Humpback Whales Are Losing Their Protection in Canada

Canada has recently made a motion to remove Humpback Whales from the list of threatened species. Ordinarily, this would suggest that the whales' populations had recovered enough for them to survive on their own without protection. However, this is not the case.

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The federal government of Canada has stated that Humpback Whale populations have increased enough to downgrade their status from "threatened" to "special concern." However, the grim reality of this movement is that the reclassification occurred at the same time as the government's decision to put an oil pipeline through the area of the ocean where Humpback Whales live. Changing their status and removing all government protection means that they can build the pipeline legally. They are also going to expand another pipeline that is in the same region.

The Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline will carry oil from Alberta to the west coast, which will then be exported to Asia. It is a $7.9 billion project, and Humpback Whales will be direct victims of it. By removing all federal protection for the whales and their environment, it will now be legal to displace the whales from their established feeding grounds and disrupt their environment with oil tankers. Additionally, whale mortality due to accidents involving tankers or spills will no longer be a consideration.

via Wikipedia - Public Domain

It is difficult to judge the current population of Humpback Whales. Currently, the goal for their population is merely to maintain and monitor it as it grows. If they are downgraded and protection is removed, it will be impossible to tell statistically if the populations are suffering due to the oil pipelines. And if that is the case, it will be even more difficult to do anything about it. Environmentalists assert that even if populations are recovering now, removing their protection will only cause them to decrease again.

Humpback Whales are very loyal to their specific feeding grounds. In Canada, their "critical habitat" lies near Kitimat, British Columbia, which is where the western end of the Northern Gateway will be. These waters are currently considered some of the most quiet waters in the region, so any disruption by noise or ships will act as a detrimental change to the whales' environment.

This sly political move has thrown environmental groups into an uproar, but this isn't the first time that the government has been criticized for slacking on environmental issues. The Canadian government is expected make a final decision regarding the Northern Gateway pipeline this June.

In China, People Caught Eating Rare Animals Face Jail Time

The sale of endangered animals for food purposes is a common practice in countries like China, and it helps fuel illegal poaching and trading. In a recent news event, China's government has approved legislature that puts a 10 year jail sentence on anyone found eating endangered wildlife. It will also impose punishment for the illegal trade of these animals.

The Giant Panda - an unfortunate victim of this trade.
via Wikipedia - used under Creative Commons License

The bill will essentially strengthen laws that were already in place, and clearly define the practice as illegal. Authorities have found that people committing these crimes were walking away without punishment, and as a result the practice has only been growing. China is the largest market for this kind of trade because of the diversity of wildlife in that region, and because they use many animals not only for food, but for traditional medicines. Many of the "medicinal" properties of these animals were debunked years ago, but that has not stopped the poaching. People also consume these animals purely as a social statement, or to show respect for guests.

Animals included in this bill are Giant Pandas, Pangolins, Asian Black Bears, Golden Monkeys, and Sharks, as well as many more. Pangolins are armadillo-like creatures whose scales are believed to have detoxifying powers. Asian Black Bears are often kept on farms for their bile to be harvested, as it is believed to treat multiple ailments. Shark fins are a common occurrence in Chinese cuisine, specifically shark fin soup.

via Wikipedia - used under Creative Commons License

The country defines 420 animals as being endangered. In addition to strengthening the laws against those killing and eating the animals, it will place up to a 3 year jail sentence on those who buy the animals. This is important as well, not only because the buying of the animals fuels the trade, but because many of the animals that are eaten are imported from other countries such as Myanmar or Vietnam.

This law has technically been in place since 1998, and has undergone numerous revisions. The bill is scheduled to be reviewed and revised again 5 years from now. Wildlife in China still faces numerous threats each day, such as poaching for other purposes, and the declining quality of the environment, but China is taking a huge step towards ending the violence by strengthening this law and closing the loopholes.

The Illegal Wildlife Trade

For centuries, the illegal killing and selling of animals has been an unfortunately profitable business. It is estimated to be right behind the illegal drug trade in terms of profitability. Getting an accurate number is difficult because of the secretive nature of the trade, but estimates put annual profit into the hundreds of millions of dollars, possibly into the billions. 

Poaching rates are especially high in Latin America, where the biodiversity is remarkable, and the resources to stop illegal trafficking are nearly absent. The methods by which poachers smuggle animals out of the country are truly disturbing, and most animals will die before they even reach their destination. Although habitat destruction is still widely considered to be the biggest threat to endangered species, illegal trafficking is a close second, and has much more dire implications.

There are several different facets to the illegal wildlife trade, all of which have experienced a sudden spike in the last few years. 

THE IVORY TRADE

Killing elephants for their tusks is one of the largest branches of the illegal wildlife trade. Ivory from elephant tusks is in high demand, and has resulted in over 100,000 elephants being killed each year. The international sale of ivory has been illegal since 1990, but the trade has still been increasing at staggering rates. This has resulted in the undoing of decades of conservation work. 

by USFWS Mountain-Prairie
via Flickr.com - used under
Creative Commons License

The American government has recently placed new laws on the sale of ivory, effectively introducing a total ban on the sale of ivory. The government also hopes to stop several forms of trade by being more stringent about whether certain ivory is legal or not.

PARROT TRADE

In Latin America, thousands of wild parrots are smuggled out of the country despite bans and international agreements. In 2008, one study showed that over 22,000 birds were smuggled out in the past year. The trade has resulted in a 30% decrease in some species' populations in the wild, and the vast majority (75%) of the birds will die from stress or abusive handling during transit. 

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TIGER POACHING

Tigers are one of the most sought-after animals for the illegal wildlife trade. Their skins are in high demand and are often seen as a status symbol in some countries. Every part of the body gets traded, and their teeth and bones are often used in traditional and folk medicine. As a result of poaching and habitat destruction, over 97% of tiger populations have been lost in the last century. The number of remaining tigers is estimated to be below 2,500.

At this rate, it is estimated that tigers will be extinct within a few decades. 

via Wikipedia - used under Creative Commons License

What is Being Done?

These examples of the illegal wildlife trade barely scratch the surface of this disturbing and destructive business. Luckily, many organizations have made it a priority to put an end to it. 

The World Wildlife Fund has put this issue on the top of their priority list, and they are doing everything from educating, to funding increased patrols in countries where poaching is prevalent. They also offer several opportunities to donate, or symbolically adopt a tiger to support their efforts.

Copyright Getty Images/WPA Pool

As mentioned in a previous post, the royal family is still continuing their work to get multiple governments involved. Prince William is a patron of the Tusk Trust, an organization that fights to save the wildlife of Africa. Prince William and Prince Charles recently spoke at The Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London, which resulted in 40 countries and 11 international organizations agreeing to take decisive action against illegal poaching and trading. The Declaration pledges to reduce demand for wildlife products, strengthen law enforcement, and to engage with local communities.

Another international agreement titled CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) was created to ensure that the sale and trade of animals does not damage their populations. The agreement was put into place in 1975 and currently protects 35,000 species of plants and animals.

Destruction of Rainforests Harms More Than the Trees

Our world's rainforests play a vital role in regulating the planet's temperature and weather patterns. They are characterized by the massive amounts of rainfall that occur annually, and by the diverse organisms that live there. Rainforests are estimated to experience 50 to 260 inches of rain every year. The Amazon Basin holds one-fifth of the world's fresh water, and the forests are estimated to produce around 40% of the world's oxygen. There are two types of rainforest: temperate and tropical. They can be found on every continent except for Antarctica.

via Wikipedia - Public Domain

What Lives in the Rainforests?

Rainforests cover less than 6% of the planet, but they are home to 50% of the world's wildlife. Since rainforests grow in such varying places around the world, wildlife often varies greatly as well. Every animal has adapted to their specific biome, but there are some similarities across the board. Rainforests are home to many animals that have adapted to life in trees, such as birds, monkeys with prehensile tails, and thousands of types of insects. Many birds and insects are brightly colored, such as parrots and butterflies, but many other animals have adapted to camouflage themselves, such as stick insects and some reptiles.

 via Wikipedia - courtesy Luc Viator/www.Lucnix.be

Plant life is also abundant and varied in the rainforests. It is estimated that in a 4 square mile plot of forest, there are 1,500 flowering plants and 750 types of trees. Many of these plants have medicinal value, and have been shown to have cancer-treating properties. As many as 2,000 plants have been shown to have these qualities. Plants close to the ground tend to have large leaves to absorb the maximum amount of sunlight through the thick canopy of trees. 

What's Happening to the Rainforests?

Rainforests used to cover around 15% of the earth's surface, but now they cover less than 6%. It is estimated that around 56,000 square miles of rainforest are destroyed every year. Trees are cut down for profit from the lumber, to convert the land for agricultural use, and to create land for highways and other development. 

Deforestation has negative implications not only for the forest itself, but for the environment of the entire planet. Scientists have estimated that 15% of greenhouse gas emissions are a direct result of deforestation. Destruction of forests also interferes with the production of fresh water by disrupting rain cycles. A recent scientific study has shown that rainforests are turning brown due to increased periods of drought. They are losing their ability to photosynthesize, which is harming the environment further.

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The destruction also means that the rainforests' indigenous wildlife is left more open to poachers and other threats. Without the trees to protect them or provide food, many of the species that call the rainforest home will die. This is especially disturbing because of the sheer number of animals that are native to the rainforests. It strikes a concerning parallel to the destruction of coral reefs and the resulting affects on marine life, as noted in the previously posted infographic.

Animal Spotlight: Sumatran Rhino

by David Ellis via Flickr.com
used under Creative Commons License

Physical Characteristics: Sumatran Rhinos are born covered in dense hair, which thins out and becomes wiry as the rhino grows. They have two small horns instead of one large one, and grow to be between 1 and 1.5 meters in height. They are the smallest type of rhino, and weigh only 950kg at most.

Habitat: These rhinos used to live in the Himalaya region in north-east India, through southern China, Thailand, Cambodia, Malay Peninsula, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, in Indonesia. Currently, they only survive in parts of Sumatra and Malaysia. They almost exclusively live in regions with dense tropical forests.

Diet: They are herbivores, and will eat almost any kind of plant. They are known as "opportunistic feeders" and tend to browse for whatever they can find.

Behavior: Male rhinos are generally solitary, but females are often found living with their offspring. They do not usually move very far during the day, and their range does not vary much unless their habitat becomes disturbed. They spend most of their day laying in puddles or mud holes to stay cool. They communicate with each other primarily through sounds.

The Threat to Their Population

Sumatran Rhinos are the most critically endangered species of rhino alive today. They outnumber the Javan Rhino, but since they are at a higher risk of poaching, they are considered the most endangered. It is difficult to find the exact number of Sumatran Rhinos remaining in the wild, but scientists have concluded that the number is less than 275. Some say that the numbers have dwindled to less than 100, but it is hard to know for sure.

There are 3 subspecies of Sumatran Rhino, one of which is widely considered to be extinct. The rhinos can live to be up to 45 years old, but they have been reproducing more and more infrequently. In the past 15 years, there have been only 2 successful births in captivity. More recently, on March 30th, 2014, one of the last Sumatran Rhinos in captivity died at the Cincinnati Zoo.

by Willem v Strien via Flickr.com
used under Creative Commons License

By far the largest threat to Sumatran Rhino populations is illegal poaching. In countries such as Vietnam, their horn is believed to have medicinal powers. These claims are of course false, but the superstition is a large part of why the poaching continues. Because of the severely decreased populations, breeding frequency and genetic diversity has also suffered.

These rhinos are also extremely sensitive to any changes in their environment, so destruction of their habitat also affects their population. Many of the forests in their natural range have been cut down to harvest coffee or rice, robbing the rhinos of viable living space.

Conservation Efforts

Sumatran Rhinos are legally protected, and an international cooperative program is being put in place to end to illegal poaching. There are also several breeding programs in place, with the two most recent successful births occurring at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2001 and 2004. 

The World Wildlife Fund is also participating in monitoring current populations and restoring the environment for the rhinos. They are also monitoring illegal trading activity and funding antipoaching efforts.

via Wikipedia - used under Creative Commons License

The Royal Family Gets Involved

The royal family has been making waves in the news for a while now, mostly for the lavish wedding of Kate and William, and Kate's new baby. What many people don't know, however, is that the family is also making waves in the field of wildlife conservation. Prince Charles became the president of the UK branch of the World Wildlife Fund in 2011, and gave a speech pleading for humanity to be more steadfast about saving and sustaining the environment.

by Jonathan Huelin via Flickr.com - used under Creative
Commons License

Prince William is deeply involved with the subject as well. He is the president of United For Wildlife, which brings together some of the largest charities for wildlife and environmental conservation. Recently he spoke at a meeting for these charities, saying that his goal, and the goal of his organization, is to outsmart the forces currently destroying endangered animal populations. He and his father also spoke at the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade in February of 2014. (Another notable attendee at this conference was Jackie Chan, who is also active in animal rights. He is currently a spokesperson for WildAid. He has filmed a number of PSAs for them and has been involved since 2002.)

On May 21st, 2013, William and Charles both spoke at the End Wildlife Crime Conference, an event which they hosted to raise awareness for crimes against wildlife. Specifically, they focused on elephants, tigers, and rhinos. The conference concluded with multiple governments signing a resolution to take a stand about conservation and putting an end to the illegal wildlife trade. 

by Foreign Commonwealth Office - via Flickr.com
used under Creative Commons License

Prince Charles has been an advocate for saving wildlife since 1988 when he became a patron of Friends of Conservation. Prince William has been a member of the Tusk Trust since 2005. They have created the Twitter hashtag #EndWildlifeCrime to spread the word over social media, and to help get the world involved. The End Wildlife Crime Conference was a huge step towards securing the populations of many endangered species, and putting an end to the illegal animal trade.

Infographic: Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are an important part of marine ecology. Unfortunately, in the past few years, over a quarter of the world's reefs have been destroyed by various factors. Check out this infographic to learn more about coral reefs!

Invasion of the Lionfish

Humans aren't the only ones posing a risk to valuable wildlife; Lionfish have found their way into U.S. waters, and they are ravaging their marine environments. This story has been developing for the past few years, and scientists have narrowed down the cause of the invasion, as well as begun work to remove many Lionfish from the wild.

by Michael Aston via Flickr.com - used under
Creative Commons License

Lionfish are native to the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, and are characterized by their 18 poisonous spines that can cause extreme pain and, in some cases, paralysis. Because of this, Lionfish have no natural predators in the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, they are able to eat and kill whatever they please, which is destroying native species and their habitats.

How Did They Get Here?

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As of 2013, Lionfish have been spotted all along the East Coast of the United States, from Florida to New England. Scientists have studied the sudden invasion, and have come to the conclusion that the Lionfish were introduced into the ocean by Florida pet owners who set their fish loose, not realizing the effect it would have on native fish. The Lionfish reproduced incredibly quickly and their population grew like wild fire, partially due to the lack of natural predators, and partially because female Lionfish are known for being able to produce a massive amount of eggs.

What Can Be Done?

via Wikipedia - used under Creative Commons License

A study of the stomach content of one Lionfish determined that the species can ingest over 50 species of fish. Many of these fish are already endangered due to hunting or other environmental factors. Scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about the welfare of the native ecosystem, and have been hard at work to lower the quickly growing populations. The search requires special equipment that allows researchers to explore the depths where Lionfish are dwelling. 

Recently, Jamaica has reported a sharp decline in Lionfish population, largely due to an increased market for their fillets. Fishermen have learned how to handle and prepare the fish without getting stung by their poisonous spines, and have since claimed a 66% drop in Lionfish in the area.

Other places are not so fortunate: scientists in the U.S. still report the problem as being serious and hard to contain. Commissioners from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be meeting soon to discuss this issue. They will be consider making rules that make it easier to control the population, such as allowing divers to harvest them using rebreathers, which allow them to stay underwater for longer.

Animal Spotlight: Przewalski's Horse

by Salvosam via Wikipedia - used under Creative
Commons License

                                                     

Physical Characteristics: Przewalski's Horses grow to be 12-14 hands high, and are stockier than most other horses. They usually weigh between 550 and 750 pounds Their coloring is light to dark brown, with faint striping on their legs.

Habitat: Przewalski's Horses live in semi-desert environments. There has been much debate about the preferred habitat of the horses: some say that they only lived in semi-desert habitats because they were forced out of other habitats due to urban growth.

Diet: They are herbivores, but they tend to have seasonal food preferences based on what grows during particular seasons.

Behavior: Przewalski's Horses live in small, permanent family groups. Younger members stay in the group until they are no longer dependent, at which point bachelor stallions join bachelor groups. Members of a family group communicate with each other via scent marking, visual and tactile signs, and vocalizations.

The Threat to Their Population

Przewalski's (pronunciation: sheh-VAHL-skee) Horse is the last living breed of wild horses. They are also the only breed of wild horses never to be domesticated. Originally they were found in regions around Poland, Germany, Russia, Mongolia, and China. About 100 years ago, their populations started dwindling, mostly due to habitat destruction and hunting. They were listed as extinct in the wild in the 1960's. They survived only in zoos and wildlife preserves until the 1990's, when reserves began releasing excess horses back into the wild.

via Wikipedia - used under Creative Commons License

In 2008, a reassessment was conducted to decide whether or not the status should be changed. Przewalski's Horses had been successfully reintroduced to the wild several times, which led the status to be changed from extinct to critically endangered. Roughly 400 horses now exist in the wild thanks to reintroduction efforts. Reintroduction sites include: Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and China. Because the wild population is still so small, the largest risk the newly integrated animals face is loss of genetic diversity, and risk of hybridization with domestic horses. 

Since reintroduction efforts began, studies have shown that the Przewalski's Horse populations have been steadily increasing. They have acclimated well to the wild, proving that the long period of being held in captivity has had no adverse affect on their ability to live on their own.

Conservation Efforts

The Prague Zoo has dedicated itself to breeding Przewalski's Horses, and they have released 12 horses back into the wild since 2011.

They are legally protected in Mongolia. Hunting them has been illegal since the 1930's.

The North American Breeders group, formed in the 1970's, has developed a survival plan for Przewalski's Horses: many groups now work together to minimize inbreeding and maintain genetic diversity.

In 2002, The Status and Action Plan for the Przewalski's Horse was created to provide more information about the species, as well as the current conservation efforts in place.

On July 27th, 2013, at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, a Przewalski's Horse foal was the first wild horse to be born via artificial insemination.

by Smithsonian's National Zoo via Flickr.com
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