From the Gobi Desert to Folly Farm in Kilgetty, James the Bactrian Camel has found a new home in Wales...
Camel comes to Wales
15/6/2007
"James the Bactrian camel has settled down in Pembrokeshire after life in the Gobi Desert.
He is the latest arrival at Folly Farm, Kilgetty, which attracts over 340,000 visitors a year.
Bactrian camels can live for up to 40 years so at only two James has a long life ahead of him. Being a Bactrian camel James has two humps that store fat meaning he can survive without food or water for up to three days.
His usual habitat is the Gobi Desert and steppes of Asia but the environment at Folly Farm suits him perfectly as he is extremely well adapted for living in Pembrokeshire, coping well with both hot and cold environments.
Chris Ebsworth at Folly Farm says, "James is a welcome addition at Folly, where we are already home to a number of wonderful species, some are on our endangered animals programme which is our on-going commitment to conservation."
to read the full article: http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Tourism&F=1&id=11600
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Carnivore Conservation
As more of the world's carnivores become endangered species a conservation center in Ohio, (www.thewilds.org.), is taking action in the new building of a $5million project for a Carnivore Conservation Center. at the new center visitors will be able be educated about different species such as cheetah's and dholes...
In a recent article;
Meaty addition at Wilds
Two-story building, mid-sized carnivores like cheetahs, wild dogs from Asia and Africa part of $5 million project
By Bob Downing
Beacon journal staff writer
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/living/17314559.htm
CUMBERLAND - There's something new at The Wilds.
The wild animal/conservation facility is opening a new venue in east-central Ohio: the $5 million Mid-Sized Carnivore Conservation Center. That's where visitors will be able to see and learn about cheetahs, African wild dogs and dholes.
Dholes are Asian wild dogs. They are the so-called red dogs of The Jungle Book.
The Wilds will become the second facility in the United States and the third in North America to house dholes. Dhole numbers have plummeted in Asia due to loss of habitat, persecution as a pest and vermin and dog-related illnesses.
The new center, scheduled to open early this month, covers 60 acres and includes 22 enclosures ranging in size from one to three acres with special fencing to keep the predators in.
A two-story building will house offices, a veterinary clinic and a public viewing deck. Elevated walkways will connect the main building to viewing overlooks and a central park area.
The facility was built with $1 million in state money and $600,000 in federal funds.
The center is the first major animal addition in years to The Wilds, a refocused operation that defies easy description. It is part Noah's Ark for endangered species, part drive-through zoo, part animal breeding farm, part scientific research facility and part tourist attraction.
Its mission is conservation and research but it needs tourism to survive. It has been called the conservation center for the 21st century and tries to showcase its work, not exhibits.
The Wilds was nearly forced to close in 2001 and 2002 due to financial problems. But it was reorganized and is doing well.
The facility also offers workshops and classes and other activities including bird and butterfly watching, mountain biking and fly fishing.
Officially known as the International Center for the Preservation of Wild Animals, The Wilds is only two hours from Akron and makes a pretty cool one-day trip for families. Located between Zanesville and Cambridge, about 70 miles east of Columbus, it is expecting 70,000 visitors this year, said director Evan S. Blumer
To read the full artcile:http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/living/17314559.htm
In a recent article;
Meaty addition at Wilds
Two-story building, mid-sized carnivores like cheetahs, wild dogs from Asia and Africa part of $5 million project
By Bob Downing
Beacon journal staff writer
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/living/17314559.htm
CUMBERLAND - There's something new at The Wilds.
The wild animal/conservation facility is opening a new venue in east-central Ohio: the $5 million Mid-Sized Carnivore Conservation Center. That's where visitors will be able to see and learn about cheetahs, African wild dogs and dholes.
Dholes are Asian wild dogs. They are the so-called red dogs of The Jungle Book.
The Wilds will become the second facility in the United States and the third in North America to house dholes. Dhole numbers have plummeted in Asia due to loss of habitat, persecution as a pest and vermin and dog-related illnesses.
The new center, scheduled to open early this month, covers 60 acres and includes 22 enclosures ranging in size from one to three acres with special fencing to keep the predators in.
A two-story building will house offices, a veterinary clinic and a public viewing deck. Elevated walkways will connect the main building to viewing overlooks and a central park area.
The facility was built with $1 million in state money and $600,000 in federal funds.
The center is the first major animal addition in years to The Wilds, a refocused operation that defies easy description. It is part Noah's Ark for endangered species, part drive-through zoo, part animal breeding farm, part scientific research facility and part tourist attraction.
Its mission is conservation and research but it needs tourism to survive. It has been called the conservation center for the 21st century and tries to showcase its work, not exhibits.
The Wilds was nearly forced to close in 2001 and 2002 due to financial problems. But it was reorganized and is doing well.
The facility also offers workshops and classes and other activities including bird and butterfly watching, mountain biking and fly fishing.
Officially known as the International Center for the Preservation of Wild Animals, The Wilds is only two hours from Akron and makes a pretty cool one-day trip for families. Located between Zanesville and Cambridge, about 70 miles east of Columbus, it is expecting 70,000 visitors this year, said director Evan S. Blumer
To read the full artcile:http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/living/17314559.htm
Friday, June 01, 2007
Seahorses By Delma Island
Seahore Larva has been found off the coast of Delma Island. The larva was found during research being condcuted on the reprodcutive habits of fish in the area.It is also in effort to protect Abu Dhabi's Marine Envrionment...
From a Recent Article;
Seahorse larva collected off Delma Island
Staff Report
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/05/25/10127678.html
"Abu Dhabi: Specimens of a seahorse larva have been found in the waters northeast of Delma Island.
It was found and collected by experts of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi's Marine Environment Research Centre.
The seahorse larva was collected as part of a programme investigating the reproductive habitats of fish in Abu Dhabi waters. It is part of a scheme to help protect areas of fish spawning.
About 35 species of seahorses are found around the world, while at least three species are seen in the Arabian Gulf. Seahorses can change colour to match their background and, much like humans, are generally monogamous
The male and female, in monogamous pairs, will greet one another with courtship displays in the morning and sometimes in the evening to reinforce their pair bond. They spend the rest of the day separate from each other hunting for food. Evidence gathered so far suggests that when seahorses stick with a partner for a while they get better at reproducing.
Seahorses are also notable for being the only species in the world in which males become pregnant.
The males not only take charge of the eggs, they also provide oxygen through a capillary network in the pouch, and they also transfer nutrients. They also control the pouch environment so that it changes during the pregnancy to become more like salt water."
To Read the Full artcile: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/05/25/10127678.html
From a Recent Article;
Seahorse larva collected off Delma Island
Staff Report
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/05/25/10127678.html
"Abu Dhabi: Specimens of a seahorse larva have been found in the waters northeast of Delma Island.
It was found and collected by experts of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi's Marine Environment Research Centre.
The seahorse larva was collected as part of a programme investigating the reproductive habitats of fish in Abu Dhabi waters. It is part of a scheme to help protect areas of fish spawning.
About 35 species of seahorses are found around the world, while at least three species are seen in the Arabian Gulf. Seahorses can change colour to match their background and, much like humans, are generally monogamous
The male and female, in monogamous pairs, will greet one another with courtship displays in the morning and sometimes in the evening to reinforce their pair bond. They spend the rest of the day separate from each other hunting for food. Evidence gathered so far suggests that when seahorses stick with a partner for a while they get better at reproducing.
Seahorses are also notable for being the only species in the world in which males become pregnant.
The males not only take charge of the eggs, they also provide oxygen through a capillary network in the pouch, and they also transfer nutrients. They also control the pouch environment so that it changes during the pregnancy to become more like salt water."
To Read the Full artcile: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/05/25/10127678.html
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
seperating myth from fact about the seahorse
As scientists have begun to more thoroughly examine and study seahorses certain perceptions about this unique creatures mating habits have been found to be present myth. New research in by British scientists has found that the once thought of “loyal” seahorse is hard to find and that they are more promiscuous then what had been previously thought. It may only be true that certain seahorses can commit to life long mating partners while others can be found flirting with others quite frequently, even with in the same sex…
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2575190,00.html
The secret sex life of 'faithful' seahorses
SIMON DE BRUXELLES
• Fabled monogamy exposed as a myth
• Same-sex liaisons 37 per cent of total
Seahorses may be graceful and elegant but the idea that they are monogamous and mate for life is just a myth, according to research.
A study indicates that the sea creatures are promiscuous, flighty and more than a little bit gay — none more so than the Australian seahorse. And unlike human rules of attraction, it was the members of the Hippocampus genus with the biggest bellies that attracted the most partners.
The results also suggested that of 3,168 recorded sexual encounters, 37 per cent were same-sex liaisons.
Scientists at fifteen Sea Life Centre aquariums around Britain studied ninety seahorses of three species from Australia, the Caribbean and the Channel. Until now many marine biologists had believed that seahorses were monogamous, and that theirs was one of the few species in which the male becomes pregnant and carries the eggs.
However, individual seahorses were recorded flirting with up to 25 potential partners a day. The Australian bigbellied seahorse was the most indiscriminate, mating with both females and males several times a day. Caribbean slender seahorses were also promiscuous. Of the three species studied, only some of the British spiny seahorse were faithful to one partner. Out of those, five pairs remained faithful, while twelve did not.
Paul Bullimore, a Sea Life Centre marine curator, said: “The results of the survey came as a revelation to all of us. The fabled monogamy of the seahorse really has been exposed as a myth. We were pretty sure there was far more promiscuity among seahorses than is generally acknowledged, but we hadn’t picked up on the same-sex liaisons.
“This bisexual activity was both a great surprise and a shock to many of us that work with the creatures. The observations of big-bellied seahorses suggest that neither males nor females of this species had any preferred partner. They really are indiscriminate and shameless creatures.”
The scientists were looking for signs of courtship, including colour changes, knotting of tails and synchronised swimming. The information was studied at the national seahorse breeding centre in the Sea Life Park, Weymouth.
A total of 1,986 “contacts” were recorded between males and females, and another 836 between females and 346 between males.
Mr Bullimore said: “The big-bellied seahorses showed the keenest propensity for fooling around. They appeared happy to engage in courtship and fool around with any other member of the same species in the same tank. Only in the case of the spiny seahorses were there clearly pairs that remained faithful to each other.”
“Perhaps the naturalists who first reported monogamy in seahorses had observed it in one or two species and assumed it would be universal.
“Another possibility is that the sexual behaviour is different in aquarium conditions to that in the wild.”
Weymouth’s Sea Life breeding programme began in 1995 when a fisherman off the Dorset coast accidentally caught seven long-nose spiny seahorses. Until the capture of this group the species was thought to be almost entirely extinct in British waters as a result of crude Victorian oyster fishing techniques.
A coastal life
• The spiny seahorse and short-snouted seahorse live in British coastal waters
• The female transfers eggs to the male, who fertilises them in his pouch and gives birth
• Their eyes can work independently, so they can look backwards and forwards at once
• Less than one in 1,000 fry become adults
• They can change colour quickly to match their surroundings; males and females also change colour during courtship
Source: The Seahorse Trust
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2575190,00.html
The secret sex life of 'faithful' seahorses
SIMON DE BRUXELLES
• Fabled monogamy exposed as a myth
• Same-sex liaisons 37 per cent of total
Seahorses may be graceful and elegant but the idea that they are monogamous and mate for life is just a myth, according to research.
A study indicates that the sea creatures are promiscuous, flighty and more than a little bit gay — none more so than the Australian seahorse. And unlike human rules of attraction, it was the members of the Hippocampus genus with the biggest bellies that attracted the most partners.
The results also suggested that of 3,168 recorded sexual encounters, 37 per cent were same-sex liaisons.
Scientists at fifteen Sea Life Centre aquariums around Britain studied ninety seahorses of three species from Australia, the Caribbean and the Channel. Until now many marine biologists had believed that seahorses were monogamous, and that theirs was one of the few species in which the male becomes pregnant and carries the eggs.
However, individual seahorses were recorded flirting with up to 25 potential partners a day. The Australian bigbellied seahorse was the most indiscriminate, mating with both females and males several times a day. Caribbean slender seahorses were also promiscuous. Of the three species studied, only some of the British spiny seahorse were faithful to one partner. Out of those, five pairs remained faithful, while twelve did not.
Paul Bullimore, a Sea Life Centre marine curator, said: “The results of the survey came as a revelation to all of us. The fabled monogamy of the seahorse really has been exposed as a myth. We were pretty sure there was far more promiscuity among seahorses than is generally acknowledged, but we hadn’t picked up on the same-sex liaisons.
“This bisexual activity was both a great surprise and a shock to many of us that work with the creatures. The observations of big-bellied seahorses suggest that neither males nor females of this species had any preferred partner. They really are indiscriminate and shameless creatures.”
The scientists were looking for signs of courtship, including colour changes, knotting of tails and synchronised swimming. The information was studied at the national seahorse breeding centre in the Sea Life Park, Weymouth.
A total of 1,986 “contacts” were recorded between males and females, and another 836 between females and 346 between males.
Mr Bullimore said: “The big-bellied seahorses showed the keenest propensity for fooling around. They appeared happy to engage in courtship and fool around with any other member of the same species in the same tank. Only in the case of the spiny seahorses were there clearly pairs that remained faithful to each other.”
“Perhaps the naturalists who first reported monogamy in seahorses had observed it in one or two species and assumed it would be universal.
“Another possibility is that the sexual behaviour is different in aquarium conditions to that in the wild.”
Weymouth’s Sea Life breeding programme began in 1995 when a fisherman off the Dorset coast accidentally caught seven long-nose spiny seahorses. Until the capture of this group the species was thought to be almost entirely extinct in British waters as a result of crude Victorian oyster fishing techniques.
A coastal life
• The spiny seahorse and short-snouted seahorse live in British coastal waters
• The female transfers eggs to the male, who fertilises them in his pouch and gives birth
• Their eyes can work independently, so they can look backwards and forwards at once
• Less than one in 1,000 fry become adults
• They can change colour quickly to match their surroundings; males and females also change colour during courtship
Source: The Seahorse Trust
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