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Octopuses Digits

Ask anyone how many legs octopus (octopuses? octopi? octopus'?) have, and the answer will be eight. School kid stuff right?

Well apparently that would be the wrong answer. Or not.

It seems these denizens of the deep use their back two limbs for forward propulsion, which we call walking, which equals legs.

The two front digits are used mainly for exploring their surroundings, which we would use our hands for. So the score is now legs = 2, arms = 2, and we still have to account for 4 digits.

These adaptable middle digits are used either for exploring if they're in a particularly interesting area, or for propulsion if they need to get away in a hurry. Or a combination of both.

So the answer to how many legs an octopus has is 2, or 4, or 6 depending on the circumstances. Try fitting that into the answer line on a trivia quiz! Or I guess the correct answer could also be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 OR 8, if you think about it. There's no reason they couldn't use 2 on one side and 3 on the other...I'm getting a math headache.

Each of their eight digits also has two rows of suction cups, which are actually taste sensors that allow them to identify their food. They can also regenerate lost arms or legs or digits or whatever you wish to call them.

Aquariums across Europe have been studying their octopus occupants, and found that in all tests, the animals tend to favor particular limbs, which gives them sort of an arms and legs layout. Apparently some of them also favor either their left or right sides, just like humans.

Inspite of their (to our eyes) ungainly appearance, octopuses are extremely intelligent animals. They react to different colors, can manipulate small, intricate objects and get bored easily in captivity.

There are over 200 species of octopus in the world. Whether they're going forwards, or backwards, or around in circles they're fascinating animals, and you can learn more about them on this website.

Now if I could just figure out what the plural for octopus is...

Where Are The Honeybees?

While most people may think of bees as something to be avoided, the world would be in serious trouble without them.

Honeybees visit billions of flowers, picking up their pollen as they feed, which is then transfered to the next visited flower. In this way, they pollinate about 90 different food crops such as apples, almonds, squash and blueberries, producing the foods we love to eat. If not for the bees, about one in every three bites of an average meal would disappear.

These bees are so important, there is a thriving business in trucking honeybee hives to food crops such as the almond groves in California. More than a million hives are brought in each year to pollinate 60 million almond trees. Without this army of winged pollinators, the trees would not produce almonds, California's most valuable horticultural export.

Almost any flowering food plant you can think of depends on bees and other insects for pollination. What if there were no bees?

Huge die-offs among honeybees are being reported all over the world in what has been termed "colony collapse disorder". Millions of bees have left their hives and vanished without a trace. In some US states, up to 90% have disappeared. Nobody knows why. In Taiwan, 10 million honeybees were reported to have disappeared in just two weeks. In Britain, one in five honeybee colonies perished in the winter of 2006/2007.

There are many proposed causes. Pesticides or viruses may have weakened the honeybees so they can no longer resist parasites. Unusual weather conditions, global warming and habitat loss have also been touted as possible culprits. As captive honeybees are used to pollinate large food crops, it has been suggested a foreign virus may have been contracted from introduced bees brought in from abroad. Or it could be a combination of all of the above.

True, there are still wild bees and other insects that pollinate plants. The problem with relying on them though, is that they can't be "aimed" at a particular crop just when they're needed. Wild insects pretty much pollinate everything, all the time.

Scientists around the world are urgently trying to find a reason for colony collapse disorder. Perhaps this increased attention - due to economic factors - may teach us more about these underrated little 'worker bees'.

Einstein once claimed humanity could only survive four years after honeybees became extinct. It scares the crap out of me that we may find out if he was right.

14 Tons of Dead Animals

Working as I do with nature topics, each day brings me a flood of information on what's happening in our wild world. Faced with a continual barrage of bad news, it takes a lot to shock me. But this did it.

National Geographic has reported the seizure of 14 TONS (upper case is mine) of dead Malayan pangolins Manis javanica, also known as scaly anteaters, bound for the Chinese traditional medicine market. This haul was seized from one warehouse.

To put this into perspective, Asian pangolins are small animals weighing up to 20 lbs. That's the equivalent of approximately 15,437 animals.

Although little is known about the biology of these animals, it is known females reach maturity relatively late in life, and give birth to only one offspring at a time.

The body of the pangolin is covered by large, hardened, plate-like scales which are soft on newborn animals, but harden as the animal matures. When threatened, they curl up into a ball with their overlapping scales acting as armor, and their face tucked under the tail. The razor sharp scales provide extra defense. They can also emit a noxious smelling acid, similar to the spray of a skunk.

None of these defences protect them from the bullets.

The illegal trade in wild animal parts is monitored by TRAFFIC, and they regularly intercept shipments of pangolins bound for China. Despite a global ban, they are the most frequently seized mammal in southeastern Asia. With the increase in China's wealth, the black market trade in animals is also increasing.

The biggest factor driving the pangolin craze and recent price increases is their scarcity. They've been nearly hunted out of existence in China and its neighboring countries. Luxury restaurants serve prestige animals, as it's a status symbol to show they're above the law.

With the Asian pangolin population nearly wiped out by illegal hunting, African pangolins are now beginning to show up on Chinese menus.

These animals are popular because they're disappearing. They're disappearing because they're popular. It's a vicious cycle with no end in sight, except of course, for the pangolins of the world.

European Polecat on the Return

The European Polecat Mustela putorius has managed to stage a slow but steady comeback in the United Kingdom. Thought to be the ancestor of the popular domestic ferret, these little mustelids were nearly eradicated in the past by human persecution.

In Medieval times, they were despised as killers of poultry and rabbits, and the bounty placed on their heads meant everyone was after them. Most encounters with this small mustelid involved cornered animals, so their natural defensive odor further blackened their image.

In Victorian times, game keepers on large estates attempted to eradicate every predator to protect the birds for the 'gentlemen's shooting parties'. Polecats were trapped to extinction in many areas between 1870 and 1910. Ironically, they were saved by the First World War as their human enemies left to fight in Europe.

In the early 1950's, myxomatosis wiped out rabbit populations, drastically reducing their prey base. By this time, the only place polecats existed in healthy numbers was Wales.

During the second half of the 20th century, however, surveys tracked a slow expansion of polecat populations, helped along by private releases in England and Scotland. In 1997, their numbers were estimated around 38,000. Now these nocturnal little creatures are thought to number around 60,000 in Britain.

The story of this unassuming little predator is a telling one. Once human persecution stopped, the polecats took charge of their own fate, and populations expanded and spread. Perhaps there's a valuable lesson there for the humans who run this planet.

Researchers in Britain are looking for help estimating polecat numbers, and are seeking people to take part in a Polecat Distribution Survey. To participate in the continuing comeback of the European polecat, you can email the Vincent Wildlife Trust at vwt@vwt.org.uk.

Asiatic Black Bears Need Your Help

We've received the following message on behalf of Asian Black Bears. Help spread the word - pass it on!

I just came across your website at www.wildcarnivore.com and wondered if you might put a moonbear rescue banner on your site to direct people to the Animals Asia website. I don't know if you have heard of bear bile farming but it is torture for up to 16,000 moonbears, who are a seriously endangered species (also called the black asiatic bear) who spend years suffering in tiny crush cages throught China, Vietnam and Korea.

Jill Robinson has rescued 219 of these bears and rehabilitates them (they can last 20 years or more in the crush cages) suffering indescribably at the hands of the bear farmers. Jill buys them from the farmers, rehabilitates them as much as she can and they live the rest of their lives in peace at the AAF Sanctuary in China. They are too damaged to be put back into the wild. She is also building a sanctuary in Vietnam to save more moonbears. It is an uphill battle and Animals Asia relies on donations to help the bears. They also help dogs and cats and there is more information on the website.

It would be of great help to the moonbears and to AAF if you would like to donate or help in some other way. Please go to www.animalsasia.org for more information.

Rabbits to Save Wild Cat?

Now here is a truly frightening article from the Carnivore Conservation website.

***
Fluffy-tailed bunny rabbits are about to become the cute, but unsuspecting, victims of the fight to save one of the world's most endangered species. Scientists in Spain hope a food supplement - in the form of domestic rabbits - may be the key to rescuing the Iberian lynx from the brink of extinction.

Most of the 200 remaining lynx live in the Doñana Natural Park in Andalusia, southern Spain, where their main diet is wild rabbit. But a decline in wild rabbit numbers has forced the animal to stray from the park - and into the path of passing motorists - in its search for fresh game. Despite calls to close the number of roads near the national park, wardens said that many of the cats were being run over by cars.

Now Francisco Palomares, head of the lynx project at the Doñana Biological Station, is to release domestic rabbits into the wild as a dietary substitute, in the hope the lynx will take the bait. "They will not eat dead meat, so there is no point in putting out slaughtered rabbit. We will use domestic rabbits and release them into the wild," he said. "If there are few rabbits, females cannot eat right nor feed their cubs properly."

If lynx numbers fall at current rates, scientists fear the planet's rarest wild cat will be extinct in 10 years. Scientists estimate as many as 35 per cent of the remaining population have now left the Doñana National Park in search of more plentiful food. The project will evaluate the effects of the supplements on the lynx population growth. However, as sightings of the extremely timid animal are so rare, the only way scientists can be sure the number of these wild cats is rising is by painstakingly counting their droppings.
***

I realize these wild cats are extremely endangered. I realize their favorite food is wild rabbit. Do the proponents of this scheme have any idea what an introduced rabbit population can do to the entire ecosystem? Maybe they should check with the folks in Australia - they have hundreds of thousands of rabbits they would dearly love to get out of the country.

Canmore is a town in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta with a current rabbit problem. It seems feral domestic bunnies have taken over the town, decimating plants and reducing feed for native animals. Whenever the town proposes trapping, killing or other methods of eliminating the rabbit population they receive impassioned letters from school children saying "please don't kill the bunnies." So they've done nothing except watch the rabbit population explode.

Perhaps I'll just send the article on Spain needing rabbits to the town office in Canmore...

Canada Lynx Afoot

A friend emailed me this extremely cool shot of four juvenile Canada lynx taking a stroll along a country road. There are two amazing things about this photo, three if you count the wonders of instant email.

For one thing, we seldom realize what a treasure we have in this country. This photo was taken a few miles north of my home in Alberta, Canada and while I didn't see these particular lynx, I have seen lynx in the wild (as well as grizzly, black bears, bobcat, otter, deer, moose and more). As a country, we have thousands upon thousands of square miles of wilderness for these lynx to roam through. We should all be awestruck with the honor of it.

The second amazing thing about this shot is that someone actually had a camera at the ready when the wildlife appeared. In my experience, those two things are never mutually compatible. Most of my best wildlife sightings have occured when the camera was left at home... sasquatch, ivory billed woodpecker, tasmanian tiger etc etc etc.

New Wild Cat Species

The number of wild cat species in the world has just gone up.

The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a beautiful mid size cat found in the jungles of southeast Asia. Scientists have now discovered the population on Borneo should be classed as a distinct species, and have given them the scientific name of Neofelis diardi. The newly christened cats apparently have smaller cloud-shaped markings, a double stripe along the back instead of a single one, more spots within each cloud, and an overall darker coloration. Genetic analysis has shown around 40 differences between the mainland population and the Bornean clouded leopard.

On the surface, you would think this is good news. After all, this is the first time in almost two centuries that a new cat species has been discovered - that has to be good, right? A cause for rejoicing?

Clouded leopards, along with most other wild cat species, are extremely endangered. Severe loss of habitat, human encroachment and the resulting loss of prey species are making it difficult for this arboreal species to survive. And now, thanks to this reclassification, the population of clouded leopards has suddenly gotten a whole lot smaller. What you have now are two even more endangered wild cat species, as the Bornean clouded leopards have been deducted from the overall clouded leopard population.

The good news, though, is the fact that scientists are slowly uncovering the secrets of Borneo, where 52 bird species, and another possible new carnivore have also been discovered. You can't save endangered species unless you know they're there in the first place, and science seems to have found the wildlife of Borneo. We can only hope that this increased attention will also bring increased protection, and maybe save a forest or two.

To learn more about clouded leopards and all the other wild cats, have a peek at www.wildcatconservation.org, a non profit NGO working for the smaller wild cat species.

One Only Pizzly Bear

I can't help it - I just seem to be stuck on bears lately. Perhaps it's because they're bigger than most carnivores, come to human attention more often, and are in more trouble for it.

I'll attempt to hide my utter and total disgust at trophy hunters for this...

DNA analysis has confirmed that a white bear shot by a trophy hunter in the Arctic was indeed a hybrid grizzly/polar bear cross. The animal had white fur, but it was mottled with brown patches. It also had a few grizzly-like features on the face and feet. Other names being bandied about are 'grolar bear', 'polargriz' and 'nanulak', which is a combination of the Inuit words for polar bear and grizzly.

Inuit elders and biologists in the Northwest Territories have never heard of polar bears and grizzlies mating in the wild. Speculation is that the mating was an act of desperation, when a grizzly roaming farther north than usual could not find any of its own kind to pass on its genetics, and took the next best option.

In all fairness, the hunter did shoot the bear from a distance, and all they saw was a large white bear. There was a brief period of time where the hunter could have been charged with killing an animal he didn't have a license for, but as the animal is half polar bear, the skin has been returned to the hunter. No mention has been made of any donation to any museum...

Faced with this concrete evidence of grizzly bears expanding northward, biologists feel this could have serious ramifications. Interbreeding could just be one more threat facing the already beleagured polar bear. Too much interbreeding could potentially see grizzly bear genes overwhelm the polar bear, and they would basically be just grizzly bears with a more northern range.

The only animal of its kind in existence, and it will be decorating some rich man's wall. I don't know...some days those of us working in conservation just want to hide under the bed.

White Roses for Mom Help Snow Leopards

Successful carnivore conservation these days is requires a great deal of creativity. One of the most original and innovative fund raising campaigns I've seen comes from the Snow Leopard Trust. This Mother's Day, you can send a bouquet of white roses, and a percentage of the sale goes to help wild snow leopards. The partnership will still be in place after Mother's Day, so anytime you need to send flowers, think snow leopards.

The SLT has partnered with Organic Bouquet, the world's first online organic florist, to bring you sustainably grown floral bouquets. When you visit Organic Bouquet from the SLT website, 10% of the total of your order will be donated to the Snow Leopard Trust. Note that they only receive the 10% donation if your visit to Organic Bouquet originates from the SLT website. That way, any time you order flowers, you can benefit snow leopard conservation at the same time.

To order your white roses, visit the Snow Leopard Trust webpage at http://www.snowleopard.org/partners/organicbouquet

Bear Reintroduction in France

Earlier this spring, the government of France announced they would be reintroducing five bears back into the French Pyrenees mountains. The native population has dwindled from about 200 in the mid 20th century to about 20, the victims of hunting and persecution.

The bears, four females and one male, will be captured in Slovenia as they wake from hibernation, transported across the mountains and released.

The first bear was scheduled to be released Apr 25. Opponents to the reintroduction recently stormed the mayor's and bear scientist's offices, destroying data and computers. Protestors are angry over the plan since a male bear, son of a bear released in 1997, killed five sheep and destroyed seven beehives. The release location was supposed to be kept secret, with the area protected by 150 local police, and a military escort accompanying the van carrying the bear.

At the proposed time and location of the release, nature lovers, government officials, farmers, hunters and television crews were out in full force. Demonstrators from local farmer's organizations emerged from the woods, making enough noise with bells and horns to force officials to delay the release. The bear was eventually released at night in another location.

And this was just the first bear.

What in the hell are these people thinking? Has no one in the government done any type of research on reintroduction at all, never mind reintroduction of a large carnivore? How do they expect the bears to survive when released in the midst of a very hostile human population armed with guns?

The first and most important component of any reintroduction effort is compliance by the local people. If the people that live in the area are actively against reintroducing any animal, what the hell is the point? Have they corrected the problem that eliminated the bears in the first place? Doesn't look like it.

Officials in France have at least gotten one thing right - the bears will be radio collared so they can be tracked. I would suggest it won't be long before the signal from the collar indicates no movement, indicating a dead animal.

There's obviously some political advantage to reintroducing bears into France or they wouldn't be attempting it. I just wish they had done their homework before choosing five sleepy, sacrificial bears.

And for the record, the correct term is translocation, not reintroduction. Very little evidence of homework done in this case...

Bird Flu and Carnivores

The H5N1 bird flu virus has now been identified in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. More than 200 million domestic birds have been slaughtered in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. 108 people have died, all of whom had close contact with infected domestic birds.

In Germany, a domestic cat was diagnosed with H5N1 in March 2006. The resulting panic saw hundreds of pet cats taken to animal shelters by people who did not want to get the virus. This in spite of the World Health Organization stating that in the two years since this virus was identified, there have been NO cat-to-human transfers. Infected cats can give it to other cats, but there is no evidence they can give it to humans.

Also in Germany, a dead stone marten on the Baltic Sea island of Reugen was diagnosed with H5N1. On an isolated island in the middle of large body of water, it seems rather apparent that the mustelid caught the disease from wild birds. There was also a mink in Sweden with H5N1. Weasels are extremely fond of preying on birds, so again it seems likely the mink caught it from wild birds.

The deadly virus is expected to reach North America within the next 6 mos to 1 year. The large majority of our migratory birds go south for the winter, returning north to breed. A very few species do migrate east or west, and these will no doubt be the agents that bring the disease to our shores.

The wild carnivores are already stuggling with habitat loss and persecution. Another threat to their survival they really do not need.

Live Eagle Cam

A switch to the carnivores on the wing today.

The link below is to a live camera focused on a bald eagle nest. This nest is located on Hornby Island, off the coast of British Columbia, and the eggs are due to hatch any day.

The Hornby Eagle Cam web link http://www.infotecbusinesssystems.com/wildlife/default.asp

There's something incredibly relaxing about watching an adult bald eagle sitting on her nest, with the gentle sound of the wind in the background. Needless to say, I'm not getting much work done today!

India's Dancing Bears

I seem to be having a bear month, but I apparently have no control over what strikes my fancy on any given day.

Western visitors to India's magnificent Taj Mahal have for years been saddened by the spectacle of dancing bears. Sloth bears, held captive by a neck collar and long chain, were poked and prodded to make them 'dance' for the tourists. In this desperately poor country, this was an alternative to begging, as the owners of the bears collected tips from the wealthy tourists. The pain and suffering these magnificent WILD animals went through was not an issue when it came to putting food on the table.

Happily, an organization called Wildlife SOS has stepped in.

Wildlife SOS has rescued 193 dancing bears from the area where the Taj Mahal is located. And, thanks to the enforcement activities and cooperation of the Indian government & the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, the area should remain free of dancing bears forever.

Through the Qalandar Rehabilitation program, each of the Qalandar families can hope for a brighter future as Wildlife SOS has helped them develop alternative employment and is committed to giving them healthcare and education.

And in North America, we're giving entire animals to the bears for their spring breakfast...

Spring Breakfast for Grizzlies

Nothing about conservation is simple anymore. There are no black & white issues, no simple solutions. Due to the huge number of variables involved - as human interactions, small or isolated habitats, politics, animal behavior and even the media, conservation officials have to be increasingly original to accomplish their aims.

One of my favorite solutions falls under the keep it simple category. Throughout the year, Fish & Wildlife officials in western Canada (and other locations) collect carcasses of deer, moose and elk killed on the roadways.

Kept frozen until spring, these carcasses are then dropped (usually by helicopter) near the den sites of hibernating grizzly bears. When they emerge from hibernation in the spring, the bears are grouchy, tired and really, really hungry. Months without food means their body fat has diminished, and finding food is an immediate priority when they wake up.

Often the easiest food these bears find is related to humans - garbage, livestock, pets etc, which increases the antagonism between bears and humans. By dropping carcasses of their natural food near their dens, conservation officials have dramatically decreased negative human/bear interactions.

The bears have no problem finding the carcass, because the ravens lead them to it, and there isn't much these birds miss. The ravens locate the carcasses from their sky high viewpoint, then alert any carnivores in the area with their raucous cries. Bears, wolves and cougars and other carnivores know following the raven's cries will lead them to food. The ravens know the carnivores will tear open the hide of the dead animals, allowing them access to the food as well. Survival is all about compromise, and working together in the bush.

This 'grizzly intercept' program has been in place in western Canada since 1989, and in many areas has nearly eliminated spring grizzly bear kills by irate ranchers.

Cudos to whoever thought of this KISS (keep it simple stupid) method of conservation that works for both bears and people.

Sea Otters Threatened by Cats

It's not a connection you would normally make. How could the land dwelling, domestic pussy cat possibly be a danger to the aquatic sea otter?

Cats can carry a Toxoplasma gondii parasite with no ill effects to themselves, and up to 70% of cats do carry the parasite. The problem isn't the cats, it's the feces they leave behind.

Coastal cats leave their deposits laying around, and when it rains, the feces and accompanying parasites are washed into the ocean. When it infects the already endangered sea otters, it triggers a fatal brain disease.

Hundreds of otters off the California coast are dying. Toxoplasmosis is responsible for 17% of sea otter deaths, and the infection has been found in 38% of living otters and 52% of dead ones.

Sea otters were hunted almost to extinction in the 19th century, and numbers have slowly rebounded to a mere 2,500 animals. This parasite is now the greatest threat to their survival, according to a study done by the University of California, Davis. Tourists love to watch these playful animals frolic along the shoreline, but this behaviour puts them even closer to the parasite that comes from the land.

Free roaming cats pick up the parasite by eating wild birds, mice and rats that are infected. The parasite can also affect humans, although it does not usually cause the disease in people.

The only way to control the parasite and thus help the sea otters is to keep your cats indoors. As a cat owner, I realize it can be a hell of a chore to keep your cats inside if they're used to the freedom of the great outdoors. If you don't like the idea, go down to the shore and watch the sea otters playing for awhile. Then go home and build a cat run.

Kolinsky Fur Brushes

I mentioned kolinsky in my last post, and then decided to tell you a bit about them.

Also known as Siberian weasels, these little furbearers are found in Siberia, China and other parts of Asia. The name kolinsky was given to these animals by the fur trade. They’re about 16” long, with a long bushy tail, and are cousins of the wolverine, badger, and other members of the Mustelidae family.

Conservationists are well aware of fur coats, and most are adamantly against them. But how many are aware of fur brushes used in the fine arts and cosmetic industry?

Siberian weasels have been trapped for the fur industry since the 16th century. Living in freezing climates, their fur grows to the right length and thickness prized by the fur trade. Wild animals are trapped by snares and leg hold traps and by morning the weasels are have frozen to death.

Is it really necessary to kill animals for paint brushes??? Apparently a kolinsky brush is springy, responsive and lasts a long time. It’s the favorite brush for artists, allowing extremely fine application control. With all the spectacular technology in this world these days, is it not possible to produce a synthetic brush that will provide these same benefits?

The type of hair brushes contain in the cosmetics trade is never printed on brush handles, so it is difficult to know what a brush is made of just by looking at it. Things are slightly easier in the arts world and the characteristics of different animal hairs are turned by artists to different styles of applying paint.

So do good artists need dead animals to paint with? Must beauty be based on dead animals? People who are against wearing fur may want to check their brushes.

Kermode Bear Home Protected

Every once in a while, there is some good news in the conservation battle. Some really good news.

The province of British Columbia has finally agreed to establish a park to protect the home of the rare Kermode, or Spirit Bear. An isloated sub species of the American black bear, these white bears are found only along the west coast of Canada. A battle in their name has been carried on for years by various conservation groups, trying to preserve the unique coastal rainforest.

The new park, twice as large as Yellowstone, made headlines around the world when it was announced. These days, establishment of something like this doesn't come along that often. The world wide press made Canada look wonderful - a leader in the environmental cause and concerned for their wild areas.

Not that I'm a cynic or anything, and the new park is absolutely wonderful, but I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. For decades, politicians will point to this park and say "but we are in favor of the environment". Now they can sell those oil & gas leases, take down the forest in the rest of Canada, forget about the endangered species list - we saved the spirit bears now go away and don't ask us for anything else. I can see it coming.

And I have to wonder, if this magnificent pristine coastal rainforest did not contain something as rare and unique as the spirit bear, would we still be celebrating a new park? Suppose the top carnivore was the size of a small house cat, and ugly. Would anyone have noticed the area in the first place, never mind launch massive campaigns to save it?

The world has a mind-set geared to the 'cute and fluffy'. We need more people working for the small, secretive and yes, ugly animals who are each as unique and important as the cute and fluffy. When was the last time you saw a bumper sticker that said "help save the kolinsky?" Thought so.

African Carnivores

A new study commissioned by the Wildlife Conservation Society of New York has found the Ethiopian wolf, the African wild dog, the lion and the cheetah are the most endangered predators in Africa.

Ethiopian wolves have vanished from 82% of their original range. The cheetah has disappeared from 75% of its habitat and lions have vanished from 85% of their land. Wild dogs are no longer seen in almost 90% of their original territory. Habitat decline, hunting, road kills and conflict with humans are among the biggest threats to these predators.

Some of the smaller carnivores, such as civets and jackals, are more resiliant and seem to thrive alongside humanity. While they also prey on livestock and poultry, they are more adaptable to a variety of habitats which makes them less vulnerable to population declines.

Predators play a key ecological role at the top of the food chain, and their presence or absence can say a lot about a habitat's health.

Dr. Luke Hunter, head of the WCS Global Carnivore Program, said "Africa is world famous for its variety of carnivores. These animals play a key role in the health of ecosystems, and represent all that is wild about Africa."

The report recommended focusing conservation action and research on tracking the biggest threats to the animals' survival.

Cape Clawless Otters

The Cape Clawless Otters of Africa, the third largest member of the Otter Family, are disappearing from stretches of Kenyan rivers.

Their usual prey - small crabs - are disappearing due to an introduced species, the Louisiana crayfish. The crayfish are feasting on the small crabs, and without claws, the otter's paws are unsuited to catching slippery fish.

While the crayfish does make a nice meal for the otters, they are also facing additional competition from other predators such as herons, baboons and monitor lizards, who have moved in to feast on the new prey species.

Facing the lack of their favorite crab meal and increased competition, the otters are forced to travel long distances for food. This forces them out of their home territory, and disrupts breeding patterns. Researchers from Kenyatta University have discovered the otters have disappeared altogether from one study site during their two year study.

Cape Clawless Otters are an elusive species, and 95% of the people living in the study area have never seen one. 85% of people interviewed had no idea what an otter was. They are not listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union, mainly because of the scarcity of data on them.

One hope for the Cape Clawless Otters in this study is the heavy predation on the crayfish. If their numbers are reduced, the crabs will come back, and the otters will follow.

Raccoon Dogs

Raccoon dogs, with their black masks, small ears and pointy muzzles, are found in forests from Siberia to Vietnam, and on the bigger Japanese islands. They were released in western Russia for the fur trade, and have since made their way into Europe.

In the summer of 2005, researchers in Italy were astonished to discover three of these short furry dogs trotting past their infrared cameras in the woodlands above the village of Socchieve in the northeast. This was the first ever sighting of these small members of the Canid family in Italy. Because there were three dogs sighted, researchers believe they have already established territories and mated.

The area has undergone a decrease of human presence since the 1970's, and a dense canopy of trees has taken over abandoned pastures - ideal habitat for raccoon dogs, as well as bears, deer, Eurasian lynx and wild boar. With the influx of predators however, the bird population in the area has shown a decline. Some villages are now recreating natural grasslands for the birds, and there has been a small increase in the number of hatchlings.

To see what these masked little canines look like, see http://www.canids.org/species/Nyctereutes_procyonoides.htm

Spirit (Kermode) Bears

In the temperate coastal rainforest of British Columbia, Canada, lives an animal found nowhere else on earth.

A unique subspecies of the American Black Bear, Urusus americana, Spirit bears are also known as Kermode bears, and have been given the scientific name U.a. kermodi, after Frank Kermode, the naturalist who conducted the first studies into their origins. Biologists estimate a current population 1,200 black and white Spirit bears.

Their population evolved in the last 10,000 years from black bears that became isolated from interior populations. Approximately one in every ten of these bears is white or cream colored. Some have shades of orange or yellow on their back. Their white coloration may be due to the inheritance of a double recessive gene for hair color, and their geographically isolated population means this gene has not been spread to other bear populations.

Spirit bears are not albinos with light colored eyes and a white nose. Nor are they polar bears with black skin and nose. Although their coat is white, they have the dark footpads, nose and eyes of other black bears. If a mating male and female black bear both have the recessive gene, a white cub is produced. Litters may contain black and white siblings.

These unique bears live on the western coast of Canada. They range from Princess Royal Island (520 km north of Vancouver) to East Hazelton,Terrace and Prince Rupert Island. The area is about 7.2 million hectares, with the largest population found on the coastal islands. Princess Royal Island resembles earlier times of rainforest undisturbed by civilization. Apart from the Tsimshiam people who once lived on the coast of the island, almost no people have entered the island rainforest. The bears, as a result of their isolation, have no instinctive fear of people, and are quite mellow and gentle.

This coastal rainforest habitat is characterized by some of the oldest and largest trees on earth such as the Sitka spruce, red cedar, western hemlock and Douglas fir. Trees can grow up to 300 feet and be more than 1500 years old. This lush coniferous rainforest produces very large trees because of the wet climate and few natural fires. The Spirit bear, as well as their larger cousins the grizzly, use these large, old trees to survive inhospitable winters of cold rain, snow and unrelenting dampness. Hollow interiors in the larger trees serve as den sites for hibernation, and giving birth.

The forest produces abundant plant food and healthy watersheds for salmon, which is the bear’s main food in the fall. Bears are an umbrella species, which means that if a large enough habitat is protected for them, many other species sharing the same ecosystem will be protected as well. They share the forest with salmon, birds, wolves, deer, grizzly bears and insects.

The Tsimshiam people have a legend about the origin of these white bears which, in their language, they call the Masala. Long ago, the story goes, the world was covered in ice and snow. The Raven, the creator of the world, came down from heaven and turned the world green. As a reminder of when the world was white, the raven turned every tenth bear the color of snow, and decreed the bears would live forever in peace and harmony.

That peace and harmony is currently under threat. A five year scientific study under the auspices of the Valhalla Wilderness Society has concluded that much of the Spirit Bear’s historic range has been heavily clear-cut logged and invaded by roads built by logging companies, mining operations and other forms of human encroachment. The study concluded that long term survival of these bears is jeopardized by these activities. Logging planned for the area will cause degradation of feeding and denning habitats, as well as the loss of the salmon that the bears feed on to fatten up for winter.

In 2001, at the urging of the Valhalla Wilderness Society, the British Columbia and First Nations governments decided to establish a Spirit Bear Protection Area, protecting significant Spirit bear habitat. In December of 2005, The Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the six First Nations who occupy the territory, paid $1.35 million dollars to permanently end the commercial killing of all animals in the area. They purchased
the guide outfitting rights to five contiguous hunting regions along the central coast, representing a land mass of more than 20,000 square kilometres.

To learn more about the Spirit Bear and find out how you can help, please visit the following websites:

Raincoast Foundation www.raincoast.org
Spirit Bear Youth Coalition www.spiritbearyouth.org
Valhalla Wilderness Society www.vws.org

Wild Carnivores

I've always been a fan of the underdog.

As a conservationist, writer and researcher, my interest has always been peaked by those animals that are never featured on the front of glossy magazines. When was the last time you saw a television documentary on the Andean Mountain cat or the hog-nosed skunk? Where do you go to find information on the most obscure of the Carnivora species? (We'll address why you might want this information in the first place in future posts!)

Consider this blog a press agent for the unknown carnivores. News items, educational bits, field studies, non profits, anything may cross my path.

And for the record, I'll be covering the following Carnivora families:
Canidae - dogs
Felidae - cats
Herpestidae - mongoose family
Hyaenidae - hyenas and ardwolves
Mephitidae - skunks and stink badgers
Mustelidae - badger, otter, weasel and relatives
Odobenidae - walrus family
Otariidae - fur seals and sea lions
Phocidae - seal family
Procyonidae - raccoons and relatives, including the red panda
Ursidae - bears
Viverridae - civets, genets, linsangs and relatives

For a complete list of the land dwelling carnivores, check http://www.wildcarnivore.com/carnivore_list.com

Aquatic carnivore list to be added to this site shortly.