12 SANCTUARY ASIA, 2017 NOVEMBERHope for Great Barrier Reef?
Cub News
NOVEMBER
2017
WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS FROM INDIA AND AROUND THE EARTH
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), India, has found photographic evidence of the highly-elusive snow leopard in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.
The species was captured
on a camera trap, set up as a part of a state-wide survey, carried out by WWF in collaboration with the Forest Department of Arunachal Pradesh. The camera was
set up at Thembang, a community conserved area (a region protected by local communities).
According to the WWF,
only a small percentage of snow leopard habitat falls in the Dibang Biosphere Reserve and the Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh. Therefore, this snow leopard sighting confirms the presence of these beautiful
Snow leopard spotted in Arunachal
Researchers
are rejoicing as one of the worst bleached areas of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia has shown fresh signs of life. Researchers found tiny sacs of white eggs in bleached coral reefs between Townsville and Cairns during a coral reef survey in September 2017. The researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) say the discovery was quite unexpected as previous studies show a two to three year delay in reproduction in corals after severe bleaching. Coral bleaching is a global phenomenon caused by a rise in ocean temperatures, brought about by climate change. While the news of coral eggs is certainly promising, the eggs have to be fertilised in order to develop into coral larvae. The fertilisation of the tiny eggs happens during the annual spawning* event, which is due on the full moon of December 5, 2017.
AUSTRALIA
This snow leopard sighting confirms the presence of these beautiful cats beyond Protected Areas!
A state-wide survey by the World Wide Fund for Nature revealed the presence of the snow leopard in Arunachal Pradesh.SHIVARAM SUBRAMANIAMcats beyond Protected Areas, and highlights the importance of community support for conservation.
The survey, WWF suggests,
will also help estimate the distribution of snow leopard and its prey species in Arunachal Pradesh, and consequently enable the Forest Department to develop a snow leopard conservation plan.