Black Rhinoceros - A Critically Endangered Species

One of the most critically endangered animals and best known for their mortal combat are the Black Rhinoceros. According to a recent study earlier this year (2013), there is an estimated population of just 4,880 individual black rhinos.

Two black rhinos (mother and calf) in Lewa, central Kenya

Source: By Harald Zimmer (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0

Where do these Black rhinos live? They live in the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas,  deserts and are native to Central and Eastern Africa.

Range or distribution of black rhino

Source: rhinoresourcecenter.com

The black rhinos have a dark grey or brown skin and can weigh from 800 to 1,400 kg. They have two horns that they use for defense and to dig roots and break branches while eating.

Rhino species size comparison Indian Rhinoceros, over 1.8m White Rhinoceros, 1.8m Black Rhinoceros, over 1.5m Javan Rhinoceros, 1.5m Sumatran Rhinoceros, 1.4m

Source: By WikipedianProlific [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0

Did you know? These black rhinos are also called the hook lipped rhinos because of their pointed upper lip.

Black rhino, you can see the pointed upper lip

Source: arkive.org

Their eyesight is poor and can hence attack tree trunks and termite mounds thinking that they are threats. However they identify food, other rhinos and predators with their sense of smell and hearing, both of which are great.

They go to regular areas for resting and wallow in the mud during the day to cool off their body and to ward off insects and parasites.

Black rhino wallowing in the mud

Source: arkive.org

These solitary black rhinos come together only for breeding and sometimes conflicts occur between males over a female, resulting in the death of a male!!!

The female rhinos give birth to one calf and look after the calf for 2 to 3 years. These rhinos live for around 30 to 35 years in the wild and around 45 to 50 years in captivity.
 

Black rhino and its calf at St Louis zoo,

Source: zooborns.com

To read more about the Black Rhinos, their characteristics, behaviour, food, habitat, reproduction, threats they face, actions taken to protect them and other facts in detail, please follow the link below.

Black Rhinoceros - A Critically Endangered Species

Threats faced by the Black Rhinoceros:

• Killed for food and fun in the early 20th centuries
• Change in habitat
• Illegal wildlife trade, especially for their horns
• Poaching
• Traditional medicines

Poached black rhino

Source: panda.org

Conservation efforts taken to protect the Black Rhinos:

WWF and other conservation programs are working towards,

• Stopping poaching and illegal trade
• Trans-location programs like Flying Rhinos
• Anti poaching patrols
• Transmitters to track rhinos
• Reintroduction programs

Flight of the rhino, flying rhino

Source: savetherhino.org

How can you help?

You can help by:

• Adopting a black rhino
• Donating to the WWF
• Spreading the word about the plight of the rhinos
• NOT buying any rhino products
• Buying only FSC certified forest products

Black Rhinoceros - A Critically Endangered Species

Did you know? More than fifty percent of male rhinos and more than thirty percent of female rhinos die from injuries related to combat!!!

Livingsta

Thank you for stopping by. I hope that you found the information presented here useful.

Have a great week!

Peace...

Livingsta :-)

Amur Leopard - A Critically Endangered Species

Amur leopards are beautiful and majestic cats that are on the list of critically endangered species in the world with only around 35 individuals  existing in the wild. That is a really small number at the brink of extinction.

Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), Philadelphia Zoo
Source: By Art G. from Willow Grove, PA, USA (Amur Leopard) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

As the name indicates, they are found in the Amur valley region in the temperate forests of Far east Russia and China and hence the name Far Eastern Leopard too!

Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)
Source: By User:Cacophony (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons 

The have a lighter coloured coat with longer fur in winter and a bit darker coloured coat with shorter fur in summer. Their legs are longer compared to the other leopard species, adapted to walk easily in the snow.

Amur leopard in its habitat

Source: worldwildlife.org

The female Amur leopards give birth to between one and four cubs at a time and they are born with eyes closed. Their prey are different varieties of deer, black bear cubs, fowls, hare, etc.

Amur leopard cubs

Source: wildexplorer.org

These big cats live for 10 to 15 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity

If you wish to read more about the Amur Leopards in depth, like their characteristics, behaviour, food, range, habitat, reproduction, main threats, conservation efforts and facts, please follow the link below!

Amur Leopard - A Critically Endangered Species

Amur leopard range

Source: wwf.org.uk

Distribution of the Amur leopard

Source: amur-heilong.net

The Amur leopards are under serious threat for the following reasons

• Scarcity of prey due to poaching and illegal logging
• Illegal wildlife trade where leopards' fur and antelopes of its prey are traded
• Destruction of leopard and prey habitat for construction of roads
• Forest conversion for farming and agriculture
• Traditional medicines that use bones of leopards and antlers of the leopard prey
• Forest fire
• Diseases and natural catastrophes
• Preventive killing when the leopards kill livestock due to scarcity of prey
• Inbreeding due to low population.

Snares and leopard skin, anti-poaching photo

Source: altaconservation.org

Conservation efforts taken to protect the Amur Leopards:

WWF is working along with many other partnership organisations to protect the Amur Leopards and to conserve them and their habitat.

• New protected areas have been established
• Camera traps set up to monitor the leopards and their prey
• Anti poaching activities
• Stopping public transport near leopard habitat
• Captive breeding programs
• Educating and creating awareness about the importance of conservation and protection of the leopards

 

Skin of Amur leopard

Source: panda.org

Did you know? The Amur leopards are the only leopards that live at higher altitudes and colder regions!!!
 

• You can help protect and conserve the Amur leopards by Donating to WWF or adopting an Amur Leopard.
• You can also just spread the word among your friends and family and others about the plight of these leopards.
• And most important of all, Please DO NOT buy any products made of leopard parts.

Amur leopard cub

Source: altaconservation.org

Did you know? A female Amur leopard with cubs needs fifty percent more food than when she is without cubs!!!

Amur Leopard - A Critically Endangered Species

Thank you for stopping by!

I hope you have had a wonderful week so far.

Peace!

Livingsta :-)

Leatherback Sea Turtle - A Critically Endangered Species

Leatherback, as the name says, this turtle does not have a hard shell like the other turtles do, but instead has a thick leather-like protective covering. Hence the name leatherback turtle. Its shape is also quite different from the other turtles, like a large tear drop! 

Leatherback turtle

Source: worldwildlife.org

Another critically endangered turtle species, that is on the IUCN red list. These are the largest of all the marine turtles that can grow as huge as 7 feet long. 

Close up view of dermochelys coriacea, leatherback turtle

Source: By Rabon David, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The scientific name for the leatherback turtle is Dermochelys coriacea.

Range and Nesting location of Leatherback sea Turtle
Red dot = major nesting locations
Yellow dot=minor nesting locations

Source: By Pïnpin (own work from Inscape) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)

They are found in the warm tropical and sub-tropical oceans up to the cold Arctic circle. They are found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans and the Pacific ocean population is close to extinction. They have a special adaptation (counter-current heat exchangers) that helps them with maintaining a body temperature that is a lot higher (almost 18 degrees Celsius higher) compared to the cold waters that they live in. Also their constant swimming generates heat due to muscle movements.

To read more about the leatherback turtles in detail, their characteristics, behaviour, food, habitat, reproduction, threats they face, conservation efforts and facts, please follow the link below.

Leatherback Sea Turtle - A Critically Endangered Species

The leatherback turtles have long flippers and seven prominent ridges on their back. They have pointed spikes in their mouth to help them to prevent their food the jellyfish (their main food) from slipping away.

Parts of a leatherback turtle

Source: sharkbay.org

Mouth of leatherback turtle

Source: nmlc.org

They mate in the ocean once every three to four years. The female comes to the nesting beaches on dark moonless nights and lays eggs in a remote area in the beach. Like most turtles, the leatherback turtle's eggs are also fed upon by predators. 

Eggs of leatherback turtle

Source: saveourleatherbacks.org

Hatchlings hatch within 60 to 70 days and they return to the sea. They have predators too, before entering the sea and in the sea. The lifespan of the leatherback turtles is estimated to be between 45 and 80 years.

Leatherback turtle hatchling

Source: ocean.si.edu

The leatherback turtles are important because they maintain the marine ecosystem by keeping the population of the jellyfish under control and are important in ecotourism

Jellyfish

Source: I, Katrina Curato [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0

These leatherback turtles are critically endangered and the threats that they face are:

• Intensive egg collection
• Killing for meat
• Fisheries bycatch
• Over-harvesting
• Oil drilling - pollutes the ocean
• Swallowing plastic bags - blocks their digestive tracts
• Erosion of nesting beaches due to rise in level of sea water
• Damage to coral reefs and grass beds

Leatherback turtle Bycatch

Source: worldwildlife.org

Turtle swallowing plastic bags

Source: kropes98.global2.vic.edu.au

WWF along with many partnership conservation organisations are working towards:

• Reducing use of turtle meat and eggs
• Reduce bycatch by helping design fishing equipment with turtle excluding devices
• Ecotourism 
• Educating fishermen with saving turtles that get caught in their nets
• Establishing marine protected areas
• Satellite devices to monitor the movements of the turtles.
• Steps taken to stop illegal trading and illegal acts

Leatherback Sea Turtle - A Critically Endangered Species

Did you know? The largest leatherback turtle was found on the West coast of Wales in 1998 and it weighed 916 kg with 2.6 m long body!!!

These beautiful leatherback turtles are nearing extinction. We need to join hands to protect them and save our environment.

Leatherback sea turtle nesting

Source: By Rabon David, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

You can help by donating to the WWF or adopting a turtle or by sending a turtle to rehab. Please do not buy any turtle products and you can hugely help by not throwing plastic waste anywhere near the oceans. Please try and pick up any plastic covers or other plastic material that you see, you will be saving a turtle or another marine species. Also, spread the word about these turtles to your friends, family, relatives and children.


I hope you're all having a lovely weekend.
Stay safe.

Peace and love...

Livingsta :-)

Cross River Gorilla - A Critically Endangered Species

Have you heard about the Cross River Gorillas? These cross river gorillas are one of the most critically endangered species with around 200 living in the wild.

Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli). In captivity at the Limbe Wildlife Centre, Limbe, Cameroon. This lady gorilla is called Nyango
Source: By Julielangford (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

They are found in the Cross River region bordering Nigeria and Cameroon. They are a WWF priority species and are on the IUCN red list.

Range of the cross river gorilla

Source: igorilla.org

The scientific name for the Cross river gorilla is Gorilla gorilla diehli and they are a subspecies of the western gorillas.

Cross River gorilla, Limbe Wildlife Centre, Cameroon
Source: arenddehaas at en.wikipedia [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

These gorillas have front facing eyes and have reddish coloured hair on their head. They live in small groups that are controlled by a mature male gorilla called the Silverback. Silverbacks have grey hair on their back.

Mature male Western gorillas are known as 'silverbacks', and are named after silvery-white hair on their back, rump and thighs

Source: arkive.org

They mostly eat fruits, leaves, berries, bulbs, barks, stems and sometimes feed on insects and lizards.

Lebialem Highlands, cross-river gorilla habitat

Source: globalgiving.org

The reproduction process is too slow since the females give birth once every 4 or 5 years. This is due to the fact that they look after their babies for a long time, almost 3 to 5 years.

Gorillas

Source: fauna-flora.org

If you wish to read in detail about the cross river gorilla, its characteristics, behaviour, habitat, food, main threats, conservation efforts and facts, please follow the link below.

Cross River Gorilla - A Critically Endangered Species

The main threats that the cross river gorillas face are:

• Clearing up forests for agriculture, plantation and human settlement
• Forest fire, either naturally or set by humans to clear the land for farming
• Hunting for bushmeat and gorilla fur
• Inbreeding due to the low population and also due to isolated groups
• Abduction of gorilla infants
• Competition for food
• Construction of transport facilities near gorilla habitat
• Ebola fever caused by ebola virus

Cross river gorillas

Source: earthtimes.org

Conservation efforts have been taken by the WWF and other conservation organisations. They work together with the governments to create protected areas, monitor gorilla population, prevent poaching, educate the communities, set camera traps and also to end destruction of the forest habitat.

Did you know? A group of gorillas is called a band or troop!

The cross river gorillas are intelligent and powerful animals. The numbers of these gorillas is now declining and if we do not work towards protecting them, they will go extinct in a few years.

Cross River Gorilla - A Critically Endangered Species

So what can we do to help protect and conserve the gorillas?

We can stop buying products made of gorilla parts. We can help by buying only FSC certified forest products. We can donate to WWF. We can adopt a gorilla. If not any of these, we can at least spread the word about the plight of these gorillas and create an awareness.

Extinction is Forever; Let us NOT LET that happen and help save the planet!

I hope you all had a good week and are ready for the weekend.
Have a good one.

Blessings and peace

Livingsta :-)

Hawksbill Turtle - A Critically Endangered Species

Hawksbill....what does this remind you of? The beak of a hawk right? Yes this turtle has a mouth very similar to a Hawk's bill and hence the name. You can see the picture below for yourself. 

Mouth of a Hawksbill Turtle
Photo by Tom Doeppner

These hawksbill turtles are one of the most critically endangered species in this world. They are found in the tropical oceans. 

The beautiful Hawksbill turtle

A Hawksbill Sea turtle foraging for food in the coral reefs of the British Virgin Islands
Author: Colin Johnson

They are hunted for their beautiful shells. They are found around the coral reefs and their main food is the sea sponges. They also feed on other cnidarians and crustaceans. 

Range of the Hawksbill Turtle

Other threats are fisheries by-catch while in some parts of the world the flesh and eggs of these turtles are eaten as delicacies.

Camping around their nesting sites, and using the nesting beaches for commercial purposes have also led to this species becoming critically endangered.

Nesting location of Hawksbill sea Turtle
Red dot = major nesting locations
Yellow dot=minor nesting locations

Hawksbill nesting
Source: panda.org

The hawksbill turtles come to the nesting beaches to lay their eggs and the nesting process takes between 1 to 1.5 hours. There are many birds and other predators that feed on their eggs. The baby turtles hatch after almost 2 months and these have dangerous predators too. 

Did you know? The gender of the hatchling is determined by the incubation temperature, hence the reason why climate change has serious effects on these turtle populations too!

Baby turtles

Source: savingparadise.wildlifedirect.org

The lifecycle of a hawksbill turtle is through various stages like pelagic, benthic and reproductive phase. 

Please follow the link below to read in more detail about the hawksbill turtle, its habitat and food, its characteristics, the reproduction process, the reasons for endangerment, the conservation efforts, facts etc.

Hawksbill Turtle - A Critically Endangered Species

The hawksbill turtle plays an important role in the ecosystem and they are also a good source of income through ecotourism. Pollution and toxic spills are also a huge threat for these species and all other marine species. 

Ornaments and other products are manufactured using the hawksbill turtle parts and we need to stand together to stop illegal trade of hawksbill products and hawksbill shells. 

An armband made out of hawksbill turtle's shell

WWF, TRAFFIC, CITES and many other conservation organisations are working along with the governments of different countries to conserve and protect the hawksbill turtles.

You can read about all these in more detail, by following the link below.

Hawksbill Turtle - A Critically Endangered Species

We can all stand together to help save our planet by helping to protect and conserve the species in this world. 

You can help by adopting a turtle, or by donating to WWF, by sending a turtle to rehab, by NOT buying turtle products or at the least by spreading the word about the importance of these turtles and why we need to protect them.

I hope you all enjoyed reading about these beautiful species. Let us all stand together to help save and protect our planet, because "Extinction is Forever", so we need to help to stop that from happening.

Hope you've all had a good week so far. I wish you all peace and love and have a good rest of the week.

Blessings to you all.

Livingsta :-)

Adult hawksbill turtle
Author: Becky A. Dayhuff
Environmental Educator

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