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By David Galbraith - Oobject.com In the early days of manned flight, people generally had no clue what they were doing. If two wi...
Pesut Mahakam (istimewa)
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Populasi Pesut (Orcaella brevirotris) atau dalam bahasa Inggris dikenal dengan Irrawady dolphin yang terdapat di daerah aliran sungai (DAS) Mahakam, Kalimantan Timur (Kaltim), semakin menyusut.
Jumlah populasi Pesut Mahakam saat ini diperkirakan tidak lebih dari 50 ekor, bahkan menurut data CITES, jumlahnya tinggal sekitar 34 ekor saja.
Di dunia internasional, hewan mamalia air tawar ini termasuk dalam daftar CITES yang digolongkan ke dalam Lampiran 1 atau terancam punah.
Padahal pada sekitar tahun 1970 populasi Pesut masih ada antara 100-150 ekor yang berlokasi di Danau Melintang, Danau Semayang, Sungai Pela, dan sebagian Sungai Mahakam.
Dengan kondisi yang berkurang 30 persen dalam tempo 25 tahun, keberadaan spesies Pesut Mahakam dikhawatirkan mengarah kepada kepunahan.
Namun populasi Pesut menurun tidak hanya di Sungai Mahakam. Keberadaan Pesut di dunia juga mengalami tren menurun akibat memburuknya kualitas lingkungan perairan yang terkait dengan pasokan sumber makanan.
Menurut Badan Litbang Kelautan dan Perikanan, diperlukan strategi perlindungan yang terkait dengan biologi dari Pesut. Salah satunya adalah dengan memperbaiki tempat-tempat yang menjadi sumber makanannya--mengingat 80 persen dari aktivitas hidup Pesut adalah untuk mencari makanan. (E012)
Kukang/Nycticebus coucang (ANTARA/M Risyal Hidayat)
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Beberapa peneliti menemukan spesies terbaru primata seperti kukang di Pulau Kalimantan, demikian Jurnal Primatologi Amerika seperti dikutip BBC.
Primata lucu ini bertubuh kecil dan sebelumnya dikategorikan sejenis lemur karena mirip monyet atau kera. Spesies ini memiliki gigitan beracun, menutupi penampilannya yang lucu.
Spesis baru kukang bernama Nycticebus kayan sudah tidak dikenal lagi karena gaya hidup nocturnalnya, dan aktif pada malam hari serta mengandalkan penglihatannya saat mencari makan.
Tim peneliti internasional pimpinan Profesor Anna Nekaris dari Oxford Brookes University di Inggris, dan Munds Rachel dari University of Missouri di Columbia, Amerika Serikat, menyatakan kukang banyak ditemukan di hutan Kalimantan dan Filipina.
Mereka meneliti ciri wajah primata dan adanya bercak hitam dengan pola berbeda.
Penelitian tersebut mengungkapkan ada empat jenis kukang hidup di Filipina dan Kalimantan dengan ciri berbeda.
Sebelumnya dua jenis kukang N bancanus dan N borneanus diperkirakan adalah turunan induk dari N menagensis. Namun N kayan adalah jenis terbaru dalam pengetahuan.
"Di Kalimantan, tiga jenis terbaru akan ditambahkan dalam daftar merah IUCN sebagai spesies yang terancam punah," ujarnya. "40 persen primata dunia sudah terancam punah."
Jenis kukang lainnya ditemukan di Asia Selatan dan Tenggara. (tri)
Ilustrasi--Orangutan Sumatera betina (FOTO REUTERS/Sacramento Zoo)
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Para ilmuwan spesialis primata dari International Union for Conservation Nature (IUCN) dan International Primatological Society meluncurkan daftar 25 jenis primata yang paling terancam punah dalam Konvensi Keanekaragaman Biologis Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa (PBB).
Dalam situs Internet resminya, IUCN menyebut enam dari 25 primata yang terancam punah berasal dari Madagascar, lima dari Vietnam, tiga dari Indonesia, dua dari Brazil.
Sedangkan China, Kolombia, Pantai Gading, Republik Demokratik Kongo, Ekuador, Republik Guinea, Ghana, Kenya, Peru, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, dan Venezuela masing-masing mempunyai satu jenis primata yang terancam punah.
"Dengan laporan ini, para pelaku konservasi ingin menekankan kondisi mengenaskan dari spesies seperti Tarsius pumilus (Pygmy Tarsier) dari Sulawesi Selatan dan Sulawesi Tengah," kata Kepala Peneliti Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation, Christoph Schwitzer.
Schwitzer menyebut populasi tarsius yang hidup terisolir dan tersebar di wilayah Sulawesi terancam oleh tindakan manusia dan konflik bersenjata.
Selain tarsius, dua primata asal Indonesia yang juga terancam punah yaitu Javan Slow Loris (Nycticebus javanicus), dan Orangutan Sumatera (Pongo abelii).
Sementara, lemur Madagascar terancam oleh perusakan habitat dan penebangan kayu ilegal yang semakin marak sejak pergantian kekuasaan di negara itu pada 2009.
Jumlah lemur langka Lepilemur septentrionalis merosot menjadi 19 di alam liar dan diikuti 91 persen dari 103 spesies lemur lain yang juga terancam punah.
"Sekali lagi, laporan ini menunjukkan primata di dunia semakin terancam oleh tindakan manusia. Walaupun kita belum kehilangan spesies primata dalam satu abad ini, beberapa di antara mereka berada dalam kondisi mengenaskan," kata Schwitzer. (I026)
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Orangutan Sumatra (Pongo abelii). (FOTO ANTARA/Prasetyo Utomo)
Medan (ANTARA News) - Populasi satwa Orangutan Sumatra (Pongo abelii) terancam punah, akibat perburuan oleh orang-orang tidak bertanggungjawab maupun akibat semakin menyusutnya hutan yang menjadi habitat hewan yang dilindungi tersebut.
"Populasi orangutan mengalami penurunan yang sangat drastis dalam kurun waktu 20 tahun terakhir akibat deforestasi. Kondisi ini menyebabkan Orangutan Sumatra masuk kategori satwa sangat terancam punah di dunia," kata Penggiat Konservasi Alam dan Satwa Liar Sumatra Rainforest Institute (SRI), Rasyid Assaf Dongoran di Medan Kamis.
Beberapa penelitian yang dilakukan oleh lembaga Indonesia dan lembaga internasional pada periode tahun 2006-2008 telah menyimpulkan hanya beberapa blok hutan alami sebagai habitat satwa itu hanya ada di dua provinsi yakni hutan yang berada di Propinsi Aceh dan Sumatera Utara.
Salah satu kawasan hutan yang di identifikasi sebagai habitat alami adalah Kawasan Ekosistem Batangtoru atau Hutan Tapanuli, di mana estimasi kawasan ini seluas lebih kurang 140,000 Hektar dan salah satu kabupaten yang memiliki satwa ini adalah Kabupaten Tapanuli Selatan.
Beberapa kantung hutan alami yang terdapat di Tapanuli Selatan seperti hutan batangtoru, hutan Cagar Alam Dolok Sibual buali, Cagar Alam Dolok Sipirok, Suaka Alam Lubuk Raya serta beberapa wilayah hutan lindung hutan produksi yang memegang peranan penting dalam upaya penyediaan habitat alami.
Agar keberadaan orangutan tersebut tidak semakin habis, menurut dia, peran serta pemerintah daerah sangat penting, terutama dalam mengantisipasi perburuan maupun penebangan hutan uang dilakukan masyarakat.
"Saya masih yakin Bupati Tapanuli Selatan, Syahrul Martua Pasaribu mampu menjadi pelopor utama gerakan penyelamatan hutan alami dan satwa yang terancam punah di wilayah kerjanya. Beliau harus mampu memanfaatkan jabatannya untuk melestarikan alam khusus Orangutan Sumatra," katanya.
Menurut dia, Pemerintah Kabupaten Tapanuli Selatan harus jeli melihat peluang bahwa tidak setiap kabupaten di Indonesia memiliki wisata alam dan perlindungan orangutan, apalagi memang orangutan merupakan daya tarik internasional.
Artinya, melestarikan satwa itu akan memancing turis penikmat ekowisata dan para peneliti baik nasiaonal maupun asing masuk ke Tapanuli Selatan, sehingga secara langsung dimasa akan datang, daerah itu akan menjadi sorotan destinasi wisata ekowisata dan keunikan alam.
"Potensi itu harus di investasi dalam upaya pelestarian, yang pada gilirannya nanti tentunyamampu menggerakkan roda ekonomi yang green economy," katanya.
Apalagi, lanjut dia, pemerintah pusat melalui Kementerian Kehutanan RI telah menetapkan agenda induk penyelamatan Orangutan yang tertuang dalam Rencana Strategi dan Aksi Nasional Konservasi Orangutan 2007 - 2017.
"Dengan demikian semua pihak termasuk pemerintah kabupaten dapat melakukan upaya konservasi dan perlindungan orangutan dengan dasar kebijakan itu," katanya.
Di seluruh dunia terdapat empat species tapir, yaitu Tapirus bairdii, Tapirus indicus, Tapirus pinchaque, dan Tapirus terrestris. Tapir sangat unik, salah satunya anakan tapir memiliki motif loreng yang kemudian berubah menjadi belang hitam dan putih di tubuh tapir dewasa. (istimewa)
Jambi (ANTARA News) - Tim dokter hewan di Jambi berhasil melakukan operasi bedah seekor tapir langka akibat luka jeratan. Tapir (Tapirus indicus) merupakan binatang dilindungi yang banyak diburu untuk dikonsumsi dagingnya atau diperdagangkan sebagai hewan eksotik.
"Operasinya dilakukan tadi pagi pukul 08.30 WIB karena luka dibagian kaki kiri tapir tertanam besi jeratan dua tahun lalu," ujar Kepala Dinas Peternakan dan Kesehatan Hewan Provinsi Jambi, Sepdinal, di Jambi, Kamis.
Menurut dia, tapir langka diberi nama Sari itu menderita infeksi berat akibat besi jeratan tertanam dibagian kaki kiri.
"Sebenarnya operasi bisa dilakukan sejak awal. Hanya saja kondisi tubuh tapir yang tidak memungkinkan sehingga hari ini baru bisa dioperasi," katanya.
Sementara itu, drh. Wisnu Wardana yang memimpin operasi tersebut menyatakan, operasi berlangsung selama satu jam.
Tim dokter telah berhasil mengangkat tali seling yang tertanam di kaki tapir akibat jerat. "Karena sudah terlalu lama tertanam, sempat muncul tumor, tapi sudah berhasil diambil saat operasi," ujarnya. Ia memperkirakan dalam waktu dua bulan ke depan kondisi tapir Sari sudah membaik.
Menurut dia, tapir berjenis kelamin betina itu dua tahun lalu ditemukan warga di Desa Mogasari, daerah Ness, Kabupaten Batanghari. Tapir tersebut tercebur ke dalam sumur dengan kondisi kakinya terkena jerat.
Setahun kemudian, binatang ini dipindahkan ke kebun binatang Taman Rimba Jambi dan menambah koleksi tapir di Taman Rimba Jambi menjadi dua ekor.
"Belum lama ini kami pernah melakukan operasi tapir ini, namun gagal karena obat biusnya tidak cocok. Sekarang, kami mendapatkan obat bius yang dipesan dari Inggris dan cocok untuk operasi," tambah Wisnu. (*)
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Red Alert
credit: xlibber
"Over the next three decades, the human population is projected to reach 9 billion people. In that same time, Sumatran elephants, currently numbering around 2,500 members, are expected to reach zero," reports Stephen Messenger.
Good News
credit: Angell Williams
"The areas designated as no-trawling zones would be identified based on the presence of conditions conducive to marine life and could change based on seasonal migrations, ocean currents, and weather systems like El Niño," writes Jennifer Hattam.
News in Photos
credit: lostandcold
Adding carbon to the atmosphere contributes to global warming and climate change. Another less-discussed impact is ocean acidification—whereby carbon molecules diffuse into the ocean from the atmosphere, causing a steady rise in acidity—even though the impacts are already being felt by many species.
Good News
credit: DrLianPinKoh
World Wildlife Fund had a "world's first" when they set plans in motion to deploy a small fleet of unmanned aircraft to monitor Nepal's sprawling southern plains to monitor for poaching of endangered species.
Bad News
credit: Wikimedia Commons
"Sad news out of the Isle Royale National Park, way up in Michigan, where scientists say there's only one female gray wolf left in the nine that still roam a chain of islands in western Lake Superior. It's the lowest population ever recorded there, in 54 years," reports Jeff Kart.
Red Alert
credit: catlovers
"Malaysia—along with the world's 12 other tiger range countries—agreed, in 2010, to take measures to double their wild tiger populations by 2020. So far, for Malaysia, which had an estimated 500 wild tigers, the goal is proving more difficult than previously expected—and poaching is, not surprisingly, one of the major challenges," writes David Defranza.
Good News
Monkey Thought Extinct is Rediscovered in Indonesia
It's a wonder what we learn about the world thanks to the technology of camera traps -- including the living members of a species long thought to have disappeared like the Miller's grizzled langur.
News in Photos
credit: TreeHugger
Giraffes? Horses? Squirrels?? 20 Animals You Didn't Know Are Going Extinct
When it comes to the Endangered Species List, some animals stand out as celebrities: polar bears, giant pandas, rhinos, snow leopards... But sadly, the list is so extensive that there are many species you may never have suspected are endangered. Here are twenty of them. We wrote about these animals earlier this week, but sometimes it's nice to read about them one by one. So click through, be surprised, and hopefully also be inspired to act.
Red Alert
credit: bdu
Rhinos May be Extinct in South Africa by 2015
A renowned rhino activists has issued an estimate that, at current rates, the rhinoceros will be extinct in South Africa by 2015.
Red Alert
credit: Matt MacGillivray
Climate Change May Kill Off 900 Bird Species By 2100
Scientists say climate change is likely to drive up to 900 bird species into extinction by the end of the century unless additional conservation measures are taken.
Source: Treehugger 21, Th 22, Th 23, Th 24, Th 25, Th 26, Th 27, Th 28, Th 29, and Th 30
Good News
credit: SteveD
In the first ever study using satellite tracking of these "devilfish" scientists found that giant Manta Rays travel. A lot. And it's no wonder -- these animals grow up to 25 feet wide and are filter feeders, collecting tiny zooplankton and fish eggs as they swim through the water. It takes a whole lot of zooplankton to feed these guys but their travel habits weren't widely known. Until now.
Red Alert
credit: Rebecca Jackrel
Tasmanian Devils are facing a devilish disease that could wipe them out within decades. Called the Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), the problem is a contagious cancer that causes huge lesions to form on the face. It has killed more than 80% of Tasmanian devils since 1996 and there has been an 84% decrease in devil sightings across Tasmania as of February 2011. The Tasmanian devil has been listed as an endangered species.
News in Photos
credit: Google Earth
Google Earth has proven itself to be more than just a way to travel the world from your desk, it's become a real tool for conservation and preservation of species and habitats in amazing ways.
Good News
credit: Wikimedia Commons
Ocean Expedition Uncovers a Million New Species
Stephen Messenger reports, "For two and half years, the crew of the French vessel Tara surveyed the ocean depths for new lifeforms, and boy did they find plenty. According to researchers, their exploration yielded a more than a million preciously undiscovered aquatic species -- ranging from several new types of fish and squid, to a multitude of microscopic organisms, like plankton."
Stephen Messenger reports, "For two and half years, the crew of the French vessel Tara surveyed the ocean depths for new lifeforms, and boy did they find plenty. According to researchers, their exploration yielded a more than a million preciously undiscovered aquatic species -- ranging from several new types of fish and squid, to a multitude of microscopic organisms, like plankton."
Bad News
credit: prb10111 - awol
The Tragic Bureaucratic Bungle That Led to the Extinction of the White Rhino
A sad story reported by David Defranzo, "In 2006, there were possibly as many as 15 northern white rhino left in the wild—and, spearheaded by renowned conservationist Lawrence Anthony, a strong movement to protect the species. Today, the white rhino is thought to be extinct in the wild. What happened in those six years is a tragic example of the challenges conservation initiatives face around the world."
Saving the "Modern Day Unicorn" from Extinction
One of the rarest and most elusive animals on the planet is the saola, a relative of the ox though it looks closer to a deer or antelope with it's dainty features and two distinctive horns. Two years ago, the species made news after the capture of a saola in Annamite Mountains, an event that almost never happens. While the animal died shortly after being captured, it has helped conservationists understand much more about this virtually unknown mammal.
Taking Stock: World Fish Catch Falls to 90 Million Tons in 2012
According to Lester Brown, "With the wild catch no longer increasing, aquaculture has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing animal protein source, soon to overtake beef in total tonnage... But a commonly cited drawback of aquaculture is that wild-caught forage fish—smaller plankton consumers that support the higher levels of the food chain—are often turned into fishmeal and oil used to feed farmed predatory fish, such as salmon and shrimp."
10 Amazing but Endangered Shark Species: How Many Do You Know?
There is an astounding variety of shapes, sizes and even diets among sharks, but one thing most species have in common is how quickly they are disappearing.
World's Rarest Gorilla Caught on Film in Cameroon
Extinction Rates Soar in Brazil's Fragmented Forests
Researchers surveyed wildlife populations in 196 isolated patches of Atlantic Forests. But sadly, the formerly thriving hotspot of biodiversity was found to be hotbed of extinction.
A sad story reported by David Defranzo, "In 2006, there were possibly as many as 15 northern white rhino left in the wild—and, spearheaded by renowned conservationist Lawrence Anthony, a strong movement to protect the species. Today, the white rhino is thought to be extinct in the wild. What happened in those six years is a tragic example of the challenges conservation initiatives face around the world."
Good News
credit: Bill Robichaud
Saving the "Modern Day Unicorn" from Extinction
One of the rarest and most elusive animals on the planet is the saola, a relative of the ox though it looks closer to a deer or antelope with it's dainty features and two distinctive horns. Two years ago, the species made news after the capture of a saola in Annamite Mountains, an event that almost never happens. While the animal died shortly after being captured, it has helped conservationists understand much more about this virtually unknown mammal.
Red Alert
credit: malias
Taking Stock: World Fish Catch Falls to 90 Million Tons in 2012
According to Lester Brown, "With the wild catch no longer increasing, aquaculture has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing animal protein source, soon to overtake beef in total tonnage... But a commonly cited drawback of aquaculture is that wild-caught forage fish—smaller plankton consumers that support the higher levels of the food chain—are often turned into fishmeal and oil used to feed farmed predatory fish, such as salmon and shrimp."
News in Photos
credit: Chris Gotschalk
10 Amazing but Endangered Shark Species: How Many Do You Know?
There is an astounding variety of shapes, sizes and even diets among sharks, but one thing most species have in common is how quickly they are disappearing.
Good News
World's Rarest Gorilla Caught on Film in Cameroon
Stephen Messenger reports, "Cross River gorillas rank among the world's most endangered and elusive species. Numbering as few as 250 individuals, the rarest of African apes has scarcely been observed in the wild, even by those committed to studying their behavior. But now, for one of the first times ever, the Cross River gorilla's haunting beauty and incredible strength have been caught on film in the wild."
Bad News
credit: Stephen Messenger
Extinction Rates Soar in Brazil's Fragmented Forests
Researchers surveyed wildlife populations in 196 isolated patches of Atlantic Forests. But sadly, the formerly thriving hotspot of biodiversity was found to be hotbed of extinction.
2012 has been a roller coaster of a year for animal news. Here we've rounded-up the top stories for successes in conservation, discoveries and extinctions of species, red alerts for worrying trends we can turn around if we act quickly, and the best photo galleries of animals living and extinct. Thankfully there is more good news than bad news rounded up here.
So don't be discouraged with the troubling news -- keep clicking through the slides because there is lots to be happy about despite the losses we've endured during 2012.
Bad News
credit: Franco Folini
As the planet gets hotter, a minimum of 9 percent of animals in the Western Hemisphere -- and up to 40 percent in some areas -- will not be able to migrate quickly enough to new, suitable habitat. They literally won't be able to outrun climate change.
Good News
credit: USFWS Southeast
Green sea turtle numbers are showing signs that years of conservation efforts are starting to pay off. Conservation International has announced that over 1.4 million green turtle eggs were laid last year in 14,220 nests on Baguan Island of Turtle Islands, Tawi-Tawi. This is an all-time high since 1984 when recording began.
Red Alert
credit: dodsport
KittyCam is a project put together by University of Georgia and the National Geographic Society's Crittercam, the same technology used for tracking wildlife as diverse as elephant seals and sea turtles. This time, instead of wild animals the technology was applied to our domestic cats -- the lap-sized lions that hunt untold numbers of birds.
News in Photos
credit: Unknown photographer, 1933
It's amazing the unique and interesting species that we can now see only in these old, faded photographs. Check out this slideshow featuring some phenomenal lost species.
Though the total population is comprised of 179 individuals living in zoos, and 226 living in the wild, the progress that has been made so far to save this species is encouraging. However, the condor is not out of the woods yet.
Bad News
Imagine we halted Amazon deforestation today. Even if this miracle were to happen, a new study shows there are still many species that have been impacted by habitat loss so severely that we cannot save them from extinction.
Good News
credit: David Berkowitz
Five key nations pulled together in an unprecedented alliance to create the world's largest conservation area. Thanks to this new protected zone, wildlife in Africa will be able to get around much more freely -- and safely.
News in Photos
credit: Rebecca Jackrel
Conservation photographer Rebecca Jackrel visited Florida in February to spend time with these gentle giants. Here are some of her fantastic photos documenting manatees and their plight.
Red Alert
credit: Rod Mast
According to a new survey, the tropical waters of the Eastern Pacific may represent the next epicenter for marine extinctions.
By Christine Lepisto
From city foxes to deadly deer, wildlife encounters in urban areas remind us that we share our green spaces with many others. The newest denizen of the most densely humanified spaces, coyotes, feature in a study of urban ecology at EcoSummit 2012.
Stan Gehrt, an ecologist from Ohio State University, has tracked communities of coyotes in the greater Chicago metropolitan area for over a decade. He estimates that over 2000 coyotes share their ecosystem with the humans that call Chicago home.
Although Gehrt admits that wild animal encounters frequently disturb the humans that believe they have safely isolated themselves from the dangers of carnivores in the wild, he believes that the proximity of wildlife to our hubs of habitation will continue to increase:
It used to be rural areas where we would have this challenge of coexistence versus conflict with carnivores. In the future, and I would say currently, it’s cities where we’re going to have this intersection between people and carnivores. We used to think only little carnivores could live in cities, and even then we thought they couldn’t really achieve large numbers. But we’re finding that these animals are much more flexible than we gave them credit for and they’re adjusting to our cities.
Moreover, Gehrt suggests that the adaptability of coyotes may be evidence that even larger carnivores -- wolves, mountain lions, and bears -- may soon join coyotes in setting up house next door. He reflects, "The coyote is the test case for other animals. Raccoons, skunks, foxes – they’ve already been able to penetrate the urban landscape pretty well. The coyote is the most recent and largest. The jury’s out with what’s going to happen with the bigger ones."
Urban planners may have to take this development more seriously. Elimination programs engender protests, and may not be the best solution. Carnivores like coyotes provide a service by killing deer fawns -- helping to keep populations of deer, more dangerous to humans than coyotes by far, under control -- and by eating small mammals that carry disease.
Source: Treehugger
A Viral Poacher
With a name like that, you'd think that canine distemper wouldn't be too dangerous for felines like Amur Tigers (aka Siberian Tigers), but sadly, that's not the case. The mysterious disease that recently caused the death of many Amur Tigers has been identified by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and by Russian health and veterinary organizations.
Canine distemper is a deadly viral disease which causes symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, labored breathing, dehydration and various neurological problems (Wikipedia has a good list).
"With all the threats facing Siberian tigers--from poaching and habitat loss--relatively little research has been done on diseases that may afflict tigers," WCS Director of Russia Programs Dale Miquelle said in a prepared statement. "There are no records of tigers entering villages and behaving so abnormally before 2000, so this appears to be a new development and new threat. Understanding whether disease is a major source of mortality for Siberian tigers is crucial for future conservation efforts." (source)
Finding the source of the infection is the next step. If it is domesticated dogs, the likely solution would be to vaccinate them. Vaccinating the tigers directly would be almost impossible...
These tiger deaths are especially sad because Amur Tigers are extremely endangered and are estimated to number only 250 to 300 individuals in the wild.
Source: Treehugger
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