Scientists from Flinders University, based in Adelaide, believe that they have discovered three new species of kangaroos that lived millions of years ago. This finding is based on the discovery of several nearly complete kangaroo fossil skeletons in Lake Callabonna in southern Australia.
They even found that one of the species was double the size of the biggest kangaroos alive today, and twice the size of a human! The three new species belong to the extinct Pro- temnodon-giant kangaroo and are known as Protemnodon viator, Protemnodon mamkurraand, and the Protemnodon dawsonae. The Protemnodon viator weighed up to 170 kg, double the weight of the heaviest present day red males. They are believed to have lived around five million to 40,000 years ago.
Mining for critical minerals in Africa is threatening the survival of great apes in Africa. The rising demand for minerals and other rare earth elements required for the transition to clean energy has led to a significant increase in mining in Africa. This is threatening the native animals with pollution, habitat destruction, and risk of meeting with an accident.
Researchers looked at mining sites in 17 African nations and discovered that there was a significant overlap of mining with areas that have large populations of great apes, especially in the West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Guinea. Guinea had the most significant overlap with more than 23,000-up to 83% of the ape population-directly or indirectly affected by mining activities. Researchers also found that the threat of mining to great apes in Africa has been greatly underestimated. In fact, more than one-third of the entire population (nearly 180,000 gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees) is at risk.
Vantara programme, conceptualised by Anant Ambani. This initiative is first of its kind in India and aims to rescue, care for, treat and rehabilitate injured, abused, and threatened animals in India and abroad. The Vantara facility is spread over 3,000 acres and is located within Reliance’s Jamnagar Refinery complex, Gujarat. Vantara aims to lead conservation efforts in a forest-like environment that has been created for rescued animals.
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More than 200 elephants and other animals like reptiles and birds have been rescued and are a part of this facility. Animals like rhinos, leopards, and crocodiles have also been rehabilitated. The Vanatara facility also includes a conservation centre with modern medical facilities like state-of-the-art healthcare and hospitals. Recently, Vantara has also taken part in foreign rescue missions in countries like Mexico, Venezuela etc. Reliance Industries. Limited is a large private sector corporation in India.
Lions are the only big cats that live in social groups known as prides. A pride typically consists of related females, their cubs, and a few adult males. There are two recognised lion subspecies of lion found in the wild. The African lion (Panthera leo leo) is found in Africa, south of the Sahara desert. The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) exists in one small population around Gir Forest National Park in western India.
Lions live in grasslands and savannas, not dense forests.
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Male lions can weigh up to 190kg and females weigh 126kg.
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Lions mostly hunt at night as their eyes have adapted to the dark and this gives them a huge advantage over their prey.
Male lions are distinguishable by their impressive manes, which serves as a visual indicator of their health and dominance. The darker and fuller the mane, the more attractive they are to potential mates.
Female lions are the primary hunters in the pride. They work together to coordinate and execute hunting strategies, making them highly effective predators.
Lions are known to be quite lazy and sleep for an average of 16 to 20 hours a day, conserving energy for hunting during the cooler hours of the day.
Lions are incredibly fast runners. They can reach a speed of up to 80 km/h for short distances.
Lions are very vocal creatures and communicate through various sounds, including roars, grunts, growls, and meows. Roaring is a distinct feature of male lions, which can be heard up to 8 km away.
Lion cubs are blind at the time of their birth. They rely on their mothers for protection and nourishment. They are usually hidden in dense vegetation for the first few weeks of their lives.
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Lions are highly territorial animals, and prides fiercely defend their territories from other prides or intruders. Males from outside prides may challenge the resident males for control of the pride.
Conservation Status: Lions are considered vulnerable and face threats such as habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching. Conservation efforts are essential to protect these magnificent creatures.
Every year, on May 23rd, turtle enthusiasts and people concerned with the conservation of turtles around the world come together to celebrate World Turtle Day. World Turtle Day aims to raise awareness about the incredible turtles, the need for their conservation, and the importance of preserving their natural habitats.
From its fascinating history to engaging activities and inspiring themes, World Turtle Day brings people of all ages together to appreciate and protect these ancient creatures. Just like many other reptiles, the importance of turtles is majorly under rated in our ecosystem and the work done by their presence leaves no room for error in our biodiversity and ecosystem.
It is estimated that there are nearly 356 different species of turtles, however all these species are categorised broadly into three different categories, the marine turtles, the terrestrial or land turtles and the freshwater turtles. The species of turtles are categorised mainly upon their habitat.
As depicted in their name, marine turtles are the turtles who live in the sea and water, they only come towards the shore for nesting. On the other hand, land turtles are accustomed to the land, forests, grasslands, etc and do not go near the water unless they are thirsty.
Sea turtles have flippers, and can’t retract into their shells. Whereas, land turtles live on land, have legs, and can retract into their shells.
World Turtle Day was first celebrated in 2000. It was initiated by the American Tortoise Rescue (“ATR”), is a non profit organisation which dedicates itself to turtle and tortoise conservation. ATR was created by Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson. They organise charity drives and actively work to spread awareness for the critical conditions of these shelled reptiles.
World Turtle Day Theme 2023
Every year, a unique theme is given to signify and highlight a specific aspect of turtle conservation and to celebrate World Turtle Day. It encourages individuals and communities to take action and make positive changes to protect these charismatic creatures and their environments.
The theme for World Turtle Day 2023 is “I love Turtles.” This theme aims to raise awareness about the importance of protecting turtles amidst their habitat crisis and the fact that their conservation is more important than ever. It aims to create awareness about the urgency required in protecting turtles. The ATR will celebrate world turtle day this year as well and will lay stress over the well being and safeguarding of turtles.
U.S. Embassy and consulates in Italy.
Engaging Activities for World Turtle Day.
Celebrating the World Turtle Day is not just about raising awareness with regards to turtle conservation but also about engaging in fun and educational activities. Here are some exciting ideas to celebrate this day:
Organise a Beach Clean-up: This not only helps clean the habitat and environment clean but also saves the lives of many turtles who might mistake plastic debris for food, leading to tragic consequences. Gathering a group of volunteers and cleaning up a local beach or shoreline is a great way of celebrating the day. By removing harmful pollutants, you can create a safer environment for turtles and other marine life.
Create Turtle Art: Creativity has a place everywhere and here in the conservation of turtles, unleashing your creativity and expressing your love for turtles through art is. great means of celebrating world turtle day. Paint, draw, or craft turtle-themed art and creatives and share them with your friends and family. You can also organise an art exhibition or contest to raise funds for turtle conservation organisations. This helps in the conservation and understanding the importance of conservation of turtles.
Attend anEducational Session: Organising or attending educational sessions or workshops in schools can be a very innovative and informative way of celebrating the day. Hosting or attending a meet at a local community centre, or online platforms to teach others about turtle conservation. Sharing fascinating facts, discussing the challenges faced by turtles, and providing practical tips on how everyone can contribute to their protection.
Joining Conservation Efforts: Reach out to your local organisations or even all around the globe organisations through online means who are involved in turtle conservation and inquire about volunteer opportunities. Be a part of their drive to make the habitat and world for turtles a slightly better place. Assist with rescue efforts, participate in habitat restoration projects, or engage in scientific research to contribute directly to the preservation of turtles.
Spread awareness: Utilise social media platforms, blogs, and other communication channels to raise awareness about World Turtle Day. Share arresting and captivating stories regarding turtles, maybe something you knew but others did not and that made them realise the importance of the cause. Encourage others to join the cause and take action.
Why Celebrate World Turtle Day?
World Turtle Day is a very important day due to several reasons:
Awareness: By celebrating World Turtle Day, there is promotion of awareness about the challenges turtles face, including habitat destruction, pollution, and illegal wildlife trade. It educates and encourages people to understand the importance of conservation and the role they can play in protecting the turtles.
Preservation: Turtles are a very essential part of our ecosystems, they contribute to our biodiversity’s survival and maintaining the delicate balance of nature. By celebrating World Turtle Day, we acknowledge their immensely important role in the preservation of our biodiversity and ecosystem, and we make sure that we are aware enough people to make a change to preserve turtles and their natural habitats.
Responsible Practices: World Turtle Day advocates for responsible practices towards turtles, such as responsible pet ownership and refusing to buy turtles from someone who uses malpractices against them, sustainable fishing methods, and reducing plastic pollution. It encourages individuals and communities to adopt eco-friendly lifestyles and make conscious choices that benefit turtles and their habitats.
San Diego Wildlife Explorers.
Interesting Facts About The Marine Turtles
There are seven species of marine or sea turtles. Six of them are threatened or endangered.
A hatchling’s gender depends on the temperature of the nest. Hotter temperatures produce more females while more males emerge from cooler temperatures.
Their shells are made up of over 50 bones fused together. They literally wear their bones on the outside. Turtle bones are light and spongy, which helps them float.
The largest sea turtle species is the leatherback turtle.
The Kemp’s ridley can weigh up-to 40kg, whereas a leatherback can weigh around 500kg.
Sea turtles can hold their breath underwater for a very long time. Some sea turtle species can hold their breath underwater for up to five hours!
Unlike a land turtle, a sea turtle cannot retract its limbs, head or neck under its shell.
Sea turtles play an important role in maintaining the ecosystem of the ocean, by grazing on seagrass beds they maintain productive coral reefs and they also transport essential nutrients from oceans to beaches.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, with the modern day amidst us and most of the animals and remarkable reptiles under the serious threat of endangerment and extinction, it becomes more important than ever that we celebrate World Turtle Day and learn as much as possible about the importance of turtles and how to protect them and their habitat. They are an essential part of our ecosystem and biodiversity and their protection is our duty.
