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All about conservation, ecology, the environment, climate change, global warming, earth- watch, and new technologies etc.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Russian researchers have spotted an extremely rare white albino orca off the coast of Kamchatka for the first time in history...



Iceberg the white Orca...   
 



A Russian research ship has spotted an extremely rare white adult orca, or killer whale, off the coast of Kamchatka for the first time in history. The reason for the whale's unusual pigmentation is as yet unexplained.

­The scientists identified the whale by his pure white fin, swimming together with his pod, or family, all of which have the standard black and white coloration.

He has been given the nickname Iceberg, and appears to be behaving normally.
"Iceberg seems to be fully socialized; we know that these fish-eating orcas stay with their mothers for life, and as far as we can see he's right behind his mother with presumably his brothers next to him," said Dr. Erich Hoyt, who co-leads the scientific group that spotted the mammal.

Read more:



http://rt.com/news/white-killer-whale-russia-islands-751/






Ecospree
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Thursday, April 19, 2012

Today: Live Broadcast on Polar bears

Polar Bear
Polar Bear (Photo credit: Kevin.Ward)
Polar Bears
Polar Bears (Photo credit: bugmonkey)


Today: Live Broadcast on Polar Bears
Tundra Connections
Four months after most polar bears ventured out to the sea ice to hunt, mothers and their cubs are finally emerging from their dens in search of enough food to last another season. Time and the warming environment are not on their side.
Hear about this and more directly from scientists who study these creatures, and join in on the conversation.
Today on our Siku pages, we will broadcast Tundra Connections, a special live interactive discussion led by our partners at Polar Bears International. Tune in at 1:00 pm EDT to join. A special discussion for kids begins at 12:00 pm EDT.
What questions would you ask a polar bear expert? Ask them in the comments or email them directly to us at feedback@explore.org.
Never stop learning,
Charlie / explore.org



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Friday, April 6, 2012

Orangutans are endangered by the destruction of lowland forests making way for palm oil plantations...

Pongo pygmaeus English: A Bornean orangutan at...
Pongo pygmaeus English: A Bornean orangutan at Fort Worth Zoo, Texas, USA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Orangutan
Orangutan (Photo credit: mizmak)
Orangutan
Orangutan (Photo credit: GreenWhiteOrange)
The lowland forest habitats of Asia's only great ape are quickly disappearing. The are being cut down for timber or burned to make way for oil palm plantations and other agricultural developments.

 / ©: naturepl.com/Anup Shah / WWF
© naturepl.com/Anup Shah / WWF

Key facts

  • Species

    Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)
  • Location

    Sumatra (Indonesia), Borneo (Malaysia and Indonesia)
  • Status

    Endangered to Critically Endangered

Victims of logging and fire

Orangutans share a preference with humans for fertile alluvial plains and lowland valleys – a habitat once rich in tropical forests but now being replaced with logging and agricultural concessions.

Each of the two orangutan species is found only on the island from which it derives its name: Sumatra or Borneo. With numbers having fallen drastically over the past century and human pressures increasing, orangutans may be lost from the wild forever within a few decades.

Palm Oil  is a threat to the Orangutang's future. Legal rhetoric is a deliberate obstacle to any government policy. Public boycotts of company products using palm oil can be effective. It was successful in New Zealand a couple of years ago.







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