#animal conservation

[apples-stables]

FUN RANDOM HORSE BREED TIME

Super small lil horse breed known as the Banker Horse is a semi-feral/feral horse breed that lives on the barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina!

They're not considered to be indigenous but are protected and managed by the National Park Service and currently the estimated population of these horses is 400.

They share ancestry with other Colonial Spanish horse breeds, and genetic markers indicate the share a common ancestory with both the Paso Fino and the Pryor Mountain Mustang.

While there isn't a specific source of these horses, the biggest theories is that they swam to shore when ships wrecked in the nearby shoals, in a region known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" due to how many ships its claimed.

The Foundation for Shackleford Horses has set up a studbook for establishing the Banker horse as its own horse breed. It is registered as a critically endangered breed with the American Livestock Breeds Conversancy.

If you wanna help with the conservation of these cool guys, feel free to check out the link below!

[dovand]

public service (bearvice?) announcement

i think that this website in particular needs to be aware of the existence of sloth bears. look at this dude

(image description: a sloth bear sitting hunched over on the ground. the sloth bear is broad, with thick black fur that obscures its body. the fur becomes thinner towards its face, where its muzzle and the inner corners of its eyes are splashed with very pale brown.)

the book that i'm reading (Eight Bears by Gloria Dickie) laments that conservation efforts for sloth bears are hindered by their lack of charisma—especially when compared to, say, a tiger (a creature that does pose competition re: conservation) but like. look at this guy.

image description: another sloth bear, this time standing on an uneven rocky surface. there's a certain mournful quality to its eyes. it looks almost doglike, mostly because of the fur on the sides of its face that hangs down like huge fluffy ears.

they're the only species in Melursus (one surviving genus out of three in the Ursidae family). females range from 55 to 105 kg (121 to 231 pounds), while males range from 80 to 143 kg (176 to 320 pounds). their diet is mostly ants and termites, and their mouths are suitably adapted—a lack of upper incisors lets them vacuum up more bugs, and they can close their nostrils completely.

it is worth noting at this point, i think, that sloth bears are the deadliest bears in the world by a large margin (though this seems to be largely because of expanding human settlements encroaching upon Bear Land and thus creating conflict. I Think). they have caused seriously horrible injuries and deaths but they are wild animals and we cannot blame them for this. they have inherent value despite the harm they have caused, not just because of how aesthetically appealing they are, but because they ARE. just because they exist. they are living things, so they have value.

image descriptions: the first image shows sloth bear in the middle of a step, its gaze fixed on something off-camera. its fur is hugely fluffy and luxurious, especially around the sides of its face/the back of its head and neck.

in the second image there are three sloth bears—an adult and two cubs. the adult's mouth is open, giving it a sort of vacant smile. also, it is standing against a shadowed background, such that its fur blends in with the dark behind it, rendering it one indistinct mass of bear. beside it are two small cubs. their fur is shorter and spikier, and their proportions markedly different, but their colouring is the same.

i don't have a call to action. there aren't any petitions to sign, at least not that i can see. i just think that the sloth bear deserves some more love :-)

[krusters]

From @ippl_summerville on Instagram.

Original caption: Stephanie and Paen singing for Paen’s birthday 🎉 Paen is one of only two gibbons at the sanctuary who intentionally calls while people are talking (the other is Maynard). We’re not sure why they do this. Paen’s voice is naturally mournful, but her body language here is calm (wandering gaze, relaxed face, sitting with arms at rest). We are usually pretty quiet around the gibbons and leave the singing to them!

[useless-catalanfacts]

Information translated from Associació Cetàcea.

Photos taken by David Jara and Abel Tomás in the project "Foto-identificació: Balenes i dofins al litoral català" of Associació Cetàcea, with authorization and support from the government.

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is the most common sea turtle in the Mediterranean sea. It used to be abundant, but nowadays is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

🐢🌊

Loggerhead sea turtles spend most of their lives at sea, but since they're reptiles they need to lay eggs on land. For this reason, females look for calm beaches, without much light nor noise. This is difficult, because humans have occupied almost all the coast.

When the eggs hatch, the newborn turtles are very vulnerable to noise and light, because they depend on them to head towards the sea. A very lit promenade can confuse them and make them go towards the coast instead of towards the sea, with the dangers that this entails.

Climate change can also affect this species. When the eggs are in the sand, the sand's temperature determines the baby's sex. When temperature rises, the usual balance between males and females will shift towards a higher proportion of females. In the long term, this can cause instability in the populations.

Once in the water, dangers continue, because the turtles are susceptible to ingesting floating plastics such as bags or balloons, because they mistake them for their prey: jellyfish. Accidental ingests of plastic are abundant, which cause them intestinal problems and even death. The turtles' risk can also come from main life sources: fishing nets -abandoned or in use- are a deadly trap for these animals.

Protecting sea turtles is in our hands. Let's be careful when we meet these animals, be aware if it's the laying eggs season and avoid ocean pollution.

[alpaca-clouds]

Some thoughts on conservation

Well, having spoken about the bees yesterday and there is something in there, that does not only affect insects.

You know the jokes about the panda bears, right? Looking at those animals being kinda stupid and being like: "How do they survive in the wild?"

The answer is: They don't. Chances are, that if it was not for the conservation efforts, panda bears would probably be extinct. Yes, partly because of climate change and habitat loss, but also because even without that, there is a good chance that pandas would've gone extinct because evolution wise... well... let's just say they are not exactly the best suited species for the entire evolution thing.

But they are kinda fucking adorable.

Which is why humans want to keep them around. And that is something that happens a lot when we talk conservation.

See, there are this certain animal species that are either super cool or super cute. Pandas, wolves, lions, elephants, parrots... You name it.

And don't get me wrong: A lot of those kinda cool species that we protect are actually important and we should absolutely be protected. But a big problem is, that a lot of people do not see the bigger picture.

The eco system is that. A system. The lion needs those zebras and gazelles to eat. And those zebras and gazelles need certain trees and grass to eat themselves. And they need water. And the plants need other stuff and at times certain insects. And you cannot protect the lions by only focusing on stuff like lion hunters.

Sure, we should absolutely do something against poaching (hint: which we can do by doing something against poverty), but just doing something against poaching will not do it.

I do not find the article right now, but I remember that one of the American national parks had this big shift in their systems just by reintroducing the beaver. This alone did not only bring back the wolves to that area, but also inproved plant health and the insect population.

In the end, we have to do conservation for the whole system. Not just the cool and sexy animals. Because the cool and sexy animals actually need all the other species - which includes plants. Even the unsexy species. Like some cockroaches or what not.

Nature is great. And we should protect it as a whole. Not just the cool awesome lions or what not.

[wachinyeya]

Fungus Devastating Frogs on Nearly Every Continent May Have an Achilles Heel–and Scientists Think it Could Save the Amphibians https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/fungus-devastating-frogs-on-nearly-every-continent-may-have-an-achilles-heel-and-scientists-think-it-could-save-the-amphibians/

“A pandemic among frogs has been going on worldwide for years—the culprit: a fungal infection that has affected amphibians on nearly every continent.

But now, the discovery of a virus that has evolved to replicate inside this fungus could be the key to saving nearly 500 species of frogs that have experienced declines due to this amphibian pandemic.

Viruses are the smallest organisms we know about, and researchers at Univ. of California, Riverside weren’t out looking for one when they found it embedded in the fungus DNA.

The fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis or Bd, wasn’t prevalent until the late 1990s, when suddenly frogs just started dropping dead all over the world.

“We wanted to see how different strains of fungus differ in places like Africa, Brazil, and the U.S., just like people study different strains of COVID-19,” said UCR microbiology professor Jason Stajich.

To do this, Stajich and colleagues used DNA sequencing technology. As they examined the data, they noticed some sequences that did not match the DNA of the fungus.

“We realized these extra sequences, when put together, had the hallmarks of a viral genome,” Stajich said.

The team found that the virus—a single-strand DNA virus which literally is the smallest known organism—is integrated into the nuclear genome in some strains of Bd.

Attempts to cure virus-positive isolates were unsuccessful; however, differences between naturally virus-positive and virus-negative Bd isolates suggested that this virus decreases the growth of its host in vitro, the authors write.

They speculate that if the virus could be replicated and then engineered to further reduce this growth, biologists may have a method of saving amphibians like the harlequin frogs of Ecuador which have been heavily affected by Bd.

The scientists say that a lot more research is needed before such a cure might be manufactured, including for questions like how this virus infects its host.��”

[harkthorn]

I can't find Andrew Digby over here, so directly copying his post for sharing on Tumblr too.

There’s one week left to adopt a #kakapo for delivery before Christmas. Adoptions close 10th Dec. It’s a great way to support #conservation of this critically endangered species. Thank you to everyone who’s helped so far!

Source: Andrew Digby via Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/digs.bsky.social

[magnetothemagnificent]

This morning I found a perfectly intact body of an American Woodcock outside my building. There was a long, sweeping dent in the soft ground by its head, which means it must have thrashed its head for a while before eventually dying. I have no doubt it died from crashing into a window.

I'm a birder, and the American Woodcock wasn't on my year list yet. They're beautiful birds, even in death. It's upsetting that my first woodcock this season is a dead one.

It's migration season, and American Woodcocks fly low, which means even a relatively short apartment building can mean death for them. The lights from the windows at night confuses them and so many other migratory birds.

Please, and especially if you live in a city that is along a migration route, block your windows at night with blackout curtains. Every year, thousands of migratory birds die from building collisions. It's not that hard to save them.

[mudwerks]

(via President Biden Signs Bill Outlawing Private Ownership of Big Cats - The New York Times)

On Tuesday, President Biden signed a bill into law that seeks to halt the exploitation of big cats by preventing unlicensed people from owning, breeding and transporting these animals. The law also bans licensed exhibitors — mainly zoos and sanctuaries — from allowing the public to touch the animals or hold cubs.

very good news for animal advocates

[fanvoidkeith]

hey remember when everyone thought axolotls were weird and ugly?

me neither. that's my baby boy(?) right there

[sagescented]

[t0rschlusspan1k]

29.12.2023 | Petitions for the environment and climate change.

Please read, share wherever you can, talk about them and if you can afford it, please, please, please donate - consider taking up a collection among your friends.

Actions.eko.com: Nestlé and P&G: Stop setting Indonesia’s rainforests on fire

Indonesia’s forests are burning – a thick toxic haze suffocates half of the country, keeping children out of school and forcing people and animals to relocate. But it didn’t happen by accident and we know who the arsonists are. Together, we will hold them accountable. Nestlé and Procter & Gamble are doing business with rogue palm oil and paper producers who recklessly burn precious rainforests to the ground to expand their monocultures, steal Indigenous lands, and drive orangutans, rhinos, and elephants closer to the brink of extinction. (keep reading)

Rainforest Action Network - RAN: This one is for donating, they need 100,00$ by December 31!

We urgently need your help to fight for the world's last rainforests in 2024 by making any size donation today. Those who believe they can change the world are the ones that do. Donate now.

Help us challenge mega-corporations like Liberty Mutual, Bank of America, Procter & Gamble, Nestlé and Mondelēz. Their thirst for endless profits contributes to the widespread destruction of irreplaceable rainforests like the Leuser Ecosystem of North Sumatra and the Amazon rainforest and fuels the expansion of dangerous fossil fuel projects that choke the life out of the planet. For a small organization, RAN's significant impact is only possible because of dedicated supporters like YOU. Your generous donation today makes a world of difference.

Rainforest Rescue: DRC: Do not sacrifice Congo's rainforests to the oil industry!

The DRC government in Kinshasa is nearing a point of no return: President Tshisekedi wants to sacrifice vast areas of Congo rainforest and peatland for oil. This would be an unmitigated disaster for the climate, biodiversity and local people. Together with our African partner organizations, we can put a stop to these plans. The rainforests of the Congo Basin are home to millions of people and countless animal and plant species, including chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas. They are a treasure trove of biodiversity and crucial to the fight against climate change. Despite this, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) began auctioning 27 oil and 3 gas blocks in late July. The blocks cover some of the last remaining intact forests on Earth. Three of the blocks overlap the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, which are estimated to store 30 billion tons of carbon, the equivalent to one years’ worth of global emissions. The peatlands are so vast and remote that little is known about the biodiversity at stake there. Nine oil blocks overlap protected areas. More than half of the Congo Basin's peatlands and 60 percent of its rainforest are in the DRC, the country plays a key role in the fight against the climate crisis. The science is clear: the governments of the world must cut carbon emissions in half within the next eight years. In his speech at the UN's COP26 conference in Glasgow, President Tshisekedi promoted the vital role of the Congo Basin forests in regulating the global climate and his intention to enhance DRC’s energy mix by "combining several types of energy: biomass, hydro, solar." The cost of not doing so, he said, would be a climate crisis. The world cannot afford any further expansion of oil and gas. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), an immediate end to new investment in fossil fuel supply projects is the first step to keep global warming below 1.5°C and achieve global net zero emissions by 2050. In an alliance of environmentalists from Africa and around the world, we want to keep the oil in the ground and the fossil fuel industry out of the Congo Basin. Please sign our joint petition!

DR Congo: Stop the destruction by miners and loggers in Tshopo!

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to the second largest area of rainforest on Earth. Defending it is crucial to the fight against climate change and the extinction crisis. Yet miners are polluting rivers and loggers clearing forests in Tshopo province. In the small town of Basoko, local people are fighting back. The people of the small town of Basoko fear for their health and livelihoods: the Aruwimi River, a tributary of the Congo, has been polluted ever since the Chinese mining company Xiang Jiang Mining began dredging for gold there. Some species of fish have disappeared completely. Skin diseases are on the rise. "We say NO to mining in Aruwimi, which is destroying our ecosystem in an anarchic way," states a memorandum to the county government read during a demonstration. On March 11, 2022, residents of the region protested on land and with boats against the trashing of their environment. Mining is not the only threat to nature in Tshopo province: companies such as FODECO, Congo Futur and SOFORMA are reportedly logging at a breakneck pace near Basoko. "They are systematically plundering the forests without any benefit to local people," says Jean-François Mombia Atuku, chairman of the environmental protection organization RIAO-RDC. "Anyone who demands accountability is silenced," he said, adding that workers are "kept like slaves" in the forest. "Human rights are not relevant for these companies." The grievances regarding mining have been heard in the capital Kinshasa: In January 2022, Environment Minister Eve Bazaiba called on Xiang Jiang Mining to cease operations by February 25, 2022. However, nothing has changed since then – the company is still operating, apparently unimpressed. "What we need now is international pressure," says Jean-François Mombia Atuku. It must be brought to bear on President Tshisekedi, who positioned his country as a heavyweight in the fight against the climate crisis during the COP26 climate conference. It’s time to apply that international pressure – please sign our petition.

[belladonna-mae]

here i am gracing your feed with one of the most adorable sea creatures to ever exist..

i present:

The Dumbo Octopus

[creepykuroneko]

Don't have the time or energy to get into a long discussion about it right now but I absolutely hate it when I see people posting photos of their Gothic jewelry and/or home decor and they have taxidermy bats.

Bats are endangered and play a vital role in our environment. Seriously stop buying their remains from people who sell them. There's hardly any ethically sourced bats found on Etsy or thru any other seller.

I remember several years ago I was at a horror convention and there was a seller with taxidermy adult bats. The bats were being sold in these plastic bouquets with purple and black flowers. Immediately the seller tried to pull the salesman tactic with me. Then froze when I asked if they were ethically sourced. She told me that she doesn't actually make them, a friend of hers makes them. I asked if she knew where her friend got the bats from and she couldn't answer the question.

[animalsandanimals]

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