Giant owl not seen for 150 years pictured in wild for first time
Giant owl not seen for 150 years pictured in wild for first time
Shelley’s Eagle Owl was spotted on 16 October in what has been hailed as a “sensational discovery” by ecologists.
With only a few thousand thought to be in existence, the species is officially classified as being at risk of extinction.
A picture of the bird was taken by Dr Joseph Tobias, of the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London, and Dr Robert Williams, an ecologist from Somerset.
The pair discovered the owl, of which there have been no confirmed sightings since the 1870s, during its daytime roost earlier this month.
Despite only seeing the bird for around 15 seconds, they managed to snap enough pictures to identify it – substantiated by its distinctive black eyes, yellow bill, and huge size.
© Doctor Rob Williams/@robsrw ShelleyOwl.jfif
“It was so large, at first we thought it was an eagle,” Dr Tobias said.
“Luckily it perched on a low branch and when we lifted our binoculars our jaws dropped. There is no other owl in Africa’s rainforests that big.”
The owl was first described in 1872 after Richard Bowdler Sharpe, curator of the bird collection at the Natural History Museum, obtained a specimen from a hunter in Ghana.
There have since been occasional unconfirmed sightings of Shelley’s Eagle Owl in recent decades in west and central Africa.
Dr Nathaniel Annorbah, of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Ghana, said: “This is a sensational discovery. We’ve been searching for this mysterious bird for years in the western lowlands, so to find it here in ridgetop forests of eastern region is a huge surprise.”
Imperial College London has since described the discovery as new source of hope for the bird.
Friends of Atewa, an environmental group, are in the process of lobbying for the area to gain the status of being a national park following continued threats of illegal logging and bauxite mining.
Dr Williams said: “We hope this sighting draws attention to Atewa forest and its importance for conserving local biodiversity.
“Hopefully, the discovery of such a rare and magnificent owl will boost these efforts to save one of the last wild forests in Ghana.”
Reference: Independent: Emily Atkinson
Offspring of Pablo Escobar’s ‘cocaine’ hippos recognised as people by US court
Offspring of Pablo Escobar’s ‘cocaine’ hippos recognised as people by US court
The case involves a lawsuit against the Colombian government over whether to kill or sterilise the hippos whose numbers are growing at a fast pace and pose a threat to biodiversity.
An animal rights groups is hailing the order as a milestone victory in the long sought efforts to sway the US justice system to grant animals personhood status.
But the order will not carry any weight in Colombia where the hippos live, a legal expert said.
“The ruling has no impact in Colombia because they only have an impact within their own territories.
“It will be the Colombian authorities who decide what to do with the hippos and not the American ones,” said Camilo Burbano Cifuentes, a criminal law professor at the Universidad Externado de Colombia.
The “cocaine hippos” are descendants of animals that Escobar illegally imported to his Colombian ranch in the 1980s when he reigned over the country’s drug trade.
After his death in a 1993 shootout with authorities, the hippos were abandoned at the estate and left to thrive with no natural predators, their numbers have increased in the last eight years from 35 to somewhere between 65 and 80.
© Fernando Vergara Hippos float in the lake at Hacienda Napoles Park, once the private estate of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar (Fernando Vergara/AP)
A group of scientists has warned that the hippos pose a major threat to the area’s biodiversity and could lead to deadly encounters with humans.
They are advocating for some of the animals to be killed.
A government agency has started sterilising some of the hippos, but there is a debate on what are the safest methods.
In the suit, lawyers for the Animal Legal Defence Fund asked the US District Court in Cincinnati to give “interested persons” status to the hippos so that two wildlife experts in sterilisation from Ohio could be deposed in the case.
Federal magistrate Judge Karen Litkovitz in Cincinnati granted the request on October 15.
The animal rights group based near San Francisco said it believes it is the first time animals have been declared legal persons in the US.
Their lawyers argued that because advocates for the hippos can bring lawsuits to protect their interests in Colombia that the hippos should be allowed to be considered “interested persons” under US law.
They pointed to a federal statute that allows anyone who is an “interested person” in a foreign lawsuit to ask a federal court to permit them to take depositions in the US in support of their case.
Christopher Berry, the lead lawyer for the Animal Legal Defence Fund, called it a narrow but profound ruling.
© Provided by PA Media A pink statue of a hippo greets tourists at Hacienda Napoles Park in Puerto Triunfo, Colombia (Fernando Vergara/AP)
“This really is part of a bigger movement of advocating that animals’ interest be represented in court,” he said.
“We’re not asking to make up a new law. We’re just asking that animals have the ability to enforce the rights that have already been given to them.”
While animals have been granted legal rights in India, Pakistan and Argentina, courts in the US have been unwilling to do so until now.
A judge in Connecticut called a petition filed four years ago by an animal rights group to grant personhood to three elephants in a travelling petting zoo “wholly frivolous”.
In another closely watched case, the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, agreed in May to decide whether an elephant at the Bronx Zoo should get human-like rights and be moved to a sanctuary.
Earlier rulings dismissed the claims from the animal rights groups.
The zoo contends that granting legal “personhood” to the the elephant named Happy would set a dangerous precedent and has called the efforts “ludicrous”.
Gun rights groups also have criticised the move out of concern it could impact hunting or set a precedent.
Backers point to court rulings that have given corporations legal rights and considered them to be legal persons, reasoning that animals should be treated the same under the law.
“Legal personhood is just the ability to have your interest heard and represented in court,” Mr Berry said.
“It’s about enforcing rights they already have under animal cruelty laws and other protection laws.”
Reference: P A Media: By John Seewer, Associated Press
Paddleboarders and swimmers are destroying the nesting habitats of seabirds, RSPB warns
Paddleboarders and swimmers are destroying the nesting habitats of seabirds, RSPB warns
Paddleboarders and wild swimmers are destroying rare bird nesting habitats, the RSPB has warned, as it calls for beaches to be roped off during breeding season.
A rising number of people doing water sports coupled with the effects of climate change, including coastal erosion, has meant that the few seabird nesting habitats left are being destroyed.
Charity bosses have urged paddlers, kayakers and swimmers not to explore remote islands on their travels, as birds can be spooked and nests destroyed.
As much as 50 per cent of shingle habitat has been lost since 1945 and the RSPB predicts we will lose another 2,000 hectares by 2050. This will include losing areas currently supporting tens of thousands of breeding seabirds, particularly in England where the losses are most acute.
Leigh Lock, the bird charity's species recovery development manager, told The Telegraph: "We've got less space on which these birds can nest. When you look in the next 20 or 30 years that will keep decreasing.
"We've also seen increased levels of disturbance of more people on the coast doing all sorts of things they didn't do 10 years ago.
© Alamy Paddleboarders in Newquay, Cornwall. - Alamy
"We've got a huge increase in water-based activities, water-based sports, which means people are getting access to small islands and isolated peninsulas. These are becoming accessible by paddleboarders and kayakers. Post lockdown, everyone has been going to the coast, there are smaller and smaller areas and the areas they could breed are becoming accessed by more and more people."
Swimmers who now access beaches all year round need to be made aware of nesting birds, Mr Lock added, explaining: "There are some birds which nest on open shorelines and open beaches, little terns, ringed plovers and oystercatchers, they are particularly vulnerable to disturbance.
"The places they nest are places people want to swim. So we are really trying to increase engagement with the public and explain why people shouldn't be visiting certain areas at certain times of year. We need to rope off areas and have signs explaining the different zoning on beaches."
© Provided by The Telegraph There has been a large increase in water-based activities, like paddleboarding. - Charlotte Graham
Some private beaches already do this, and the Holkham estate in Norfolk, which is owned by Lord and Lady Leicester, protects its seabirds by roping off the sand dunes where they like to breed.
The RSPB is also creating more habitats to replace the ones lost, including artificial islands and moving the sea wall back in areas to create marshland and make more space for birds to nest. These new areas would not be accessible to the public.
Their project at Hodbarrow reserve in Cumbria included creating new island nesting areas, and it is already beginning to work. Over a year, little terns increased from 11 pairs to 47 pairs - a nationally significant increase. Sandwich terns increased from 638 to 765 pairs.
Reference: Telegraph: Helena Horton
Pet experts explain how to support our dogs during the winter
Pet experts explain how to support our dogs during the winter
As the colder weather and darker days are upon us, it’s normal for some of us to experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – in fact, one in three Brits experience symptoms.
The reason this happens is due to our brains’ chemistry when the drop in daylight hours combined with chillier temperatures causes the human brain to produce less serotonin and more melatonin. This causes a chemical imbalance that produces SAD symptoms.
But it seems that our dogs can also be affected and can go through their own ruff time (pardon the pun) if they are able to pick up on changes to owners’ behaviour during the seasonal changes.
A study by the UK’s leading vet charity, People’s Dispensary of Sick Animals (PDSA), revealed that a third of dog owners noticed a downward turn in their pet’s mood during the colder months.
Half of the owners studied also reported that their pets slept for longer periods of time, while 20 per cent noted that their pets were significantly less active.
As a result of the study’s findings, we spoke to the head of clinical behaviour at the RSPCA Lorella Notari and pet expert at Webbox Naturals Julie Butcher on how we can support our pooches during the colder season.
Notari said: “There’s no clear evidence to suggest that dogs can be impacted by seasonal affective disorder itself but changes to owners’ behaviour due to the season can definitely have an impact on their daily routine and, therefore, their mental wellbeing.”
Butcher, meanwhile, notes how studies have shown “that humans share a lot of the same brain chemistry with dogs” and therefore it’s conceivable that they may possibly experience a similar chemical imbalance to those of us who experience SAD.
Here are some of their top tips to follow if you notice any changes in your dogs’ behaviour.
© Getty Images iStock-1249480163.jpg
Keep up your summer routine through the winter months
Butcher says: “Try to keep their daily routine up throughout the winter months. Whilst we do appreciate that windy walks in the rain may not be as inviting as those lovely warm summer strolls, it’s important to keep your dog stimulated by new sights and smells.
“With less sunshine throughout the winter months, a daily walk may also be the only chance your dog gets to experience some natural sunlight, so try to get out during the day if you can.”
Notari also added how it is “vital that you ensure your dog has continued levels of exercise and stimulation to keep them happy during the winter months.”
Remember that every dog is different
“Some dogs may receive less outdoor activity and reduced exercise during the colder, wet and darker winter months and this can cause boredom and frustration for our dogs,” Notari said.
“For others, winter can actually be less challenging for them as the hot summer weather but it’s important to protect our pets and keep them safe during both hot and cold seasons.”
© Provided by Indy 100 (Getty Images)
Ensure your dog keeps warm during cold weather
“With the colder weather taking hold, the freezing temperature will no doubt affect all of our moods so just like we would want to keep warm, we need to ensure we do the same for our pooches.
“It’s really important to keep your dogs warm during the colder weather - especially if they’re ageing or have underlying health conditions,” Nortari explained.
Encourage indoor activity
“It’s important to ensure that dogs frequently have opportunities for stimulation and entertainment, so make time to interact with your dog throughout the day,” Butcher said.
“You could also invest in some sensory pet toys that will give your pooch something to play with, even if you’re not at home.”
Improve your internal lighting
“You could even purchase special light boxes that are designed to replicate natural sunlight to help alleviate the effects of SAD. While these products are designed by humans, it’s something that could also have a positive effect on your pooch.”
Butcher added: “If you’d rather not disturb your current lighting situation, simply moving your dog’s bed nearer a sunny-side window could help them soak up the natural rays better.”
Look after yourself
“Many people agree that pets will often react to and reflect their owner’s moods, so it’s important that you look after your own mental health – especially if you’re worried about your pets’.
“Focus on your stress levels, and make sure that you’re not outwardly projecting any negative characteristics around your pet that they could pick up on.”
Notari similarly voiced this point and added how “changes to owners’ behaviour due to the season can definitely have an impact on their daily routine and, therefore, their mental wellbeing.”
Indy 100: Sinead Butler
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