Photos: ugly is the new adorable when it comes to saiga babies
A pair of saiga calves. Photo by: Igor Shpilenok. Few species have seen a worse decline in the past 15 years than the Asian antelope, the saiga. Once known for making up one of the world’s largest migrations, the saiga population has dropped from 1.25 million in the 1990s to 50,000 animals today, plunging over 90% and landing itself on the Critically Endangered species list. The Saiga Conservation Alliance (SCA), which is...
Photo: emerald toucanet
An emerald toucanet (Aulacorhynchus prasinus) in Belize. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. Fortunately the emerald toucanet is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. It is found throughout Central America and South America down to Bolivia. To see other photos of birds in Belize: click...
Polar bear family wakes up in oil construction site (video)
A polar bear mother and her cub wake from hibernation to find an oil construction site has been built around them as they slept. Built by the Italian oil company, Eni, the firm says they had no idea the animals were there. Work stopped and a biologist visited the site taking this footage. Once the mother and cub left, work returned on the site. Polar bears are threatened by declining sea ice due to anthropogenic climate change. Recent...
Photos: up close and personal with Sumatran elephants
Baby Sumatran elephant on the run. Photos of Sumatran elephants at Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park on the island of Sumatra. These Sumatran elephants are patrol elephants; they’ve been recently domesticated and are used to reduce human-wildlife conflict. All photos by Rhett A. Butler. Meeting of the minds. Sumatran elephant with mahout. Trunk tricks. Traveling. Big male. Fountain. Modern world. To see more photos of Sumatran...
Photo: abused cheetahs returned to the wild
An adult cheetah, which had been smuggled and abused for the illegal pet trade, returns to the wild in Tanzania. Photo by: Annette Simonson. Few people realize that cheetah’s, one of Africa’s great cats, are a target of the global wildlife trade. Yet these speedy predators are sought as exotic ‘pets’, especially in the Middle East. As apart of this illegal pet trade, three adult cheetahs were recently seized at...
Photo: zoo elephants enjoy spring
Three Asian elephants from the Zoological Society of London’s Whipsnade Zoo take a spring stroll under blossoming Japanese miniature cherry trees. Photo by: Hannah Thompson. Mongabay.com recently conducted an interview on how wild Asian elephants, and their African counterparts, are vital to ‘gardening’ the continent’s tropical forests. To read more: Elephants: the gardeners of Asia’s and Africa’s...
Conservation on the ground: how traditional fishermen saved sharks in Madagascar
Malagasy family helping fisherman take his boat out to sea . Photo by Rhett A. Butler. Or, Guitarfish a Go-Go- Bribes and barrages in Belo-sur-Mer By: Brian Jones, Blue Ventures Conservation in Belo-sur-Mer, Menabe, Madagascar. YOU’VE got to admire the mettle of people who, despite the cards being seemingly insurmountably stacked against them, can still stick to their guns and stand up for what they believe in. I didn’t give...
Researcher brings home new species of Malaysian gecko (video)
Herpetologist Lee Grismer discovers a new species of gecko sporting lovely colors and lines. Dr. Lee Grismer from the La Sierra University in Riverside, California, shows off the world’s newest gecko, captured in a cave in...
Photo: big-eared endangered monkey born at zoo
A three-week old baby white-naped mangabey (Cercocebus atys lunulatus) has been named ‘Hope’ given that her species is vanishing from the wild. Photo by: James Godwin, ZSL. Born at the Zoological Society of London’s (ZSL) London Zoo, this white-naped mangabey (Cercocebus atys lunulatus) represents one of the Africa’s most imperiled monkeys and is apart of the European Endangered species Programme (EEP). The...
Young sun bear takes to the trees (video)
A five-month old orphaned sun bear, Natalie, at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center explores the trees. The sun bear (Ursus malayanus) is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. It is threatened by deforestation, the illegal pet trade, poaching, and the trade for traditional Chinese...
Photos: tortoise dwarfed by grape, seriously
No, this is not photoshopped: this month-old Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni) is actually dwarfed by a grape. A new resident of the Zoological Society of London’s (ZSL) Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire, the tortoise is the offspring of a group of tortoises seized by customs last year as a sting on the illegal pet trade. The tiny tortoise pictured weighs 0.2 ounces (6 grams), but within a decade will weigh nearly hundred times...
Activism: petition targets Chinese officials regarding African poaching “due to the demand of ivory and rhino horns by Chinese citizens”
Note: mongabay.com does not endorse the action below, but believes its readers may be interested in taking action or discussing the issue in comments. African elephant (Acinonyx jubatus) infant in Kenya. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. The organization SOS Elephants of Chad has released a petition urging the Chinese government to tackle the illegal ivory and rhino horn trade as a new article in the Global Post reports: “The growing...
Photo: caiman eye
A flashlight catches a camian’s eye in Brazil. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler.
Activism: alternatives to the Serengeti road
Note: mongabay.com does not endorse the action below, but believes its readers may be interested in taking action or discussing the issue in comments. Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) in Tanzania. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. The NGO Serengeti Watch has released a petition urging the Tanzanian government to cancel plans to build a road through the northern portion of Serengeti National Park, which scientists say will hugely impact the...
Activism: nominate an Ocean Hero!
Green anemone at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. Ocean conservation organization, Oceana, is asking for nominations for its 3rd Annual Ocean Heroes Contest. According to their blog: “Think of the person you know doing the most for the oceans — and maybe it’s yourself! […] Past nominees have included educators, scientists, fundraisers, activists, and that’s just a start. And like last year, we...
Photos: birds of Botswana
Malachite kingfisher (Alcedo cristata) in Chobe National Park. Photos by Tiffany Roufs. White-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata) and black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) on the Chobe River. Pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) in Chobe National Park. Yellow-billed stork (Mycteria ibis) foraging in Chobe National Park. Brown-headed parrot (Poicephalus cryptoxanthus)...
Camera trap catches snow leopards in Mongolia
Video is from an ongoing study by Panthera and the Snow Leopard Trust. It is the first comprehensive long-term study on snow leopards. This video was taken in August 2010 at the Tost Mountain study area in South Gobi, Mongolia where Panthera and the Snow Leopard Trust are collaborating. This film clip is actually 61 images taken about a half second apart by one of our remote automated cameras. We believe it is a mother and her nearly...
Photos: Bornean gliding leopard tree frog
The Bornean gliding leopard tree frog (Rhacophorus pardalis). Shots taken from a recent visit to Gunung Palung National Park in Kalimantan. Photos by Rhett A. Butler,...
Photo: bear cubs woken from hibernation
Three wild black bear cubs were microchipped by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Nevada Department of Wildlife. For safety reason, the mother was tranquilized before researchers went to work. The cubs will be monitored throughout their lives for research. Photo by: Jon Beckmann (WCS).
Photos: raptor launch!
Raptor in Yucatan, Mexico. We have been unable to identify this species, if you know please contact us. Photo by Rhett A. Butler,...