the sixth great extinction?

So some of you might have heard about the sixth great extinction. Some of you might not have. For the benefit of those who haven't, the sixth great extinction is a global event where many species of animals on the Earth die out, and, well, become extinct. It has happened before (5 times to be precise, that's why this is called the sixth), and each time it happened, the Earth took several million years to recover it's original biodiversity.

Then, some of you might ask: is this really happening?

I don't know for sure. But what I do know is that many species of animals are threatened by extinction right now. The snow leopards, the puffins and the bluefin tuna are some animals that have had their numbers drastically reduced most likely as a result of human activities. Don't forget the animals that have gone extinct either. The passenger pigeon, one of the world's most abundant birds, went extinct by the 1900s due to overhunting and habitat loss. If you think about it, it's rather scary. One of the most abundant bird species in the world, driven to extinction because of humans. Are we going to continue on our destructive path?

I hope not.

What I do hope for, however, is a collective effort to help save the animals (or the biodiversity) of the earth before it is too late, so that future generations have the opportunity to discover the beauty and magnificence of the animal world.

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References:
Drake, N., 2015, 'Will Humans Survive the Sixth Great Extinction?', National Geographic, 23 June, viewed 25 October 2015, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/06/150623-sixth-extinction-kolbert-animals-conservation-science-world/

does livestock benefit or harm snow leopards?

A study by Sharma, R.K., Bhatnagar, Y.V. and Mishra, C. in 2015 determined whether the presence of livestock provides snow leopards alternative prey that helped them survive despite the increasing loss of habitat and of prey. The study made use of camera traps placed in locations where snow leopards were very likely to pass through to obtain data.

The results of the study showed that snow leopards stayed around more in an area with a greater density of wild prey. In areas where there was an increase in livestock populations, there was a subsequent decrease in populations of wild prey. As such, snow leopards tend to stay away from those locations. Snow leopards also tend to stay away from areas where they know that dogs are being used to herd livestock.

After looking through the study, I feel that it is possible for modern humans to co-exist with nature. It is possible to maintain a balance between livestock and wild prey density - one of the results showed that a certain amount of livestock can result in the highest density of wild prey. Perhaps with sustainable consumption in the (near) future, livestock density can be kept at the optimal level for wild prey populations to remain healthy. This can undoubtedly benefit snow leopards, especially if they depend more on wild prey than livestock for food.

Picture of snow leopard taken by Dave Pape, obtained from Wikimedia Commons

It can be said that livestock harm snow leopards, as the farming of livestock decreases the number and size of habitats it has to live in and hunt for prey. On the other hand, livestock can provide a source of food for snow leopards, when dogs are absent and when there is a lack of prey for the snow leopards to hunt in the wild. Hence, whether livestock benefit or harm snow leopards depends on how the farming of livestock has affected the landscape and habitat of the snow leopards.

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Study discussed in the post:
Sharma, R.K., Bhatnagar, Y.V. & Mishra, C., 2015, Do Livestock Benefit or Harm Snow Leopards?, Biological Conservation, vol. 190, pp. 8-13, ScienceDirect database. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2015.04.026

too cute

Animal comic by Simpsons Illustrator Liz Climo, picture taken from BoredPanda.com 

Animal comics can brighten up my day! I love how this comic combines both irony and the element of surprise. Penguins have densely packed feathers that protect them from the cold, yet in this adorable comic, they wear leg warmers for humans to keep themselves warm. 

Animal comics like this, although silly at times, can help to make the public more interested in animals, and sometimes, animal conservation. So don't underestimate the power of a cute and good comic strip! Read something light and humourous to relax and unwind. 

caw caw crow

One might think that crows are a nuisance and a bad omen. That is not entirely wrong, as crows can become pests and cause many problems in cities. They can rifle through trash, pick on leftover food from outdoor eateries and harass people. The house crows, brought into Singapore to deal with the rat problem, have become pests themselves. The quote 'you are what you eat' couldn't be applied any more accurately here. One amazing thing that has happened as a result of the increase in crow populations is the proliferation of the Asian koel. The Asian koel has a high keening call that sounds like its own name. You probably would have been woken up by one in the morning before.

Picture of a house crow taken by Dhruvaraj S obtained from Wikimedia Commons

Picture of an Asian koel taken by Gladson Machado obtained from Wikimedia Commons

Despite all the problems that crows bring about, they are actually important to the environment. Crows actually eat many insects that farmers consider pests, and can be used to control pest populations.

Crows are interesting, in that they are able to recognise faces. Crows respond negatively to faces that they think are dangerous, or bring about death. Upon seeing faces they have linked to danger, a group of crows will collectively harass the individual. On the other hand, crows do not harass people whom they believe will not harm them. Studies have shown that crows can recognise their dead. This ability could be due to the high intelligence of the crow. Another study has shown that crows could have the intelligence of a seven year-old human child. The study tested six crows' ability to solve problem and understand the mechanics of water displacement. The results had shown that the crows knew how water can be displaced, which is a pleasant surprise. 

I'd read many articles that discussed the intelligence of crows, but I had never saw for my own eyes (through a video) how smart crows can actually be. It would be cool if crows can be taught to carry out simple activities, like how dogs can be taught to fetch and do certain tricks. Perhaps then the negative impressions that people have on crows could be changed.

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Information taken from:
'Crows are as intelligent as CHILDREN: Study reveals birds are as clever as a seven-year-old human', DailyMail.com
'The Birds That Fear Death', by Melissa Hogenboom, BBC Earth
Singapore Birds Blog, under the 'Crows' column