However Fish discovered that the humpbacks flipper bumps, termed as –TUBERCLES – improve lift, mobility and performance. This news came as a pleasant surprise to him.

Today Whale Power Corporation in Ontario, Canada develops and markets tubercle enhanced fan blades that have the capacity to move 25 percent more air then the conventional fan blades while using 20 % less electricity.

This is a huge gain, to protect our environment, as fans are used all over the world in ventilation, air conditioning, computer servers and by wind farms.

Thanks to the whales we found a new technology to save our environment and energy.

This news was utilised at the opportune moment and the information was assimilated and processed. It was later on channelized to be useful for improving our lifestyle. This is what is termed as progressive and constructive thinking. This is a boon to mankind, just like the tubercle enhanced fan blades.

Wild life creatures fascinate with their movements, features, characteristics and style.

The Bar Tailed Godwit Bird undertakes one of the most marvellous and amazing migrations ever witnessed by mankind. The birds 7,000 miles (11000 km) journey can last for more than approximately eight days.

Researchers believe that a couple of bird’s species make use of the magnetic field of the earth in order to navigate, just like they had a compass built within their brain. There is also a likelihood that the Godwit also navigates with the help of the sun during the day and with the help of the stars during the night.

It is also contemplated that the Godwit is capable of sensing any upcoming storm systems which let it avail the benefit arising due to the tailwinds. The details how these incredible bird make their journey baffles the experts, and they just watch in awe the journey of these birds.

Such a marvel of nature and the gifts the Lord has bestowed upon them makes us feel humble in comparison. Yet we humans are ignorant or rather tend to ignore the marvel of Mother Nature and try to intimidate the lesser fortunate creatures.

It is time to sit back and appreciate their abilities and learn from them.

Sherman is well known for its hog hunters and local hunters and a national television channel- animal planet decided to make a film on hunting of the wild boar. The entire hunting operation was shot and will be televised in the first week of New Year.

The local hunters got a break when the animal planet had seen them in action hunting for wild boars and this time they decided to shoot the thrilling, exciting, dramatic encounter for a show- “Eating the Enemy”, a show based on the concept – to hunt the rare invisible species and turn them in delicacies.

The local restaurant owners also participated in this hunt and finally hunted down a wild hog, which are prone to harm the people in Grayson County.

The hunted wild hog was turned in to delicacy and put on the menu as- Turducken. The animal hunted was smoked till it was burnt black and then sliced in to pieces. The meat of the wild boar is very delicious and very dry.

The entire hunting operation was shot by the channel animal planet, involving the local restaurant owners, local hunters and hog hunters.

Earlier taxonomics used plumage color to be able to identify the species. These features are not really ideal as those that are very closely related also look very similar. The birds belong to a special kind of species and are very unique with the best kind of genetic lineage. There were a group of biologists and bird lovers who trailed in this region and came upon a group of dark brown birds. Their legs were orange red and were under a bush near a flowing stream. Another team also found the birding in the Calayan lowlands and discovered later that they belonged to the Rallidae family. So the migratory birds were a part of this. This is a bird that is new to science and is very popular amongst the locals. They call it the piding

Then there were many other birds sighted and the limestone outcrops, small streams and the caves were perfect places where they found more birds. It is said that this species has been here undiscovered for many years, at lest a hundred years. The Calayan rail is related to the moorhen and has the red beak very much in contrast with its dark plumage. The World Conservation has classified the new species as vulnerable. Today 18 of the flightless 20 species of rails are considered flightless and also threatened. Most of them are extinct since the 16th century. the calayan rail is supposed to live in the thick undergrowth of trees and forests. The community is very concerned about the future of this lovely island and is focusing on the problems of natural resources. The Calayal rail discovery is a great demonstration that the world has a lot to show us. These species are always at a risk of getting influenced by humans as they are mostly seen on mountains and islands where their occurrence and range is limited.

Across the world more than around 130 species from the gargantuan elephant bird of Madagascar to the Dodo of Mauritius has been seen to get extinct. there are cases when they also get killed. Amongst the surviving species today, around 10 per cent are facing the threat of extinction. The Luzon Sarus Crane,  the Tarictic Hornbill, and many such species have not been seen since generations.

Philippines is said to have more than around 600 species of resident and also migratory kind of birds. Out of these around 190 are endemic. They have lost their habitat and also hunting has reduced the population of such lovely birds.

Around 200 of Philippine birds are a part of the World Conservation Unions’ list of endangered species which is inclusive of the Negros Fruit dove and the Philippine Cockatoo. It is today considered to be the largest eagle on earth.

Birds are seen to play a major role in the environment. They eat the fruits and disperse the seed. There are some nectar feeders like the Olive backed Sunbird which are great pollinating agents. Then you have the seabirds that help in improving the ecology of the smaller islands here. they produce a lot of guano and thus enrich the soil here and allow a lot of adaptable plants to take root.

This is an announcement that has raised a lot of questions in everybody’s mind and everyone wonders if this is the end of tiger tourism in the subcontinent. It is very crucial to know that this is not a blanket ban on tourists preventing them from entering national parks etc. Instead it is an order to stop tourists from entering the main tiger area of the parks. What exactly is “core area” would be decided in the August hearing. It has already been agreed that the main demarcations would separate the core tiger areas from the main areas of the reserves. So it is being held that the Supreme Court might be meaning this. Tourism is mainly reliant on tigers in many areas like the Pench tiger Reserve where around 63% of tourist activity is in the main tiger zones. In Panna, this is only around155 and in Satpura it is around 7.5% only.

Tiger numbers have increased in the last few years and the tourists have also increased. If one bans it then it would be the end of tiger watching. The crux of the rule is that now game reserves have to be dealt with for tourism in a different way. There would be tour operators who would need to stop the tourists from tiger oriented in the marketing of their tours. Tourists also would have to change their ideas on tiger tourism, wildlife viewing and take a diverse way of watching the beauty of the wildlife parks in the country. Tourists should understand that the tiger is being given a royal privilege over everything.

So exactly what is behind this rule of the Indian government? The Indian Government says that the Indian states are in charge of the welfare of the animals and the parks. So they have to put good initiatives to save the tigers and also they have to bring in the right kind of revenue from the tiger reserves.

So is this actually a wake up call to the states or is it an attempt of just plain rattling is to be seen. Most of the national parks are closed during this time of the year and so it is very unlikely that the announcement would have great value in the minds of the public. But it surely is an indication that the Indian Government endorses the importance of tigers and also knows about the positive growth in economy due to tiger tourism.

There are many wildlife enthusiasts who are quite infuriated by this decision and it is believed that these tiger reserves actually supported a lot of livelihood and the tigers where their means of earning. Whether it be hotels, or wardens, lodges or camps, schools or other facilities, the tigers were surely a tourist’s favourite.

The main reason tourist would visit a tiger park is to keep these very species alive. So where one sees tigers disappearing in forests as also tourists, the presence of tourists in these reserves is a great source of revenue and would be the best way to keep poachers at bay.

If tourists are not allowed into tiger zones, then there is very little to do for the wildlife and they would go to the buffer regions where there is zero or not wildlife. Tigers are very difficult to spot in the main areas. The local communities and the other town people would face a great fall in economy. So many hardworking people would be forced to shift and thus leave the tigers to open attack.

In short, it is the tourists who are a blessing in disguise for the tiger. The Indian Government should reconsider its legislation and stop this rule. Nowhere in the entire world are predators seen surviving without tourism. Tigers are very vulnerable than any other from the cat family. India is the brand ambassador for the tigers and so should do something for the benefit of the tiger tourism being revived.

The recent rule by the Indian Government that the tiger tourism should be banned has created ripples in the wildlife sector.

The latest news is that the Olive ridley turtles have arrived in the Gahirmatha Beach in the state of Orissa and they have laid eggs and this has been welcomed with a lot of enthusiasm and delight by the nature lovers. The forest officials are also equally excited about this. There is supposed to be an estimated 46,000 female turtles which were found digging pits on the nesting ground that is mainly for the laying of eggs as per the forest officials.

This year the number of visiting turtles is on the decline yet there are around 5 lakh turtles that are seen to come here to the Gahirmatha beach. This is the region that is on the coast of bay of Bengal and is supposed to be one of the worlds largest nesting ground of the turtles.

Forest officials are hoping that the turtles would visit in large numbers and they would grow in the coming few days. The climatic condition is quite good for the visiting turtles and the topography is also ideal.

There were around 500 turtles that were sighted recently. More than 24,000 turtles dug up their pits to lay their eggs . The mass nesting would continue for a week more till the end of March 2012.

Tiger News

There is lot of news on the tiger front. There were three tigers that were found amongst the 69 animals that were killed in the region of Chattisgarh and the state government has invested more than Rs. 116 crore on maintaining the tigers.

There were many cases of poaching and the state has awakened to this fact and stopped the way tigers are being killed. The forest department has made sure that there are patrols which safeguard the animals from getting poached.

The forest department has also expended a lot on the maintenance of tigers and has spent more than Rs. 3 crore since the year 2009 in the development of the region. So the existence of the first ever crocodile park in the district of Janigir Champa is a great valuable destination here. However the sad part is that around six crocodiles have died in the past few years.

Mysterious Black Cat in Sundarbans

As we go deeper into the mangroves of Sunderban you would be intrigued by the mystique that this land provides you with and the camera has captured more than 18 Bengal tigers outside the main area of the forests of mangrove trees. But the cameras have also managed to obtain the photos of a never before seen cat . This could a totally different feature for the entire wildlife enthusiast and is surely a cherishable moment for all the wildlife lovers.

This is a cat that belongs to a totally different species and is one with a long tail. The Sunderbans incidentally is the only reserve for tigers where leopards were never sighted. Now that the cat has been sighted it is making great news. The cat is bigger than a wild cat and smaller than a leopard. It is believed to be a melanistic leopard cat and is a rare specimen surely in the animal world. Normally in leopards there are two kinds of genes that determine whether the colour of th animal is yellow with black spots or whether it would completely black. The black cat comes from the totally black gene.

This jungle cat was found during the time the tigers were being photographed which was held outside the reserve area.

Sparrow News

Sparrows are viewed as a symbol for ecological conservation but the bird lovers are anxious that the environmental factors could result in the dwindling numbers of the sparrow. Ecologists have advised everyone that these social birds nest in niches and corners and also in human settlements. If there is no awareness about the sparrows they could be hounded by the vultures.

News on animals always is good for the nature enthusiast and also for the rest of the world.

Around 7.6% mammals, 12.6% reptiles are found to inhabit India and the country is home to some of the best kind of plants and animals. India, originally was a part of the Gondwana land and over a period of geographical changes the country is what it is today. So it is not very surprising that most of the Asian mammals are found in India. With around 4.5% birds which are endemic we have the reptilians sharing a good 45.8% and the amphibians 55.8% as endemic. Around 2.9% of the threatened species according to the IUCN is found in India. Some of them are the Bengal Tiger, the Asiatic Lion, notwithstanding the Indian white rumped vulture.

In India, the national parks came into existence in the early thirties and the Wildlife Protection Act along with the Project Tiger was a major breakthrough. Today India is host to around 500 wildlife sanctuaries and 25 wetlands besides having 15 reserves for biosphere. Out of these 15, four come under the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Jungle is how wildlife is known as in India, and the fabled Jungle Book by the author Rudyard Kipling has India as the locale. Jungle tales in the Indian fables Panchatantra and other tales are also famous.

Of late the news articles in wildlife in India has found people getting arrested over kidnapping turtles ( around 170 turtles ) in the month of August . Again news articles say about the  dredging activities are posing a serious threat to the habitats of turtles. In Rajaji Park in India, leopard skins were seized.  People with leopard skins have been caught and arrested in Uttar Pradesh in India.

News articles about a village called Ghati in Gadchiroli having villagers keeping the timber away from the forest department showed how the villagers prevented forest officials from touching the timber. But the Act actually covers only minor produces like tendu, gum, tendu, edible fruits and roots from the forests. They also said that they were in charge of protecting the wildlife so the Forest department couldn’t touch it without the permission of the local administration. Thus the village majorly came into news with the villagers not allowing the Forest Department to cut trees but allowed the officials to carry out their other duties.

Another news articles in Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, say about the electrocution of three elephants in an accident when a high tension electric wire of 11,000 volts fell on them. The incident took place in an area near the Dudhwa wildlife sanctuary. The incident is under investigation as some days back farmers had complained that the elephants were damaging their produce.

What is astounding scientists and laymen alike is how the bird that is commonly found in New Zealand got to the resort town of Sochi in Russia. Kiwis cannot fly. They are featured in the list of endangered animals.

It is believed that the bird may have been a stowaway on a cruise ship from New Zealand. However port officials denied this possibility, as all cruise ships are tightly controlled. The nighttime bird is normally shy.

Paul Kavanagh, Senior Officer Queenstown’s Kiwi Birdlife Park stated to the media that the story was shockingly strange, and it is baffling as to how the nocturnal, shy and flightless bird could have traveled such a distance. He also said he had never heard of a black market scenario revolving around kiwis.

Kiwi birds have a potential for aggression. These birds’ kick is quite strong and there have been reports of possums being killed by kiwis. If the bird is not handled in the right manner, it could turn quite aggressive. Some experts invoked the Department of Conservation (DOC), as the dietary as well as handling requirements and quite complex. Zoologists are also not ruling out the possibility that the bird may die as it may not be able to adapt to the local climate.

The yellow-bellied and three-toed skin is said to be found around the warm coastal lowland areas around New South Wales. They have always been known to lay eggs in order to reproduce. However, a startling revelation has been that the giving birth to its young ones.

There have been only two other modern reptiles who have been capable of this phenomenon. This would include another species of skin and a lizard from Europe.

According to records maintained about species evolution, it has been seen that almost a hundred lineages of reptiles have independently made the transition from laying eggs to giving birth. In today’s date, only 20% of them are known to give birth to their young ones.

Given the fact that these skinks are indulging in dual behavior (some are laying eggs, while others are giving birth); the scientists are excited about researching them. This is a rare opportunity. If they get a chance to study the differences among these populations, they will be able to put together the subtle nuances of this transition from one style of birth to another.

One of the biggest mysteries surrounding such a transition is about how the young ones get their nutrition and nourishment before they’re born. When it comes to mammals, there is the placenta in place, which is what connects the fetus to the uterus wall. This will allow the baby to take up the nutrients and oxygen that it needs from the blood of the mother; and there is also a provision for passing back the waste.

In some reptiles and fish, there is a mix of both the birth styles. In such cases, the mother will form eggs within her, but she will retain them inside her until the very end of the embryonic development. The shells of the eggs have been seen to thin out so dramatically that the embryos can breathe through it. Eventually when the babies are born, they’re covered with membranes, and these membranes are the only proof that the shells ever existed.

In the case of the mothers who have recently turned from egg-laying to birth giving, there has been proof to show that they secrete calcium from the uterus. This is what gets incorporated into the embryo. Experts point out that this is the early stages of the evolution of a placenta.

A lot of years back, there was a national park that was created in the region surrounding the mountain. This effort was made to ensure that more tourists visited the region. This volcano had, anyway, been a dormant volcano for a very long time now.

However, if you take into consideration the stories published on the blogs of volcanologists’, then the story is altogether different. The stories are much more sinister than the official story put together by the park officials and tourist attractions.

The pictures that were taken over the past one decade have shown that there has been an elevation in the mountain by a couple of inches. This growth is a sign of the fact that there has been a significant increase in the volcanic activity that is happening at a deeper level; and the elevation is a subsequent effect of the rising magma.

Although there haven’t been any other visible signs in the present times, there was a recent report, as per people taking flights over the region, who saw that there was smoke and steam emanating from the region. Another possibility, however, claim park officials is that the smoke and steam is produced by the geothermal power station which is located close to the mountain. This power station is known to tap into the deeper crusts of the Earth in order to produce electricity.

As per the park officials and officials at the geothermal power station, KENGEN (Kenya’s National Power Generating Company) would have to keep a close eye on any sort of tremors being felt at Mount Longonot. It is absolutely essential for them to stay on top of any sort of potential developments.

The Great African Rift Valley is one that has stemmed from seismic activity; and there exist geysers and hot springs along the floor of the valley. These are ever present reminders of the fact that there is all that heat stirring endlessly and uneasily below the region.