Body of rare finback whale brought ashore in NZ...

Body of rare finback whale brought ashore in New Zealand...


A whale rarely seen in New Zealand's coastal waters has been brought into Lyttelton Harbour after its body became stuck on the bow of a cargo ship.

Its not known whether the 14m-long finback whale died at sea and was carried towards New Zealand on currents, or died in a collision with a ship.

The Department of Conservation is taking the whale to Christchurch for a necropsy which will determine how it died.

The finback whale is the second biggest whale species and can grow to a length of 26m.

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Acknowledgements: Radio New Zealand

Cuddly little possum now one of New Zealand's worst pests..

First published at Qassia:

POSSUMS which were originally introduced into New Zealand from Australia in the 1800's for the fur trade, now number over 70 million. The bushtail possum is described as an introduced marsupial, and considered a cuddly little animal by Australians back in their native land. This so-called "cuddly little animal" is one of New Zealand's worst pests, along with the wild rabbit introduced in the 1800's as well, in both economical and ecological terms. They are detested by farmers because the possum spreads TB to cattle, and possibly other stock as well. They are also responsible for the destruction of many hectares of bush in New Zealand.

About $110 million annually is spent by the "Environmental Risk Management Authority" trying to control this noxious species by the use of poisons which includes the controversial and risky 1080, which many groups consider extremely dangerous; eradication has long been forgotten as a reality in relation to the POSSUM in New Zealand. A recommendation has recently been made for more research into alternative methods of POSSUM control.

As a consequence of a breakthrough in searching for a possum contraceptive, there could be a cut in the usage of 1080 poison. A new hormone disruption treatment has been trialled by injecting captive possum at the Wellington Zoo which has made some possums infertile for up to two years.

Now the challenge is to replicate this success in the wild and introduce the method to possums by the use of traps. "Field trials are hoped for and could be under way by 2013," as stated by Professer Doug Eckery of Victoria University in Wellington, recently.

The new research is being carried out by the Victoria University School of Biological Sciences,and focuses on the formation of ovaries, the regulation of hormones,and the growth of eggs.A hormone in the brain of possums is a key regulator of fertility.

This project fitted in nicely with the general aim of protecting native flora and New Zealand wildlife.

Fresh water dolphins future in crisis - clean up the rivers...

Fresh water dolphins are in crisis and in danger of extinction in Asia. Clean up the polluted riverways and they may have a chance of survival.

Protecting dolphins means protecting their rivers whether it is the Mekong River in Cambodia where the irrawaddy dolphin exist or in China(which is now too late) or in other parts of Asia. The irrawaddy dolphins are not being killed intentially on the Mekong River, but because of dwindling fish stocks fisherman are having to resort to more destructive ways of bringing in the fish. Heavy boat usage of the Mekong is a problem too. There were once thousands of dolphins on this river, but only fourty have been spotted recently, with an estimation of a maximum of eighty remaining.

There are now only four species of river dolphins left worldwide: the boto in the Amazon are believed to be quite prolific, but the baij in China's Yangste(see below), and the bhulan and susu in Asia's Ganges and Indus river systems are critical.

It takes 6-8 years for a dolphin to mature, a pregnancy lasts 10-11 months and only one offspring is born at one time.


The Yangste River dolphin was one of the most endangered species until recently, but has now been declared officially extinct following an extensive survey of its natural habitat.

These freshwater mammals which could grow up to eight feet long and weigh up to a quarter of a ton, were the first large vertabrate forced to extinction through human activity in fifty years, and only the fourth time an entire evolutionary line of mammals have vanished from the face of the earth since the year 1500 AD.

Conservationists described the extinction of the Yangste River dolphins as a shocking tragedy recently, caused not by any persecution but by carelessness through a combination of factors which included unsustainable fishing and mass usage of the river by shipping. It should be an important lesson to other areas where dolphins inhabit.

In the 1950's it was claimed that the Yangste and its neighbouring water courses had a population of thousands of the baiji dolphins, but Chinese industrialisation and the wide transformation of the Yangste River had decimated the population. The Yangste River dolphin was reportedly a most remarkable dolphin that had seperated from other species 20 million years ago, but are officially declared extinct after being in crisis during 2006-2007.


The Yangste River or baiji dolphin may well be extinct, but the other freshwater dolphins in Asia and South America still have a chance of survival if conservationists and local fisherman and industrialists get together and take some action locally - cleaning up the pollution would be a great start.

So protecting dolphins means protecting their rivers!

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The hump survives - humpback whales are safe from extinction...

The hump survives - humpback whales are safe from extinction...

Forty years ago it was feared by conservationists that humpback whales would become extinct within a few years, but hunting bans have saved them and others from extinction. Now that numbers have returned to such a degree they have been taken off the danger list.

The latest count stands at about 40,000 mature individuals and secures the humpback's future, for now at least.

Several other species of whale such as the blue whale, the world's biggest animal, and the set and southern right are also growing in numbers after similar scares, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world's largest conservation network reported.

However, the populations of some smaller species of whales and other cetaceans are still falling and there are fears that some may be close to extinction, the Union said.

The vaquita, a porpoise found in the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, is reportedly down to a mere 150 individuals and is the cetacean most likely to become extinct.

But the resurgence of the humpback has heartened conservationists. Whalers, particularly the Soviet Union's Antarctic whaling fleet had caused such devastation to the population and forced a halt to hunting in the 1960's.

The Year of the Frog - frogs are going extinct...

Year of the Frog:

Frogs are going extinct. So are toads, salamanders, newts, and the intriguingly unusual caecilians. In fact, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) estimates that at least one-third of known amphibian species are threatened with extinction. While the major culprit has historically been habitat loss and degradation, many of the declines and extinctions previously referred to as "enigmatic" are now being attributed to the rapidly dispersing infectious disease chytridiomycosis ("chytrid"). This fungus is causing population and species extinctions at an alarming rate. Can you imagine if we were about to lose one-third of the world's mammals?

Chytridiomycosis ("chytrid")
The disease known as chytridiomycosis, results when a chytridiomycete fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ("chytrid") attacks keratin in the skin tissue of amphibians. Many researchers believe that this infectious fungus inhibits the frog’s ability to respire and osmoregulate, eventually killing the frog. Chytrid has been implicated in amphibian declines in the Americas, Caribbean, and Australia and its range continues to grow.

Chytrid is not the only cause of amphibian decline, but is a likely explanation for unexplained declines in high-altitude, protected regions and may hasten the collapse of populations weakened by other threats such as habitat destruction, climate change, and water and air pollution.


The combined effect of habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and chytrid cannot be addressed solely in the wild. Captive assurance populations have become the only hope for many species faced with imminent extinction and are an important component of an integrated conservation effort. AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, with their demonstrated expertise in endangered species breeding programs, have been called upon to meet this conservation challenge.

The IUCN has classified four amphibians in the U.S. to be critically endangered, the Mississippi gopher frog, the Chiricahua leopard frog, the mountain yellow-legged frog, and the Wyoming toad. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed thirty-seven amphibian species under the Endangered Species Act. AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums may be their only hope for survival.

World-wide Cooperation
AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums and the AZA Conservation and Science Department are working closely with our partners to develop and implement a global action plan for amphibian conservation:

Read story here

Silly old Arapara goats have to go...

Silly old Arapara goats have to go...

An international effort has to be mounted to save rare goats marked for death on an island in the Marlborough Sounds in the northern South Island of New Zealand.

Rare breed enthusiasts from New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom have joined forces to raise money to rescue some of the Arapara goats before the official cull starts soon on the island.

The goats are believed to have descended from a few left by Captain Cook in 1773 and 1777, and are believed to be a rare species.

But the Conservation Department said these goats are ravaging unique plant species on the island and the goat numbers needed to be controlled.

Wild goats are described as browsers, rather than grazers. They allegedly cause considerable damage to understory vegetation up to two metres above ground, damaging young trees in exotic forests and along replanted soil-conservation areas.The effects of goats destroying undergrowth and the effects of possums browsing the canopies, results in significant and possible permanent damage to the native population.

As a consequence the Conservation Department is forced into controlling wild goat populations, and the intended cull of the Arapara goat population is part of this population control. It is sad but necessary!

Wild Goats

Endangered whale species should be supported...

Endangered whale species should be supported...

A blogging friend from another site posted a story about the problems being experienced by endangered species around the globe. Certain species of whales and dolphins are, indeed, endangered. Where possible I think we should be rallying to the call to support the various organisations involved in taking action to prevent these mammals from becoming extinct.

Greenpeace, for example is taking direct action to protest against the killing of whales by Japanese interests, allegedly in the name of science

Please read the following article about one of the most endangered whale species, the Southern Right Whale:

SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALE
Eubalaena australis
(Desmoilins 1822)

DERIVATION: from the Latin australis for southern.

At a recent marine mammal conference, it was demonstrated how the use of technology is enhancing whale research. During a 6-week-period, a right whale mother and her calf were documented 2 times in the Bay of Fundy. In years past, it would have been assumed that they had remained in the bay for that time period. Since the mother was tagged and the pair tracked by satellite, researchers discovered that the twosome had not remained in the Bay of Fundy, but instead had traveled 2,500 miles.

It is speculated that the reason for this enormous journey is that the mother is making a parental investment and showing her calf feeding grounds. The breeding mothers, for unknown reasons, have different feeding ground imprints. If these mothers were killed, there would be a cultural extinction of that right whale feeding ground. While the Southern population of whales is growing, the Northern population remains at 350. However, not all of these 350 animals are breeding.

At the same conference, Dr. Charles "Stormy" Mayo said that the scientific community cannot wait until every item of a study has been analyzed. Scientists must take an active role with regard to the species they are studying. He was referring to Boston's plan to send sewage to Stellwagen Banks, a critical whale feeding ground.

Inconclusive studies have been done to determine how much food a right whale needs and how sewage will affect copepods (mainstay of their diet). Dr. Mayo warned that the need for answers is immediate and desperate. Scientists speculate sewage will have a significant impact on whale feeding grounds. Feeding right whales depend on grouping of copepods. Sewage could block sunlight diminishing copepods' food source (plankton) and cause copepods to scatter. If they scatter, the whales will starve.

In the case of right whales, any errors or accidents could mean extinction.

By: Maris Sidenstecker

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Endangered Fijian ground frog being saved by NZ conservation...

Endangered Fijian ground frog being saved by NZ conservation...

The endangered Fijian ground frog is being saved from extinction on the island of Viwa thanks to the efforts of New Zealand conservation knowledge.

The eradication of cats,dogs,and rats from Viwa, the smallest of the five islands that are home to the Fijian ground frog, is the first stage of a project to remove introduced pests to stop the extinction of the protected amphibian.

Residents have been regularly refilling more than 1200 bait stations, and recording the decline of bait-take and rat numbers on this Pacific island.

The Pacific Invasives Initiative (PII)based at the University of Auckland,aims to eradicate invasive species from Pacific Islands where indigenous species are threatened and livlihoods are affected.

The New Zealand initiative provides support and education for local community groups to manage invasive species.Provided pest species can be stopped from re-invading - the area will benefit from improved water and increased crop yields.

The lessons learned on Viwa are an important step towards conservation goals across the Pacific region to ensure the survival of threatened species and improve the livelihood of local residents.

The New Zealand conservation department supports conservation measures throughout the Pacific region.








Contributor's Note
Another successful NZ initiative in conservation

The unique language of dolphins...

The unique language of dolphins...

First published at Qassia:

The unique language of dolphins is being recorded - decoding the secrets.
Decoding the Maui dolphins secrets - one of the most endangered of their species.

Its unique language is being recorded for the first time to discover where it goes on its journeys.

There are only 110 Maui dolphins left in the world and they all live in coastal waters along a section of the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand.

Otago University's researchers believe they routinely visit many of the harbours dotted along the coast after deciphering and monitoring its unique "clicking" langage.

Using echo-location sonar equipment anchored to buoys in west coast harbours, researchers believe they have evidence of the dolphins roving ways.

Dolphins apparently use ultrasonic sonar clicks and each species has its own particular accent, just like humans.

Compared to other dolphin species, Maui's and their close relation, the Hector's dolphin, have a click frequency range of 112-130 kHZ, similar to the bottlenose dolphin I wrote about a few months ago, but a higher frequency to the common dolphin and the dusky dolphin.

Most of the Maui's and Hector's dolphins sounds are beyond human hearing, with their only audible sounds being a squeal or cry created by high frequency "clicks".

The study was part of conservation efforts to help the endangered Maui dolphin avoid extinction.

The Fisheries Ministry and Department of Conservation are working on a strategy to meet a balance of the dolphin's survival and the fishing industry. An interim net ban has been put in place along the Maui's coastal range, but not inside harbours.

It is a miracle that the dolphins can find their way out of the myriad of nets in these harbours.

A recent news item would suggest that the future of these animals is becoming a priority with maritime authorities; that must be a very good thing for their future.

Dolphin Language





Contributor's Note
A unique language

Tuatara DNA - so quick to evolve - found only in New Zealand...

TUATARA DNA - SO QUICK TO EVOLVE - FOUND ONLY IN NEW ZEALAND...


Published first On Qassia:


Tuatara are only found in New Zealand. They are apparently very slow growing and reproducing, and have a sluggish metabolism. They are an ancient form of lizard and the oldest living form of wildlife in New Zealand. Tuatara have often been called 'living dinosaurs' and have largely not changed physically over extremely long aeons of evolution going back millions of years.

But they have reportedly broken records for DNA evolution, something that has astonished New Zealand scientists. An analysis of their bones has shown their DNA has evolved faster than any other animal species yet studied.

An evolutionary biologist, Professor David Lambert, at the Massey University based team from the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, established through study of tuatara DNA that the reptiles have evolved very quickly.

Professor Lambert said recently it had been expected that the tuatara, which did everything else slowly, would therefore evolve slowly too, but the new DNA research questioned such ideas.

Scientists had recovered DNA sequences from the bones of tuatara up to 8750 years old and compared them to modern tuatara blood samples, to establish the speed of the DNA changes in the species.

There will undoubtably be more up to date information released in the near future, which is of great interest to the writer.

Tuatara are not only the oldest living species in NZ, but would rank with some of the oldest in the world.

Tuatara Site


Labels: ANCIENT LIZARD, DNA, EVOLUTION, NZ, TUATARA