Dutch give big cats hunting lessons in return to the wild

September 6, 2017 by Sophie Mignon

Suspended from a large butcher's hook, a prime piece of raw steak glides and then zigzags through the air in a big arena under the watchful eye of Dumi, the lioness.

With her hunter's instinct taking over, the big cat runs down her "prey" across the rocks and ponds of an artificial savannah at a lion sanctuary north of Amsterdam, then hooks her claws into her quarry after a spectacular leap.

Perhaps one day, thanks to this unique hunting simulator manipulated by a joystick, former circus performer Dumi will be able to hunt on African plains.

"It's a system which is meant to train the animals and not only give them back a little of their instinct, but also improve their motor control, their muscles, strength and reactions," said Daphne Pels, a keeper at the Stichting Leeuw (Lion Foundation) refuge.

There are 35 wild cats at the sanctuary in the small town of Anna Paulowna, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Amsterdam.

Most have been born in captivity, and the foundation aims to get the big felines—lions, tigers, cougars and leopards—back into peak condition to improve their lives and ultimately, even to hunt in the wild.

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Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin sanctuary set up in Taiwan

The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin has a new ally in the government of Taiwan

A dwindling population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins will be protected with the creation of Taiwan’s first marine wildlife sanctuary. Dolphin numbers have dropped by around 50 per cent according to local conservation groups, because of habitat degradation, industrial expansion and pollution.

Tsai Chia-yang, head of the Chuanghua Environmental Protection Union, said: “Indo-Pacific dolphin population is a key index to measure the health of the maritime environment.” 

The Council of Agriculture confirmed the sanctuary, which will be off the west coast of the country, will cover a large area of 76,300 hectare (188,461 acres).

Normal fishing in the area will be unaffected, as the government said a total ban was not feasible as the success of the sanctuary depends on the cooperation of local fishermen, but guidelines have been tightened for operators in the region and there will be tough punishments for illegal fishing of the endangered species. Dredge fishing has also been banned.

Continued

Honeybee sanctuary status for Colonsay and Oransay

The islands of Colonsay and Oronsay are to become a native honeybee sanctuary.

A new law will come into effect in January, making it illegal to import any bee other than the Apis mellifera mellifera to the area.

The Hebridean islands have about 50 colonies of the species and the new order aims to protect them from cross-breeding and disease.

The varroa mite, which has devastated bee colonies across the country, has not affected Colonsay or Oronsay.

There are 250 species of bee in the UK consisting of 24 species of bumblebees, 225 specifies solitary bees, but just one honeybee species, the native Black Bee (Apis mellifera mellifera).

The species is much hardier than the the Yellow or Italian Bee (Apis mellifera ligustica), which means the bees can survive the harsh climate of the Inner Hebrides.

The Scottish government granted the order after a public consultation received overwhelming support.

The Bee Keeping (Colonsay and Oronsay) Order 2013 comes into force on 1 January.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-24428707

Water vole sanctuary created in Bridport

Across the country the population of water voles has dropped from 1.2m to 400,000 in 10 years

A water vole sanctuary is being built on a Dorset river.

A pond is being restored and an island created on the River Brit at Bridport by the Environment Agency to give the endangered mammals a refuge.

The Environment Agency said the protected animal was "fast disappearing" due to habitat loss and predators.

The water vole sanctuary at Allington Pond is expected to take around a week to complete.

The agency said the work would provide a valuable habitat for the water voles to take cover.

Once a common sight in the county, the species is now only found in a "tiny fraction" of rivers and streams, the agency said.

The UK's water vole population has dropped 90% since the late 1980s, making it the UK's fastest declining mammal.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-21685649

Where the Wild Things Go … When There's Nowhere Else

Feb. 28, 2013 — Ecologists have evidence that some endangered primates and large cats faced with relentless human encroachment will seek sanctuary in the sultry thickets of mangrove and peat swamp forests. These harsh coastal biomes are characterized by thick vegetation -- particularly clusters of salt-loving mangrove trees -- and poor soil in the form of highly acidic peat, which is the waterlogged remains of partially decomposed leaves and wood. As such, swamp forests are among the few areas in many African and Asian countries that humans are relatively less interested in exploiting (though that is changing).

A lack of fresh water makes swamp life hard for animals such

as the endangered Zanzibar red colobus monkey, pictured here

 drinking from a container of fresh water provided by locals. 

(Credit: Photo by Katarzyna Nowak)

Yet conservationists have been slow to consider these tropical hideaways when keeping tabs on the distribution of threatened animals such as Sumatran orangutans and Javan leopards, according to a recent Princeton University study in the journal Folia Primatologica. To draw attention to peat and mangrove swamps as current -- and possibly future -- wildlife refuges, Katarzyna Nowak, a former postdoctoral researcher of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton, compiled a list of 60 primates and 20 felids (the large-cat family that includes tigers and leopards) known to divide their time between their natural forest habitats and some 47 swamp forests in Africa and Asia.

Because swamp forests often lack food sources, fresh water and easy mobility, few mammals are exclusive to these areas, Nowak reported. Consequently, conservation groups have not intensely monitored the animals' swamp use.

Continued

Polar bear sanctuary on iceberg

Tabular icebergs may give the bears sanctuary from hunting

A hitherto unknown polar bear sanctuary in the Arctic has been discovered by the makers of a BBC documentary.

An estimated 20 of the bears were seen on the Peterman Iceberg in Baffin Bay, 50km off the Canadian coast.

For most of the year, polar bears live on the frozen sea water where they hunt seals.

So the finding challenges received wisdom about where polar bears spend the summer months, when the sea ice melts.

The sanctuary was discovered during the filming of BBC Two's Operation Iceberg.

It had been assumed that polar bears had to move on to the land during the summer, in this case, Baffin Island.

Continued:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20140188

Baby owls play in Spring sunshine

They are normally happier coming out at night but these two European Eagle owl chicks seemed happy playing in the Spring sunshine.

Last Updated: 5:53PM BST 01 May 2009

Owl chicks: Two newborn European Eagle owl chicks enjoying the spring blossom at the Suffolk Owl sanctuary in Stonham, Suffolk Photo: ALBAN PIX

The wide-eyed chicks which hatched just two-weeks-ago appeared content to investigate some pink blossom on a tree branch.

The arrival of the pair has delighted staff at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary at Stonham Barns near Ipswich, Suffolk.

An Asia brown wood owl and two lanner falcons have also hatched at the centre in recent days.

Andy Hulme, manager of the sanctuary, said: "It is looking like a really good breeding season. It is all down to the extra light we are getting now."

The European eagle owl's mother, Rhiea, was the sanctuary's first ever owl when she arrived in 1995 and was a star performer for many years.

But when she turned 12, she tired of public demonstrations and turned towards courting and having offspring with a male owl called Sam.

The lanner falcons are being reared by keepers, using tweezers to feed them, until they are around 12 days old and can be given back to their parents.

Staff are also hopeful that a new crop of snowy owls, currently being incubated by their mother, Snowdrop, will successfully hatch.

Nineteen-year-old Snowdrop has already had 34 youngsters in her lifetime and the offspring have gone to various places round the world from Japan to Holland.

Baby harris hawks and southern-faced scops owls could also be on their way over the Bank Holiday weekend.

But the sanctuary is becoming increasingly concerned for the safety of Inca, the Turkey Vulture, which escaped from the centre last month.

The two-foot tall bird with a five foot wingspan has been spotted in several locations around Suffolk since being blown off course in a training exercise on April 7, but there have been no reported sightings for a week.

Mr Hulme said: "It could mean he's moved further away or something bad has happened to him. We are asking people to keep their eyes peeled."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/5257392/Baby-owls-play-in-Spring-sunshine.html