South China tiger Facts | Why South China tigers matter?

SOUTH CHINA TIGER FACTS :

Class                          :Mammalia

Genus                        :Panthera

Scientific Name         : Panthera Tigris Amoyensis

Diet                            :Carnivore

Size                            :2.3m - 2.8m (7.5ft - 9ft)

Weight                        :100kg - 195kg (221lbs - 430lbs)

Top Speed                   :96km/h (60mph)

Life Span                    :18 - 25 years

Lifestyle                     :Solitary

Conservation Status   :Endangered

Colour                        :Orange, Black, White

Skin Type                   :Fur

Favourite Food           :Deer

Habitat                        :Dense tropical forest

Average Litter Size     :3

Main Prey                   :Deer, Cattle, Wild Boar

Predators                     :Human

Special Features          :Striped fur and powerful body

The South China tiger are also known as the Amoy, Chinese or Xiamen tiger. They are smaller-sized subspecies of tiger. The South China Tiger is native to the forest of southern China. They are most critically endangered tiger species. The South China tiger was once distributed across China, from Zhejiang Province in the east to Sichuan in the west, and from the Yellow River in the north to Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan provinces in the south.

The South China tiger population was estimated to number 4,000 individuals in the early 1950s. Thousands were killed as the subspecies was hunted as a pest in the next few decades. The Chinese government banned hunting of tiger in 1979. By 1996 the population was estimated to be just 30-80 individuals only.

Today the South China tiger is considered by scientists to be “functionally extinct,” as it hasn’t been sighted in the wild for more than 25 years.

Physical Characteristics:

The South China Tiger is small in size comparison to other Panthera tigris subspecies. Males reach about 8 feet or 2.6 meters in length, while females are only about 7.5 feet or 2.3 meters in length. Males weigh approximately 150 kilograms (330 pounds) and tigresses weigh in at about 110 kilograms (240 pounds). 

Why they matter?

South China tigers are a reminder that the threat against the world’s tiger is very urgent one. Today, South China tigers are found in zoos and in South Africa, where there are plans to reintroduce captive-bred tigers back into the wild.

Conservation:

The South China tiger is the most endangered of all the tigers. In fact, it is one of the most critically endangered species overall in the world. Hunted and killed as a common pest in the mid-20th century, this is now one of the most valuable living resources that are to be sustained and protected. In addition to having been hunted in near-ridiculous proportions, the availability of natural habitat and prey are also major factors that threaten the existence of the few animals that are still alive.

There are a number of program and initiatives around the world that focus on helping this tiger subspecies to live in an environment that promotes population growth, so that its numbers are increased steadily. The aim is to reintroduce these tigers into the wild and to establish healthy populations of them in various suitable areas around the world.

There are total of 11 reserves in China today where the remainder of the South China tigers resides. A few of them are now in zoos in other parts of the world. However, that practice isn’t one that has been widely proposed as the people of China want to keep them in their native area. They are also doing their best to profile genetic materials so that they can be sure to breed the right South China tigers.

"SAVE TIGER  SAVE EARTH"

What is a Saola? | What are the main threats for Saola?

Saola

FACTS

Class                          : Mammalia
Scientific Name         : Pseudoryx nghetinhensis
Location                    : Mountains of Vietnam-Laos border
Colour                       : Brown, Black, Red
Size                           : 150cm-200cm
Weight                      : 80kg-100kg
Diet                           : Herbivore
Prey                          : Leaves, Grasses, Herbs
Predators                  : Humans, Tiger, Crocodile
Life span                  : 8-12 years
Conservation status  : Critically Endangered
Biggest threat           : Habitat loss and hunting


The saola is one of the world’s rarest large mammals on earth. They are mysterious animal that inhabits pristine woodlands. It is the sole species of a genus of bovids, and has been known to science only since 1992. Both males and females have long, slender horns that are up to 52 centimetres in length and slightly curved horns, and white markings above the eyes, like eyebrows. The tail is split into three bands of colour - brown at the top, cream in the middle, and black towards the end, tipped in a fluffy tassel. Its genus name comes from its resemblance to the oryxes –antelopes of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
The entire range of the saola lies within a narrow area of forests along the northern and central Annamite mountain range, on the border between Vietnam and the Laos. While most records come from south of the Song Ca River in Vietnam, populations to the north have also been found. The Saola is thought to be a diurnal animal meaning that they are most active during the day-light hours, possibly resting out of sight to protect themselves from predators under the cover of night.

Habitat:
The Saola typically inhabits climatically wet, broadleaf forests, evergreen, usually between 400 to 1,000 meters. Areas of low human disturbance are preferred. The species appears to occupy lowlands during the dry season when the upper mountain streams have dried up and higher elevations during the wet season when upper streams have plenty of water.

Breeding:
The species appears to have a fixed breeding season: in Lao, births take place at the beginning of the rains (between April and June). The Gestation has been estimated at between 7 to 8 months.

What are the main threats?

1. The main threats to the saola are hunting and fragmentation of its range through habitat loss.
2. Snares set in the forest for wild boar, barking deer or sambar, also trap saola. Locals set some snares for subsistence use and crop protection, but recent increases in lowland people hunting to supply the illegal trade in wildlife has led to a massive increase in hunting pressure.
3. In the north of their range, saola are hunted for the horns which have become prized trophies.
4. In the Annamites, rapid and extensive infrastructure development is underway as the government attempts to reduce the high levels of rural poverty.

Saola Conservation Status and Life Today

Today, the Saola is listed by the IUCN as being an animal that is Critically Endangered in it's natural environment. Despite the fact that no formal survey has been conducted, the IUCN estimates that populations could have been as low as 250 when the Saola was first recorded in the summer of 1992, a number that is thought to have dropped significantly since then due to the increased growth of Human settlements.
The Saola Working Group was formed in 2006 in recognition of the need for urgent, coordinated action to save the saola from extinction. Part of the Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), we held our first biennial meeting in 2009. In addition to being the main driver of saola conservation in Laos and Vietnam, the SWG advocates for conservation of the globally significant Annamite Mountains as a whole.
WWF claim that the distinctiveness, rareness, and uniqueness of the Saola, make it one of the greatest priorities to conservation in the Indochina region today. A small 61 square mile reserve has just been set up in the Quang Nam province in central Vietnam, specifically to try and protect the dwindling populations of Saola.

 "Protect the Saola"

What is A Pangolin? | Save Pangolins

Pangolin

Pangolins are also called as “scaly anteaters”. The name pangolin comes from the Malay word “pengguling”, meaning roller--representative of how pangolins behave when they feel threatened, rolling up into a ball. They are covered in tough, overlapping scales. These are only mammals in the world covered in scales. They are not reptiles. This mammal’s scales are actually made up of keratin, and these scales make up about 15% of its weight. The pangolin has a small head and a long, broad tail. It has no external ears. Pangolins have no teeth and instead, have a gizzard-like stomach that is specially adapted for grinding food. They consume small stones and sand to assist the grinding. Pangolins are insectivorous. They predate almost exclusively on ants and termites using an extraordinary long, sticky tongue. Pangolins are critically endangered species.

Life span     :  20 years

Weight         :  30 to 40 lb (common Pangolin)

Size              : 12 to 39 inch long depending on the species

Gestation    : 5 months

Predators    : Leopards, hyenas, humans

Species of Pangolins

There are a total of eight species of pangolin on our planet. 

Four live in Asia:

• Thick-tailed Pangolin ( Indian Pangolin), Manis crassicaudata — ‘Near Threatened’

• Phillipine Pangolin, Manis culionensis — ‘Near Threatened’

• Sunda Pangolin (also called Malayan Pangolin), Manis javanica — ‘Endangered’

• Chinese Pangolin, Manis pentadactyla — ‘Endangered’

Four others live in Africa:

• Three-Cusped Pangolin (also called African White-Bellied Pangolin and Tree Pangolin), Phataginus tricuspis — ‘Near Threatened’

• Giant Ground Pangolin, Smutsia gigantea — ‘Near Threatened’

• Cape Pangolin (also called Temminck’s Pangolin), Smutsia temminckii — ‘Least Concern’

• Long-Tailed Pangolin (also called Black-Bellied Pangolin), Uromanis tetradactyla — ‘Least                      Concern’

Habitat

Pangolins are found in a variety of habitats including tropical and flooded forests, thick brush, cleared and cultivated areas, and savannah grassland; in general they occur where large numbers of ants and termites are found. Asian pangolins in particular are threatened by loss of habitat due to expanding agriculture and other human uses. Some pangolin species such as the Malayan pangolin also sleep in the hollows and forks of trees and logs.

Why do pangolins need conservation action?

Pangolins are little studied and little understood species. However, they are poached and illegally traded in huge numbers in Asia, while in Africa they are hunted for bushmeat and use in traditional African medicine, though evidence now suggests African pangolins and their derivatives are being targeted for trade to Asian markets. Pangolins are being eaten to extinction. An estimated 100000 are illegally  traded every yearConsequently, pangolin populations are in severe decline. The biggest threat to all pangolin species today is illegal, commercial hunting for human consumption.

Amazing facts of pangolins

• Baby pangolins travel around with their mothers by riding on the base of her tail.

• Giant ground pangolins are the largest of all eight species. One was found to weigh 33 kilograms (72.6 pounds) — the largest pangolin ever recorded! Long-tailed pangolins are the smallest, weighing around 2-3 kg (about 4-6 pounds).

• They emit a noxious acid like skunks, when they are threatened, to defend themselves.

• Their eyesight is dreadful.

"World Pangolins Day is celebrated on 3rd Saturday  in February"

"SAVE THE PANGOLIN"

Gorilla & Humans Similarities | What do you know about Gorilla?

GORILLA

Gorillas are ground-dwelling herbivorous apes, which inhabit the forest of central Africa. Ranging states are Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Nigeria. They are largest living primates; gorillas are stocky animals with broad chests and shoulder, large hands, and forearms that are much shorter than the upper arm. The face is black and hairless, with small eyes that are close together and large, prominent nostril. Adult males weigh up to 200 kilogram, with females around half of this size. They can reach a height of 1.2-1.7 meters when standing on feet.

Gorillas live in the lowland tropical rain forests of central Africa, although some of the subspecies of gorilla are found in mountain rain forest (between 1500 to 3500 meters) and in bamboo forest (between 2500 to 3500 meters). They can form stable family groups in which the dominant male keeps his position for years. Group size is usually 5-10 individuals, but can vary from 2 to over 50 members. Female gorilla leaves their group at maturity to join other group or single males. Females become sexually mature at 7-8 years old, but don’t start to breed until several years later. Males mature later than females, with few breeding before the age of 15 years. The female give birth to only one baby every four to six years, and only three or four over her entire lifetime. The gestation period of gorilla is about 8.5 months. This low rate of reproduction makes it difficult for gorillas to recover from population declines.

Gorillas are mainly herbivorous or vegetarian and eat stems, bamboo shoots, vines, and variety of fruits, supplemented with bark and invertebrates. Western lowland gorillas have been known to break open termite nests and feed on the larvae.

SUBSPECIES OF GORILLA

There are four subspecies of gorillas-

• The eastern lowland or Grauer’s gorilla
• The mountain gorilla
• The western lowland gorilla
• The Cross River gorilla

All four subspecies are either Endangered or Critically Endangered, threatened by hunting for bush meat, wild trade, infectious disease and habitat loss.

POPULATION

Many gorilla populations have declined or completely disappeared over the past few decades.

•  Mountain gorillas are critically endangered species. Fewer than 900 species of mountain gorillas are remaining.
•  Eastern lowland gorillas are endangered species. Only 5000 gorillas are remaining.
• Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered species. Fewer than 100,000 gorillas are remaining.
• Cross River gorillas are also critically endangered species. The total population of cross river gorillas is only 300.

THREATS

Gorillas are threatened by habitat loss due to increasing human population and decreasing number of forest. Poaching of them for the bush meat trade and disease like Ebola. Mountain gorillas are affected by climate change. Deforestation, extraction industries and lack of legal habitat protection are main cause of threat.

HOW WE CAN HELP

We can help gorillas by visit the place where gorillas live. Money earned through gorilla tourism contributes significantly to the conservation of the species-providing funds for conservation projects. We can also donate on the various conservation sites. Arrest the poachers and punish hard to them. One of the most effective ways to help free living gorillas is by learning more about them and helping others understand that all gorillas are smart, sensitive, and can be gentle like Koko and Michael.

Koko is the best known gorilla in the world because of her sign language and artistic abilities, her relationship with kittens.

HUMANS AND GORILLA

Gorillas display many human-like behaviors and emotion, such as laughter and sadness. They share 98.3% of their genetic code with humans, making them our closest cousins after bonobos and chimpanzees. They even make their own tools to help them survive in the forest. They have human-like hands and small eyes set into hairless faces.

PROTECTION

There are various organization are working to protect the gorillas. They have worked with officials in Nigeria and Cameroon to establish a protected area for the gorilla that spans the border between the two nations. The organizations have established ranger posts, provided field and communication equipment for anti-poaching staff. They established a system to monitor the gorilla population.

•         Stopping the illegal trade in gorilla products.
•          Increasing support for gorilla conservation.
•      Improving the effectiveness of protected areas.

STOP DEFORESTATION, EVEN WE ARE NOT SURVIVE WITHOUT TREES

Bornean Orangutan facts | WHY ORANGUTANS MATTER

Orangutan

The orangutans are the world’s largest tree-climbing or arboreal mammals. Orangutan means ‘person of the forest’ in the Malay language. They live in primary and secondary forests. Most of them are found in lowland areas and prefer forests in river valleys or floodplains.  They have a characteristic of ape-like shape, shaggy reddish fur and grasping hands and feet. Their powerful arms are stronger and longer then their legs and can reach 2 meter in length. The skin of face is bare and black, but can be pinkish around the eyes and muzzle in younger individual orangutan. Male orangutans can tip the scales at 90 kilograms, while female orangutans weigh between 30-50 kilograms. They can live up to 50 years in the wild. Female orangutans can first reproduce between 10-15 years of age. They can give birth at most once every five years, and the interval between babies can be as long as 10 years.

The orangutan diet is composed of over 400 types of food, including wild figs, leaves, seeds, durians, bird eggs, flowers, honey, insects, and bark. They have also been known to consume the inner shoots of plants and vines.  They obtain water not only from fruit, but also from tree holes.

Orangutans live in Indonesia and Malaysia on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. These are the only places where they live in the wild. There are two species of orangutan- the Bornean and Sumatran orangutan-which differ a little in appearance and behaviour, while both species have shaggy reddish fur, Sumatran orangutans have longer facial hair. Sumatran orangutans are also reported to have closer social bonds than their Bornean orangutans. The orangutan is the only ape that inhabits Asia. Sumatran orangutans are present in Indonesia whereas Bornean orangutans are present in both Malaysia and Indonesia.

POPULATION

Both species have experienced sharp population declines. A century ago there were probably more than 230,000 orangutans in total, but the Bornean orangutan is now estimated to number about 45,000-69,000 (Endangered) and the Sumatran about 7,500 (Critically Endangered). The numbers of the Bornean orangutan in the wild are in decline; they fell by 60 percent in the 60 years since 1950, and IUCN predicts a further 22 percent decline from 2010 to 2025. The organization said the “sharp decline” is chiefly attributable to “destruction, degradation and fragmentation of their habitats, and hunting.” IUCN estimates between 2,000 and 3,000 of Borneo’s orangutans have been killed every year for the past four decades, mainly for their meat. “If hunting does not stop, all populations that are hunted will decline, irrespective of what happens to their habitat,” IUCN said. “These findings confirm that habitat protection alone will not ensure the survival of orangutans.”

REASONS OF DECLINE POPULATION

The two major reasons why Orangutans populations are in sharp decline are

(1) Destruction, degradation and fragmentation of their habitats, and

(2) Hunting.

(3) Due to human industry

Palm oil production plays the biggest hand in the disappearance of the orangutan, as it is literally eating up the rain forests of Borneo & Sumatra. Sadly, deforestation for palm oil production and illegal logging operations has led to the loss of 90 percent of this precious orangutan habitat.

ORANGUTANS AND HUMANS

Orangutans and humans share approximately 97 percent of their DNA make-up. They are a highly intelligent species, one of the smartest among primates. A study conducted by the Leipzig Zoo in Germany in 2008 showed orangutans were capable of analyzing the benefits and costs of exchanging gifts, and also of keeping track of them over time, making them the first non-human species that has been observed doing so. They can also use tools and use a variety of sounds to communicate. Like humans, orangutans have opposite thumbs. Their big toes are also opposite. Unlike humans, approximately one third of all orangutan don’t nails on their big toes.

WHY ORANGUTANS MATTER

Orang-utans are known as gardeners of the forest. They play a vital role in seed dispersal and in maintaining the health of the forest ecosystem, which is important for people and a host of other animals, including tigers, Asian elephants and Sumatran rhinos. So by conserving the orangutan’s habitat, we’re also benefiting local communities and other species.

CONSERVATION CENTER AND ORGANISATION

A number of organisations are working for the rescue, reintroduction and rehabilitation of orangutans. The largest of these is the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, founded by conservationist Willie Smits. Other major conservation center are-orangutan conservancy, Orangutan Outreach, Sumatran Orangutan Conservation program.

To increase the population of orangutan, we have to save the trees, and avoid deforestation. We can help by donating also. 

"DOWN WITH DEFORESTATION"

ELEPHANT Facts | Population Decreasing

ELEPHANT

The Elephant is a largest land mammal on earth. There are two species of elephants- the African elephant and the Asian elephant. The Asian elephant is found in India, Sri Lanka, China, and much of Southeast Asia. The weighs of elephant is about 4-6 tons but African elephants weighs up to eight tons. The length is about 18-24 feet. The elephant is distinguished by its massive body, a long trunk and large ears. Its trunk is use as a hand to pick up objects, an arm raised in greeting to a hose for drinking water or bathing, as a horn to trumpet warning. The elephant trunk is actually a long nose used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, grabbing things and drinking. Asian elephants are different from African elephants. They are smaller in size and their ears are straight at the bottom. Only some of the male elephants have tusks whereas all the African elephant, including females, have tusks. They use tusk to dig for food and water and strip bark from trees. Male elephants use the tusks to battle, but the ivory has also attracted violence of a far more dangerous sort.

Because ivory is so valuable to some humans, many elephants have been killed for their tusks. The human use there tusk for ornaments, medicine and soon on. Poaching of elephants for ivory is a serious threat in some parts of Asia. This trade is illegal today, it has not been completely stopped, and some African elephant populations remain endangered.

The elephants are herbivores animals and they like to eat roots, grasses, fruits and bark. An adult elephant can consume up to 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of food in a single day. They don’t sleep much, and they roam over great distances while searching for the large quantities of food that they require to fulfill their massive bodies. Elephant form a deep family bonds and they live in tight matriarchal family groups of related females called a herd. The heard is led by the oldest and frequently largest female in the herd, called a matriarch. It is consist of 8-100 individuals depending on the family size and terrain. Elephants are extremely intelligent animals and have memories that span many years.

The elephants have a longer pregnancy than any other mammal. They are pregnant for almost 22 months. They usually give birth to one calf every two to four years. At birth, elephants already weigh about 200 pounds and stand about 3 feet tall.

POPULATION

At the turn of the 20th century, there were a few million African elephants and about 100,000 Asian elephants. Today, there are an estimated 450,000 - 700,000 African elephants and between 35,000 - 40,000 wild Asian elephants. The population of elephant is decreasing because of poaching of elephants for their ivory.

ORGANISATION

There are various conservation communities built to conserve the elephants. WWF is one of them, they use to conserve the elephants from poachers. WWF works with international wildlife trade monitoring network to reduce the major threat that illegal and illicit domestic ivory markets pose to wild elephants. They also works with elephant range state governments, non-government patterns and local people to secure a future for this land largest mammal of the earth.

SAVE THE ELEPHANTS  AND HELP TO INCREASE THE POPULATION OF  THEM

Rhinoceroses facts | Population decline cause

The Rhino

The Rhinoceroses are the largest land mammal after elephant. They are herbivorous mammals identified by their characteristics horned snouts. The word “Rhinoceros” comes from the Greek “rhino” & "ceros” which means “nose” & “horn” respectively. Rhinoceros may look like prehistorical creatures, & they do date back millions of years to the Miocene era. As we know Rhinos are herbivorous mammals, they eat only plants. White rhinos, with their square-shaped lips, are ideally suited to graze on grass. Other rhinos prefer to eat the foliage of trees or bushes.

There are five species of rhinos, two African & three Asian. The African species are the black & white rhinoceroses, and both species have two horns. Asian species are Indian, Javan & Sumantran rhinoceroses, and the Indian & Javan rhinoceroses have one horned & the Sumantran rhinoceroses have two horned. There are total eleven subspecies of rhinos. The Sumatran rhino is found in Indonesia and Malaysia. The Javan rhino, once found in a number of Asian countries, today lives only in Indonesia and Vietnam. Similarly, the Indian rhino once roamed across most of the Indian subcontinent, but today is only found in small sections of India and Nepal. 

The largest rhino species is the white rhino. It grows to 12 to 13 feet long & up to 6 feet from hoof to shoulder. It weighs about 5000 lbs (2300 kilograms). The smallest rhino species is the Sumantran rhino. It grows to 8 to 10 feet long & up to 4.8 feet from hoof to shoulder. It weighs around 1765 lbs (800 kilograms).

Every two and a half to five years, a female rhino will reproduce. Female rhino carry their young for a gestation period of 15 to 16 months. They usually only have one baby at a time but sometimes they have twins. The life span of rhinos are 35 to 40 years.

Population

Current estimated populations:

Black Rhino: 4,880

White Rhino: 20,165

Sumatran Rhino: 140 - 210

Javan Rhino: 35 - 45

Indian Rhino: 3,624

Sadly, the northern white rhino – a subspecies of the white rhino – has been completely wiped out. No animals remain in the wild, and with only 5 left in captivity, this subspecies faces certain extinction. Only the southern white rhino will remain.  

Black rhinos, Sumatran rhinos & Javan rhinos are critically endangered species. White rhinos are near threatened, which mean they may be considered threatened by extinction in the near future.The population of rhino is decreasing due poaching of the rhinos for their horns, which is rapidly pushing them towards extinction. The biggest threat to rhinos is poaching. They are killed for their horns, which are sold in the illegal wildlife trade. Their horns are also used in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as carved into jewellery, dagger handles and other trinkets.As we know, humans are the main cause for rhino population decline. So, we have to put the poachers across the jail. We can help to increase the population of rhino by money funding. We know that conservation efforts save species. The southern white rhino would not exist today if it were not for the work of a few determined people, who brought together the 200 or so individuals surviving, for a managed breeding and re-introduction program. Today, there are some 20,405 Southern white rhinos. And with more money, we can support more program & increase more population of rhinos.                                         

                                    "Love animals & save animals"

We all have an opportunity to get involved in this program & increase the number of rhinos.