Wildlife Conservation Club Newsletter #2:
Hawksbill Sea Turtle: Critically Endangered
By: Nicolas Chiu '20
Listed by the IUCN as critically endangered, Hawksbill Turtles, named after their narrow, pointed beaks, are one of the most endangered turtles with a rapidly declining population of 15,000 nesting females. They are found throughout the world’s tropical oceans and reefs and are a fundamental link in marine ecosystems by helping to maintain the health of coral reefs and seagrass beds. Hawksbill Turtles are being threatened by the loss of nesting and feeding habitats, excessive egg collection, fishery-related mortality, pollution, coastal development, and the wildlife trade. Organizations such as WWF are eliminating bycatch, establishing marine protected areas, and satellite tracking in hopes of rescuing the sea turtles which have roamed our oceans for 100 million years.To learn more about how to help Hawksbill Sea Turtles, visit http://www.seeturtles.org/hawksbill-turtles/
African Penguin: Endangered
By: Max Massick '20
The African Penguin, (Spheniscus Demersus) or Jackass Penguin due to similarities in their brains (and behavior) to donkeys, are endangered, as from the four million in the early eighteen hundreds, which were described by Linnaeus himself in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, one and a half million lived in the 1910 census. Today, there are only 55,000 living naturally only in Namibia and South Africa. Three recently died, including wing tag #A20583, which was adopted by British filmmakers to raise awareness, in transport from Bristol to Tbilisi, where the zoo had been destroyed by flooding. This emphasizes the need for prevention of oil spills, over fishing, and air travel which have been known to kill many African PenguinsTo learn more about how to help African Penguins, visit https://www.aza.org/SAFE-african-penguin-conservation-projects
Bonobo: Endangered
By: Matthew Shwe '20
The bonobo, sometimes known as the pygmy chimpanzee, resides in the forests south of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bonobo societies are led by females, and they are known to maintain relationships and settle conflicts through affectionate and intimate behavior. Civil unrest and poverty in the area around the bonobo’s habitat led to deforestation and Bonobo poaching. Because of the bonobo’s remote habitat, it is difficult for scientists to have a very accurate count of the bonobo population, but they do believe that the bonobo’s population is around 15,000 individuals and will continue to decline for the next 45-55 years.To learn more about how to help Bonobos, visit http://worldwildlife.org/species/bonobo
Recent Wildlife News Articles Worth Reading:
Heart-Wrenching Video Shows Starving Polar Bear on Iceless Land news.nationalgeographic.com Lack of sea ice is making it more difficult for polar bears to find food.
Why Has This Rhino Poaching Trial Been Delayed 17 Times? news.nationalgeographic.com As poaching in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province rises,conservationists say more should be done.
Scientists Fight to List Cheetahs as Endangered news.nationalgeographic.com In one of the most thorough studies of its kind,17 conservationists offer definitive proof that the big cats are dangerously close to extinction.
Narwhals Have a Strange Stress Response www.smithsonianmag.com When the creatures are frightened, they both flee and freeze
Call of World's Rarest Big Cat Recorded in Wild For First Time news.nationalgeographic.com A critically endangered Amur leopard was caught on a camera trap recently in the Russian Far East.
In a Fragile Partnership, Dolphins Help Catch Fish in Myanmar www.nytimes.com On the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar, dolphins help fishermen herd fish into nets, but overfishing, pollution and a lack of interest among the young threaten that bond.
4 unseen benefits of protecting tigers and their habitat ... www.worldwildlife.org From the world’s largest mangrove forests in the Sundarbans to temperate forests in the snowy mountains of Bhutan, protecting tigers and their natural homes helps ...
How dead is the Great Barrier Reef? www.youtube.com Coral bleaching is the biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef. But it's too early for obituaries. Start your Audible 30-day free trial at http://www.audible.com/vox ...
See a Rescue Effort to Save 10 Stranded Whales
news.nationalgeographic.com
Scientists aren't sure why the massive sperm whales suddenly beached themselves in Indonesia.
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