trip of more than 500kms is in order if you need some fresh lettuce or if you’ve been silly enough to break a molar on a fudge flavoured rusk…

Every drop of water here is special. No food goes to waste. If there’s a part of a rotten tomato that isn’t rotten, I will find it and eat it. You need to make do with what you have.

The same goes for the wildlife up here. You’d think not much survives, but actually this is one of the best safari destinations on the planet, because the special plants and animals that call this place home are beautifully adapted to it.

Gemsbok, Kgalagadi, by Anna Tinker

For example, when it’s really hot, the Gemsbok manage to trick themselves into thinking it isn’t so bad. They do this with a very complex system of capiliaries that cool their blood. Built in air-con. Nice. And because the Gemsbok (like most antelope up here) get most of their moisture from the plants they eat, they can go for months without drinking water.

Another animal that makes the most of it is the Ground Squirrel. They need to keep foraging when the sun is at its strongest, so their tails act as little sun parasols. They carry their shade everywhere they go.

The Namaqua Sandgrouse will actually soak up water into his feathers and then fly it up to 60kms, where his children will suck out every last droplet of it using specially adapted structures in their bills.

Namaqua Sandgrouse, Kgalagadi, by Kate Piscator

And when it gets really bad, the whole place starts relying on melons. Everything from ants to cheetahs to people will break into Tsamma melons to get at the moisture inside.

These are just a few examples from countless ones. Every living thing up here has a complex survival strategy, and i’m still trying to find mine! Having mobile internet access helps.  I’ll try to post updates to Vanishing Species whenever I can.

Tsamma Melon in Kgalagadi, by Kate Piscator

Take a good look at this photo. Can you see the little black bird in the bush and the Cattle Egret on the ground? It’s no coincidence that this rhino is traveling with an entourage. The black bird is a Fork-Tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis), and both birds know that the rhino is grazing for food. As the huge rhino walks about and grazes, it kicks up the earth and disturbs the surrounding vegetation. This is turn flushes out all sorts of little bugs, which are quickly grabbed by the watchful birds. In return, the birds may be the first to detect any threats nearby. Everyone wins!

Rhino grazing with a cattle egret and a fork-tailed drongo

The White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species  as “near threatened”.
The latest population estimate is 17,480 (December 2007)

We’ve all heard of the Tasmanian Devil, but surprisingly few people know what they actually look like (I blame a certain popular cartoon character). Even fewer people know that since 2000, the wild Tasmanian Devil population has been affected by a mysterious cancer which is threatening to wipe them out entirely in the years to come.

We love the work done by the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, a place I had the privilege to visit in 2010.

Tasmanian Devil at the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, by Anna Tinker

Does the Tasmanian Devil deserve its fearsome reputation? We think it does! Have a look at these little devils fighting over their lunch…

You can’t not be drawn to Tasmanian Devil! They’re unique and special and we want more than anything to keep them around.

Here are some quick facts on the disease currently spreading through the the wild Tasmanian Devil population (taken from the small print on the sign pictured below), directly from the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park.

- The Tasmanian Devil is now an endangered species

- More than half of all wild devils have perished

- Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease is a unique contagious cancer

- It affects only Tasmanian Devils and is always fatal

-  The cancer is transferred directly by biting during feeding and mating

- Preventing Direct contact is the best way to stop the disease from spreading

- The disease was first noticed in 2000 and has spread across most of Tasmania

- There is no barrier to stop it reaching the west coast

- Its origin is not known

Beautiful and wild Tasmanian Devil habitat, by Anna Tinker

Unfortunately, this mysterious cancer is just one of the many threats faced by Tasmanian Devils. According to IUCN, more than 2,200 are killed each year on Tasmania’s roads.

The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “endangered“
population trend: decreasing

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Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat, photo by Jade, details below

The Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat may have a funny name, but it’s plight is deadly serious: it’s one of the rarest large mammals not only in Australia but in the world.

In 2003 the total population consisted of 113 individuals, including only around 30 breeding females.

Their historic range used to extend across 3 states, but they are now found in a tiny 3 km² area within the Epping Forest National Park in Queensland.

This photograph was taken in a museum.

The Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “critically endangered”
Population trend: stable 

(Photo by “Jade” used under a Creative Common licence)

The Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)
is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as “least concern”

It’s a pleasure to introduce you to ‘Kermit’, the friendly Frogmouth at the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Project in Tasmania.

Kermit the Frogmouth, by Anna Tinker

And here’s a very sweet video of Kermit working for his snack:

The Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigides)
is on the IUCN Redlist for Threatened Species as “least concern“

Numbat by Aussie Matt, details below

Like so many Australian animals, this sweet little guy is a marsupial, meaning their young are born relatively undeveloped and are raised in a pouch.  Numbats live on a diet of termites, and have a long sticky tongue especially adapted for this.

The Numbat is under threat from habitat loss through land clearing and fire, and are killed by introduced predators such as feral foxes and cats.

It is estimated that there are fewer than 1,000 Numbats alive today.

The Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “endangered“
Population trend: decreasing

(Photo by “Aussie Matt” used under a Creative Common licence)