Tag Archives: mammals

Photo of the Day: A Rhino with an Entourage

Posted on by
1

We absolutely adore rhinos at Vanishing Species, and we’ll use any excuse to publish a rhino photo.

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)

Photo of the Day: Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat

Posted on by
Reply
Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat

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)

Photo of the Day: Numbat

Posted on by
Reply
Numbat

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)

Nona’s story: a young gorilla saved

Posted on by
Reply

The video is shocking.  Out of a squalid hut, a man is carrying a tiny, dark-skinned baby.  The baby is completely naked and is so distressed its little body is rigid and it doesn’t make a sound.  Its eyes are open but it’s completely non-responsive.  I’m not even sure if it’s alive.  I can barely watch – and then suddenly I realise the “baby” is not human, but a tiny gorilla.  And it is alive!

She’s a little girl – Nona – and she was only around 2 months old when her mother was killed by poachers for meat.  Clinging to her mother as baby gorillas do, Nona was shot through the hand when her mother was shot, and was discarded by the hunters and left for dead - too little meat on her tiny body for them to be interested.  At the time she was rescued, she had been left for days without food or water.  But Nona was one of the lucky ones: many baby gorillas in this situation would have been sold into the illegal pet trade.

She was discovered by the manager of a logging concession and Ape Action Africa were called in to help, and the video was recorded during her rescue.

Ape Action Africa’s Director, Rachel Hogan was there at her rescue, and from that point forward, Nona was cared for by either Rachel and the other staff at the facility 24 hours a day for the next few months.  Here, a delicate balance is required: gorilla babies need the care and attention a human baby does but for Nona to grow up as a healthy gorilla adult, it’s vitally important to minimise her time with humans.

Luckily for Nona, another infant gorilla arrived just after Nona, a little boy called Yeba.  Nona was introduced to Yeba, and they soon bonded and started to play like little gorillas should.

After many months of round-the-clock care, Nona fully recovered from her injuries and her traumatic start in life.

She now enjoys her days with other gorillas in Mefou Primate Park in Cameroon, in the care of Ape Action Africa and their team of 40 staff.  Ape Action Africa’s facilities are in the forest so it’s a wonderfully rich and natural environment for the apes.  Nona now lives in a huge enclosure with 10 other gorillas: as natural an environment as possible.  The gorillas sleep in satellite cages so the staff know they’re ok (and to stop them destroying the enclosure’s plants making night nests!) but after they’re fed in the morning, they literally disappear into their own private forest for the day and only come back for food in the evening!

This series of pictures show Nona’s growth from that distraught abandoned infant to a happy, healthy adolescent with a cheeky and confident personality.  She is now 8 years old.

(You can watch the video Nona’s story here)

Nona injured hand

Nona in the early days - her injured hand was where she was shot by the poachers, photo by Ape Action Africa, details below

Nona and Yeba

Nona and Yeba have become fast friends and now play together as young gorillas should, photo by Caroline McLaney, details below

Nona happy and healthy

Nona happy and healthy, photo by Caroline McLaney, details below

Nona

Nona today, photo by Ian Bickerstaff, details below

FSC logo

FSC: The Mark of Responsible Forestry

What Can I Do: Hunting of gorillas and chimps is largely for the illegal bushmeat trade.  The meat isn’t openly seen in restaurants or markets, it’s an underground trade.  But there are ways you can help: logging is a major issue in Cameroon and as loggers build roads deeper and deeper into the forests, the forests (and the gorillas themselves) are opened up to poachers.  So be careful about the source of wood products and look for the FSC label (shown) when you buy, which ensures the products you are buying is only from forests which are managed in an environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable manner.

Caroline McLaney
Chief Executive, Ape Action Africa

Ape Action AfricaApe Action Africa is committed to ape conservation in Africa – protecting Cameroon’s great apes through direct action, including rescuing orphaned gorillas, chimpanzees and monkeys, giving them a safe forest sanctuary home where they can live with their own kind.

Join Ape Action Africa:
web:  www.apeactionafrica.org
facebook: www.facebook.com/ApeActionAfrica
twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ApeActionAfrica

Photos are from Ape Action Africa, taken at their project in Cameroon
and are used with their kind permission

Photo of the Day: Two Young Gorillas playing

Posted on by
1

Two young gorillas, photo by Hjalmar Gislason, details below

Did you know: despite popular portrayal as being aggressive, Gorillas are actually very gentle and highly social animals.

Gorillas have a complex variety of communications, including grunts, coughs and hoots.  Like humans, they also communicate with one another though facial expressions and body postures.

This photo was taken in the wild in Rwanda.

The Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “endangered“
Population trend: decreasing 

(Photo by Hjalmar Gislason used under a Creative Common licence)

Photo of the Day: Silverback Gorilla

Posted on by
Reply

Silverback Gorilla, photo by Hjalmar Gislason, details below

“Silverback” gorillas are not different species, but mature adult males with a band of silver (grey) hair across their backs.  A large silverback gorilla can weigh up to around 250kg (around 550 lb).

Gorillas live in family groups (called “troops”) consisting of one (or sometimes more) silverback males and between two and ten females and their young.

This photo was taken in the wild in Rwanda.

The Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “endangered“
Population trend: decreasing 

(Photo by Hjalmar Gislason used under a Creative Common licence)

Gorillas: the bad news, the good news and what you can do

Posted on by
Reply
Shufai

"Shufai", 6-year-old male, photo by Ian Bickerstaff, Ape Action Africa

These beautiful animals are under threat.  We all know about climate change, deforestation and habitat loss, but it may surprise you to know that gorillas are still being hunted and eaten: gorilla meat is regarded as a delicacy by many.

Where once it may have been subsistence hunting to feed families, nowadays the trade is not limited to Africa, and is driven by wealthy patrons worldwide who are prepared to pay ridiculous sums for gorilla meat.

Gorilla

"Nona", 8-year-old female, photo by Caroline McLaney, Ape Action Africa

But this week the focus should be on celebrating the life of Dian Fossey, who did so much to conserve these magnificent animals, and to bring an appreciation of their plight to so many of us.

The good news is things are slowly starting to change, and in Uganda and Rwanda, gorillas are seen as an iconic species and locals are working to protect them.  At Ape Action Africa, our dream is for Cameroonians to love their gorillas, and that one day, it will be socially unacceptable to eat them.

FSC logo

FSC: The Mark of Responsible Forestry

What Can I Do: Hunting gorillas and chimps is illegal so the meat isn’t openly seen in restaurants or markets, it’s an underground trade.  But there are ways you can help:  logging is a major issue in Cameroon and as loggers build roads deeper and deeper into the forests, the forests (and the gorillas themselves) are opened up to poachers.  So be careful about the source of wood products and look for the FSC label (shown) when you buy, which ensures the wood you are buying is only from forests which are managed in an environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable manner.

Caroline McLaney
Chief Executive, Ape Action Africa

Ape Action AfricaApe Action Africa is committed to ape conservation in Africa – protecting Cameroon’s great apes through direct action, including rescuing orphaned gorillas, chimpanzees and monkeys, giving them a safe forest sanctuary home where they can live with their own kind.

Join Ape Action Africa:
web:  www.apeactionafrica.org
facebook: www.facebook.com/ApeActionAfrica
twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ApeActionAfrica

Photos are from Ape Action Africa, taken at their project in Cameroon
and are used with their kind permission

Photo of the Day: Young Eastern Gorilla eating

Posted on by
Reply

Young Gorilla, photo by Hjalmar Gislason, details below

Young gorillas, like human children, spend much time playing: climbing trees, swinging from branches and chasing each other.

Born after an 8½ month pregnancy, single births are most common, but twins occasionally occur.  Infant gorillas are born tiny and almost entirely helpless, weighing just 2kg (4lb).

Young gorillas learn to crawl at around 2 months, and to walk at around 8 or 9 months and mother gorillas nurse their babies for about 3 years.

This photo was taken in the wild, in Rwanda.

The Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as “endangered“
Population trend: decreasing 

(Photo by Hjalmar Gislason used under a Creative Common licence)

Gorillas in the Mist by Rowena Edwards

Posted on by
2
Rowena Edwards

by Rowena Edwards

I was lucky enough to go to Uganda and visit the most amazing creatures on earth… the Mountain Gorillas.  I have worked as a Zoo Keeper with Western Lowland Gorillas and seeing them in their natural habitat was the most amazing experience of my life.  Whether killed through wars, the bush meat trade, or just for trophies, it’s not surprising that there are not many of these giants left, and I am really glad that the communities and the world are now starting to realise how important these animals are, and are finally starting to look after them.

It was an expensive trip: the permit alone was US $500 and only 8 people are permitted to go and see each troop per day, and for just one hour at a time. But it was well worth it!

I was lucky enough to see the Nshongi troop in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.  As we arrived we heard chimps in the trees, it was a great start!  We signed in, had our briefing and started our 90 minute trek up and down mountains and through the rivers before we  found the troop of 31 gorillas.

At that time, this troop had only been receiving visitors for three months and had three silverbacks, which was interesting as usually there is only one.  I stood in shock as one of the silverbacks was standing less than three metres away from me. just relaxing and eating some leaves.  As we walked slowly through the bushes, our guide cutting us a path, we heard noises all around us, and trees shaking as baby gorillas played in them.  It was amazing seeing them swinging in the trees as I didn’t realise gorillas could climb!

As we walked on, the sound of chest-beating started and one of the other silverbacks ran through our group and brushed past my friend’s arm!  He then sat about 4 meters in front of us and started eating again. It was just truly amazing how close we were allowed to get to them, and to see them in the wild rather than through the bars at the zoo was incredible.

The guides were brilliant, making grunts and communicating with the gorillas, and there were  also scientists there, recording their behaviours.  Seeing the gorillas doing “gorilla things” made me one very happy girl!

Our allocated hour passed very quickly and our time hanging out with the troop was over but we still had another 90 minute hike back to the start.  We had some unplanned excitement in the last half hour when we saw a couple of bull elephants about 600 metres away from us. The guy with the gun told us to “Run! Run!”  (When a guy with a gun is scared, that certainly gets the adrenaline pumping!)  Elephants had not been seen in that part of the forest in a very long time so we were pretty lucky!

It was a very exciting and emotional visit and I feel honoured to have been a part of the Nshongi troop.

The Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei, subspecies beringei )
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as ”critically endangered“
Population trend: unknown 

ABOUT OUR GUEST BLOGGER ROWENA EDWARDS:

Rowena feeding a White Rhino calf

Rowena feeding a White Rhino calf

  • born and raised in New Zealand
  • has also lived, worked and travelled extensively in Europe & Africa
  • wanted to be a vet since she was 5
  • has worked as a zookeeper and more recently as a dog trainer
  • wants people to get inspired and excited about animals
  • her conservation heroes are Sir David Attenborough and Steve Irwin
  • would sell her soul for chocolate chilli pudding….

All photographs are by Rowena Edwards, and are used here with her permission

Photo of the Day: Western Lowland Gorilla

Posted on by
Reply
Gorilla

Gorilla by Richard Ashurst, details below

Isn’t he beautiful?? Gorillas are the largest of all primates, and adult males can weigh up to around 250kg (around 550 lb). Females weigh about half the size of males.

Gorillas are highly intelligent, make use of tools, and in captivity, some Gorillas have been taught to use sign-language.

The main threats to Gorillas include commercial hunting (both for bushmeat and trophy hunting), loss of habitat due to logging and climate change, and the Ebola virus.

This photo was taken in captivity at Melbourne Zoo in Australia.

The Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla, subspecies gorilla)
is on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species as ”critically endangered“
Population trend: decreasing 

(Photo by Richard Ashurst used under a Creative Common licence)