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and location of all baits and require bait stations to be regularly inspected and not left exposed to non-target animals and birds. Furthermore, dead rodents should be collected and disposed of safely and baits should be removed at the end of the treatment. Urban and rural rodenticide users are urged to be mindful of the potential environmental effects of the use of chemicals. John Lusby, Raptor Conservation Officer with BirdWatch Ireland, noted the efforts of the Golden Eagle Trust to restore our Red Kite population have been phenomenal. These deaths however highlight an area of serious concern, recent research has also shown that other species such as Barn Owls, Kestrels and Long-eared Owls are at significant risk". As John Lusby stated, The problem occurs when these raptors capture live rodents which have ingested poison. The compounds used in certain Rat poisons nowadays are extremely toxic and accumulate within a bird which has fed on a poisoned rodent. There are some clear steps we can take to try and reduce the threat of secondary poisoning to our raptor populations, such as amending current regulations in Ireland and increasing awareness of best practise rodent control, and we hope to work alongside the Trust and relevant Government bodies in 2012 to attempt to address these issues. In addition to the problems posed to Red Kites and other wildlife through the legal use of Rat poisons, two other (untagged) Red Kites were confirmed to have been illegally poisoned by Alphachloralose in Wicklow last autumn. Dr. Ruddock continued, It remains clear there are still serious issues which require further attention and action to protect our Irish raptors.
Comments: I cant believe people would illegally poison the birds. Nice reintroduction story, and seems like the public is really involved and enthusiastic.
pristine in Southeast Asia, spanning some 175 square miles (more than 45,000 hectares). These habitats are crucial to numerous aquatic and terrestrial animals and are vital nursery areas for marine fisheries. Conservationists will monitor the turtle's movements to see how it utilizes this region. Of particular interest is how the turtle navigates through commercial fishing grounds, as well as areas where it could be threatened by other factors such as habitat destruction by sand mining or conversion of mangrove forests into shrimp farming facilities. WCS notes that numerous studies on similar long-lived species have shown that as little as a five percent increase in annual adult mortality can cause populations to go extinct. "By reducing the adult mortality of the Southern River terrapin, even by fractions -- as little as ten animals a year per population in this circumstance -- we can have immediate and long-term positive impacts on the remaining wild populations of this critically endangered species" said Brian D. Horne of the Wildlife Conservation Society. Heng Sovannara, Deputy Director of Cambodia's Fisheries Administration's Conservation Department, is extremely hopeful that the release will enhance efforts to conserve the species. "By identifying areas that are most utilized by the turtles, we can pinpoint our efforts to reduce the turtles being caught as fishery by-catch as well as targeted hunting," he said. Dr. Sonja Luz, Deputy Director of Conservation & Research for Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said: "This project will contribute greatly to a much brighter future for this critically endangered terrapin. Hopefully, more public awareness and education opportunities will arise from this and allow us to create better protection tools and a safer environment for these amazing reptiles."
In 2000, a small population of Southern River Terrapins, Batagur affinis, was found in the Sre Ambel after many years of being considered locally extinct. The turtle was once considered solely the property of the King of Cambodia, but has been decimated by overhunting over the past two decades. Following the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot regime, the Cambodian people were left in severe poverty, and with the growing international demand for turtles in China for human consumption, literally thousands of turtles were captured and sent to China for much needed income by the country's impoverished people.
Comment: That is one giant tracking device attached to the turtles back I would expect a more discrete and non-invasive tracker, given how vulnerable they are to extinction. It could easily get snagged in the river on debris. On a brighter note, the public seem really into it and voluntarily turning it in instead of selling it to China for food is great!
The largest of all sea turtles, leatherbacks can grow up to nine feet long and weigh up to 2,000 pounds. Pacific leatherback sea turtles have declined more than 95 per cent since the 1980s; as few as 2,300 adult female western Pacific leatherbacks remain. The species dates from the time of the dinosaurs, having survived for 100 million years virtually unchanged; but now they face the danger of extinction. The leatherback sea turtles feeding off the US West Coast make the longest known migration of any reptile, across the Pacific Ocean where they nest on beaches in Papua, Indonesia. They make this great migration to feed on jellyfish in the productive ocean waters of the American Pacific. They are generally found off the West Coast in the summer and fall months.
Comment: This sounded really great, but it looks like theyve got miles to go before this turtle has any chance of surviving. Boat traffic, pollution, etc still pose a huge threat. And its ridiculous that they pass a law through like this, but then fisheries want to expand use of fishing gears, known to be responsible for leatherback deaths, into areas important to the turtle. Stupid, stupid, people Also, this area is huge and will require extensive monitoring. Declaring it safe doesnt make it so
Comment: Should have been done a long time ago not after 10,000 pythons established in the everglades. Too late for this to make any significant impact, the population is already stable, breeding, and large.
Comment: Neat idea, Id be very interested to see a follow up study to see how much biodiversity increased.