Sanctuary Asia – July 2019

u V ar

tions by Vinay Salvi

More at http://www.sanctuaryasia.com |Natural History

Eye in the Sky

Busting the Human

Superiority Complex

It is commonly believed that only humans and apes are
intelligent enough to communicate with each other using the
subtle and complex social skill of facial mimicry, involving
an animal responding to its counterpart’s facial expressions
through imitation. However, a recent long-term study on sun
bearsHelarctos malayanus has revealed that these solitary
to mimic facial expressions

. This is an important and
as it suggests that other
t from great apes and
t a fi ne degree of social
ar presumed to be lacking.
e facial expressions of others
is one of the pillars of human
on. Other primates and dogs
mimic each other, but only
and humans, and now sun
ow such complexity in their
mimicry,” writes Dr. Marina
D a-Ross, one of the main
ors of the study. Interestingly
bears are not social animals,
possess the ability to
mmunicate through complex
facial expressions. Intelligent
behaviour in animals could
ranscend humans and
p mates and hopefully further
research will shed light on the extent of animal intelligence.

Counting orangutans in rainforest habitats is not easy. The

conventional method used to estimate numbers from the

ground involves counting nests, which they build in tree

canopies. This is daunting, time-consuming and expensive.

But an interesting scientifi c collaboration between ecologists,

conservationists and astrophysicists has begun applying

‘star-studying’ technology to monitor populations of the

endangered ape. Drones fi tted with state-of-the-art thermal-

imaging cameras are fl own above wildlife habitats to detect

and differentiate orangutan individuals based on the animals’

heat signatures. Drones are also able to reach the most

inaccessible areas. "We tested the technology on orangutans

in the dense tropical i f t f S b h i M l y i I

thermal images, ani

stars and galaxies, s w

astronomy to detect d

We were not sure

at all whether

this would work, bu

with the thermal-

infrared camera

we could see the

orangutans quite

clearly because of

their body heat,

even during fog or

at night,” explained

astro-ecologist

Dr. Claire Burke.

Ironically, despite being fl ightless, penguins have more feathers on their bodies than other birds. The feathers are densely

packed together, about 12 per sq. cm., which helps to keep them warm in extreme temperatures.

Did You Know?

TeTeTeTeTeTeTeTeTeTeextxtxtxtxtxtxxtxxtxtttttBBBBBy yyy yyPuPuPuPuPuuuuuuuuuuuurrvrvrvrvrrvrvrvvvvva a aaaaaaaaaaaVVaVaVVaVaVaVaVaVaVVaVVaVaVaaririrriririririririririririiyayyayayayayyyayayayayayaa

IIlIlIlIlIlIIlIIlIllllululululululululul stststsssststtttrarararrararrraaaatittittititititititititiononononononononononononnnnnnnnnssssssssssssssbbybybybybybybybybybyyyVVVVVVVVVVinininininininiinnn

The

Sanctuary

Papers

aaaallllrarararainininnfofoforerererstsststoooof f fSaSaSaSababababah h hhininini MMMMMalalalayayayayyyysisissssiiaaaa.a.IIIIIIIIIIIIInnn n nnnnnnnn

imimimalalallssss shsshshshhhiniininininnnnnnne eeee iniininininaaaaasssssimimimimimmmililllararararararwwwwwayayayyaaaaaaaaaaassssss s

sosososoo wewewweweeuuuuuuuuseseseed dd ddteteeechchchchchchchcc ninnninniiququqqqquuesesee fffffffrorrorororrom mm

tttt t anananand d dd didididiststststininininguguguguguisisisissh hhhh hhhhtthttththtththhhhhhhhemememememeeemeeeeeee..

utututut

dddd

bebebbbbbeeeeararararsss ss sHHHHHeHeHeHeHelalalalalaaarcrcrcrrccctotototttosss s mamamaalalalalayayayayanunununusssshhhhhaaasasaasrrreveveveeveee
mamamamammmmmmmmalalalalsssararararaee e e ababababbblelelelelee
fafafafairiririrlylylylyl aaaacccccccccccururururatatatatatatttteleleleeley.yy.yyyyy.
huhuhuhumbmbmbmbbblilililiingngngngngfififififinnnnnndddd ddd daaaa
mamamamammmmmmmmalalalals,s,s,s,aaaapapapapartrtrtrt
huhuhuhumamamamamansnsnsn, ,, , ,exexeexehihhhihibibibibbitttt
sesesesnsnsnsnsitititttiviiviviviitititty,yyyy,y,y,ssssoo oo fafafafa
"M"M"MMMMimimimmmicicicicicickikikikikingngnngnggttthehhehehe
ininiininnnneeeexaxaxaxactctctctwwwwwayayayass s iii
cocococoommmmmmmmmmmmmunuuuuununnicicicccatatatatatatataioioioioiiooo
arararararrre eeeeeknknknknnowowowown nn n tototoo
grgrgreaeaeat t tt apapapappeseseesesesaaa
bebebebearararrrs,s,s,,,,sssshohohoh
faffafaacicicicialalalmmmmm
DaDaDaDDaDaaviviviviiilalalallaa
auauauuuuthththtthoooooo
sususssusuun nnn nnnbbb
yyeyeyeyeet t ttt
cococommmm
ffffff
bbb
trtrtrtr
prprpprprprrimiimimimimmmmm