Fact Attack: Endangered Species No. 107 – The Southern Pudú

March 2, 2014 by Mungai and the Goa Constrictor

“Killing animals for sport, for pleasure, for adventure, for hides and furs is a phenomena which is at once disgusting and distressing. There is no justification in indulging is such acts of brutality.”
The Dalai Lama

S Pudu outhern pudús are the smallest deer in existence. Their size, coupled with their endearing appearance, has made them targets for the illegal exotic pet market. Many have been taken from the wild as babies to satisfy the whims of uncaring and mindless consumers, oblivious to all but their own desires. Pudú are also snatched from the wild and shipped off to various zoos around the world, presumably to aid the survival of the species!

But their plight doesn’t end there. Specialist trained dogs are used to hunt them down. The pudús are then fed to the dogs as part of their diet. Dogs, incidentally, which also transmit diseases to the deer. And, in keeping with the age-old threats to most wildlife, the adorable pudús are poached for food and hunted for sport.

Pudu I think it goes without saying man has virtually destroyed their habitat, leaving them living in fragmented areas. When travelling between locations, they now come across roads built for settlements, ranches and plantations. They are not particularly good at negotiating these, especially with fast traffic, and road deaths are high among the pudú populations.

And, if all that were not enough, populations of red deer have been introduced to their home territory. Between the larger deer and the cattle from the ranches, the poor little pudús are now having to compete for food as well.

Pudu That’s an awful lot of problems for something little more than a foot high.

In fact, pudús normally reach a height of about fifteen inches and typically weigh twenty pounds, so they are something akin to the size of an average family dog. They have small eyes and ears and short tails. Adult coats are reddish-brown in colour with fawns’ coats bearing white spots, possibly for camouflage, until they reach maturity. Males sport short antlers which are shed annually.

In the wild, southern pudús, also known as Chilean pudús, are nocturnal and crepuscular. They forage in the dense undergrowth and bamboo thickets seeking out fresh vegetation and fallen fruit, and balancing on their hind legs to reach fresh leaves on the trees. Physically, they excel at sprinting and climbing. If pudús sense danger, they bark and run in a rapid zig-zag manner to elude or outrun any predators.

Pudu 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.

Southern pudu distribution Natural Habitat
Dense temperate forest or bamboo groves.
Where
Chile and Argentina
What they eat
Their varied diet includes leaves, shoots, fruit, bark, seeds and berries.
Threats
Poaching and illegal taking for zoos, private collections and the exotic pet trade. Pudú are killed for sport and food using specifically trained domestic hunting dogs. Habitat loss due to cattle ranching, logging and other human developments. Road accidents. Diseases transferred by domestic dogs. Competition for food from the introduced red deer.
The pudú’s natural predators include eagle owls, cougar, fox and small cats such as the kodkod.
Status: Vulnerable
The Chilean pudú (Pudú puda) is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Vulnerable (high risk of endangerment in the wild). It is also listed on Appendix I of CITES.
Various conservation programmes exist with the emphasis being on monitoring the pudú in protected areas and removing threats from the same, and establishing internationally accepted guidelines for the care of rescued and confiscated animals. [1]
Southern pudús have been bred successfully in several zoos across the world and international captive breeding programmes have been developed for the species. Although, the only evidence I can find of any being returned to the wild are the few that exist in the Nahuel Huapi National Park in Argentina. Others appear to have been kept simply as exhibits in zoos. Any further information would be welcome. Please feel free to leave a comment.

The Zemanta related articles provided below are all centred on zoo births, as is the video. Whereas I feel ill-inclined to support these profit-making organisations by referring to them on this blog, the events themselves are joyous occasions from respected sources, so I have included them here. Let’s just hope these little animals grow to live full and happy lives.

Domestic Dogs in Rural Communities around Protected Areas: Conservation Problem or Conflict Solution?

Fast Fact Attack: Endangered Species No. 94 – The Golden Lion Tamarin

December 28, 2013 by Mungai and the Goa Constrictor

“In simple terms, the rainforests, which encircle the world, are our very life-support system – and we are on the verge of switching it off.”
Charles, Prince of Wales

Golden lion tamarins take their name from the magnificent ‘mane’ of golden hair around their necks – bearing a remarkable resemblance to the lions of Africa. There are four species of lion tamarins – all of which are endangered, and all of which are endemic to Brazil.

Each species is blighted with the same major threats to its survival; loss of homes due to illegal logging, haphazard cattle ranching and human settlement. Shockingly, the lion tamarins have now been left with only eight per cent of their original habitat. Put another way, a staggering ninety-two per cent of their native Atlantic Brazilian forest has been burned or felled. This has jeopardised their freedom to roam for food, shelter and genetically diverse mates, rendering them one of the most endangered species on the planet.

Colonisation is not new to the Atlantic forest. Europeans first settled here in the 1500s. Historically, destruction began with coffee and sugarcane plantations. During the 18th and 19th centuries demand was high for both commodities, heights matched only by the devastation caused by these activities. Despite this, today’s damage far surpasses anything achieved previously.

Current deforestation has created a specific danger for young golden lions. These highly sociable little animals are far more exposed in their ‘play areas’ than before, making them vulnerable to predators. Over forty per cent of juvenile tamarins do not live past one year, even in normal circumstances, and this can only add to the difficulties of re-populating the troops. The average lifespan of any golden lion tamarin surviving the age of one, in the wild, is fifteen years.

There are several conservation programs designed to combat the decline of the species in the wild. Animals have been reintroduced from various worldwide captive breeding programs, which incidentally move individuals among the various zoos to prevent inbreeding. Survival rates have been notable, but their habitat is now so sparse, the problem with finding suitable homes and feeding grounds has not abated.

Fortunately, tourism has also begun to play its part, using the golden lions as a an attraction to be seen rather than harmed. This can only be a step in the right direction.

Also known as golden marmosets, the golden lion tamarins are easily recognized New World monkeys that sport a vivid orangey-red coat, with a long mane surrounding a hairless face of dark, rich purple. It has been said that the colour of the coat may have come from direct exposure to sunlight coupled with carotenids in the diet.

Golden lion tamarins are callitrichids, which have the defining characteristic of claw-like fingernails on all digits except the hallux (big toe). These adaptations aid climbing, clinging to tree trunks in vertical fashion, quadrupedal movement through the branches and feeding. Both male and female are similar in size reaching a height of about ten inches and weighing an average of one and a half pounds.

Golden lions are arboreal, sleeping in tree hollows at night hoping for some protection from predators. Unfortunately, nocturnal predators, such as snakes and wild cats, often get the better of them. When one monkey sees a predator, an alarm call is emitted to warn the rest of the troop. Sadly, this is often too late.

These tamarins, like the others, are omnivorous and travel through the branches (at up to 24 miles per hour, no less) to forage during the day. They live in troops of anything up to nine individuals and often these delightful primates share food with each other. Normally these troops would be made up of a male, a female and some younger members of the family.

Lion tamarins are monogamous and mating usually takes place at the end of the rains (March to June), after which there is a gestation period of four months. The species is unusual in that twins are normally born. Most primates will give birth to a single infant. Three and four babies have also been known to be birthed, but the chances of survival of all are quite remote. The weakest will usually go first. All group members, especially the father, will help with the care of the babies. Infants are totally dependent on their mothers for the first four weeks. At five weeks they will become a tad more independent and start to explore their surrounding, but still keeping close to mother. Seventeen weeks will see them socialising with others in the troop, and at the age of fourteen months they will be considered young adults.

Natural Habitat
Coastal primary tropical forests.
Where
The diminishing Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil.
What they eat
Soft fruits, insects, flowers, nectar, eggs, invertebrates and small vertebrates.
Threats
Habitat loss and fragmentation due to aggressive logging, reckless agriculture and extensive human settlement. Loss of suitable habitat has made reintroduction to the wild difficult because of the lack of sufficient clustered trees. Though more than four hundred animals have been reintroduced into Brazil since 1984. Capture for the illegal pet trade seriously depleted populations in the past, however, this practice has lessened since laws were passed making the keeping of exotic pets illegal. But, it has not ceased. Natural predators include birds of prey, snakes and wild cats.
Status: Endangered
The golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered. It is also included on the Brazilian Official List of Species Threatened with Extinction (Lista Oficial de Espécies Brasileiras Ameaçadas de Extinção) and on the regional threatened species list of the state of Rio de Janeiro. The golden lion tamarin is protected under CITES Appendix I.
Dedicated conservation efforts have brought the numbers of golden lion tamarins from less than two hundred in the wild in the early 1970s, to over fifteen hundred living in the forests today.
Approximately four hundred and fifty are known to be living in one hundred and fifty zoos around the world.
Various conservation measures and programmes are in place, including the National Zoo

Fast Fact Attack: Endangered Species No. 92 – The Asiatic Golden Cat

December 17, 2013 by Mungai and the Goa Constrictor

Asiatic golden cat via Wikimedia Commons.

Photograph: Karen Stout

“What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected”
Chief Seattle

Known as the ‘fire tiger’ (Seua fai) in certain parts of Thailand, this enigmatic forest dweller is surrounded by legend. Thai people believe that burning the Asiatic golden cat’s pelage will drive tigers away and that cooking and eating the whole cat will protect against tiger attacks. Those of the peaceful and nature-loving Karen tribe, the largest of the major tribes of northern Thailand, maintain a single hair will do the same job, but how they come by this one hair is not disclosed. The Asiatic cat is also believed, by most indigenous peoples, to be ferocious. Though few signs of this have been demonstrated in captivity.

The range of the golden cat covers parts of some of the most rapidly developing countries in the world. Their habitat is being destroyed at a terrifying rate to accomodate man, who is also managing to destroy the cat’s prey at the same time. Added to that, they are hunted for their beautiful pelts and body parts – no surprise there then! Evidence of this appeared in four separate markets in Myanmar between 1991 and 2006. Parts and skins from one hundred and ten individual cats were reported. These markets can still be found on the borders of China and Thailand, and are still trading in this very rare creature and other animals. The markets are well-attended by international buyers. The fact that the golden cat is fully protected in Myanmar does not seem to be helping it at all here.

The Asiatic golden cat is also known as the Asian golden cat and Temminck’s golden cat (named after the Dutch naturalist Coenraad Jacob Temminck. Temminck first described the related African golden cat in 1827). There are three subspecies of golden cat: C.t.dominicanorum – South China, C.t.temminck – Himalayas to Sumatra and C.t.tristis – Southwest China Highlands.

Asiatic golden cats are quite solid creatures and tend to resemble the domestic cat in all but size. They typically weigh about twenty-five to thirty-five pounds and can reach up to forty-one inches in body length. Males are usually larger than females.
They have a dense, coarse coat ranging in colour from dark-orange to brown, dark-brown to cinnamon, and dark-grey to black. Melanistic, panther-like morphs also exist. Coats are sometimes spotted or have rosettes, or have vague stripes. Black and white lines run along the side of the face.

These elusive Asiatic golden cats were once thought to be mainly nocturnal, but studies now reveal they are diurnal and crepuscular. They can climb trees if needs be, though they do prefer to be at ground level. Their vocalisations, like their appearance, again resemble the domestic cat, with purring, meowing, growling, spitting and hissing.

Most of the information on reproduction in golden cats is derived from observations of the species in captivity. There is apparently no specific breeding season for the golden cat, and if one litter is lost another will be produced within four months. After a gestation period of up to eighty days, the female will give birth to one to three kittens, each weighing about eight and a half ounces. The kittens will grow very quickly and have tripled their size by the age of eight weeks. Their coats are already patterned at birth, but their eyes will be closed for the first six to twelve days. Males play an active role in rearing their young. The kittens will be fully weaned at six months and fully mature at eighteen to twenty-four months, depending whether male or female.

Natural Habitat
Subtropical and tropical forest with rocky areas, bamboo forest, grasslands and shrub.
Where
From the Himalayan foothills of Tibet into China, across to India and down through to Sumatra.
What they eat
Mainly rodents with some birds and reptiles. They are capable of bringing down much larger prey such as small deer and buffalo calves.
Threats
Deforestation, loss of prey species, indiscriminate snaring, poaching for its fur and bones, poaching for the illegal wildlife trade, and human conflict.
Status: Near Threatened
The Asiatic golden cat (Pardofelis temminckii) is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Near Threatened (likely to become endangered in the near future). It is also listed under CITES Appendix 1 (as Catopuma temminckii).
The species is fully protected over most of its range with the exception of Lao People’s Democratic Republic where hunting is regulated, and Bhutan where it is only protected in certain areas.
In Myanmar, pelts have been found in various markets catering for international buyers. The general consensus is that CITES laws are not adequately enforced here.
It is not known how many Asiatic golden cats still exist in the wild, but it is thought their numbers are declining rapidly. A limited number of individuals are kept in zoos around the world. Captive breeding programs exist in some.

Fast Fact Attack: Endangered Species No. 90 – The Common Chimpanzee

December 12, 2013 by Mungai and the Goa Constrictor

“Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care will we help. Only if we help shall they be saved”
Jane Goodall

There cannot be many who do not know what a chimpanzee is. It is probably one of the few wild animals most of us will have actually seen first hand, albeit in captivity. But where numbers are concerned, captivity is not the problem per se. It is, of course, a huge failure the way chimps are kept as pets and as items of display, to say nothing of the abhorrent practice of using them in so-called ‘science laboratories’.

Currently though, their problem lies in the wild where they are rapidly disappearing down the road marked extinction. Happy as they are to reproduce, they cannot keep pace with the rate at which they are being killed.

Killed for their meat: Not just for subsistence – chimp meat now fetches a high price on the open market for those who can afford this shameful diet.
Killed for their young: Infant chimps are a valuable commodity on the black market.
Killed by diseases introduced by man: Ebola has devastated whole populations.
Killed for their body parts: To be used in worthless medicines.
Killed in experimental laboratories: In the name of science.
Killed by lack of food and shelter: Africa lost 3.4 million hectares of its forested area between 2000 and 2010 (FAO Global Resources Assessment 2010). This included a very high percentage of the chimpanzees’ range.

Chimpanzees are one of the five great apes, along with gorillas, bonobos, orangutans and man; of those we are the only ones who are flourishing. Together with their near cousins, the bonobos, chimpanzees are our closest living relatives. We share almost ninety-nine per cent of our genetic blueprint with them, which is close by any standards.

Currently there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the status of chimps; whether or not they should be considered as proper legal persons, albeit with limited rights. The argument is not about allowing the normal social liberties associated with being a member of a franchised society, but more about physical freedom and the right to live out their lives in peace, unfettered by the chains of captivity. It is not proposed the chimps roam freely amongst us, hopping on and off planes, trains and buses, but that they are afforded tranquillity, dignity and sanctuary.

There are some very interesting links below discussing this and other legislation regarding chimpanzees.

There are four sub-species of chimpanzee: The Western chimpanzee (P. t. verus), the Central chimpanzee (P. t. troglodytes), the Eastern chimpanzee (P. t. schweinfurthii) and the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (P. t. ellioti). All four are endangered. Reasons for this vary with location.

Chimpanzees have long arms, and opposable thumbs and big toes. Their faces, ears, palms and soles of their feet are hairless. Their bodies are covered, in some parts thinly, with dark-brown to black hair. They can grow quite large, a male chimp reaching over four feet in height, and weighing on average one hundred and thirty pounds. Females are slightly smaller.

Chimpanzees are largely arboreal. They swing through trees in search of food, and build nests in them. They will build a new nest almost every day. They also travel on the ground when covering long distances or in search of food not found in the trees. Although known as ‘knuckle-walkers’, they are capable of standing and walking upright. Chimpanzees do not like water and cannot swim. Any who do fall into water are in danger of drowning.

Sounds, facial expressions and body language are all used as forms of communications. In the case of disputes, unlike their gentle cousins, the bonobos, who tend to kiss and make up, chimpanzees will ready for battle. Common chimpanzees can be quite aggressive and have been known to attack humans, too. It is never wise to upset a full-grown male chimpanzee. When angry they are able to draw upon an extraordinary amount of strength and an adult chimp is quite capable of overpowering a fully grown man.

But most of all, chimps have become known for their use of tools. Most notably, the modification of twigs for extracting termites from mounds and the use of heavy objects to crack nuts. These are skills that need to be learned. They have also been observed fashioning spears out of small branches to hunt smaller mammals.

Chimpanzees breed all the year round. After a gestation period of eight months, a single infant will be born. Twins are rare. Newborns are totally dependent on their mothers (their sole carers) for support for the first two months of their lives. The quality of care the mother gives is essential to the emotional and physical growth and well-being of the infant. This maternal dependency is long-lasting. The relationship is close and they are rarely separated. Babies cling to their mother’s underside at first and progress to the back when they are about five or six months old. By the age of two they will be able to move around and sit unaided, staying very close to mother, and by the age of three they will have started to move a little further away. But it is not until they are five or six years old that they will be fully weaned and virtually independent.

A great deal of understanding of the behavioural patterns of the chimpanzee can be attributed to the ongoing work of primatologist, Dr Jane Goodall. Best known for her study of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, Dr Goodall continues to support the chimpanzees to this day, at the age of seventy-nine. She began her life’s work in 1960 and founded Gombe Stream National Park in 1965.

Natural Habitat
Tropical low altitude evergreen forest, mountain forest and forest-savannah mosaic.
Where
West and Central Equatorial Africa.
What they eat
Mainly fruit, chimpanzees love fruit, but they also eat plants (all parts) and insects. And, contrary to popular belief, chimpanzees are meat-eaters and will indulge themselves in other small mammals from time to time.
Threats
Habitat destruction caused by logging, mining, agriculture and road building. Excessive poaching for bushmeat and the taking of live infants for the illegal pet trade (and it is surprisingly easy to buy a chimpanzee on the internet). In some areas, chimpanzees are hunted for their body parts for use in Traditional medicine. They are also used extensively in scientific research. Human conflict over crops is another large problem. But the major threats to chimpanzees are the diseases passed on by humans. In particular, the Ebola virus.
Status: Endangered
The common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered. All chimpanzees are listed under CITES Appendix I and as Class A under the African Convention. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service classifies the species as endangered in the wild, and threatened in captivity.

It is thought there are no more than 150,000 to 250,000 common chimpanzees left in the wild today. This may seem a lot, but compared to the million or so which once roamed free in Africa, it is hardly surprising they are now considered endangered. Man is killing them faster than the apes can reproduce themselves. In some regions, the population has declined by 90% over the past twenty years. In others, the common chimpanzee is now extinct.

Untold numbers of captive individuals exist in zoos, science laboratories, and private homes and establishments.

If more robust action is not taken soon to curb the slaughter of these delightful apes, and the spread of disease is not brought under control, there is a real possibility the chimpanzee may soon be extinct in the wild.

Fast Fact Attack: Endangered Species No. 84 – The Long-tailed Chinchilla

November 29, 2013 by Mungai and the Goa Constrictor

Today is Worldwide Fur Free Friday

When celebrating Worldwide Fur Free Friday, I felt I could not possibly ignore the plight of the long-tailed chinchilla. This little animal has become critically endangered because of man’s actions; a sordid story which can only serve to illustrate, once more, how man’s narcissism and greed has allowed him to put himself before the needs, and, even the most basic rights of, innocent, defenceless beings.

Today there are multitudes of chinchillas kept in captivity, either for the pet trade, for research (specifically the auditory system), or for the fur trade. And, all three are prospering. The fur trade, undoubtedly, being the most despicable of these.

All wild chinchilla species are listed in Appendix 1 of CITES. But, since these captive animals are considered domesticated, they are not protected by CITES provisions (a fact pointed out with tedious regularity by those selling furs on eBay). Furriers and farmers can, therefore, keep breeding, butchering and promoting the wearing of chinchilla as much as they wish. Many, with more money than conscience and compassion, can’t wait to adorn themselves in the poor creatures’ fur; so there is a very willing market waiting in the wings. A market which would far rather wear the chinchilla’s coat as a status symbol or fashion statement than see the rightful owner wearing it as a natural layer (or, one hundred and fifty rightful owners to be precise – that’s how many tiny chinchillas it takes to make a full-length coat). A coat can cost anything between ten thousand and one hundred thousand dollars, so it’s highly profitable.

Apart from depriving these little creatures of a normal life, what desperately needs to be remembered is that there is no easy, pain-free way to skin an animal alive! They are not shearing sheep here!

To quote the obviously caring Natalie Imbruglia, “There is no kind way to rip the skin off animals’ backs. Anyone who wears any fur shares the blame for the torture and gruesome deaths of millions of animals each year.”

But, these particular animals have not all been taken from the wild. At least not directly. They are farmed from stock stolen from their natural habitat, mostly in times past. The international trade in chinchilla fur began in the 16th century. However, the chinchillas we see today are almost all descended from chinchillas taken from Chile in the 1800s and early 1900s. This was the cause of depletion, and, sadly, despite efforts, this depletion was so severe, the species has been unable to recover. In two centuries, of vanity and greed, over twenty-one million chinchillas have been taken from their homes; over seven million of these were exported between 1828 and 1916. At one stage they were being shipped from Chile at a rate five hundred thousand per annum. The devastation to the species was unimaginable.

In 1918, the government of Chile, (along with those of Peru and Bolivia) declared the trapping of animals and exportation of pelts illegal; but, it was all too little, too late. Needless to say, this activity did not cease then, and has still not ceased today. Poaching in Chile persists. But, possibly due to much smaller populations now, they are not being taken in such large numbers.

Originally, chinchilla populations flourished within their range. Now, it is the trade in the animals which thrives, as their pelts continue to be found amongst the most valuable in the world. As a result, these endearing little rodents are now facing extinction in the wild.

Chinchillas are small, just slightly larger than ground squirrels. They have strong legs and can leap around in a very agile manner. They have bushy tails, and soft, silky dense fur. As many as sixty hairs grow from one follicle. The fur was designed by nature to insulate the species against the cold of the barren mountain regions it inhabits.

Chinchillas sit upright on their hind legs to eat, grasping their food in their front paws. They are social animals living in colonies of up to one hundred individuals (you can see by this how easy it must have been to capture them in large numbers). These colonies are properly referred to as herds, so named by the first fur farmers who treated them as livestock. And, just to add to that trivia; a female is called a velvet or sow, and a male is called either a bull or a boar.

Chinchillas are crepuscular and nocturnal, though they have been seen in broad daylight foraging for food. They sleep or rest in rock crevices and holes. They are expected to live up to ten years in the wild, but, can live to as much as twenty years in captivity.

Breeding takes place during May and November. The female will give birth to two litters a year. The average gestation period lasts one hundred and eleven days, after which, a litter of between one to three babies (known as kits) will be born. Kits are precocial at birth (fully furred and with eyes open) and weigh about thirty-five grams. They are usually weaned by sixty days.

From beasts we scorn as soulless,
In forest, field and den,
The cry goes up to witness
The soullessness of men.
M. Frida Hartley
(Animal Rights Activist)

Habitat
Barren, arid, rocky or sandy mountainous areas.
Where
Chile
What they eat
Plant leaves (mostly of the cactus family), fruits, seeds, and small insects.
Threats
Human activities; mainly poaching, followed by grazing of livestock, mining and firewood extraction. Their natural predators include birds of prey, skunks, cats, snakes and dogs.
Status: Critically Endangered
The long-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Critically Endangered.
The Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) lists all chinchilla species in Appendix 1, making international trade in the animals or their skins illegal among participating nations. Frighteningly, there are only 10,000 individuals thought to be left in the wild. There have been attempts to reintroduce chinchillas to the wild, but these have been markedly unsuccessful.
A great deal more could be done to monitor hunting in the remote mountain ranges of the Andes. However, this has proven to be a difficult place to patrol leaving the chinchillas vulnerable.

Fast Fact Attack: Endangered Species No. 83 – The Malayan Tiger

November 25, 2013 by Mungai and the Goa Constrictor

Malayan Tiger at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.

Photographer: Greg Hume

“As long as people will shed the blood of innocent creatures there can be no peace, no liberty, no harmony between people. Slaughter and justice cannot dwell together”
Isaac Bashevis Singer

Regrettably, the magnificent tiger has been exploited for body parts and skins for centuries, and the Malayan tiger is no exception. Much is done in many countries to try and save tigers from extinction. In Thailand, the home of the Malayan tiger, there are 20,000 forest rangers employed to protect all wildlife, but this is becoming an increasingly dangerous occupation. In September 2013, two rangers were fired upon by five poachers they had tracked to the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Thailand. On their way, the poachers had poisoned various animals, which the rangers suspected had been left behind as tiger bait (although, it is known they were hunting for various species). Four of the rangers were shot in the incident, and two later died. To add to the tragedy of the deaths of the rangers, when shots were exchanged, shockingly, the hunters were seen to be armed with AK-47 and carbine automatic rifles. This does not imply poaching for subsistence food. Instead, it smites heavily of terrorist activity.

Sadly, these incidents have become commonplace across Asia. In the past four years, forty-two forest rangers have been killed on duty in Thailand alone. These poorly paid, hard-working, dedicated rangers could do with a lot more support from the rest of the world as well as their own people.

A large part of the market for body parts and skins is created by the demand of middle class Asian consumers, in particular the fast-growing middle classes of China (many of whom think elephants shed their tusks naturally), and it is not slowing down. The demand for young animals as pets and exhibits has also become huge. But, more often, it is terrorism which benefits most from these killings and live trade. The trade in illegal wildlife, dead or alive, is now worth an estimated nineteen billion dollars a year.

Under such adverse circumstances, it seems only matter of time before the beautiful Malayan tiger, like so many other species, is lost to this world forever.

Slightly smaller than their Indian counterparts, female Malayan tigers can reach an average of seven feet ten inches in length, and males as much as eight feet six inches. They can stand at anything between two and four feet high at the shoulder and weigh between one hundred and four pounds and two hundred and eighty-four pounds.

The tiger’s orange, black and white striped coat is designed as camouflage in the forest or long grass. It has huge front paws with five retractable claws on each. It has incredibly powerful jaws housing large canines with which it is able to grab its prey and suffocate it. In fact, in favourable circumstances it would have a more than fair chance of defending itself against its human predators.

Not always successful in every attack, one in twenty seems to be the kill rate, tigers can eat up to eighty pounds of meat in one feeding session. The rest they will cover and come back to later, having already marked their territory with deep claw marks on trees.

Malayan tiger - Three-month-old Malayan tiger triplets at San Diego Zoo There is no specific breeding season for tigers. It is an all-year-round event which is followed by a gestation period of roughly fourteen weeks. Females birth in deep grass hollows or caves. Normally, a litter will consist of three cubs weighing about three pounds each. They will stay with their mother for the first eighteen months to two years of their lives, in which time they will be taught all they need to equip them for a life of independence.

Habitat
Tropical forests, grasslands, and subtropical moist broadleaf forests.
Where
The southern tip of Thailand and the Malaysian Peninsular.
What they eat
Deer, wild boar, sun bears and occasional livestock.
Threats
Habitat destruction due to logging operations and development of roads for the same, and conversion of forests to agriculture or commercial plantations. Poaching for skins and Traditional Chinese medicine, and human conflict. An ever-diminishing prey base.
Status: Endangered
The Malayan Tiger (Panthera tigris ssp. jacksoni) is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered. It is also listed on CITES: Appendix I. Only five hundred or so Malayan tigers are still thought to exist in the wild. Many are kept in captivity around the world. In the wild, most live outside protected areas.
Various agencies are addressing the issue of the Malayan tiger. The World Wide Fund for Nature, for example, has initiated programs focusing on raising awareness, education and the reduction of human conflict.

Fast Fact Attack: Endangered Species No. 80 – The Malayan Sun Bear

November 19, 2013 by Mungai and the Goa Constrictor

“It should not be believed that all beings exist for the sake of the existence of man. On the contrary, all the other beings too have been intended for their own sakes and not for the sake of anything else”
Maimonides

What is it about bears! You would think they would be revered on account of their size alone. And, in the case of this bear, its name. After all, Inti or Apu-punchau, the Inca Sun God was worshipped by so many for so long. But, these bears have not been afforded the same courtesy. Instead these poor creatures are persecuted beyond belief. Just like their cousins, the Asiatic black bears, they are trapped and incarcerated for their fur, bile and gall bladders. Traditional Chinese Medicine is claiming their body parts and the paws of the bear are sold as a delicacy in restaurants. Their habitat is being destroyed at an alarming rate and, on top of all that, the ill-informed seem to think bear cubs make good pets (after killing the mother, that is). All-in-all, a sad indictment of man’s behaviour toward animals.

Although considered a large animal, Malayan sun bears are the smallest of all bear species, with, incidentally, the largest canines. Reaching a maximum length (males) of almost four and a half feet, they can weigh up to one hundred and forty-four pounds. Males tend to be a lot larger than females.

Malayan sun bears (or honey bears as they are sometimes known) have short, smooth, water-repellent, dark-brown to black fur, with an orangey/yellow bow-shaped mark on their chests. The same colour of fur surrounds the muzzle and the eyes. The skin around the neck is loose, allowing the bear to twist and bite its attacker when necessary. They have strong paws with hairless soles and long curved claws. Their snouts are flexible and they have extraordinarily long tongues – an adaptation for gathering termites from the nests and mounds. Sun bears have very poor eyesight, but a keen sense of smell, which helps them to detect food. They are good climbers and can often be found resting in trees.

Despite being the smallest of the species, sun bears can be quite aggressive, and there have been recorded unprovoked attacks. Sun bears have been observed living together whilst raising cubs, but, usually they are solitary and the mother and cubs are the only ones to stay together.

Living in a tropical climate, with an all-year-round supply of food, the need to hibernate does not arise.

There is no specific breeding season. The gestation period following mating is roughly ninety-six days. One to three tiny, altricial (furless, eyes closed and dependent upon the parent) cubs will be born. The cubs will continue to nurse for about eighteen months. Cubs remain with their mothers until fully grown and are able to fend for themselves. Female bears use holes inside large, old hollow trees to birth the babies.

Habitat
Tropical evergreen rainforest including swamps and limestone/karst hills, and lower montane forest.
Where
Bangladesh, Brunei, Darussalam, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam.
What they eat
Fruit (especially figs) and berries, insects, small vertebrates, eggs, honey and termites. They use their very long tongues to access the mounds and nests of termites, the hives of bees and tree holes with insects.
Threats
In most countries: Habitat loss due to plantation development, unsustainable logging practices, illegal logging both within and outside protected areas. Commercial poaching of bears for the wildlife trade is a huge threat. Other reasons for killing bears include: Crop damage, capture of cubs for pets (the mother being killed in the process) and commercial hunting.
On the islands of Sumatra and Borneo: Large-scale conversion of forest to oil palm plantations.
In Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Viet Nam: Sun bears are commonly poached for their gall bladders and paws; the former is used as a Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the latter as an expensive delicacy.
In China and Viet Nam: Bile is milked from commercially farmed bears; however, although sun bears can be found on these farms, the majority of bears used in this practise are Asiatic black bears. Bears are routinely removed from the wild to replenish stock on these small farms.
The Malayan sun bear has few natural predators.
Status: Vulnerable
The Malayan Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus) is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Vulnerable (considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild). It has been listed on CITES Appendix I since 1979.
Killing bears is illegal in all range countries. However, little enforcement of these laws occurs. It has to be said, the areas which need patrolling are vast, making this an overwhelming task for rangers. But, given exploitation for body parts is expected to continue, these bears will be gone if something effective is not done soon. .
In Thailand alone, it is estimated that commercial poaching of sun bears has reduced their numbers by 50% over the last twenty years.

Related Articles
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre – Hope at Last For Borneo
Baby bear found strapped to pole in northern Ontario
This article is not about sun bears, it is about a baby bear tormented by children in Canada. It happened in 2012. What is noteworthy is the appalling stance the comments took towards the bears, and the unacceptable ‘kids will be kids’ attitude conveyed by those who clearly thought this behaviour was acceptable. No wonder so many abuse animals if this is the sort of message children are receiving in a supposedly civilised western country. Though, I very much doubt this article reflects the good Canadian people in general.

Fast Fact Attack: Endangered Species No. 62 – Blue-eyed Black Lemur

October 22, 2013 by Mungai and the Goa Constrictor

Photographer: Emily Payne / Daily Mail

Description
This little primate, as are many others, is losing his battle against organised crime. Adopting a ‘grab it before it all goes’ policy, organised crime is now responsible for up to 90% of tropical deforestation through illegal logging. And, at an estimated $30 to $100 billion per year, you can see the attraction for the less scrupulous members of the planet.

Unchecked, which is what they are at the moment, these crime lords are continuing to rape the planet at the expense of wildlife, the environment and indigenous peoples. Although the United Nations Environment Program released this alarming report in September, 2012, this situation has not changed.

You may wonder why so many lemurs are featured here on this page. The reason being; they are the world’s most endangered primates, with over 91% of species listed on the IUCN Red List as vulnerable to extinct (twenty-three of those extant are critically endangered). Shocking statistics!

Blue-eyed lemurs are sexually dichromatic; females are orange-brown and males are black. The blue-eyed black lemur, also known as the Sclater’s lemur, ** is considered a true lemur. The blue-eyed black lemur may be the only primate (other than humans) to have blue eyes – an extremely rare occurrence amongst primates. This is also what differentiates them from black lemurs.

Black lemurs have brown eyes and blue-eyed blacks, as the name suggests, have deep blue eyes. Black lemurs are known to breed with blue-eyed black lemurs, where their habitat overlaps, but any offspring resulting from these liaisons will only ever have brown eyes.

A medium-sized blue-eyed black lemur can weigh about five and a half pounds. They can reach an average body length of seventeen to eighteen inches, with a non-prehensile tail length of over twenty-four inches. They have strong, human-like hands, equipped with rubbery textured skin on the palms, to aid gripping of branches.

Practised climbers, they can cover long distances by leaping through the trees using their long non-prehensile tails as a balancing tool. Tails which are often carried high in the air as the animals moves. On the ground, they move in a quadrupedal manner. They manage to escape danger from humans and natural predators by suddenly dropping from the trees, hurtling through scrub to another tree, and hurriedly climbing out of sight.

The species live together in groups of two to fifteen individuals. Leadership falls to the females in the group. Communications between the primates consists of vocalisations, body language, facial expressions and scent marking. Vocalisations are made up of clicking, barking, grunting and chirping, and males have been heard making a loud ‘scree’ noise when threatened. This species has also been noted to be highly aggressive within the group. Fights often break out during the breeding and birthing seasons.

The breeding season occurs from April to June. Females give birth from August to October, following a gestation period of one hundred and twenty-six days. Either twins or a single baby will be born. Neither case is unusual. T he babies will average seventy-five grams in weight. Both sexes are born with the same brown to black colouration (males will begin to turn black five or six weeks after birth).

Juveniles are the first to be allowed near the infants. The father is next in line and finally the other females in the group. Infants cling to their mothers for the first three weeks of their lives. After which they will make short trips out to see what is going on around them, but never straying far from the safety of mother. At the same time they begin to experiment with solids. The infant won’t be weaned, however, until five or six months of age.

** These beautiful lemurs are named after Philip Sclater, who during the 1800s was secretary of the London Zoological Society.

Habitat
Primary and secondary sub-tropical moist forests and dry forests. They can also be found on citrus, coffee and timber plantations.
Where
Madagascar
What they eat
Mostly fruit, pollen and nectar. They will also eat leaves, seeds, berries and the occasional insect when food is scarce during the dry season.
Threats
Habitat loss (more than 80% in 20-25 years) due to ongoing slash-and-burn agriculture, selective logging and uncontrolled forest fires. They are sometimes killed as crop pests. The species is also hunted and trapped for food by the Tsimihety people, a Malagasy ethnic group. Blue-eyed black lemurs are also captured for the illegal fur, meat and pet trade, and zoos. Occasionally, they are kept locally as pets.
Status: Critically Endangered
The blue-eyed black lemur (Eulemur flavifrons) is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Critically Endangered. It is also protected under Appendix I of CITES and recognised as one of “The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates”. As few as one thousand individuals are thought to exist in the wild, though precise numbers are not available. In 2012, twenty-nine individuals were recorded as living in zoos.

Crucial work is being carried out by various international agencies and organisations to conserve this species. Captive breeding programmes are in place around the world, as are various in situ projects concerning local awareness. Reforestation projects are also currently active. Although the blue-eyed black lemur and its habitat are protected in parts, poaching and deforestation continue to escalate. These are serious law enforcement issues which needs to be addressed with some vigour.

There is further hope for the future of the blue-eyed black lemur, in the form of the very dedicated Duke Lemur Center, Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina, USA. To see some of their incredible work, click on the ink.

“When I hear of the destruction of a species, I feel just as if all the works of some great writer have perished”
Theodore Roosevelt

Fast Fact Attack: Endangered Species No. 58 – The Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey

October 18, 2013 by Mungai and the Goa Constrictor

Photographer: David Edric

Description
Visualise someone leaping upwards fifty feet into the air carrying a twenty-five pound weight. That is the equivalent of a female Zanzibar red colobus monkey travelling upwards with her clinging baby. These colourful and friendly primates are Old World semi-brachiators, moving through the trees with a combination of leaping and brachiation. They are also quadrupedal, and can scamper on all fours across the top of the branches. Above all, they are very athletic. And, they are very endangered.

Zanzibar red colobus have pale-grey undersides with reddish-brown on the head and lower back. They wear a mantle of black across the shoulders extending down the arms as a stripe. They have black faces with white chins and foreheads. Their legs have darker grey patches and their tails are brown. Both male and female share these colours. They are also very similar in size.

They do, however, have two notable features which single them out from other primates. Firstly, their tails are used as a balancing tool, whereas in other species the tail is used as an additional limb to aid forward movement. Secondly, they lack opposable thumbs (colobus, is derived from the Greek word ekolobóse, meaning cut short). Instead, they have four very long fingers which wrap around the branches enabling them to swing through the canopy with consummate ease. On average, they weigh just under six kilos for males and five and a half kilos for females. The mean length is twenty-two inches. Their tails are almost two feet long.

Within groups there is always a dominant male, determined by levels of aggression. The hierarchy dictates the higher members of the group receive a larger distribution of food, social activities such as grooming, and females. Groups can consist of as many as eighty individuals, though some are much less. Females are usually more numerous within the groups.

There is no specific breeding season for the Zanzibar red colobus. They mate throughout the year, but the inter-birth interval can be up to three years or more. When the female falls pregnant, the gestation period lasts between five and six months, after which only one baby will be born. The babies are born altricial and will be nursed for about eighteen months if female, and three to four years if male (often males continue to nurse until they reach maturity).

The red colobus has a somewhat unusual predator in the chimpanzee. Chimpanzees occasionally form large hunting parties and go on a killing spree for a few weeks. They seem particularly fond of the red colobus. When the marauding monkeys descend upon them, the red colobus males form a defence group, while the females collect their offspring ready to flee. Sadly, the chimps manage to kill quite a lot of their fellow primates when on these missions and have been credited with contributing to the declining numbers. The purpose is not solely to feed themselves, but also to acquire a nutritionally valuable item of trade. With it, the chimpanzees are also able to show off their prowess to other males and their dependability to females.

Habitat
Gallery forest, scrub forest growing on coral rag and mangrove swamps.
Where
Endemic to Zanzibar – An island off the coast of (and part of) Tanzania, East Africa
What they eat
Leaves, leaf buds, flowers and unripe fruit. On the ground, they eat charcoal to aid their digestive system.
Threats
Habitat destruction by way of logging, charcoal production, agricultural clearance and bush-burning. They are sometimes shot for food, sport or as crop pests by the locals, though these practice are now in decline and tourism is recognised as a valuable option. Illegal pet traders target the babies and will kill those around it who try to protect it. This can be a lot of monkeys. Deaths on the roads happen from time to time. Last of all, they fall prey to chimpanzees. Those adorable little monkeys will eat meat, if given the chance, and are said to be responsible for killing up to one hundred red colobus every year.
Status: Endangered
The Zanzibar red colobus is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is also listed as Class A under the African Convention, and protected under Appendix I of CITES. It is thought less than twelve hundred Zanzibar red colobus survive in the wild. Conservation funding has been provided by the WWF in the past, but little seems to have come of it. In fact, there does not seem to be very much going on at all. Although, awareness is being raised and farmers are now compensated by the government for damages to crops. The majority of Zanzibar colobus live in the Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park

“All things share the same breath – the beast, the tree, the man. The air shares its spirit with all the life it supports” Chief Seattle

Fast Fact Attack: Endangered Species No. 51 – The Hyacinth Macaw

October 10, 2013 by Mungai and the Goa Constrictor

Photographer: Douglas Janson 2008

Description
The largest of all the macaws, the ‘hyacinth’ is highly sought after by the illegal wild bird trade. Live birds can change hands for as much as $12,000. Headdresses, made from feathers, can fetch up to $2,650 on the open market, and loose feathers are freely available from around $25 a lot.

Between the demands for pets, hunting for food and needless ornamentation, the hyacinth macaw and its beautiful, vibrant, glossy, cobalt-blue feathers are being dragged towards extinction. There could not be a better time to enforce and educate, before we say goodbye to yet another much needed species.

Hyacinth macaws are usually found in pairs or in small groups of up to ten birds. They are intelligent, affectionate, highly sociable and incredibly vociferous. They are mostly active in the morning and in late afternoon.

They are large birds, growing up to forty inches in length with a wing span of over sixty inches. They weigh in at about three and a half pounds. The glossy feathers are a striking shade of blue. They have bright yellow rings around the eyes and a visible stripe, of equally bright yellow skin, coming down either side from the lower part of the beak. They are, incidentally, the largest flying parrot species in the world.

The hyacinth’s beak is huge and powerful. Hooked and black, it is designed to break open extremely hard shells. It is also utilised as a third foot, for rasping and scaling branches. The toes are zygodactylous (meaning there are two in front and two behind). The combination of these two attributes makes them excellent climbers.

Both sexes look remarkably alike, save the female tends to be slightly smaller. They are monogamous and mate for life.

When the mating season comes round (there seems to be a great many conflicting opinions as to the dates of this – so I will not speculate here), nests are made in tree hollows and cliff faces; normally between four and fourteen metres above ground level.

Usually, two eggs are laid, but, historically, only one ever fledges. Incubation lasts up to twenty-eight days. Most of the mother’s time will be spent with her eggs whilst her mate undertakes the duty of feeding her. Once hatched, the youngsters will stay with their parents for a further six months. They will not be mature enough to breed themselves until they reach seven years of age.

Habitat
Areas abundant in nut-bearing trees and shrubs. Seasonal floodplain forests, tropical forests and adjacent savannah, deciduous woodland, palm groves, palm savannah and palm swamps.
Where
South America: southern Brazil, eastern Bolivia and north-eastern Paraguay.
What they eat
Nuts, fruit and vegetation. (They are especially fond of palm nuts) The hard acuri palm nut is eaten, but only after it has passed through the digestive system of cattle.
Threats
Massive illegal wild bird trade and local hunting. Brazil’s Native Indian Kayapo tribe hunt them for food and feathers. There is also an online market for genuine headdresses of the Kayapo tribe ($2,450 USD is the price on one of those I found) – no surprises there! As with most endangered species, they have suffered loss of habitat. In their case, due to hydroelectric dams, cattle-ranching and agriculture. The toco toucan is known to prey upon the eggs of the hyacinth macaw, taking more than half the total eggs predated. Other known natural predators are skunks, coatis and crows.
Status: Endangered
The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered. It is also listed on CITES Appendix I. Only six thousand or so hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) are known to still exist in the wild. The hyacinth macaw is protected by law in Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia, and has been since the 1960s and 1970s. However, the illegal trade continues. The laws are not properly enforced and the profit margins are high. In the 1980s, at least ten thousand birds were thought to have been taken from the wild.

“Our task must be to free ourselves… by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and it’s beauty”
Albert Einstein

Mungai and the Goa Constrictor

Children's Book Reviews, Children's Illustrators and RSS Wildlife News for children of all ages. Endangered Species Facts and Features.

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