Latest Fauna of Asia Stories
A student zookeeper was killed and nearly swallowed by a Burmese python in the Caracas, Venezuela, zoo, officials said. Workers at the zoo beat the 10-foot snake as it was trying to swallow the head of Erick Arrieta until the reptile released the victim, El Universal reported Tuesday. Arrieta reportedly broke zoo rules over the weekend when he opened the snake's cage while working alone in the reptile section of the zoo.
Three juvenile Kemp's ridley turtles were freed Tuesday morning after a month of recuperation at the Virginia Aquarium. The turtles, Snap, Crackle and Pop, swam quickly into Chesapeake Bay when members of the aquarium stranding response team lowered them into the water and let them go about 50 feet from shore, the Virginian-Pilot reported. "OK, guys! They're ready to go home," Wendy Walton, a veterinarian technician, cried to onlookers who had waded into the water to watch the release....
By Vikram Jit Singh Chandigarh: Ornithologists and birdwatchers are up in arms against Haryana government's move to link the fortunes of Bhindawas bird sanctuary in Jhajjar district to two upcoming thermal power plants in its vicinity. A haven for nearly 270 species of migrant and resident birds, the sanctuary faces an uncertain future following a controversial desiltation project and burgeoning pressure on its water source from power plants. The sanctuary is fed with excess waters of...
Images of a clouded leopard spotted in Borneo's Sebangua National Park have researchers scratching their heads, since cats have not been caught there before. Researchers say motion-activated cameras have captured amazing images of the leopards' presence, which they say proves the need to protect the region's habitat.The National Park is one of the world's largest deep peat-swap forests. However, it's at risk from illegal logging and forest fires.The recorded images are helping a team of...
Text of report in English by Thai newspaper Bangkok Post website on 12 August [Unattributed report: "BIRTHDAY ADDRESS: Queen asks people to save forests and water"] Her Majesty the Queen has impressed upon Thai people the importance of preserving forests and fresh water resources and said that fresh water shortages could trigger conflict and wars. The Queen gave her birthday address yesterday to a gathering of cabinet ministers, dignitaries, high-ranking government officials and members of...
By PHIL POTTER Just hearing someone scream the word S-S-S-SNAKE usually gets everyone's rapt attention. So if the sight of any snake gives most folks the heebie-jeebies, what would stumbling across an alligator do? Don't say alligators don't live around here because someone may be liberating a couple at this moment. The exotic pet trade is out of control and many owners find themselves living with something that wasn't designed to be a lovable lap animal. Harboring a critter that bites the...
Chino native Summer Gray went to Trinidad and Tobago to study community-based conservation efforts. She volunteered because she wanted to be a part of it all. That's not surprising to her mother, Kathy Gray, who lives in Chino with Summer's dad, George, and her 17-year-old sister, Jessica. "She does this all by herself. She's fearless," Kathy said. "She knows what she wants to do, she knows how to do it, and she gets it done." For 12 days this summer, the 24-year-old Pomona College...
By Kathy Marks Not much happens in the Northern Territory town of Noonamah (population 483), so when a crocodile wandered into the pub car park, the drinkers invited it in. It was a saltwater crocodile, a man-eating species that can grow to 15ft. This one was still a baby at 2ft and appeared friendly, but the folk in the Noonamah Tavern played it safe and taped its mouth. Sarah Sparre, the barmaid, said: "It's not every day you see something like that. You could say that we were a bit...
SEATTLE _ If all goes well, Sneezy and Chai should become the proud parents of a 200-pound baby by Thanksgiving _ 2009. Chai, the Woodland Park Zoo's 29-year-old female Asian elephant, appears to be pregnant for the first time since losing her 6-year-old daughter, Hansa, to a fatal strain of elephant herpes last year. But rather than being a joyous occasion, Chai's apparent pregnancy has renewed concerns among animal-rights groups about the risks of elephant herpes and the ongoing mystery...
Tracks thought to belong to a leatherback turtle have been found in South Padre Island, Texas, for the first time since the 1930s, a biologist says. Duke University marine biologist Larry Crowder said the tracks found by National Park Service workers were likely from the endanger turtle species, which has benefited from protection efforts, The Austin (Texas) American-Statesman reported Friday. There's no reason to think it's lost or disoriented or anything like that, Crowder said of the...
Latest Fauna of Asia Reference Libraries
This bird of prey is known more as a pigeon hawk. The Merlin is from the Northern Hemisphere with some migrating to subtropical and northern tropical areas during the winter. There has also been a discovery that there are two different, very distinct, species: the North American and the Eurasian. The North American Merlin was first described by a Swede taxonomist, Carl Linnaeus. The Merlin is between 9 and 13 inches long with a wingspan of 20-29 inches. The Merlin is an exceptionally...
The brown bear (Ursus arctos) can be found in North America and northern areas of Eurasia. There are sixteen recognized subspecies of the brown bear. This is the most widely distributed species of bear in the world, although its range is shrinking. Its range includes the Alaska and a few other areas of the United States, areas of Russia, and Romania and other areas of the Carpathian region, as well as Canada, Sweden, Finland, and the Balkans. The brown bear derives its common name from the...
The Asiatic linsang (Prionodon) is a genus that contains two species of linsangs, and it is the only genus in the Prionodontidae family. The two species, the banded linsang and the spotted linsang, were previously classified in the Viverrinae subfamily, but studies have shown that they differed enough to warrant their own distinct classification. Despite their extreme resemblance to members of the Felidae family, they are not as closely related to genets as African linsangs. The term linsang...
The cinnamon bear (Ursus americanus cinnamomum) is a subspecies of the American black bear known as a color phase. It can be found in New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and western areas of Canada. This species derives it common name from the reddish fur that occurs throughout its body. It can reach an average weight between 203 and 595 pounds. This species can vary in color from reddish brown to red with cream coloring, and some individuals are even brown. Cubs are...
The flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps) is a species of wildcat that can be found in a fragmented range that includes Borneo, Sumatra, and the Thai-Malay Peninsula. It prefers a habitat within primary and secondary rainforests. It is often found in areas with abundant freshwater near lowland or coastal areas. Vigors and Horsfield, who classified it in the Felis genus, first described this species in 1827. In 1951, the flat-headed cat was merged with the fishing cat, which shares some...
