International Vulture Awareness Day

People don't like vultures. I get it. Even in the Lion King, vultures were portrayed as creepy and cackling.

A contemporary art print with a ring to it. From NathanJoyce.

But vultures, key players in numerous ecosystems, have been hit hard by a number of factors, and numbers everywhere have experienced steep declines. One of Save Our Species vulture conservation projects has listed population drops between 97-99% since 1990 for some species.

Much like owls (who have only seen a popularity revival due to the Harry Potter movies), vultures are seen as evil in many cultures, signs of bad omens. This translates into modern day life, where people everywhere turn their noses up at an animal that has the capacity to kill bacteria like E. coli by eating it.

Vultures are nature's cleaner-uppers. Without them, many infectious diseases would be far more widespread.

In Asia (yes, there are vultures here!), most vultures are killed while doing their jobs. Cattle today are often injected with a substance called Diclofenac, which proves fatal to these majestic birds when they appear to dispense of cattle carrion.

The beautiful bearded vulture, or lammergeier, from the Ethiopian highlands; a personal favorite. Image courtesy Martina Carrete.

International Vulture Awareness Day is now in its second year. If you want to get involved, they even have wikispaces page open to the public, but the main thing is to get the word out there: vultures are awesome!

World Orangutan Day

Several weeks ago, an Italian member of parliament was called an orangutan by her colleagues. Although this was a racially-charged, insensitive and derogatory remark, I must say: I've met more than my fair share of cheeky, incredibly intelligent and totally adorable orangutans. I would take it as more of a compliment. 

Dozens of adorable babies like this one are orphaned every year and must then be rehabilitated in purpose-built centers like Sepilok, in Sabah, Borneo. Picture thanks to Orangutan Foundation International.

All this to say that two days from now we will be celebrating the inaugural World Orangutan Day!

Orangutans are one of the most iconic symbols of Southeast Asia. The "man of the forest" has been facing extinction for years, but recently, wild populations have plummeted despite repeated efforts from NGOs and government bodies alike.

This paragraph from the front of WOD's website gives startling statistics:

"From 1992-2000, the population of the Sumatran orangutan declined by more than 50% and only an estimated 7,000 animals are left in the wild. The Bornean orangutan population fell nearly 43 % in the past decade and estimates place their population at about 45,000 animals."

This lucky individual was found and sedated for transport and re-release into the wild, into a more viable habitat. Many orangs lose their lives in situations like this because plantations do not yet have adequate organization to deal with it. Image via EVOHE. 

As the Huffington Post outlines in this short editorial, however, orangutans are not safe yet. Bornean populations may sound promising, but they are not stable. Considering a constant influx of deforestation, less and less space is there for the orangutan. Pushed to the edge, many plantations have not yet learnt how to deal with the wild creatures wandering onto their land.

This World Orangutan Day, speak out.

Even BBC can get it wrong! In this Facebook screen capture, they spelled orangutan incorrectly!

Belated Global Tiger Day

This is a few days late, I know. I just had to share this infographic - a LOT of food for thought!

Global Tiger Day, not to be confused with World Tiger Day later this year, is a day specifically aimed at raising awareness for the plight of tigers, specifically from major NGO groups like WWF and Traffic. I too, however, am guilty of confusing the two holidays, so don't despair! There are dozens of purpose-created holidays that help get attention.

Consider this: 

The top estimate for world tiger populations is 3200.

Just under half of the 3200 must have been killed in order to supply seizures. 

This includes only official seizures.

In a good year, law officials catch around 20-30% of trafficked goods.

How many tigers are there actually left??

World Tapir Day

This is a super fun holiday!

The tapir is one of the world's most interesting mammals - they look like no one and nothing else. Their closest relatives are, in fact, horses and rhinos.

There are four species of tapir in the world: the Brazilian, Baird's, Mountain, and Malayan. Only on of these is not under threat, and here's a hint: it's not the Malayan.

The Malayan tapir is possible the most distinct of the four species, with its quickly noticeable black-and-white markings. It is also the largest of the three species.

With a wild population numbering less than one thousand, the Malayan tapir is indeed endangered. However, this species is not threatened due to the wildlife trade (eating tapir is taboo in many of the cultures inhabiting the Southeast Asian region). Many are killed due to loss of habitat, and strangely enough, while crossing the road.

On a lighter note, here's a picture from Malaysian Nature Society; they had a special guest
at Taman Negara last night!

World Pangolin Day

Happy World Pangolin Day!!

Yes, that is indeed a holiday.

If you say the word "pangolin," the chances are that people will give you a strange look and ask if meant "penguin." The same person will stare at you unbelieving eyes as you try to explain just what this creature is.

Don't let that person be you! Pangolins are amazing creatures that deserve recognition. So for World Pangolin Day, take the chance to learn some fun fact about them:

1. There are eight species of pangolin that range across the globe, from Africa to the Indian sub-continent. Malaysia has its own species, (creatively named) the Malayan pangolin.

2. All but two species are listed on Appendix II of CITES; the other two are on Appendix I. One of those is the Malayan pangolin. Malaysia has been considered one of the number one country of origin for pangolins for several years now.

3. The word "pangolin" actually comes from the Bahasa word for "to roll up," the word "penggiling."