Naughty By Nature

Selamatkan Yaki! (Save the Macaque!)

2009-07-22T21:25:00.000-07:00

The island of Sulawesi, although one of the largest in the Indonesian archipelago, is possibly the least known by many a world traveller. Yet, it is home to some of the richest and most unique biodiversity, teaming with both marine and terrestrial gems found nowhere else on earth. It is one of a few islands within a region known as ‘Wallacea’ (discovered by Sir Alfred Russell Wallace), which separated from mainland Asia over 200 million years ago, and thus resulting in the evolution of one of the highest concentrations of species endemicity in the world!

One of these many gems, but arguably the most charismatic, is the Black crested macaque (Macaca nigra) or "Yaki" known locally. Inhabiting the last fragmented forest areas of North Sulawesi, it is characterized by jet black fur, a prominent head crest and pink heart shaped bottom. Living in hierarchical mixed-sex groups, supervised by one dominant and majestic alpha male, their presence as a group as they forage, play and groom each other, intensifies the atmosphere of the forests with charm, energy and exuberance.
Sadly however they are threatened with extinction, listed as CRITICALLY ENDANGERED under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Their population has declined by 85% in the last 20 years due to the ever increasing pressures of human overexploitation.

Habitat destruction from illegal logging, slash and burn agriculture and forest resource extraction are decimating the Macaques habitat, creating fragmented forest with small groups of genetically unsustainable populations which can not move between 'corridors'. However the greatest direct threat to the Macaques themselves is the relentless persistence of hunting these animals for bush meat and the pet trade, coupled with a severe lack of law enforcement and local understanding and awareness.
Unlike many other countries where bush meat is hunted for subsistence due to severe poverty, in North Sulawesi the macaques and other wild animals are hunted by local communities as a delicacy, NOT through necessity. North Sulawesi is one of the fastest growing economies in Indonesia and other food sources are plentiful. Sadly however, the local people continue to hunt endangered animals as an 'exotic' alternative and currently have little recognition or empathy in discontinuing these destructive practices.

The future survival of many endemic species in Sulawesi is moving further and further towards an irreversible catastrophe, mass extinction of unique species is imminent, unless conservation initiatives can radically change the social and economic practices of this nation.
I currently work as the Field Project Manager for a conservation programme in Sulawesi, “Selamatkan Yaki” (“Save the Macaque”) supported by the Whitely Wildlife Conservation Trust which is taking the first steps towards initiating conservation action for the Black crested macaque. However, both national and international recognition and support for this species plight is needed. Sulawesi forests will be a solemn and empty place without such enigmatic creatures and the prospect of yet another flagship species succumbing to anthropogenic pressures, will be another tragedy for the diversity of life that clings to existence on earth.

My deadly encounter - TIGER vs BEAR

2008-11-10T03:13:00.000-08:00

An early morning safari into the heart of the Indian jungle may result in a chance encounter with a wild Bengal Tiger, ambling along the track, exhausted from a night on the prowl, before quickly diverging into the thick undergrowth. Or perhaps an eruption of Langur monkeys and Chital alarm calls signals that a predator is near and, in excited pursuit, the source of the commotion reveals the magnificent striped Cat basking in shallow water, cooling itself in the heat of the afternoon sun. Or maybe whilst scanning the tree lines for a crested Serpent Eagle or Jungle Owlet, a sudden heavy russle in the bushes draws attention to a quick glimpse of a startled Sloth Bear galloping into the dense bush. These are rare experiences for a privileged few who visit the enchanted Indian jungles and in my 6 months of working at Kipling Camp in Kanha's National Park, I was indeed lucky enough to experience these on more than one occasion.

However, nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to witness one morning in April 2008. Accompanying two of my guests into the Park, we were about to win front row seats for a powerful and deadly show.....a brutal battle between a large male Tiger and a female Sloth Bear, attempting to protect her cub. One of my guests managed to capture this rare event on camera. I have added some slow-mo for extra impact but here is the incredible footage of a truly unforgettable battle of nature..........

Nearing the end of a strangely quiet morning, we reluctantly started to head back to camp along the beautifully scenic Bishanpura track on the south west side of Kanha. Relaxing in the back of the Gypsy, I enjoyed the warmth of the morning sun whilst eagerly scanning the forests on either side for movement and misshapes that would expose one of the many tropical inhabitants to excite my guests. But all seemed still, even the birds were reluctant to sing..... as if everything but us had sensed the impending battle that was about to ensue......

As we meandered around a sharp bend, there in front of us, wandering along the track was a female Sloth Bear with a young cub, no more than 2 months old, clinging to her back. A rare sight in itself as these creatures are extremely elusive. She quickly veered off to the right and began to climb the steep grass bank and, with fixated excitement, we watched as she finally reached the top, briefly glancing back to ensure we were not a threat.

Suddenly our guide excitedly whispered "Tiger!Tiger!" whilst waving a pointed finger towards the left side of the bank. There, majestically poised was a large male Tiger intently targeted on the Bear's movements. Suddenly he leapt across the bank and challenged the Bear to a brief fight before backing away for a few moments. She was obviously injured and was on the defense rather than attack due to her young cub. The Tiger circled her, crouched and once again attacked, this time with intention to kill. And that he did. The cub started to wail loudly and what this video misses is the point at which the cub turns and looks straight at us. In desperation, it then ran towards us and tumble turned head first down the steep bank to the foot of our jeep. At just arms reach, the temptation to rescue this little cub was overwhelming but this was a wild animal, and hard though it was, this was what nature intended and we had to respect that. The cub scrambled back up the steep bank and inherently attempted to climb the nearest tree. But the Tiger was watching and quickly ran across the top of the bank and with one leaping swipe of his paw, pulled the cub to the ground and killed it instantly.

He returned to where the mother lay, picked her up and dragged her down the other side of the bank. We moved around the corner to just glimpse him dragging her across the track and down into the ravine on the other side. The picture below is my very own last captured moment before he disappeared into the undergrowth.

From Naughty by Nature

Fate of the Frog

2008-10-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

The familiar croaking chorus that reverberates through many a humid tropical night is rapidly fading into silence as frogs from around the world are disappearing at an alarming rate.

With over a 1/3 of all frog species now under threat from extinction and many more species populations swiftly declining, the Amphibian crisis is of real catastrophic concern. One of the primary causes of this large scale frog massacre is a contamination of the chytrid fungus that is sweeping the globe. Thought to have originally been confined to South Africa it has now quickly infiltrated onto many other continents as a result of commercial wildlife trade, climate change and pollution.

Frogs absorb water through their porous skin and this makes them particularly vulnerable to also absorbing any toxicity in the environment. Therefore the chytrid fungus and rising levels of pesticides, pollutants and radiation in the atmosphere is condemning these sensitive amphibians. Compared by biologists to the "canary of the coalmines", frogs act as bioindicators and thus their rapid decline in recent years emphasises the state of the environment today.

Amour Amur No More........

2008-10-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

Meet Artur, a male Amur Leopard at the Wildlife Heritage Foundation who is an invaluable cat within the EEP captive breeding program.

The Amur Leopard is the most endangered Cat in the world. It is estimated that only between 25-30 individuals still roam the far eastern boarders of Russia. The reason for their decline, like so many of the big cats, is a combination of poaching and habitat destruction. Huge conservation efforts are attempting to save this cat from extinction but the reality is that the numbers are so low, it is possible that these beautiful cats will become extinct from the wild in just a few years....a truly tragic thought.
Captive breeding of the Amur Leopard is therefore underway, hoping to create a gene pool that can be released back into the natural habitat. Successful re-introduction is yet to be accomplished however as big cats are notoriously hard to breed in captivity and develop the survival traits required for the wild.

I am however pleased to announce that Artur here has recently become a proud father to two cubs born recently at the WHF. The mother Xizi has successfully nurtured these two precious cubs to 10 weeks old and they are as fiesty as ever!

For the full story, visit the BBC link here. Great news in keeping this endangered cat from complete extinction!

The Kalahari Ferrari

2008-09-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

Whilst working at Kipling Camp, in India's Kanha National Park, I accompanied some of my guests down the jungle path to a beautiful patio area for dinner. As we arrived my lantern startled two rather large looking spiders that were clinging to the limestone wall. At ridiculous speed they bolted onto the floor and proceeded to frantically run around in all directions. At one point they collided, interlocked their front legs and a tug of war battle broke out before then darting in separate directions once again. The excited entomologist in me grabbed an empty glass jar, determined to catch one to study it. After quite a few minutes of running around in circles, occasionally diving at the floor, or jumping to one side as it ran lightening speed straight towards me, I finally trapped it!

As you can see in my photo, it was Sandy in colour and looked similar to a spider although it seemed to have 10 legs, rather than 8. Each of these legs also split into two at their base, which I presumed helped it to run so fast! It had large mandibles and the eyes sat close together on the top of it's head. On the underside it had what looked like white sucker pads all along it's thorax and abdomen. I was puzzled as to what it was and consulting a book of Indian insects gave no clues either. I eventually called a good friend and experienced Naturalist Anant Erickson who, after describing my find, casually informed me that it was a Kalahari Ferrari. Partly dismayed that I had not uncovered a rare new discovery, I was also pleased it was eventually identified and had such a fitting name!

Kalahari Ferrari is the nickname for an order of arachnids known as Solifugae. They are carnivorous, feeding on termites, beetles, spiders and even lizards, using their large mandibles, known as chelicerae, to slice up their prey. They actually have 8 legs and the two extra front 'legs' are pedipalps which are like sensory antennae and help them to climb and catch their prey. They tend to be seen more at night due to their repulsion by sunlight and will inhabit dark corners by day.

The name actually originated from Africa - the Kalahari desert where they are also found. Infact they are found in all desert regions, forests and grasslands in the eastern and western hemispheres apart from Australia. The 'ferrari' part of their name I will presume is due to their ridiculous running speeds! I am a little dismayed that all records relating to the fastest small land animal seems to refer to the cockroaches, measured at speeds of 3mph... but it has been noted that the Kalahari Ferrari can run up to 10mph so why has no one acknowledged this? I therefore declare a joint title to the Kalahari Ferrari as the fastest land arachnid with by far the coolest name!

Crouching Tigers

2008-09-06T04:19:00.000-07:00

As seen in this clip,used by many a documentary, when two Tigers cross paths the outcome is a ferocious battle. In this particular scenario a female fights a male as she has small cubs close by and this male would almost certainly kill them in order to bring her back into oestrus and mate with her himself. Using huge force from above, he pins her down as she attempts to bite and claw at his vulnerable jugular. What I wanted to point out however is the way in which the Tigers bow down to each other to signal that the fight is over. In this case the male bows to admit defeat as he is hurt, and the female bows to acknowledge the surrender and to fight no more. The majority of Tiger fights end with this mutual bow and it reminds me of the bow one does in martial arts combat. A noble and respectable way to end a fight...

Dabbling with a Dauber

2008-08-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

Over a period of days I watched as a lone, slim, yellow and black wasp busily buzzed in and out of the laundry room, building an intricate mud hut in the corner of a shelf. She spent each day carefully constructing a mud cylinder and sealing its entrance before then proceeding with the next.

After a week, the mud cast had become quite prominent and I was instructed to remove it before a swarm of hatchling wasps enveloped the room. Although it was obviously a nest, I was intrigued to find out what lay within each cylinder. I removed it from the wall and took it outside for examination.

Using a stone, I smashed it open. Within this cylindrical framework there were many larva at different stages of development but what was interesting was that there were even larger quantities of spiders! These spiders looked dead accept they were very juicy and would have quickly shrivelled in the Indian heat. I deduced that they were paralysed by the wasp to be provided as a living meal for the larvae on hatching. Indeed I was right! On consulting my insect book I identified this wasp as a Yellow Mud Dauber. They specifically capture and paralyse spiders to place within the mud cocoons with a single egg. On hatching the larva have a spider feast to help grow big and strong before metamorphosing and breaking free from the nest.

Ant Antics

2008-08-07T04:13:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken out of my respect for this soldier's shear persistence in guarding the entrance to his colony! Ants have captivated me for years, each time I encounter a marching brigade of these little creatures, I insist upon stopping to observe their wondrous antics. My most recent experience was whilst 'trekking' through the Eden Project's rainforest dome, whereby I became fixated on a throughfair of Ants on a tree branch. As each Ant marched along its route, it would hone in on another that was marching towards it from the other direction, causing a split second head on collision before they then proceeded on their directional paths......

Ants are eusocial meaning their lives centre around the ultimate survival of the Queen. They have an incredibly complex social structure and highly organised 'caste' system. A lone Ant is lost and incapable but through admirable team work they create a strong cohesive taskforce. Their adaptability allows them to reign nearly all corners of the globe other than areas of extreme cold or altitude and their strength enables them to carry objects up to 7 times their body weight, the equivalent of a man carrying a horse by just his teeth!!

Although some Ants forage alone like the Australian Bull Ant, the majority use chemical pheromone signals, leaving scented trails to guide the troops to the food source and back along the fastest route. Whilst travelling to and from the nest, Ants will also touch each other to confirm familiar nest odour to ensure they are from the same community. This is obviously what I was observing in the Eden rainforest!

Changing Faces

2008-07-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

I watched a documentary a while ago whereby I learnt an extraordinary fact about Pigs that I wanted to share with you. If a domestic pig escapes from a farm and lives the rest of it's life as a wild pig, foraging for it's own food, surviving the elements etc, it is one of few animals that can actually adapt and change it's physical appearance and more interestingly, it's bone structure, in order to survive. Domestic pigs go through a form of speeded up evolutionary change within a few years of becoming wild. They actually morph into wild boar that as you know, look very different from the domestics! Their hair becomes dark brown, long, thick, and coarse, they grow tusks for defense and, most interestingly of all, their skull shape actually changes, becoming more elongated towards the snout in order to forage for food more easily. They are thought to be the only animal that can undergo such radicle adaptation when transforming from a domestic to a wild environment. Pretty incredible really!

Extinction or Captive Living?

2008-06-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Before delving into the exciting world of wildlife, there is a particular topic of hot debate that I feel the need to highlight, and one which I am still questioning myself. We are in an era of mass extinction, with over 4000 species of animals facing extinction in the next few years and we, as humans, are to blame. The reality is that much of this destruction is irreversible, the fates of these animals are doomed with such small numbers remaining in the wild, they can not maintain their own existence independently.

For this reason we have decided to breed these endangered creatures in captivity, to increase the genetic diversity and populations of the species. The reasoning behind this is to either re-introduce them back into their wild habitats or at least keep the species alive in Zoos, even if they no longer exist in the wild. So far, there are very few captive breeding - re-introduction initiatives that have been wholly successful. Captive animals do not inherit their 'wild' ancestry genes and often struggle to survive when thrown back into their wild habitats. However this is not to say, that through trial and error, future attempts will not be successful, and may certainly save some species from the brink. However £$millions is channelled into captive breeding of animals whose natural habitat no longer exists or at a point where it's future is bleak.

In the case of the Bengal Tiger, India's fast growing economy and population explosion has reduced the Indian forests to small National Park areas and with ongoing deforestation, the corridors between each park are slowly diminishing. This is entrapping small Tiger populations and disallowing genetic diversity to be maintained. Tiger poaching is still rife and reduces the numbers every year and it is almost inevitable that these magnificent Cats will become extinct in the wild in the near future.

Tigers are deemed an important feature in captive breeding programs as a highly endangered species. But at present, it is impossible to breed Tigers for re-release into the wild. Their complex behavioural skills for survival can not be taught within a captive environment and the remaining habitat can not cater for a large population, considering the size of territories required.

This is also similar for many other species, especially large carnivores, but is it not a waste of valuable resources to breed animals that will inevitably become extinct and can not be re-introduced? Should we not focus all efforts into protecting future species from suffering a similar fate? And finally is it fair to keep wild animals in captivity or should we just allow their absolute extinction? These questions are still open to hot debate......

I do believe more money should be channelled towards preserving natural habitats rather than captive breeding efforts, especially considering saving a rainforest is actually important to our own survival as well as many animals. I am unsure as to whether captive breeding of extremely endangered animals is worthwhile and whether keeping live remnants locked behind bars in a Zoo is ethical, but in the same instance it would be a tragedy if the future of many of our magnificent creatures, such as the Tiger, became mere historical figures, preserved within the Natural History Museum.