When you are visiting somewhere new that is unfamiliar, it is critical that you follow the instructions in order to stay safe. This could not be truer when you go on safari. Many conservation tourist attractions allow visitors to go on self-guided tours where visitors can drive through on their own to check out the wildlife. Whilst that is possible it doesn’t mean the animals no longer have their instincts. Wild animals will always be wild.
Recently a one to one conversation between WWF Ambassador Sir David Attenborough and HRH Duke of Cambridge resulted in them both urging business and political leaders to help with greater conservation through a global deal for nature and people. This sort agreement has the potential to stop and even reverse losses experienced by the natural world and keep the planet protected. The two discussed the decades of work By Sir David beginning with his first documentary six decades ago.
Pavan Sukhdev who is president of WWF International has written to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison urging him make a firm and urgent commitment towards taking effective action to stop the rate of deforestation in the country. In his letter the WWF International President highlighted his concern for the New South Wales Koala population which the conservation group says could end up extinct as soon as 2050.
Kgaladi Transfrontier Park in Southern Africa has some of the toughest and most ferocious lions on the continent, but it would seem they are no where near as tough as a lone tortoise. If you check out this video of two young lions having a go, the pair were simply unable to overcome the tortoise’s tough exterior despite their sharp canines and claws. The young lions spotted the passing tortoise after the adult members of the pride were sleeping following a kill and the temptation proved to be too irresistible to resist.
At the turn of the last century the population of wild tigers was estimated to be around 100,0000. In less than a hundred years the population of wild tigers fell by more than 95 per cent taking arguably the most iconic species of big cats to the brink of extinction. By 2010 there were fewer than 3,200 wild tigers left largely as a result of intensive hunting, poaching and extensive habitat destruction. Tomorrow’s Tigers (Tx2) is a new fundraising initiative that seeks to raise money for WWF’s efforts to double the global population of wild tigers to 6,000 by 2022.
One of the biggest dangers to the earth is the demand for food and agriculture. This is because agriculture is the main cause of deforestation and is the reason why humans’ clear vast tracts of valuable habitat that threatens wildlife, sending many species to the brink of extinction. One type of cultivation is incredibly damaging, palm oil plantations. Palm oil is very important globally because it is used in a wide range of food and non-food products that people use on a daily basis. It is an incredibly productive crop, able to yield more per unit of land and requiring fewer inputs than any other type of vegetable oil crop
Last year was a great year for North Atlantic right whales because none were killed in Canadian waters. This is fantastic news because it suggests that there is hope for conservationists who are working to keep one of the most endangered species on the planet protected. It would appear that the measures enacted by the Canadian government are working, nevertheless the outlook for eight whales continues to be grim. It is believed that the global population is just 411 and there are fewer females giving birth than ever before.
It is scary how quickly wildlife is disappearing in the UK. Everything from hedgehogs to bee numbers are plummeting, making Britain one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries in the world. As the UK gets ready to exit the EU it is at a critical moment, facing a stark choice. Things could get substantially worse if EU environmental regulations are not replaced adequately. Alternatively, things could get better so long as the UK takes the right course of action and restores nature to its best.
Woolly mammoths have been extinct for millennia so it is a little surprising that it could gain protected status. The reason for this paradox is that it is an attempt to save the African elephant from the same fate by denting the global trade in ivory. If the move is approved, the mammoth will become protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites). Such a move could prove to be critical for saving its more modern cousin.
In a new report, WWF Scotland has warned that animal and plant life faces increasing pressure from habitat destruction and global warming. The report highlighted moorlands, machair and more to be at risk because as temperatures rise producing warmer winters, there is a threat to the mountain-dwelling snow bunting. The report estimates that the breeding population of the species in that part of the country is down to 60 pairs and increasing temperatures will only lead to further reductions in the range of the species leaving it with nowhere to go.
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