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Category: Africa, Blog Action Day, Climate change, wildlife | Date: Oct 15 2009 | By: Maina

This is my view of how climate change will affect wildlife - Maina

When world leaders discuss climate change, the picture that is in their minds is of people caught in drought and floods, melting snow and icecaps in the mountain ranges and polar regions, and the polar bear. Well, that is not the worst case scenario. Less obvious wildlife (as compared to the polar bear) will suffer too – and perhaps more than humans.

You see human kind – as a species – will survive this rapid change in climate better than wildlife. Humans, in short, will survive. But some non-human inhabitants of mother Earth will not. It’s a given that wild species of animals and plants survived the beginning and end of the Ice Age, but they did so naturally. The climate change then was not as rapid as the climate change we are witnessing today. We all know the reason why – humans had not invented the steam engine, hadn’t discovered coal and petroleum and industrialisation was not even a seed in the little mind our ancient ancestors.

Now greenhouse gas emissions and an opulent consumerism has renderd the natural systems weak and the pace at which global warming and other climate change factors are progressing is mind boggling – and wildlife cannot keep abreast.

Take the example of trees. In mountain ranges, there is a nice tiered arrangement of different dominant species of plants. From lowland forest trees to upland, bamboo, alpine glades, tundra etc. Two problems arise here. 1) Assuming the vegetation belts can quickly stay at pace with temperature rise, they will push each other up the mountain until they all have nowhere else to go then they go extinct. 2) In reality, they cannot keep up the pace so they will die on the way up.

The great Savannahs of Africa may look indestructible – but they are not. We are increasingly seeing irregular rain patterns which is disrupting vegetation growth resulting in mass deaths of the massive herds of charismatic and much loved large herbivores, and their attending predators iconically represented by lions, cheetah, leopard and the like.

In Kenya recently, prolonged drought – and we can not rule out the effects of climate change as the cause – first killed livestock, then pushed the livestock into wildlife habitats, then killed the wildlife. Now Kenya is – ironically – waiting for El Nino rains to settle in so that it can save people, their livestock and wildlife. But the El Nino could be made more severe by the effects of climate change. So more people, livestock and wildlife will die. Iregi Mwenja, a Kenyan bushmeat researcher posted pictures of the onset of the El Nino rains in Voi today. One of the casualties of the big water was a masai goat that died in the floods.

That is a look on the extreme weather conditions that climate change is making worse. The silent increase in temperature will have the most devastating impact on wildlife as habitats change. According to the BBC:

It is estimated 20-30% of plant and animal species will be at increased extinction if the temperature rises by more than 1.5 – 2.5C. Less snow in winter, warmer temperatures in summer and more winter rain will affect wildlife across the board. Sea level rises will reduce land area in some countries, which will instantly affect vegetation which is currently used for homes and foods by animals.

In Africa, most of traditional dispersal area for wildlife is now occupied by humans as population increases exponentially. When climate change takes full effect, wildlife will attempt to move to these areas and human-wildlife conflict will escallate. The result is that wildlife will be killed. From another perspective, humans, with the effects of climate change on their heels, will invade wildlife protection areas, killing wildlife to create room for themselves, and their ravenous progeny.

Lest you tell me that the earth is man’s home, and we don’t need the wildlife, let me remind you the intricate balance between biological  systems, including bacteria! and the physical (rock) earth. The scientific author, Edward O Wilson, in his book “The Future of Life” talks of the earths biological system as a layer of living matter so thin you cannot see it sideways from space but absolutely neccessary for overall integrity of the planet as a whole (including energy flows). So there you have it: Without the biological system, there is no earth. Or in a language that you will understand, without the biological matter of old that became fossilized millenia ago, we would not have oil or coal = no fuel = no cars = no industrialization.

It is time to act. Our first wave of action is no doubt massive adjustment to our consumption patterns in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This, if dully practiced, could slow down climate change. Talk, write, chant, wave placards at or do what you do best, but make your leader act on climate change. Tell them that when they get to Copenhagen on 7-18 December 2009, they have to come up with a climate deal that saves us and wildlife. And go over to TckTckTck and join the more than 2 million ‘planet earthians’ tell the world leaders that you are ready for a climate deal that works.

It is said that climate change is inevitable, but the pace will have to slow down. Climate change has occurred before, but not at this pace. Let us all change the way we live, slow climate change and give the other inhabitants of this planet a chance to take on climate change at their own pace. We cannot make them adapt at our pace…they were not made that way.

Let’s slow climate change. Lets save our wildlife.

Tags: Africa, Blog Action Day, Climate change, emission, environment, extinction, global warming, greenhouse gas, wildlife

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Category: Appeals, wildlife | Date: Jun 25 2009 | By: Maina

On the Fourth of July, America will be celebrating their great country’s birthday. This is a time to appreciate freedom of the American people.

We should join them in celebration.

But our wildlife also need freedom from persecution, and extinction. On this important day, therefore send our Independence Day greeting card to an American and contribute to the freedom of our wildlife. When you make a donation, you will be giving WildlifeDirect the strength to support the more than 100 projects that blog on this platform. You will also get a card sent to your email so that you can send to your family and friends.You dont have to be American send this card…you can send to your American friends this beautiful card that shows you care not only about them, but also about the wildlife of this planet.So why not CHANGE today and send a card with a cause? Afterall, Independence Day has been arround for 233 years a little change ($25) will make a great change.Happy Independence Day!

Tags: America, donation, extinction, Fourth of July, freedom, Independence Day, wildlife

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Category: Africa, chimpanzee | Date: May 05 2009 | By: admin

I’m sorry friends but here is even more bad news about the statue of wildlife in Africa.

West African chimpanzees have declined by 90 percent in the last 18 years in an African country that is one of the subspecies’ “final strongholds,” a new study stays.

Scientists counting the rare chimps in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) found only about 800 to 1,200 of the apes—down from about 8,000 to 12,000 in 1989-90. Ivory Coast had been thought to  harbor about half of all West African chimps.

Why? Human population, hunting and deforestation

Côte d’Ivoire’s human population has grown by about 50 percent since 1990. As a result there is more hunting and deforestation. One of the country’s sanctuaries, Marahoué National Park, has lost 93 percent of its forest cover in the last six years. The habitats are damaged and occupied by people, they are no longer suitable for chimpanzees or any other animals.

We can’t lose hope. Help us to tell and share these stories, to inspire actions, and to save Africa’s endangered species.

Tags: chimpanzees, conservation, Cote d'Ivoire, deforestration, extinction, human threats, hunting, wildlife

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Category: wildlife | Date: Mar 06 2009 | By: Maina

Up to 25% of the worlds 91 known species of antelopes are in danger of extinction according to a statement released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to the report

Five species of antelope are in the highest category of threat, Critically Endangered, including the Dama Gazelle (Nanger dama), Aders’ Duiker (Cephalophus adersi), the Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica), Hirola (Beatragus hunteri) and Addax (Addax nasomaculatus). The Scimitar Horned Oryx (Oryx dammah) is already Extinct in the Wild, but there are ongoing efforts to reintroduce it.

The Hirola for example, is one of East Africa’s most endangered species of antelope. The Hirola is endemic to north-east Kenya and south-west Somalia. In Kenya, Hirola currently occur between Garsen, Bura and Galma Galla/Kolbio. Current status in south-west Somalia is not known, but its former range has been badly affected by prolonged civil and military conflicts that continued up to early 2007.

There is a small translocated population in Tsavo East National Park, outside the species’ natural range. This originated from a translocation of 30 animals from Garissa District conducted in 1963. It is thought that most of these perished soon after release and that the size of the “effective founder population” was only 11 to 19 animals. A further 10 animals were translocated to Tsavo East in 1996.

As usual, continued over-harvesting for meat and medicine as well as human encroachment are the culprits for the declining population of antelopes. Dr Philippe Chardonnet, Co-Chair of the IUCN Antelope Specialist Group, is quoted in the IUCN press release saying, “Unsustainable harvesting, whether for food or traditional medicine, and human encroachment on their habitat are the main threats facing antelopes,”.

If you look at these rather sombre news from another perspective, it might seem like antelopes are not doing so bad after all. But look a little closer and you will see that the situation is still dire. We might lose 25 species of antelopes and these are not the only ones who’s population is declining. As a matter of fact the springbok, a native of southern Africa, is the only antelope species whose numbers have increased over the long term.

Tags: antelope, endangered, extinction, IUCN

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Category: Forests, bushmeat, poaching, wildlife trade | Date: Nov 17 2008 | By: Maina

A US geneticist from the University of Arizona is planning to use DNA testing to study the roaring bushmeat trade in west Africa with a view of identifying “species that can be harvested sustainably”.

According to a report on KTar.com, the geneticist, Hans-Werner Herrmann, will analyze the bushmeat at village markets, track how it got there and study how the information could be used to better manage affected wildlife populations. He hopes that finding species that can be hunted sustainably will curtail poaching and halt wildlife decimation particularly in African forests.

According to Herrmann, rural Africans are driven into bushmeat hunting and trade by extreme poverty and he cannot just say it is bad to hunt without answering the poverty question.

Roughly 1 million tonnes of bushmeat are harvested in the badly ravaged African forests. a CIFOR report that Dr Richard Leakey felt had erred in its recommendations says that 80% of proteins and fats in rural Africans’ diets come from bushmeat. This is a big problem and solutions to bushmeat hunting need to be found before all wildlife becomes extinct.

The study will involve African researchers in Cameroon taking DNA samples from bushmeat in the markets, and sending it to Arizona for analysis and identification. They will then track how the meat got to the market and study how the information can be used to help in management of the affected wildlife populations.

How useful this study will be is subject to debate. Particularly, when they find wildlife species that they perceive to be “bushmeat viable”, does it mean that they will recommend legalization of bushmeat hunting? Perhaps we need this research to prove that there is no way bushmeat can be harvested sustainably.

There are three things that make sustainable hunting virtualy impossible: one, there is not enough wildlife, two, there are too many humans on the planet, and three, our African governments have problems implementing anti-poaching legislation. To me, these are the fundamental questions: not whether wildlife can be harvested sustainably.

Perhaps the researchers - who by the way have applied for a $1-million from the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) for the study - should use these funds to find out how we can prevent the malignant human population growth from overrunning the planet and all wild things that live in it. Better still, these funds could be used to find alternatives sources of protein and income (poverty reduction) for the rural poor in Africa. Alternatives that are not bushmeat.

For wildlife populations to recover, and to avoid imminent mass extinctions, all manner of wildlife trade needs to be stopped - at the very least, as a precaution. We don’t really understand wildlife population dynamics that well to sustainably use it. We haven’t yet fathomed the complex interaction between humans and wildlife to say that we are in control of hunting and trade.

We know a few things though. One, bushmeat hunting has already resulted in the empty forest syndrome, where the forest vegetation is relatively intact but no wild animals live there. Two, governments have good legislation intended to control bushmeat poaching but implementation is weak. Three, losing our wildlife is not good for the planet.

With these truths in mind, perhaps what we need is to stop all human-centric arguments that perpetuate eating of wildlife and start focusing on finding ways to improve wildlife’s welfare.

Tags: Africa, bushmeat, CIFOR, DNA, extinction, forest, hunting, richard leakey, UNEP, University of Arizona, wildlife, wildlife trade

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Category: Emergencies | Date: Oct 06 2008 | By: baraza

I could kick myself for canceling a trip to attend the IUCN World Conservation Congress meeting in Barcelona. I attended the previous Congress in Bangkok which was a great meeting of conservation professionals, except in retrospect I realise that there was alot of talk and not much achieved … except species continue to slide towards extinction. In its first of the 10 days of meeting the report has revealed an alarming statistic that a quarter of the world’s mammal species are at risk of extinction.

It seems that every study on biodiversity reveals increasing threats to species - many of my colleagues form university were involved in this study so I believe the statistics.

Mammals are not faring very well

Imagine if one in four mammals actually went extinct! Some of the species at greatest risk include Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) which may number fewer than 150 and continue to decline due to a shortage of its primary prey, the European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) has declined by more than 60 percent in the last 10 years due to a fatal infectious facial cancer, while Southeast Asias  Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) has become endangered due to habitat loss in wetlands.

Mammals in Asia are especially vulnerable because they are hunted for food and traditional medicines. Rapid rates of development and population growth also means that habitats are shrinking and as a result of these combined threats, more than 70 per cent of known species in Asia, are now under threat.

Reptiles and amphibians are doing much worse

Other groups of animals are faring even worse. Thirty-one percent of reptiles, 30 percent of amphibians and 37 percent of fish are deemed threatened. In total, 22 percent of assessed species are nearing extinction, and thousands more animals, especially reptiles and fish, have yet to be evaluated. Birds are not faring as badly as the other groups,  almost one in eight birds are threatened.The main reason for these threats include habitat loss and over exploitation of terrestrial mammals and marine mammals, and pollution, and global warming …it is ironic that human populations meanwhile are on the increase.

African Elephants are recovering in some places

Thankfully it’s not all bad news. Apparently African elephants are less endangered than before as a result of effective conservaiton efforts and the ivory ban in Southern and Eastern Africa. Five percent of mammals are actually doing better than before, these include the black footed ferret which was extinct in the wild but has now been reintroduced. The Chinese Père David’s Deer (Elaphurus davidianus) though now extinct in the wild may yet recover. The captive population has increased in recent years and it is possible that free-ranging populations could soon be re-established.

The IUCN study and related issues are under discussion by more than 8,000 peope who are attending the World Conservation Congress.  I wish I could feel hopeful, somehow I doubt that they will actually come up with a workable game plan for a sustainable future. However I was pleasantly surprised to read Cindy Ellen Hills article explaining how the Institute for Environmental Security handles the threat of lack of security to species in an article called Waging a Sustainble Peace

“key military leaders at an invitation-only roundtable to spearhead a paradigm shift in thinking about the intersection of environmental issues and local, regional, and national security.

The IUCN Roundtable on Environment and Security will match representatives from the military (USA, Netherlands, Spain, Thailand, Nepal, Mauretania), NATO, and other members of the world’s security community with key environmental leaders to explore strategies for waging an environmentally sustainable peace.”

I am curious about what the security meeting will conclude but in general I doubt that “Barcelona” will get enough attention to really gain political will for conservation. One major problem is timing, this meeting couldn’t have come at a worse time with global attention focused on the worlds unfolding financial crisis.  It’s a pity, many scientist are convinced that we are witnessing the sixth wave of extinctions, and it’s entirely man made. We could lose nearly a quarter of the worlds species just because we don’t care enough. I was looking at these photos from the wildlife photographer of the year competition and couldn’t help feeling  sad that some species will never be photographed in the wild again.

For more detailed info and official documents go here I can’t find a single blog from the congress… if you find any please send me the link.

Tags: endangered species, extinction, Gorillas, IUCN

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