“Living wild species are like a library of books still unread. Our heedless destruction of them is akin to burning the library without ever having read its books”
John Dingell
Possibly one of the most persecuted animals in history, this majestic and noble creature has suffered a shocking catalogue of violence and abuse over the past two millennia or more.
It has been used as a weapon, killed for sport and entertainment, stolen for zoo exhibits, graced the floors and trophy rooms of the unconcerned, been poisoned and electrocuted by villagers protecting their cattle, drowned in open-pit wells and is now, in the face of dwindling tiger numbers, being hunted for body parts for use in Chinese Traditional medicine and other applications.
Populations were first dramatically and critically depleted, and in some areas wiped out, in Roman times. Had you lived as a Christian in ancient Rome, you might have wished this had happened a little sooner. For Christians were often hunted as criminals for refusing to worship Roman Gods. And indeed these, the Asiatic lions, were the lions the Christians and other prisoners were “fed to” and the ones gladiators faced in the arenas of the primitive coliseum games of the Roman Empire.
Not the lions choice, of course, they just happened to fit the task in hand. And at the time they were as abundant as their human fodder. But there is no doubt the animal’s lives ended very badly.
Killing them was a form of highly popular entertainment. They were starved in cages and then brought up into the arena where they would be baited, abused, stabbed and gored by gladiators, to the delight of the crowd. Sometimes, after they had been encouraged to kill a defenceless prisoner tied to a post.
“Hunts” would also be organised in the arenas with the lions having no way out and no cover. Attack was their only defence and always ended in the gory and painful deaths of the overwhelmed, trapped lions.
Roman emperors staged these contests for personal popularity. Both animals and humans suffered a terrible fate. Those who tormented and killed the weakened and frightened lions were hailed as heroes. Those themselves killed were soon discarded and replaced by others. The death toll was high on all sides. But such deaths meant little to the sadistic Romans. Their appetites were simply whetted further in their insatiable lust for blood and gore.
These same callous and depraved Romans undoubtedly started the ball rolling where decimation of certain species are concerned, including the Asiatic lion, by the massacre of multiple species of starving, terrified animals for their own personal gratification. At the inauguration of Titus, in 80AD, eight thousand animals were slaughtered within three days for his and the crowd’s amusement.
More of this centuries-lasting, unjustifiable slaughter can be found here, but do be prepared to be shocked at the scale of the annihilation and the range of animals concerned. It is truly disquieting.
It is also particularly disturbing to realise a civilisation so advanced in so many ways could be so uncivilised and so deficient in others, including compassion. The slaughter petered out eventually, after having continued for some four hundred years, but not because someone had developed a sense of fair play or a love of animals; simply because most of the animals were sadly gone and the power of the Roman Empire was declining.
But, by then the Romans had managed to eradicate the Asiatic lion from most parts of its original habitat. And not just lions were involved in these barbarous activities. There were also elephant, crocodile, ostrich, bear, hippo, leopard, giraffe and rhinoceros, to name but a few of the species concerned. In fact, anything they could capture by means fair or foul, they did, and with undisguised relish. In short, the Romans wreaked complete havoc on the indigenous wildlife of Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean; lands which the Asiatic lion once roamed freely. Some species disappeared altogether.
An early pattern certainly seems to have formed here which, though many may now eschew such practices, great numbers have still not evolved from this mentality; indeed it seems firmly embedded in their psyche. Humans continue to be the lion’s only predator and the same blood-lust and cravings for degenerate fun have never been entirely stamped out.
Lion hunting for trophies and pleasure continued throughout the centuries, long after the Romans were gone. Wealthy visitors and local tribesmen pursued them for sport. Some native peoples hunted them for meat and others killed them in defence of their own. In the nineteenth century, in India, the only country where they could still be found by this time, British colonial officers were bloated with pride when they were able to take home a lion skin to add to their trophy rooms. One hunter shot over three hundred lions.
Something started by one empire running rough-shod over the world was finished by another doing the same, almost two thousand years later – so much for empires!
Finally in 1900, following the devastation created by the British, which left the only remaining population confined to one area – the Gir Forest in the state of Gujarat – the lions were afforded legal protection. At that point, this one isolated population consisted of about one hundred lions.
Hunting of lions is still forbidden in the Gir Forest and its surrounding areas, and although these particular lions are not subjected to profit-making hunts for tourists, there is still some evidence of recreational hunting.
And, inescapably, there are the highly organised gangs of poachers who, despite the endangered status of the lions, continue to profit from them. Provided, naturally, with a huge incentive. A new threat has arisen in the past few years. There exists an enormous trade in tiger body parts using virtually every bit of the animal. As tiger populations have become more depleted and demand has risen, specifically from Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, those who seek bones and other body parts for Traditional Chinese medicines have turned their attentions to lions, with the most at risk being the Asiatic lion. The ever-growing demand for these medicines could potentially wipe out this species altogether. A huge revival in the use of traditional medicines is currently occurring. Demand is high and prices are soaring. Anything containing tiger parts is considered a status symbol. Ergo, anything containing lion parts seems destined to achieve the same repute.
If the Chinese peoples, most notably, but not exclusively, the absurd nouveau riche (tuhao), do not develop some respect for wildlife soon, it will only be a matter of time before they have either eaten the planet clean or poached every last available tiger, lion, pangolin, elephant and rhinoceros. All in the name of “traditional” medicine (using animal parts which serve no medicinal purpose whatsoever), in the pursuance of “must-have” items of adornment and by ritual slaughter for entertainment.
As with ivory, the tuhao need to learn how to be more responsible and intelligent when using their new-found wealth. Cites restrictions and rules are either not working here or not being applied, rendering them pointless at this juncture. Unless change is effected soon, there will be no wildlife left to protect and cherish.
One cannot help but see certain similarities here between the current rising Chinese Dynasties and the long gone Roman Empire. Albeit the use of the animals differs.
Since India’s human population in the area surrounding the Gir Forest recently reached over one billion, much conflict between the lions and the natives has arisen. The lions are also vulnerable to unpredicted events because of the nature of their population. Added to which, open-wells across the area have resulted in deaths by drowning as the lions literally fall into the unguarded holes. Crudely erected electric fences also play their part in the mortality rates.
An article written in the Scientific American suggests, quite rightly, the Asiatic lion has outgrown its space in the Gir National Park. Relocation discussions began twenty years ago, and still continue as the parties involved scrap over “whose lions are they anyway!” and “will they be safe from the resident tigers in their new home”. Court cases have been brought and plans made, but currently pleas are flying around and any final decisions hang in the balance. After years of litigation it has become clear, the good people of the state of Gujarat are more than a little reluctant to let their lions go, despite the obvious necessity for greater habitat.
Although smaller than African lions, the overall appearance of the male Asian lion is very similar. The mane is one distinguishing feature. The Asiatic male lion lacks the enormous half-body-covering mane of the African male lion. It’s mane is much shorter and less dense, leaving the ears visible. Other notable features are the fold of skin beneath the belly of the Asiatic lion and the longer tufts of hair on the elbows and the end of the tail.
This impressive apex predator can reach a length of eight feet, with a three-foot long tail and weighs over six hundred pounds. On top of this intimidating bulk, the Asiatic lion sports a set of very powerful and retractable claws and long, sharp canine teeth.
This is one very ferocious beast that hunts down its prey of deer, antelope and boar with consummate ease. Running up to fifty mph, it pounces on its prey without missing a step. In fact, it is capable of jumping up to thirty-six feet when needs must, so prey on the ground presents no problem. Though despite these skills not every chase ends in a kill.
The females are the hunters in the pride whilst the males spend most of their day loafing around. They do, however, get first dibs at the meal and usually the largest share. They are followed by the cubs. The female, for all her hard work, is rewarded with the left-overs. Perhaps this is where the phrase “the lion’s share” comes from. Altogether they are highly social beasts, living in small prides with females mostly hunting as a team, unless the prey is of manageable size for one lion alone.
Mating takes place all year round with males and females reaching maturity by the time they are five and four years old respectively. A litter of one to four cubs are usually born after a gestation period of three and a half months. Cubs are born blind and helpless, they weigh a mere two to four pounds and are fully dependant upon their mothers for the first few weeks of the lives. They will suckle to the age 
of six months but will start eating meat at the age of three months. Whilst male members of the pride will often guard carcasses preventing the lioness from feeding in order to allow the cubs to eat first, males taking over a pride will kill cubs under one year of age. Independence comes at one year. By then the cubs should have their own hunting skills honed.
Sadly, there is an eighty per cent mortality rate in cubs and infanticide is the major cause. This is followed by natural causes and occasional parental abandonment.
Those who survive infancy and current threats to the species should hopefully live to their full life expectancy of about twenty years.
A few extra thoughts…
Lions are the second largest of the big cats, after their closest relatives, the tigers.
The lion symbol is used as the national animal of many countries, including England. It has also been used for centuries in heraldic emblems on shields and coats-of-arms.
Though often commonly and mistakenly referred to as the “king of the jungle”, African lions live on grasslands, savannah and plains. As forest dwellers Asiatic lions are the only ones who come relatively close to this label.
Amazingly, the Asiatic lion’s heels don’t touch the ground when it walks and it can issue a roar which can be heard up to five miles away.
The Asiatic or Indian Lion is the only extant species of lion outside Africa.
Natural Habitat
Exposed grassy scrubland and dry deciduous forest.
Where
Gir Forest National Park, Western Gujarat, India and the surrounding area.
What they eat
Primarily deer, antelope and wild boar.
Threats
Forests fires, poisoning, drowning in open-pit wells, inbreeding, disease, loss of habitat and prey, and poaching. These lions are now being targeted for Chinese Traditional medicines as tiger populations decrease.
Status: Endangered
The Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo ssp. persica) is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered. It is also listed in CITES Appendix I and it is fully protected in its native India. A reintroduction programme, the Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project initiated by the Indian government, serves to restore numbers of the species in the wild by way of reintroduction, increase water holes and end poaching, etc. More details can be found here. Little more than four hundred of the species exist in the wild. Although the population is now stable, poaching has increased putting numbers once more in jeopardy. Various zoos across the world hold Asian lions and some participate in captive breeding programs. A translocation programme to offer a larger prey base is in place, but this is currently being opposed by the Gujarat Government.
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However, current research indicates even the smallest oil spill now has the potential to destroy the entire ecosystem. And how do you clean up an oil spill in floating, fragmented ice? Or any ice at all, for that matter! No-one, it seems, has yet found an effective way.
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And let’s face it, if you are tracking a polar bear, it’s a pretty big target to miss when you find it. Male bears can weigh anything between seven hundred and twelve hundred pounds. And, at almost nine feet tall and ten feet in length, it doesn’t take an expert marksman to fell the poor bears. In fact, polar bears are the largest of all living bears, next to the Kodiak Bear. It seems to be debatable which bear is actually the bigger one.
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will give birth to up to four cubs – twins being the most common – each weighing about one pound and reaching a mere twelve to fourteen inches in length. Babies are usually born in dens on snow-covered land between November and January and emerge in the spring. It is essential the mother eats plenty of food in the summer in order to build up sufficient fat before entering the den as she will have to live off the reserves.
A few extra thoughts…
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These diminutive, perfectly assembled creatures are little more than two feet in height and weigh, at most, forty-five pounds. They sport ringed horns which curl backwards and inwards, and grow up to fifteen inches in length. The female horns tend to be thinner, paler and not quite as curved.
Natural Habitat
By the early part of the twentieth century, huge numbers of Przewalski’s foals had been captured by exotic animal traders, the most going to a German merchant named 
Once captive, the young foals were fed sheep’s milk, which resulted in a high rate of mortality. The captors then rethought their plan and used domestic mares, whose own foals had been taken from them, to feed the next batch of foals they captured. This appeared to be effective and the foals are mares were made ready for further transportation.
Though not all captive breeding programmes are what they seem, and many are simply a cover for commercially orientated, profit-making organisations, 
Both sexes have short, thick necks topped with a mane consisting of short stand-up hairs, making them looked as though they have been hogged. An unusual trait is the annual shedding of this mane; and further, the absence of a forelock.
I always think of the mythical 
Incessant, needless deforestation by commercial logging, agriculture, settlement and 
Conservation plans to protect the eagles are already in place and laws have been passed prohibiting hunting and protecting nests. Awareness is being raised and educational lectures are being given by the Philippine Eagle Foundation, in the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City, Mindanao, to all visitors.
The crown and crest of the bird is a pale caramelly-brown with black flashes. The large bill is blue to grey. The top of the body is covered with long, deep-brown feathers with pale tips and the undersides and chest are creamy-white. The tail is brown with darker bars and a white edge, and the feet are heavy and noticeably yellow. Needless to say, it has extremely powerful talons, perfectly adapted to its own hunting techniques.
Pairs seem to be a bit of thing for these birds. They are monogamous and will pair for life. Unless one dies, in which case the surviving eagle will find another mate. These pairs will nest once every two years. The breeding season is very much dependent on the location. When the time for egg laying approaches, the female becomes sickly and refuses food. This can last for up to ten days. At the same time she will drink a lot of water and make a lot of loud calls. Her wings become droopy and she begins to look altogether rather seedy. The name for this condition is “egg lethargy”.
At this point nest-building begins. A single egg will be laid in the finished nest. There is an incubation period of up to sixty-eight days. Both parents will help with the incubation of the egg, but the female will take most of the day-time shift. Following successful incubation, the newly hatched chick will remain in the nest for up to five and a half months before taking its first flight. It will not leave its parents at this point, and will remain in their care for a further twelve months.
problems these eagles are facing in trying to replenish their numbers in the wild.
Natural Habitat
How sad it would be to lose the unique Grévy’s zebra from the plains of Africa. It is the rarest and most endangered of all species of zebra, and no other African mammal has seen such dramatic reductions in range as Grévy’s zebra has in recent decades. Being driven from its home by pastoral farmers after being forced to compete with cattle and goats for food and water has been one of the major problems the animals have had to face. Over-grazing has left the land severely degraded.
90%” (Williams 2002). This and natural droughts have been significant contributory factors in, not only the deaths of adults, but also the high rate of juvenile mortality (fifty per cent), posing a huge threat to the species. Human disturbance at crucial watering holes is also hastening their decline. Grévy’s zebra are able to live without water for up to five days, but this is their limit and access is then necessary. The distances they are compelled to travel between food and accessible water often prove too much for the foals and many die en route.
In the late 1970s, zebra were extensively hunted for their highly prized skins, medicinal value and subsistence food, which markedly added to the initial reduction in numbers. Since then, hunting has been outlawed, but still persists in some areas; notably in Ethiopia where the laws are not always adhered to. Here the isolated populations are still sought primarily for their hides, occasionally for food and sporadically in connection with traditional healing.
Currently, there are some amazing ongoing projects in existence run by various 
Not forgetting, the zebra has its fair share of natural predators, too. The 
Grévy’s zebra are ridiculously easy to spot out on the plains. They have huge furry ears, large heads and long legs. They are the largest of all wild equids and their stripes are as unique as the human fingerprint. Unlike the plains zebra, who is closely related to the horse, Grévy’s zebra,between its habits and distribution, falls somewhere between the wild asses and other zebras.
darken with maturity. Each adult animal has a characteristic dorsal stripe, black with white either side, and a very discernible brown muzzle. The hogged-like mane and forelock hairs have brown tips, as does the tail, and the underside is gleaming white. 
solitary, except for mating, and will often remain in their territories during the dry season, whilst other migrate to lusher pastures. The non-territorial males travel together in small bachelor groups of up to eight individuals. 
The breeding season takes place in August and September, with births coinciding with the early rains. There is an exceptionally long gestation period of three hundred and ninety days, after which a single foal, weighing eighty to ninety pounds, will be born. 
Natural Habitat
outhern pudús are the smallest deer in existence. Their size, coupled with their endearing appearance, has made them targets for the illegal 
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That’s an awful lot of problems for something little more than a foot high.
Pudús tend to live alone or in pairs, and very occasionally in groups of three. Individuals come together during the rut which takes place in April and May. A gestation period of about seven months follows, after which a single fawn will be born. Fawns are tiny, weighing less than thirty ounces, and are on their feet almost immediately. Care of the young falls entirely to the mother. Pudús advance quickly and are usually weaned by two months. Females will be mature at six months of age and males at eight to twelve months.
Natural Habitat
You may have noticed how the rare Chinese water deer in the image above bears an uncanny resemblance to the recently featured 
“This opportunity is strictly limited as it forms part of our management control to keep the deer damage at acceptable levels and provides additional income for landowners”. So sayeth “Pete ‘the Meat'” of
some time and effort in this animal before it reaches the brink of oblivion, and not using it for the entertainment of the privileged few. If any such captive programmes do exist, I apologise, and would welcome any information – but thus far I have been unable to trace any. But, there is no doubt, these delightful and unusual animals, with their shy and gentle natures, and fascinating evolutionary biology are something we should both treasure and assist.
Huge furry ears, a round face, soft black eyes and a black button nose give the Chinese water deer the look of a well-loved 
Chinese water deer are, as the name implies, frequenters of water. Proficient swimmers, they move through the water between locations, in search of food and shelter. They are crepuscular and usually hide in dense vegetation during the day. When alarmed, they tend to run in ‘bunny-bounds’, shrieking and barking as they go.
The mating season, or rut, for Chinese water deer takes place between November and January. Following successful pairings, there is a gestation period of up to two hundred and ten days, after which the doe can give birth to as many as six or eight young; though the more common births are between one and three fawns. These tiny babies will weigh about one kilogram at birth and will be on their feet within the hour. They will have darker coats than their parents, with white spots and stripes on their backs. For the first few weeks, most of their time will be spent well-hidden amongst grasses and shrubs. This is a fast-growing species and the fawns will be weaned by two months of age and fully mature at six and eight months (male and female respectively). Sadly there is a forty per cent mortality rate of fawns between birth and four weeks. Those that do survive could live up to thirteen years in both the wild and captivity.
In many parts of Madagascar, ancient Malagasy legend has it that if an aye-aye points its extremely long finger in your direction, you are marked for death. Locals believe the aye-aye will sneak into the village houses, under cover of darkness, and, using its long middle finger, pierce the hearts of those sleeping. The only way to avoid this terrible fate is to kill the tiny, defenceless creature and hang it upside down by the roadside, so that the malignant spirits will be carried away by passing travellers. As a result, aye-ayes are killed on sight, a practice resulting in the species being accorded Near Threatened status by the 
In a few areas, where the legend does not induce trepidation, aye-ayes are revered by the Malagasy. It is said they embody ancestral spirits and are a good omen.
Unfortunately, because of their strange looks, rather derogatory remarks are made about them, and they have been awarded the dubious accolade of ‘one the ugliest animals on earth’. Though, it has to be said, the aye-aye is a bit of a mish-mash.
insect larvae hidden inside. This is known as 
There is no fixed breeding season for aye-ayes, this seems to be an all-year-round event. Following suitable pairing, there is a gestation period of about one hundred and sixty days, after which a single infant will be born in the nest ‘box’. The baby, born with floppy ears, will depend on its mother’s milk for the first seven to twelve months of its life, and remain with its mother until it is two years old. This, in effect, means females are only able to care for one infant every two to three years, making re-population of the species a slow process. The baby will remain in the nest for about two months before emerging into the canopy. It will start on solids at about fourteen weeks of age. Both parents will remain near the nest after the birth and the male parent has also been known to share food with the infant.
Often called the ‘vampire deer’ because it has fangs (tusks) instead of horns, or the ‘kangaroo deer’ because of its kangaroo-like face (though I think it looks more like a llama head on), the Siberian musk deer is an undeniably interesting ungulate. But, have you ever wondered where that equally interesting, and powerful, musk smell comes from in perfumes and soap? Or how it is produced, and how many lives are taken to render even the smallest amount of this strongly aromatic substance.
The perfume trade has also changed tack, albeit by way of a ban on importation imposed by the European Union In 1999. The majority of perfumiers have now switched to synthetic alternatives. Others, however, still use the real thing. Though today, natural musk used in perfumes makes up a much smaller percentage of the market. Nevertheless, a lot of animals are still killed for this.
Add to that the number which are killed incidentally and it is not hard to see why the species is declining so dramatically. Age and sex are immaterial to hunters setting snares, and three to five musk deer are killed for every male with a musk pod. This carnage includes females, which are crucial to the regeneration of the species.
The breeding season for Siberian musk deer starts in December and normally lasts three to four weeks, but some females do not mate until March. At this time the musk is put to its proper use, that of attracting the female. Some females remain barren, but for those who do conceive, a gestation period of six months takes place, after which one fawn will normally be born. Two are rare.
Mungai and the Goa Constrictor 