Global March for Elephants and Rhinos to Take Place October 7

Participants in the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos

It has been announced that thousands of people around the world will be participating in the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos (GMFER) on October 7, in order to put pressure on international leaders to combat poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. Last year, the GMFER established marches in over 140 cities and had representatives at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES which was the largest meeting on the international wildlife trade. During the meeting, CITES agreed to urge that countries shut down their domestic ivory markets instead of regulating them. This year, in addition to demanding government action to end the wildlife trade, GMFER will be focusing on ensuring that conservation efforts do not alienate the local communities. To do this, GMFER will be hosting a program called "A Day With Wildlife" in partnership with the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit and the Bush Babies Environmental Education in South Africa's Kruger National Park. The organizations will be spending the day with children and elders from bordering communities in Limpopo, talking about the history of Kruger National Park and the importance of collaborating with homegrown communities to achieve conservation goals.

The significance of this year's GMFER focus is to reach out to local communities and empower them about the value of joining forces in protecting elephants, rhinos, and other endangered wildlife around the world. According to Rosemary Alles, cofounder and president of GMFER, indigenous communities in elephant and rhino range countries are known to be protective of poachers because they bring resources back to them in order to survive. She further added that the Western world needs to be more aware and understanding of the struggles of indigenous communities and should consider other options than just militarizing to stop poachers. This distinctive approach is an essential step towards ending poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. Mainly targeting poachers and other would-be perpetrators alone is not enough; it is equally important to reach out to local communities and educate and empower them about the crimes against wildlife and the value of conserving the world's wildlife. Furthermore, countries around the world should close down their local ivory and rhino horn markets as this would further dwindle the elephant and rhino populations. 

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Death of a Huge Crocodile Could Trigger Power Struggle

Saltwater crocodile

A huge saltwater crocodile was recently found dead in the Fitzroy River in Queensland, Australia. The crocodile was identified as a 17 foot-long male, which had been shot in the head and discovered by a local farmer named John Leaver who spotted the animal's carcass floating in the river. He stated that it has been around 2-3 decades since such a gigantic crocodile was found in Queensland. He further added that the animal had been shot in the head and based on the damage to its skull, the bullet may have come from a quite large caliber rifle and the user must have "felt very threatened." The crocodile was taken to a nearby farm where an autopsy will be conducted before its burial. According to Michael Joyce, southern operations director from Queensland's Environment Heritage Protection (EHP), the crocodile was estimated to be between 80 and 100 years old. He further added that the death of this majestic crocodile may spark a power struggle between younger males, as they compete for dominance and therefore becoming more aggressive. This means that people living in the area could be at great risk of attack from these crocodiles and should be extra careful over the coming days and weeks.

Fitzroy River at dawn

The death of this gigantic crocodile is a clear indication of how human beings interfere with the pecking order of various species of animals. Before this crocodile died, all the smaller and younger males kept well clear of him and knew their individual places in the hierarchy. Although crocodiles are solitary by nature, they congregate in certain parts of rivers and usually tolerate one another. However, that is not the case with the saltwater crocodile which is the most aggressive and territorial of the crocodiles. It is so aggressive, that a large male will not tolerate the presence of any other male in his territory. Therefore, the largest and heaviest males have the most status and having access to the best basking sites. So when a large male crocodile is killed, it will deliberately create a power vacuum amongst younger males as they fight for dominance thus changing the balance of Fitzroy River's crocodile population. Local residents should be advised to be extra careful and the waterways of the Fitzroy River should be intensively patrolled to check for any suspicious human activity that could spell disaster for crocodiles and other wildlife.

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Sea Shepherd to Discontinue Hunt of Japanese Whalers

A Sea Shepherd ship in pursuit of Japanese whaling vessels in the Southern Ocean

The anti-whaling organization, Sea Shepherd, has recently announced that it will no longer pursue Japanese whalers. The organization had been restricting Japanese whaling vessels in Antarctica's Southern Ocean since 2005, but Captain Paul Watson, the founder of the organization, stated that the cost of dispatching vessels south, increased use of Japan's military technology to track them, and the passing of new anti-terrorism laws specifically to foil Sea Shepherd's activities made pursuing ships physically difficult. Captain Watson further added that Japanese whaling companies have strong political support, as well as all the resources and grants provided by the government. He even accused the governments of U.S, Australia, and New Zealand for being "in league with Japan." Although the governments of these three countries are opposed to commercial whaling, they have criticized anti-whaling activists for "dangerous, reckless, or unlawful behavior." Sea Shepherd has been subjected to this sort of criticism for its methods of pursuing whaling vessels, with the Japanese government labeling them as "eco-terrorists" and seeking to place Captain Watson on the Interpol watch-list. In addition, the organization was fined for contempt of a U.S court for violating a ruling not to physically attack or harass Japanese whalers. Despite strong criticism, Sea Shepherds twelve-year effort against Japan's whalers had been successful, having saved 6,500 whales.

Commercial whaling has been an ongoing issue for many years. Much of the criticism had been directed towards Japan. There had been numerous cases in which the Japanese government was summoned to court, regarding whaling. One example was seen in 2014 the Australian government took Japan to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its whaling program in the Southern Ocean, which resulted in Japan's whaling programs being condemned for being in breach of the International Whaling Commission's ban on commercial whaling. The court even refused Japan's argument that it was whaling for "scientific" reasons. A year later, Australia pursued Japan in its federal court which fined the whaling company Kyodo $1 million. The penalty has not been paid yet. Last month, Gerry Brownlee, New Zealand's foreign affairs minister, stated that he was "extremely disappointed" Japan had passed a new bill to finance its whaling fleet and expressed concern about the country's ongoing efforts to reverse the long-term international moratorium on commercial whaling. Last year, Australia, New Zealand, U.S, and the Netherlands signed a joint statement which accused the Japanese government of disregarding the ICJ order and criticized the anti-whaling activists. Whenever there is news of suspected whaling activity carried out by Japan or any other country, have the governments of U.S, Australia, New Zealand, or the Netherlands taken action by sending their federal agents to confront the perpetrators? Captain Watson indicated that countries opposed to Japan's whaling should have their ships in the southern waters to track and obstruct whaling and uphold their own laws against the practice. If the governments of U.S, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and other anti-whaling countries cannot tolerate the actions implemented by Sea Shepherd or similar organizations, then they themselves should send their fleet of ships to combat the ongoing threat of whaling.

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Denmark Has a Wolf Pack for the First Time in 200 Years

A pair of wolves caught on camera in West Jutland, Denmark.

For the first time, in 200 years, Denmark has confirmed that it has seen the return of wolves to its forests. Peter Sunde, a senior researcher at Aarhus University, stated that the animals were wiped out due to intense persecution as with several other European countries. He further added that before a male wolf was sighted wandering the Jutland peninsula in 2012, the last confirmed wolf sighting in Denmark was in 1813. Now, Sunde and Kent Olsen of the Aarhus Natural History Museum have confirmed the presence of not only other wolves, but a fully developed pack which means that the group has a female, as well. They pointed out that camera trap footage and DNA tests of scat samples  recovered by volunteers in the past half-year, which showed that four males and a female had been moving through the region. The researchers believe that the female, code-named GW675f, crossed into Jutland from Germany across a distance of about 340 miles last summer. Now, camera footage showing a pair of wolves indicates that she has also found a mate.

It is truly a big news that wolves have made a comeback to one of many, if not one of many, European countries where they had long disappeared. This would mean that the natural ecosystems of Denmark, especially where there are an abundance of herbivorous animals, would be put to balance as the wolves will attempt to keep the prey population in check. However, this recent discovery also means that there will be concerns related to human-wolf conflicts. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct awareness programs targeted at the general public and country folk in educating them about wolves and their roles in the wild. In addition, providing farmers with livestock guardian dogs would help in minimizing stock losses to the wolves. These steps would help wolves and people in Denmark to coexist peacefully.

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ISIS Fighters Killed by Wild Boars in Iraq Before Ambushing Locals

A caged wild boar

Three fighters of the militant group ISIS have recently been killed by wild boars in Iraq while they planned to ambush tribesmen opposed to the globally ruthless terrorist organization. The attack occurred on Sunday when about eight jihadists had reportedly hid among dense reeds in the country's al-Rashad region, preparing to ambush local anti-ISIS tribesmen when a sounder of wild boars attacked the jihadists, killing three. According to Sheikh Anwar al-Assi, a chief of the Al-Ubaid tribe and leader of the local group of tribesmen who revolted after ISIS took control of the town of Hawija, the jihadists probably disturbed the animals which happen to inhabit the area as well as adjacent cornfields. This incident was confirmed by local Kurdish fighters who have teamed up with Shiite Muslim militias supported by Iran in an effort to get rid of ISIS from Hawija. The jihadists' dismembered bodies bodies were reportedly found by refugees fleeing the violence that has plagued Iraq. The news first appeared on a local news site Al-Sumaria, which cited unknown local sources and later received attention on social media as officials corroborated the event. While deaths caused by wild boars are rather uncommon in the region, the animals are known for their brutal attacks that can result in death, according to a 2006 article titled "Death by attack from a wild boar" published in the Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine.

This was one of several bizarre moments when wild animals unexpectedly attack and kill people, particularly criminals. About six years ago, an abalone poacher was attacked and killed by a great white shark in South Africa. While that was the case in which somebody deemed as a threat to wildlife was "brought to justice," this was the case in which members of an international terrorist organization inadvertently fell victim to wild animals. The ISIS has been widely known for some of the most horrendous acts of violence and mayhem in the world, which include beheadings of both civilians and soldiers, recruitment of child soldiers, sexual violence and slavery, and even destruction of cultural heritage sites. This incident reportedly came after the organization slaughtered about 25 civilians trying to escape areas under their control. Although three ISIS fighters have been killed by wild boars, there is a possibility that members of the organization will try to be more careful when conducting such brutal attacks and this could mean annihilating the wildlife which makes its home in the region where they are operating. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial to take strong measurements in annihilating this life-threatening terrorist organization once and for all.

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Scientists Discover Potential Antibiotic in Komodo Dragon Blood

Tujah, a komodo dragon whose blood contains a substance which is found to have germ-killing abilities.

A team of scientists from George Mason University have recently discovered an antibiotic in the blood of the komodo dragon. The discovery came when the scientists separated a substance in the dragon's blood that appeared to have powerful germ-killing capabilities. Influenced by the discovery, the scientists created a similar chemical in the lab and named it DRGN-1. The tests on mice with skin wounds infected with two types of bacteria indicated that DRGN-1 had three characteristics: it punched holes in the outer membrane of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, dissolved biofilms that fasten bacteria together, and increased skin healing. The discoverers' study was published last week in the journal Biofilms and Microbiomes. Although their work was paid by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the researchers are now looking for drug-industry backing. The study's lead authors, Dr. Monique L. Van Hoek and Dr. Barney M. Bishop, are known to study monitor lizards, including komodo dragons, and crocodilians. Since komodo dragons are endangered, the researchers had to find one in captivity under care of staff members brave enough to obtain blood samples without anesthesia. Their search led them to St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park in Florida, where keepers distracted a 100-pound male dragon named Tujah while four tablespoons of blood was collected from his tail. According to Dr. Bishop, no reptiles were harmed during the process and no dragon farms would be created for collecting dragon blood. Dr. Van Hoek and her colleagues are analyzing more than forty other substances separated from Tujah's blood. In addition, komodo dragons in the wild might have more defenses against infection but the researchers are not likely to find out.    

Acinetobacter baumannii, a group of drug-resistant bacteria found in soil and water that is of tremendous threat to the human health.

This discovery is extremely crucial in medical science since more and more bacteria develop resistance to current drugs. In February, the World Health Organization (WHO) listed the most dangerous "superbugs", demanding new tools against them. These life-threatening bacteria are able to withstand current antibiotic drugs, making them a serious threat to human health. Dr. Bishop and Dr. Van Hoek have studied monitor lizards and crocodilians because they are able to survive severe wounds, including loss of limbs, in squalid environments without getting infected. The blood of the komodo dragon has recently been found to contain an antibiotic that can help people affected by Acinetobacter baumannii and other bacteria. As of now, komodo dragon blood is currently being tested for various substances that effectively fight the bacteria. This goes to show that while komodo dragons may be dangerous predators and have been linked to attacks on people, they may also help save lives of people under threat of drug-resistant bacteria. It is similar in the case of other venomous/poisonous animals whose venom/poison is scientifically proven to contain components that function as pain-killers against various life-threatening diseases, including cancer.

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Coral Bleaching Hits the Great Barrier Reef For the Second Year in a Row

A diver surveying bleached coral of the Great Barrier Reef near Orpheus Island. 

Aerial surveys have recently showed that Australia's Great Barrier Reef has been hit by severe coral bleaching for the second consecutive year. Incidences of severe coral bleaching in the reef had occurred three times in the past twenty years in 1998, 2002, and 2016. This year, however, marked the first time it has happened two years in a row. Scientists indicate that the damage is caused by increasing water temperatures due to global warming. According to James Kerry, a senior research officer of Queensland's ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, it takes about ten years for a full recovery, so mass bleaching events twelve months apart offers zero possibility of recovery for reefs damaged in 2016. He further added that it was "shocking" to see the degree of damage in a different section of the reef. Last year's damage was the worst in the northern third of the reef, while this year's damage is most serious in the middle third. According to Kerry, those areas of damage somewhat overlap so "some of the reefs now, in the northern and central section, have had a double dose of severe bleaching for two years in a row."

Composite map showing survey of coral reefs in 2016 and 2017.

Aerial footage released by the ARC Center showed large swaths of the reef drained of color. Although corals can recover if the ocean temperature returns to normal, continued stress may cause them to die. Mia Hoogenboom of James Cook University conducted several underwater assessments for the survey, and said she recorded damage to mound-shaped corals that are known to be more resistant to bleaching. The Arc Center further added that Cyclone Debbie "struck a section of the reef that had largely escaped the worst of the bleaching." A research on last year's bleaching incident showed that more than 90 percent of a 1,430-mile stretch of the reef had experienced some form of damage. A recently published study in Nature indicated that local measurements can basically do little to the reefs from bleaching. Instead, securing the future for coral reefs "ultimately requires urgent and rapid action to reduce global warming."

Photograph of bleached coral taken during an aerial survey near Cairns.

The Great Barrier Reef has long been considered one of the most iconic biodiverse hotspots in the world by scientists and researchers. However, this magnificent "garden of Eden" is under severe threat from bleaching due to global warming. This is why it is extremely crucial to take major steps to reduce global warming. If global warming continues, vast majority of life in the reef and other parts of the world would completely disappear. Therefore, the goal to prevent further bleaching of corals not just in the Great Barrier Reef, but in other parts of the world as well, is to urgent action to reduce further impact of global warming.

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