Based on our movement work, we know that vultures from the Mara spend about five percent of their time in the two Tsavo National Parks. For this reason, I decided that it might be worth exploring the area one more time to get a feel for this unique ecosystem during the dry season as well.

If the Mara is the land of plenty, then Tsavo is the world of giants. Huge red-dusted elephants walk silently upon the dry earth and dig incredible holes in their constant search for water. Beautiful baobabs are scattered around, their fuzzy fruits littering the ground as their impressive trunks and finger-like branches cover the landscape.

Hyraxes can be seen in the many rocky outcroppings and we were lucky to find one climbing a small branch reaching hopefully for some tiny green berries. Pale chanting goshawks were the bird of plenty here though we saw only a handful of vultures.

More from ecomii:

• Learn about the majestic Bald Eagle
• Tips for staying flu-free this winter
• Get the latest info on our favorite endangered fuzzy friends
• Five cost-effective super foods
• Learn more about the Mountain Gorilla

http://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=anegada

When most people think of the British Virgin Islands, they probably think about white sand beaches, clear blue seas, and complete relaxation. With sprawling resorts, luxurious vacation homes, and yachts cruising around the shore, it’s hard to imagine anyone worrying about anything on the islands. However, for those who cherish the natural history of these islands there is plenty to be worried about.

The second-largest island in the British Virgin Island Archipelago, Anegada, is home to a fantastically-cool lizard species: the Anegada Island Iguana (Cyclura pinguis). This large lizard inhabits dry, rocky areas of Anegada Island where it lives out its days feeding on fruits and leaves. Both sexes have large home ranges, characterized by limestone crevices and burrow structures that allow these lizards to find shelter during the hottest parts of the day.

Males, distinguishable by the turquoise on various parts of their bodies, compete readily for females, …read more of The Endangered Unknown: Anegada Island Iguana here

It is not uncommon for newspapers in India to report elephant and other wild animal encounters in towns and villages. These creatures are losing their habitat and finding nowhere to go but the human inhabited areas. Dr. Tammie Matson, a wildlife conservationist, started Animal Works, an organization addressing the issue of human-animal conflict in the Assam region of India and raising money for orphaned elephants.

Dr. Matson is an Australian zoologist who spent over a decade working on threatened species in southern Africa. She ran WWF Australia’s national species program from 2007 to 2008. She has published two books, “Dry Water – Diving headfirst into Africa”, about her experiences being a wildlife researcher in Africa, and “Elephant Dance – a story of love and war in the elephant kingdom” based on her work on human-elephant conflict.

Dr. Matson recently won InStyle magazine’s prestigious Women of Style award for the environment in June of 2010. Here, she talks about her life as a conservationist and what we can do to save elephants.  …read more of Saving Elephants in India: Dr. Tammie Matson here

http://vaquita.tv/for-media/photography/?album=1&gallery=3

In 2006, one of the most remarkable creatures on the planet ceased to exist for the rest of eternity. The Yangtze River Dolphin holds the distinction of being the first cetacean (think whales and dolphins) species to be driven to extinction in recent years. Sadly, that distinction may soon be held by another species, the Vaquita.

The Vaquita, Phocoena sinus, is a porpoise native only to a small area in the northern part of the Gulf of California. This species typically lives close to shore in water that is less than 120 feet deep where it hunts fish, squid, and crabs. The Vaquita is the smallest cetacean in the world, reaching a maximum size of about five feet long.

Vaquitas don’t have beaks like many porpoises and dolphins and can be distinguished by the black rings around their eyes and black-lipped mouth. Little is known about the daily lives of this species given their secretive nature, but researchers believe …read more of The Endangered Unknown: Vaquita here

There are many people who have changed our world with their discoveries. Dr. Jane Goodall is one of those people. Here’s why.

Even at an early age Jane Goodall loved nature. In 1957 she went to Africa for the first time. There she met Louis S. B. Leakey, famous archaeologist and paleontologist. Impressed with her interest and knowledge, he hired her as an assistant then asked her to study a group of chimpanzees in Tanzania with the hope of learning more about our own evolutionary past.

Her first weeks at Gombe were frustrating. The chimpanzees shied away from her, so she had to study them from a peak where she could observe what they did with her binoculars. Her notes revealed many things formerly unknown about chimps. For example, it was thought that chimps were vegetarians. Goodall saw them hunting and eating small mammals. …read more of ­Kids Connect! Scientific Greatness: Dr. Jane Goodall here

It is not uncommon for newspapers in India to report elephant and other wild animal encounters in towns and villages. These creatures are losing their habitat and finding nowhere to go but the human inhabited areas. Dr. Tammie Matson, a wildlife conservationist, started Animal Works, an organization addressing the issue of human-animal conflict in the Assam region of India and raising money for orphaned elephants.

Dr. Matson is an Australian zoologist who spent over a decade working on threatened species in southern Africa. She ran WWF Australia’s national species program from 2007 to 2008. She has published two books, “Dry Water – Diving headfirst into Africa”, about her experiences being a wildlife researcher in Africa, and “Elephant Dance – a story of love and war in the elephant kingdom” based on her work on human-elephant conflict.

Dr. Matson recently won InStyle magazine’s prestigious Women of Style award for the environment in June of 2010. Here, she talks about her life as a conservationist and what we can do to save elephants.

LS: What inspired you to become a wildlife conservationist?

TM: I have been passionate about animals from a young age. I grew up in North Queensland on …read more of Saving Elephants in India: Dr. Tammie Matson here

Photo: Clockwise, from upper left: Greater one-horned rhino, Sumatran rhino, black rhino, white rhino.

If you love rhinos, you’ll be excited to know that World Rhino Day is almost here!

September 22^nd marks the Second Annual World Rhino Day – a tradition established last year by WWF as an opportunity for people all over the world to take a stand against rhino poaching and the illegal trade in rhino horn.

US-based Saving Rhinos LLC (that’s me) and Zimbabwe-based Chishakwe Ranch are working together to continue the World Rhino Day tradition in 2011. …read more of Celebrate Rhinos on World Rhino Day! here

Young orangutan. Photo credit: Rhett Butler, Mongabay.com

Next time you shop, consider orangutans. While U.S. grocery stores may be physically far from the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia, where these endangered primates live, the impact of supermarkets on orangutan survival is not so distant.

About one in every ten products on your grocery store shelves contain palm oil. The problem is that unsustainable production, meaning “palm oil that’s developed at the expense of the remaining habitat of orangutans, is the single greatest threat to the survival of the species,” says Michelle Desilets, Executive Director of the Orangutan Land Trus

Palm oil is a key component in thousands of common household items, including cosmetics, processed food products like cookies and crackers, dairy products, soap and biofuels. It is widely used because its shelf life is longer than other vegetable oils and it is less costly and more efficient to grow. …read more of Shop so Orangutans don’t Drop here

Photo courtesy of Pam Krzyza

As one of the most widely recognized animals on our Planet, rhinos are unfortunately also one of the most endangered. Sought after for centuries because of the alleged healing properties of their distinctive horns, these giant herbivores are still the victims of long-standing myths.

Here, we shed some light on the misinformation that is behind the continued killing of these proud pachyderms.

Rhino horn and Traditional Chinese Medicine

For thousands of years, rhino horn has been a key ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, which has credited rhino horn with powerful healing properties. …read more of Scientific Studies Find No Medicinal Value in Rhino Horn here

Source: bspb.org

Another threat for Imperial eagles seems to be growing, as a dead eagle was found in Southern Bulgaria on June 10^th. The cause of death, according to experts from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, is poisoning.

The bird was found just under the hanging body of a pigeon, which was previously poisoned and obviously used as a bait for larger bird species like eagles and falcons.

The dead eagle, called Sofia, was one of the birds with satellite transmitters …read more of A Story about Birds, Money and Foul Play here