Natural Environment Blog

The Waitaha penguin's extinction 500 years ago appears to have made way for the yellow-eyed penguin (above). Unfortunately, the yellow-eyed penguin is now an endangered species. Photo: Christian Mehlführer.

A species of penguin, previously unknown to science, has recently been identified in New Zealand more than 500 years since it became extinct. 

The species, called the Waitaha penguin (Megadyptes waitaha), is thought to have become extinct shortly after Polynesian settlement.

“It is estimated that the so-called Waitaha penguin became extinct between 1300 and 1500AD, soon after Polynesian settlement,” said Sanne Boessenkool, University of Otago PhD student and leader of the project.

Enter The Yellow Eyed Penguin

One of the most significant findings from the research is that, the penguin’s extinction appears to have made way for the yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes).

With an estimated 7000 remaining in New Zealand, the yellow eyed penguin is one of the most endangered penguin species on the planet.  

“Our findings demonstrate that yellow-eyed penguins on mainland New Zealand are not a declining remnant of a previous abundant population, but came from the sub-Antarctic relatively recently and replaced the extinct Waitaha Penguin,” said team member Dr Jeremy Austin, deputy director of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA.

“Previous analysis of fossil records and anecdotal evidence suggested that the yellow-eyed penguin was more abundant and widespread in the past, but it now appears they have only been around for 500 years,” he continued.

The presence of the Waitaha penguin appears to have limited the yellow eyed penguin’s population to the South Island of New Zealand.

“Competition between the two species previously prevented the yellow-eyed penguin from expanding northwards but environmental changes in the predator population, such as the severe decline of sea lions, may have facilitated their colonisation in the South Island” Dr Austin said. 

Relevance To Climate Change

The research has reiterated the idea that some species are more adaptable to major changes, such as climate change, than others.

“What these unexpected results highlight is the dynamic nature of ecosystem change, where the loss of one species may open up opportunities for the expansion of another.” said Dr Phil Seddon, Director of the Wildlife Management Programme at University of Otago.

Dr David Penny of the Allan Wilson Center for Molecular Ecology and Evolution at Massey University said ”…it is vitally important to know how species, such as the yellow-eyed penguin, are able to respond to new opportunities.”

“It is becoming apparent that some species can respond to things like climate change, and others cannot. The more we know, the more we can help.”

Findings of the research have been published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

The pygmy tarsier, a cute little primate that resembles a miniature furby, has been rediscovered after almost 80 years. Photo: Sharon Gursky-Doyen/Texas A&M University.

Scientists have discovered three specimens of a tiny primate believed by some to be extinct.

The pocket-sized creature, which has a scientific name of Tarsius pumilus, is commonly known as the Pygmy Tarsier, Mountain Tarsier, Lesser Spectral Tarsier, and Sulawesi Mountain Tarsier. 

Until recently, some scientists believed that the pygmy tarsier was extinct, as no live specimen had  been seen since 1930. In 2000, two Indonesian scientists trapped and accidentally killed a pygmy tarsier on Mt. Rore Katimbo in Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.

That incident prompted a new search for the furby-like creatures, which resulted in the recent find - two males and one female.

The research team promptly placed radio collars on the animals for tracking. Unfortunately, since then, the female tarsier has been eaten by a hawk.

Pygmy tarsiers are known for their uncanny ability to turn their head 180 degrees. This made the research team’s more difficult when it came to placing the radio collars on the animals.

“I have the dubious honor of being the only person in the world to have been bitten by [a pygmy tarsier],” said  Sharon Gursky-Doyen of Texas A&M University. 

“My field assistant was holding the tarsier and I was attaching a radio collar around its neck and while I was attaching the radio collar he bit me [on the finger].”

The research was funded by National Geographic Society, Conservation International Primate Action Fund, Primate Conservation Incorporated and Texas A&M University.

Previously, only two live specimens of pygmy tarsier have ever been found. Photo: Sharon Gursky-Doyen/Texas A&M University.

Not much is known about pygmy tarsiers. In fact, the pygmy tarsier is among the least known primates in existence. 

Apart from this recent discovery, only three other specimens have ever been found (only two live specimens). The first live specimen was found in 1916 and the second in 1930. All three specimens are currently in museums.

A giant bat, previously listed as critcally endangered on the IUCN Red List, has made a comeback from almost certain extinction in the tropical island of Zanzibar Tanzania.

The Pemba flying fox (Pteropus voeltzkowi) was first listed on the Red List as Endangered in 1990. Then in 1996, it was upgraded to Critically Endangered.

Around that time Fauna & Flora International (FFI), in partnership with Department of Commercial Crops, Fruits and Forestry (DCCFF), began a program to save the Pemba flying fox from extinction. Their program included an extensive education campaign, establishment of environmental clubs to protect roosts close to villages, meetings with hunters and key decision makers, and ongoing monitoring of the bat population.

The latest survey, initiated by FFI and carried out by Janine Robinson for the University of East Anglia, has found that there are now at least 22,000 Pemba flying foxes, but there could be as many as 35,600. 

As a result of the conservation program, the bat is no longer hunted down. In fact, many locals are joining community-led groups in an effort to help save the Pemba flying fox. 

The giant fruit bat, which has a wing span of up to 5.5 feet, was once considered a delicacy. As a result, it was almost hunted to extinction.  Traditionally, the Pemba flying fox was hunted using simple traps on long sticks. More recently though, shotguns were being used to kill the bats.

Because of the rising population of the Pemba flying fox, in 2004 it was downgraded to Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. And now that the population is thriving once again, FFI have now closed the project “confident in the dedication of the Forestry Department and local communities to protect this charismatic species”.

Coral on the Great Barrier Reef

A lot of recent studies have been warning about the threat that climate change is posing on the world’s coral reef systems. The common conclusion appears to be that, if nothing is done about global warming, our reefs face imminent extinction. 

But according to a new study, there may yet be hope for our coral reefs.

Scientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Australia (CoECRS), James Cook University, the Museum of Tropical Queensland and the Australian Institute of Marine Science have released a research paper indicating that at least one rare coral species may actually be able to adapt to climate change.

The study found that some Acropora (staghorn corals) coral - a particularly rare species of coral - are in fact hybrids. This means that they have cross-bred with other Acropora species to result in a hybrid species. By hybridising with other species, these corals draw on genetic variation in other species, increasing their own potential to adapt to changing conditions.

The Importance of Acropora

Zoe Richards, lead author of the research paper, says “Acropora are the main reef-builders throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and so of critical importance to the ability of reefs to cope with changing conditions. However, till now, very few clear cut examples of hybridisiation were known, and some people did not even accept that corals can cross-breed.”

She added that corals may prove tougher to exterminate than many people feared.

“Hybridising with another species actually makes a lot of genetic sense if you are rare and the next colony of your species may be hundreds of kilometres away.  It suggests these creatures are far more resilient that we thought, based on what we know from the behavior of land animals.” she said.

A number of factors are threatening coral reefs around the world. In particular, rising CO2 levels is leading to increased ocean acidifcation. Also, poor water quality is having a major impact on coral reefs.

Scientists have rediscovered the endangered Wetar Ground-dove (Gallicolumba hoedtii) on the island of which it was named - Wetar Island in Indonesia.

The bird has not been officially recorded on the island since 1902, and until this discovery, scientists were uncertain about whether it even still existed on the island.

The dove, which has been classified as “endangered” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, has only been seen a handful of times since 1902. Apart from those sightings, which were all in neighbouring island Timor, the bird hasn’t been seen anywhere else in the world. 

The great part about this rediscovery is that many Wetar Ground-doves were found on the island. At one stage, the researchers observed as many as 30 - 40 Wetar Ground-doves feeding on fallen fig (Ficus) fruits. This represents the largest congregation of Wetar Ground-doves ever recorded.

Project “Wetar Ground-Dove”

The rediscovery wasn’t exactly an accident. It occurred as part of a conservation project called “Wetar Ground-dove”. 

Wetar Ground-dove project is a collaborative project between Columbidae Conservation; Charles Darwin University, Australia; and the Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia Program

The first major task of the project was to seek out the threatened species to confirm whether or not it still existed on the island.

Now that they know the bird is still present on the island, the scientists will carry out further research to determine its distribution, habitat requirements, and any threats it may be facing.

One threat could come in the form of development. The island is not currently protected. The project will be pushing for the establishment of a protected area on the island. 

To achieve this, they will identify a potential location for a protected area and provide justification, in collaboration with other leading wildlife conservation NGOs, to lobby for governmental support for the establishment of a protected area.

A 10 meter palm tree species called Corypha taliera is about to become extinct in the wild.  

The world’s last known wild Corypha taliera has begun to flower. Unfortunately for this species, flowering usually causes the plant’s death.

The plant was discovered in the 1950s growing in the scrub jungle on the Dhaka University campus, Bangladesh. It was then identified by local scientist Shamal Kumar Basu and subsequently protected in what became the enclosure of the residential quarters of the Pro Vice-Chancellor.

Attempting to Cultivate the Plant’s Seeds

Professor Md Abul Hasan, chairman of the botany department at Dhaka University, said that they would collect seeds of the dying plant and attempt to cultivate them. 

But he was not optimistic.

“We cannot say whether it would be possible to produce the plant in botanical gardens,” he said.

Red List Classification

Although this palm is the last known Corypha taliera growing in the wild, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has already classified the plant on its Red List, as being “extinct in the wild”. This is because molecular work - which is required to confirm the identification - still hasn’t been taken out on the plant. Until molecular work is carried out, they will only say that this plant has been “tentatively identified”.

Also, IUCN say that its unclear about whether or not the specimen originated from cultivated material. They also mention that the plant is effectively in a “cultivated state”, and therefore probably wouldn’t count towards the “wild” classification.

Although not in the wild, Corypha taliera specimens are currently growing in the Indian Botanic Garden and the Fairchild Tropical Garden in Florida, USA. Because these aren’t growing in the natural environment, they don’t count for “wild” plants hence the IUCN classification “Extinct in the Wild”. 

Previous Specimen

No other specimen of this monocarpic palm tree has been found in the wild in almost 30 years. In 1979, a Corypha taliera, located in a village near Shantiniketan of West Bengal, had begun flowering, and the locals fearing that it was a “ghost palmyra tree” - due to its horn-like flowers - chopped it down. The seeds of that specimen could not be saved.

A 6 degree increase in average temperature could force one species of kangaroo to extinction.

Global warming could seriously diminish kangaroo populations over the next 20 years, according to researchers from James Cook University in Townsville, Australia.  

The result of the study has been published in the December issue of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 

The researchers, Euan G. Ritchie and Elizabeth E. Bolitho, estimate that a 2 percent increase in temperature could shrink kangaroos’ ranges by 48 percent. A 6 degree increase in temperature could shrink ranges by 96 percent. 

These projected temperature ranges are not unheard of either. Climate models indicate that a temperature increase of between 0.4 and 2 degrees is likely to occur in northern Australia by the year 2030, and anincrease of between 2 and 6 degrees is expected by 2070.

Extinction

Global warming could force one species of kangaroo to extinction.

The antilopine wallaroo, a kangaroo species that resides in wet tropical climates, may become extinct if temperatures increase by 6 degrees.

It all depends on how the animal can adapt. Such a temperature increase would produce an environment that is seriously lacking in water. Even an increase in 2 degrees could shrink its geographic range by 89 percent.

The Main Cause - Less Water

The decrease in available water is what would cause the most harm. It’s likely that the kangaroos themselves could cope with higher temperatures - as long as their habitat didn’t change. Unfortunately, increased temperatures would lead to less available water, and less water would lead to a much different (and drier) environment to live in.

The kangaroos would be forced to adapt or move. Unfortunately, even if they could move to another environment, it’s unlikely that the vegetation and topography that they’re used to, would shift at the same rate.

The authors of the study write, “If dry seasons are to become hotter and rainfall events more unpredictable, habitats may become depleted of available pasture for grazing and waterholes may dry up, this may result in starvation and failed reproduction… or possible death due to dehydration for those species that are less mobile”.

Project Tiger is the name given to an initiative dedicated to helping save the tiger from extinction. More specifically, Project Tiger is based in India and is therefore generally aimed towards maintaining a healthy population of Bengal tigers in India.

Since its inception in 1973, Project Tiger has been credited with a major increase in Bengal tiger numbers. Project Tiger claimed to have tripled the Bengal tiger population from its 1973 count of around 1,200, to 3,642 tigers in 2001/2002. Unfortunately, a more recent report indicates that the Bengal tiger population has been reduced back to 1,411 due to poaching. The report, published in February 2008, is based on a census carried out in 2007.

Project Tiger carries out their work using the following approach:

• Elimination of all forms of human exploitation and disturbance from the core and rationalisation of such activities in the buffer.
• Limitation of the habitat management to repair damage done by man.
• Researching facts about habitat and wild animals and carefully monitoring changes in flora and fauna.

According to the official website, Project Tiger’s main objective is:

…to ensure a viable population of tiger in India for scientific , economic , aesthetic , cultural and ecological values and to preserve for all time, areas of biological importance as a natural heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people. Main objectives under the scheme include wildlife management, protection measures and site specific ecodevelopment to reduce the dependency of local communities on tiger reserve resources.

The website also says:

Tiger is symbol of wilderness and well-being of the ecosystem. By conserving and saving tigers the entire wilderness ecosystem is conserved…

When you consider that India’s tiger population dropped from more than 40,000 to around 1,200 in 70 years, and is now only around 1,400, I sure hope Project Tiger can get those tiger numbers back up!

To learn more about Project Tiger, check out the official website.

CITES (which stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between the world’s governments. It was established to ensure that international trade does not threaten the survival of specimens. This includes wild animals and plants.

CITES exists because so many plants and animals are traded internationally. Without an international agreement to protect each species, many of these plants and animals could become extinct. Therefore, co-operation between each country is required in order to safeguard each species from over-exploitation.

The full text of the CITES convention was agreed to by 80 countries in 1973. Then in 1975 it was put in place. Back when CITES was first being considered, general public awareness of environmental issues barely existed. Nowadays, it’s an essential part of wildlife protection.

Today, over 5,000 species of animals and 28,000 species of plants are protected by CITES.

Which Species are Protected by CITES?

To see which plants an animals are protected by CITES, you can do one of the following:

• Search the CITES database. You can search by common name, species name, country, and more.
• Read the CITES appendices.

About the CITES Appendices

You’ll notice that there are three appendices. This is done because there are three different levels of protection. Here’s CITES’ explanation of the three appendices:

• Appendix I lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants. They are threatened with extinction and CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except when the purpose of the import is not commercial, for instance for scientific research. In these exceptional cases, trade may take place provided it is authorized by the granting of both an import permit and an export permit (or re-export certificate). Article VII of the Convention provides for a number of exemptions to this general prohibition.
• Appendix II lists species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled. It also includes so-called “look-alike species”, i.e. species of which the specimens in trade look like those of species listed for conservation reason. International trade in specimens of Appendix-II species may be authorized by the granting of an export permit or re-export certificate. No import permit is necessary for these species under CITES (although a permit is needed in some countries that have taken stricter measures than CITES requires). Permits or certificates should only be granted if the relevant authorities are satisfied that certain conditions are met, above all that trade will not be detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild.
• Appendix III is a list of species included at the request of a Party that already regulates trade in the species and that needs the cooperation of other countries to prevent unsustainable or illegal exploitation. nternational trade in specimens of species listed in this Appendix is allowed only on presentation of the appropriate permits or certificates.

For more information on CITES, check out the official CITES website.

The world’s tiger population has declined so much, that the tiger has become an endangered species.

According to WWF, over the past 100 years, the world’s tiger population has decreased by 95 per cent and three sub-species have become extinct. Furthermore, in the past 25 years, the tiger population has halved from around 7,000 to about 3,500 - 4,000 tigers left in the world today.

Tiger Count

Less than 100 years ago, there were 9 tiger sub-species. Now there’s only 6.

Out of the 3,500 - 4,000 tigers left in the world today, here’s a breakdown of their population by sub-species:

Threats to the Tiger

So, where have all the tigers gone? WWF provide us with a pretty good clue:

There are probably more tigers on the shelves of pharmacies and medicine stores than in forests as tigers are widely hunted and every single part of their bodies is dissected for use in traditional Asian medicine. Tiger bones, believed to contain high medicinal properties, are popular on the black market in Asia.

The following threats have been (and still are) responsible for the diminishing population of the tiger:

• Hunting, poaching, and illegal trade - For more than 1,000 years, tigers have been hunted as status symbols, decorative items, souvenirs, and traditional Asian medicines.
• Habitat and prey loss - Human population growth has contracted and fragmented the amount of land available for tigers. Tigers need large territories to survive. Also, tigers’ natural prey has often been hunted to extinction or near extinction by humans.
• Conflict with humans and their livestock - Many farmers shoot tigers that are interfering with their livestock.

Unfortunately, it looks highly likely that the South China Tiger will become extinct. All known living tigers all descend from only 6 tigers, which may not provide enough genetic diversity to maintain a sub-species.

Project Tiger - Saving the Bengal Tiger

On a brighter note, the Bengal tiger population has actually increased since 1972, when Project Tiger was initiated. Project Tiger was created to protect the Bengal tiger species. At the time the project was initiated in 1972, there were only around 1,200 Bengal tigers. In the 1990s, the count had increased to 3,500, but 2008 census has dropped this figure back to 1411.

To learn more about Project Tiger, check out the official Project Tiger website.