Endangered animals news for Last Chance To See by Douglas Adams, Mark Carwardine and Stephen Fry

Check your local PBS listings in North America, for April 20th, 2008 sees the premier of "The Gorilla King" staring famed Mountain Gorilla Silverback "Titus". The special, narrated by award-winning actor F. Murray Abraham will also air on the BBC sometime later in 2008.

See the PBS "Gorilla King" webpage for more information and video clips.

Labels: Mountain Gorillas, Video

Two more Kakapo chicks have successfully hatched, to add to the previous five, and the newly renovated Kakapo Recovery Programme website has the exciting news. However, the site also revealed the very sad news that they recently discovered the body of Bill, who had appeared in good health. So we now stand at 92 Kakapos in the world, and the 7 chicks are being relocated to Nelson Island for further hand rearing. This Wikipedia article has the full list of names.

Today we are saying goodbye (temporarily) to the seven youngest kakapo in the world. The chicks are being relocated to Nelson where they will be hand-raised until they are ready for wild release.

Daryl is looking forward to going home to his family after being on the island looking after the chicks for over a month; taking the chicks with him means they will get the best possible care without him being away from home for so long. Though we’re sad they’re leaving it's exciting that they are one step closer to becoming big green budgies…yippeeeee!

Here's a video of some hand-feeding in progress...

Labels: Kakapo Parrots, Video

REMINDER: The Sixth Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture will take place next week at the Royal Geographic Society in London, on Wednesday 12th March 2008.

The lecture will be presented by psychologist Steven Pinker, the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. His subject will be "The Stuff of Thought, Language as a Window into Human Nature".

The lecture will be followed by a very special LIVE 30th anniversary performance of material from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio scripts which will hopefully reunite many original cast members such as...

Simon Jones as Arthur Dent
Geoffrey McGivern as Ford Prefect
Mark Wing Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox
Susan Sheridan as Trillian
Roger Gregg as Eddie
Stephen Moore as Marvin The Paranoid Android
With a Very Special Guest as the Voice Of The Book

Proceeds from the event will go towards Save The Rhino, including the auction of a rare handcrafted model of Vogon Commander Kwaltz from the Hitchhikers Guide movie.

Also raising money for Save The Rhino are the team of runners in training for the RAW Africa ultra-marathon this April. Apparently one of their members has been spotted roaming around Hyde Park, dressed in his Save The Rhino suit. Check out the video evidence...

Labels: Fundraising, HitchhikersGuide, Lectures, Mark Carwardine, Northern White Rhinos, Video

I'm delighted to find out that the Kakapo Encounter with Sirocco is back for 2008, with nightly departures running September 8-October 22 out to Ulva Island.


Wildlife Extra has more news on this event which is bound to sell out quickly, even at $90 a pop. People came from all over the world last time, including Mosher during his world travels.

The response was phenomenal: people travelled from all over the globe to view this extraordinary bird. Prime Minister Helen Clark herself spent some ‘face time’ with the lovable parrot Sirocco, and remarked that the Kakapo Encounter was a ‘world class’ operation. Due to the success of the event, Ulva Island Charitable Trust is excited to announce that Kakapo Encounter is back! This year the Trust is making an effort to get the word out early, as many overseas bird enthusiasts expressed disappointment they didn’t have enough notice to plan a trip to New Zealand last year.

New Zealand's "One News" still has an article and video describing the previous Kakapo Encounter.

Here's the location of Ulva Island using the Google Maps API. The full Google Maps and Google Earth versions links to this location are available below.

Any profits go to Trust projects which include trail maintenance on Ulva Island (a predator-free bird sanctuary), and the reintroduction and care of endangered bird and plant species.

Labels: Fundraising, Kakapo Parrots, Video

ELWIN productions have a press release progress report on the film "Code of the Kakapo" currently in its third year of filming.

In a world first, Otago film company ELWIN Productions is using new High Definition technology to document a remarkable story following the struggle to bring the world’s rarest wild parrot back from the brink of extinction.
[...]
Filmmaker Scott Mouat says that the 90 minute feature-length film will be the first of its kind in both content and technology used.

“Although male Kakapo have been filmed before, no one has seen or filmed the act of mating. In a first, I have been given access to one of the males during the mating process. And, I’ve been loaned the only camera in the world that can capture this in high definition.”

The trailer (which we've featured before) can be seen here...Distribution rights for the film are with Astronought so it looks like it will be easy to purchase.

Labels: Kakapo Parrots, Video

Just thought I'd share these AMAZING "immersive" videos. Much like the spherical views you see on real-estate sites, but these are actual videos that you can swing around and view from any angle. These aren't exactly Another Chance To See related, but they were just too cool not to share. More information and videos at www.immersivemedia.com.

Labels: Video

The BBC's gorilla diary by Diddy and Innocent has a nice article and video this week about their work understanding the grunts of the gorillas that they follow around.

Link: BBC Gorilla Diary

Labels: Mountain Gorillas, Video

Not sure how I missed this, but CBS aired a 60 Minutes segment about the Mountain Gorillas recently. Here is the Video Link and the main webpage can be found at CBSNews.com.

It's hard to imagine a more magnificent animal than the mountain gorilla. There are only about 700 of them left on the planet and so far this year at least ten have been shot to death.

As CNN's Anderson Cooper reports, it's gotten so bad for many of the remaining gorillas that conservationists genuinely fear the entire species might become extinct. They live in east Africa, in a forest that straddles Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a family of gorillas was massacred last summer.

So last month 60 Minutes went to Congo, a desperately poor country, to see why those gorillas were slaughtered, why the surviving gorillas are in jeopardy, and what can be done to save them.

Labels: Mountain Gorillas, Video

I'm in the UK for a visit with my friends and family, and one of the things I love here is real Cadbury's Dairy Milk, not that near but not quite stuff made by Hersheys. I just saw this advert for Dairy Milk featuring a gorilla and the music of Phil Collins, and loved it. Enjoy...

Labels: Mountain Gorillas, Video

Check out the Animal Planet channel from Friday, October 26th, and see Natalie Portman journeying deep into the Rwandan rainforest in search of mountain gorillas. Jack Hanna guides Natalie through her visit as she learns about these stunning endangered animals. There's plenty of airings of this TV special through the middle of November.

Also, check out this video coverage from CNN on the recent situation in the DR Congo.

Labels: Mountain Gorillas, Video

Thanks to Gwen, who pointed me in the direction of this extensive article at the Smithsonian Magazine on the current rebel crisis in the DR Congo. The article also features some video reports.

It's the gorillas that have reason to fear. Only about 750 mountain gorillas are left in the world: 350 in Uganda, 270 in Rwanda and a mere 150 here in Congo (formerly Zaire). They have been ravaged by poaching, habitat loss, disease and the violence of war. Many live in lawless regions, sharing territory with armed rebels from Uganda or the remnants of Hutu militias responsible for Rwanda's 1994 genocide of ethnic Tutsis. Today the biggest threat comes from the Congolese area of their range. Rebel groups opposed to Congo president Joseph Kabila control territory in the turbulent east. The most powerful group is led by an ethnic Tutsi named Laurent Nkunda, who commands thousands of well-armed rebels in the Virungas. Not far from here in January, troops from Nkunda's group killed and presumably ate two silverbacks. A female was shot in May, another male and four females were slain in July; their killers had not been identified as we went to press.

Labels: Mountain Gorillas, Video

Very many congratulations to Iain "Mosher" Purdie, who's now completed his 1000 Mile Charity Walk across Europe. Terrific effort Iain. And you're right, the thank you video from the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation is touching indeed. Best of luck with your future endeavors.

Labels: Fundraising, Video

For any Douglas Adams fan, Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" is as much a part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as Zaphod Beeblebrox's two heads, the Babel Fish or the number 42. I always smile when I hear it and think of Arthur Dent tossing the Book into the river at the end of Fit the Sixth. This particular interpretation is quite delightful, and I just had to share. Enjoy!

Labels: Douglas Adams, Video

ParrotScience.com has a very nice "enhanced" Kakapo Podcast with a pretty comprehensive history of the Kakapo. It features Stephen Fry reading Douglas Adam's description of the Kakapo from Last Chance To See, sort of a sneak-peek of next year's TV series narration. It also features Paul Jansen of the Kakapo Recovery Programme in New Zealand.

This is a great episode for those with displays on their iPod or watching it on the computer. ***Plenty of photos and live web links embedded as you go along! If you want more information, click on the photo when listening***

Labels: Audio, Douglas Adams, Kakapo Parrots, Paul Jansen, Stephen Fry, Video

Following the recent news that Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine would be visiting the Ganges River Dolphin for their Last Chance To See TV series, it's about time we posted some information on this creature, also known as the "Susu". Image by Brian Smith.

The Wikipedia article is very good and tells us that Ganges River Dolphin and its close relative the Indus River Dolphin are essentially identical in appearance, even though they have totally distinct ranges and have not interbred for thousands of years.

The Ganges subspecies can be found in the Ganges River as well as the Brahmaputra, Meghna, Karnaphuli and Sangu river systems of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. Relatively high population densities have been observed near the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in India and in the Sangu River in southern Bangladesh. Very few individuals (perhaps 20) are present in Nepal in the Karnali River. The total population is unknown, but certainly numbers in the hundreds and there are perhaps as many as a few thousand.

The ARKive website has a lovely (if short) video of the Susu in action. Their full Ganges River Dolphin page is here.

The IUCN Red List of Endangered Species lists the Ganges and Indus River Dolphins as "Endangered".

And finally (for now), novelist Harold Bergsma recently posted a very nice article on Desicritics.org called River Dolphins and Baoli - The Passing of an Era. Harold writes...

How many of these rare, wonderful creatures are left? I poured over the literature and sadly have to report that only four to six hundred of these blind river dolphins exist in the Indus and that their numbers are diminishing rapidly because of a number of factors. Over fishing, dam construction, navigation projects, pollution, habitat destruction and increasing food needs of a fast growing human population have all but made this animal extinct.
[...]
In the Ganges this creature is called the Susu. If you are interested you can go online and watch a video of a Susu leaping out of the water and hear its whistle-like call. It is wonderful to see. Only about six hundred of them still exist in an area of heavy human population which uses their fat, you guessed it, for catching catfish. In the Brahmaputra River, scientists estimate that three to four hundred of the Hihu remain. In Nepal, in isolated sections of rivers a few may still exist.

Thanks for the article Harold, it was a very nice read. You can read more of Harold's work and find out about his award winning books at HaroldBergsma.com.

Labels: Ganges River Dolphins, River Dolphins, Video

News of the Baiji Dolphin's "extinction" is rolling around the media outlets again this week, as the researchers publish their 6-week study findings in the Royal Society Biology Letters. Here's BBC News with the story.

The researchers failed to spot any Yangtze river dolphins, also known as baijis, during an extensive six-week survey of the mammals' habitat.

The team, writing in Biology Letters journal, blamed unregulated fishing as the main reason behind their demise.

If confirmed, it would be the first extinction of a large vertebrate for over 50 years.

The World Conservation Union's Red List of Threaten Species currently classifies the creature as "critically endangered".

The BBC site has a video report on this story, including footage of the Baiji in graceful action.

Also, here's an older report from earlier in the year...

Labels: Baiji Dolphins, River Dolphins, Top10, Video

Here's a few Three Gorges Dam videos from Youtube.
How utterly depressing that we had to lose such a beautiful creature as the Baiji Dolphin for the sake of a decimated landscape and a "tourist attraction". Bleh!

Labels: Baiji Dolphins, Video

It's been quite a month for the potential discovery of ancient DNA.

First up is the recent discovery of a well preserved Dodo skeleton on the island of Mauritius. National Geographic News has the story...

Researchers say the find would likely yield the first useful samples of the extinct, flightless bird's DNA. Very little has been known about the dodo—from what exactly it looked like to what it ate—since it became extinct in the 1600s.

The new skeleton is thought to be complete and was likely preserved by its cave setting. The cavers found the remains off the coast of Africa on Mauritius, the only island were dodos were known to have lived.

Far to the North, a baby mammoth has been unearthed in Siberia and is due to be shipped to Japan for analysis. It is said to be the best preserved specimen of its type, and some scientists are desperate to try and recover some intact DNA to attempt a cloning process. BBC News has the story (including a video report)...

The six-month-old female calf was discovered on the Yamal peninsula of Russia and is thought to have died 10,000 years ago.

The animal's trunk and eyes are still intact and some of its fur remains on the body.
[...]
Larry Agenbroad, director of the Mammoth Site of Hot Springs research centre in South Dakota, US, said: "To find a juvenile mammoth in any condition is extremely rare." Dr Agenbroad added that he knew of only three other examples.

Some scientists hold out hope that well preserved sperm or other cells containing viable DNA could be used to resurrect the mammoth lineage.

Despite the inherent difficulties, Dr Agenbroad remains optimistic about the potential for cloning.

"When we got the Jarkov mammoth [found frozen in Taimyr, Siberia, in 1997], the geneticists told me: 'if you can get us good DNA, we'll have a baby mammoth for you in 22 months'," he told BBC News.

Labels: Dodos, Video

I thought I'd share these interesting animations by Iain Gardner from the UK.

Firstly, check out his film "Flight of the Dodo" which features Carl Jones talking about his work in Mauritius with the Pink Pigeon and Echo Parakeet.

And now, check out these "Sketchbook" animations of endangered animals such as Aye-Aye, Gorilla, Polar Bears and Rhinos. Iain says "These studies are as much about memory as they are observation. Memories are all we will have left of these species unless more is done to protect these wonderful creatures in the wild."

Labels: Aye-Aye Lemurs, Carl Jones, Dodos, Echo Parakeets, Mauritius Kestrels, Mountain Gorillas, Pink Pigeons, Video

Being from the UK, Bob and Ray were completely unfamiliar to me, despite their long and successful comedy career. I stumbled across this Bob and Ray sketch on YouTube, and it did make me laugh, because deadpan comedy like this generally does. Enjoy! (It's quite educational too!)
Note: the video goes black at the end of the sketch, and I've checked, there's nothing else to see in the remaining few minutes

Related Link: (if you're in the vicinity of our nation's capital, Washington DC) The Smithsonian National Zoological Park

Labels: Komodo Dragons, Video