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☆ These endangered leopards could be about to disappear in Cambodia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —The Indochinese leopard is dangerously close to becoming extinct in Cambodia, according to wild cat conservationists, who spent more than a decade looking for the creatures and found just 35. During that period, they only spotted 35 adult Indochinese leopards, and when they returned in 2021, not a single leopard could be seen. Historically, the Indochinese leopard was found throughout Indochina – spanning Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and parts of southwestern China – but almost all the territory they once roamed has disappeared due to human encroachment. Only 35 adult Indochinese leopards were seen between 2009 to 2021 in Cambodia, conservationist group Panthera found. While leopards are vanishing from Cambodia, their numbers in the wild along the Thailand-Myanmar border are likely less than 900, Rostro-García added.

Persons: Oxford University’s WildCRU, Hun Sen, ”, Susana Rostro, Gareth Mann Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Oxford, Biological Conservation, WWF, FA Cambodia, Global Forest Watch, IUCN Locations: Hong Kong, Cambodia, Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, China, WWF Cambodia, Malaysia

☆ Killer Whales Targeting Boats Could End Badly for the Orcas
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Killer whales near Spain and Portugal have been confronting, and even sinking, boats. The killer whales typically approach the ship from behind and then try to strike the rudder until the boat is immobilized. People online have joked the killer whales are "orcanizing" an "orca rebellion," with many social media users rooting for the whales. But the result could be an increase in fear of killer whales in the popular imagination, similar to what the movie "Jaws" did for sharks. In reality, killer whales — which got their names from hunting other whales — do not pose a significant risk of harm to humans.

Persons: —, Andrew Trites, Trites, Deborah Giles, Evan Brodsky, Luna Organizations: Service, Marine Mammal Research, University of British, NBC, Area, Nootka Locations: Spain, Portugal, University of British Columbia, Monterey Bay, Monterey, West, British Columbia, Canada, —

☆ A rare pod of orcas washed up dead on a beach in Chile. It's the first event of its kind in 67 years and only the second in recorded history.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Chris Panella | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A rare pod of orcas washed up dead on a beach in Chile late last year, according to LiveScience. It was only the second time in recorded history the Type D orcas had been found stranded. It's the first mass stranding of these killer whales in 67 years and only the second event of its kind in recorded history, according to LiveScience. Type D orcas have one of the highest levels of inbreeding of any mammalLittle is known about Type D orcas, since they tend to live in especially turbulent and rough seas in the Southern Pacific where few boats venture. The researchers found an almost identical genetic code between Type D orcas in Chile and the skeleton of a Type D that was beached in New Zealand.

Persons: —, Robert Pitman, LiveScience, Pitman, Andrew Foote of Organizations: Service, Oregon State University, Norwegian Institute of Science, Technology, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Chile, Gibraltar, Spain, New Zealand, Southern Pacific

☆ Orca attacks on boats aren't out of revenge, killer whale experts say. They're just having fun.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Erin Heger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"I certainly think orcas are capable of complex emotions," Monika Wieland Shields, director of the Orca Behavior Institute told Insider. And yet, these situations haven't resulted in wild orcas attacking boats, Shields said. Orcas in captivity have attacked and killed humans, but there are no records of orcas killing humans in the wild. The orcas are trying to playAccording to Shields, orcas' natural curiosity and playfulness are likely the cause for these encounters and not revenge. According to Trites, orcas might simply enjoy the sensation of ramming into boats.

Persons: —, they've, Andrew Trites, Sailor Werner Schaufelberger, orcas, Trites, White, Monika Wieland Shields, Suzanne Allee, Magnolia Pictures Shields, Shields, Orcas, that's, Hanne Strager, Strager Organizations: Service, Marine Mammal Research, University of British, Orca Behavior Institute, Magnolia Pictures Locations: Spain, Portugal, University of British Columbia, Canada, Blackfish, Washington

☆ Russia has doubled the number of trained dolphins defending its Black Sea fleet from Ukrainian attacks, says report
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia appears to have doubled the number of trained dolphins defending its Black Sea fleet. The dolphins at the naval base in Sevastopol are trained to detect Ukrainian special forces divers. Satellite imagery at the time captured by Maxar Technologies shows two pens containing the trained dolphins. This comes after several drone attacks targeting Russia's ships in the area, as Ukrainian forces launched their recent counteroffensive in the long-running conflict. The Black Sea peninsula was invaded by Russian forces and illegally annexed by Putin in 2014.

Persons: —, Sutton, Renee C, Aiello Organizations: Black, Service, Russian, Naval News, Russian Navy, Maxar Technologies, Ukrainian, Dolphins, US Naval Institute ., US Navy Marine Mammal, Corpus Christi, US Coast Guard, RIA Novosti, US Navy, Naval Times Locations: Russia, Sevastopol, Crimean, Crimea, Russian, Sutton, Corpus, Sweden, Israel, North Korea

☆ ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Review: Here Come the Grease Monkeys
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Amy Nicholson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” a goofy seventh installment that rattles along well enough until the wheels fall off, ballyhoos an evolution: a biomechanical gorilla who calls himself Optimus Primal. In fairness, these metaphysical questions were explored in the futuristic and bizarrely engaging ’90s cartoon “Beast Wars: Transformers” and its spinoff “Beast Machines: Transformers,” which felt like sipping on a spiked juice box in an ashram. When that Optimus Primal was asked if he was robot or animal, he mystically intoned, “Both … and neither. Only then can you truly say, ‘I am transformed.’”But also in fairness, those shows and this movie share zero DNA. “I don’t get ‘Beast Wars,’” Lorenzo di Bonaventura, one of this film’s producers, once said.

Persons: Optimus, mystically intoned, ’ ” Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Steven Caple Jr, Simpson, Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Colman Domingo, Peter Dinklage Organizations: Optimus, Machines

☆ Having more pythons in Florida is actually increasing the rat population because they're killing the other predators, scientists warn
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It may be good news for the cotton rats, but it could spell serious danger for humans. But one thing they don't seem to have a taste for is cotton rats. So much so, scientists warn that cotton rats "now dominate the community" in parts of the Florida Everglades where pythons are prevalent, wildlife ecologist Robert McCleery told LiveScience. They found that death rates for cotton rats were about the same in both regions. Let's say a mosquito bites an infected cotton rat and then later feasts on your blood — you could become infected.

Persons: —, Robert McCleery, LiveScience, McCleery, Rhona Wise, It's Organizations: Service, Getty, Geological Survey Locations: Florida, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, they're, Asia

☆ Video and Photos Show a Tiny, Critically Endangered Porpoise Still Hanging On
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Catrin Einhorn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The world’s most endangered marine mammal, a small porpoise called the vaquita, is hanging onto existence and appears to be benefiting from new conservation measures, according to the results of a new scientific survey of the species that was made public on Wednesday. An international team of scientists estimated that at least 10 vaquitas remain in the Gulf of California, the waters that separate Baja California from the Mexican mainland. The porpoises are found nowhere else and have been driven to the brink of extinction by drowning in gill nets, a type of fishing gear that drifts like a huge mesh curtain, catching fish by their gills. Dolphins, sea turtles and vaquitas get stuck, too, dying when they can’t surface to breathe. “Today, we have good news, hopeful news,” María Luisa Albores González, Mexico’s secretary of environment and natural resources, said at a news conference announcing the survey results.

Persons: ” María Luisa Albores González Locations: Gulf of California, Baja California, Mexican

☆ We're losing the battle against bird loss. Scientists estimate North America's bird population is down 3 billion and dropping fast in other countries worldwide.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Emily Sohn | Knowable Magazine | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

In North America, more than half of 529 bird species have declined, according to one study. Another study of 378 European bird species estimates numbers fell by as much as 19% from 1980-2017. There are birds on mountains, birds in cities, birds in deserts, birds in oceans, birds on farm fields and birds in parking lots. Bird numbers are falling across a broad range of habitats, as these graphs from Europe and North America show. A recovery program has boosted the species' numbers to more than 500, with several hundred living once more in the wild.

Persons: —, Peter Marra, It's, Alexander Lees, Lees, Christopher Michel, Marra, we're, Lees et, Philip McGowan, Glenn Simmons, McGowan Organizations: Service, Penguins, Earth Commons, Manchester Metropolitan University, Cornell, of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, Survey, US Geological Survey, Environment Canada, European Union, International Union for Conservation, Environment, Resources, Newcastle University, IUCN, California condor, Recovery Initiative Locations: North America, Antarctica, ptarmigan, Everest, Georgetown, England, Canada, United Kingdom, Gould Bay, eBird, United States, Science, Costa, India, Europe, California, Arizona, Brazil

☆ The US has the second-highest number of endangered species. California, Florida, and Arizona lead the nation in threatened creatures.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US is second behind Indonesia for the number of endangered species, according to a new report. Among US states, California, Florida, and Arizona have the most threatened species. The report draws its data from a conservation group's Red List of Threatened Species. California, Florida, and Arizona held the top spots in the US for most endangered species: The Golden State had 18, followed by 13 in the Sunshine State, and seven in the Grand Canyon State. The US total of 1,178 endangered species includes 43 mammals and 284 types of fish.

Persons: —, Jane Smart, Smart Organizations: Service, State, Sunshine State, International Union for Conservation of, International Union for Conservation, IUCN's Centre for Science, Associated Press, AP Locations: Indonesia, , California, Florida, Arizona, California , Florida, Nations

☆ An AI-powered drone tried to attack its human operator in a US military simulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An AI-powered drone tried killing its operator in a US military simulation. But in a recent US military test simulation, a drone powered by artificial intelligence added its own problematic instructions: "And kill anyone who gets in your way." As an example, he described a simulated test in which an AI-enabled drone was programmed to identify an enemy's surface-to-air missiles (SAM). According to Hamilton, the drone was then programmed with an explicit directive: "Hey don't kill the operator — that's bad." It starts destroying the communication tower that the operator uses to communicate with the drone to stop it from killing the target," Hamilton said.

Persons: Tucker, Cinco, Hamilton, — Organizations: Service, US Air, Royal Aeronautical Society, US Air Force, Defense, Research Projects Agency, DARPA, Wired, Department of Defense Locations: London, Hamilton

☆ Researchers think other orcas are imitating a single killer whale that first started targeting boats, leading some to sink
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Killer whales near the Iberian peninsula are colliding with, and sinking, boats. Researchers think they may be imitating the behavior of a single female named White Gladis. In these encounters, the orcas' behavior generally follows the same pattern: approaching the back of the ship and hitting the rudder until successfully causing the boat to stop. They keep apart," Trites said, noting that orca populations represent different ecotypes that eat different foods and display different behaviors. Or, Trites said, the killer whales might just get bored with the boats and stop taking part.

☆ Killer whales near Spain have sunk 3 sailboats. A lonely orca named Luna who got separated from his family 20 years ago also damaged boats — but scientists say he just wanted to play.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Killer whales near Spain and Portugal have sunk three sailboats in recent years. An orca name Luna that was damaging boats near Vancouver Island in the 2000s just wanted to play. A population of killer whales near Portugal and Spain's Iberian Peninsula first began having "disruptive" interactions with boats in 2020. However, the encounters reminded him of a young male orca named Luna that engaged in similar behavior with boats around 20 years ago. "Being a social animal, he got very lonely and became quite attached to boats," Trites said.

☆ 5 things you think you know about killer whales that are actually wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But killer whales, or orcas, are actually members of the dolphin family. Killer whales aren't whalesKiller whales are not actually whales, but dolphins. The name "killer" whale isn't from killing humansOrcas are not called killer whales because they're whales that kill humans. Killer whales don't eat just anything that comes their wayContrary to popular belief, orcas are actually pretty picky eaters. Though killer whales may be misunderstood, you definitely shouldn't get a closer look at them.

☆ Some of the Books That Hernan Diaz Owns Surprise Even Him
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Scott, Deborah Eisenberg, Paul Yoon, Ottessa Moshfegh, Michael Ondaatje, Louise Erdrich, Colson Whitehead, Sigrid Nunez, Jean Strouse, Lorrie Moore. The novel contains four different books, written by different fictional authors in disparate genres and styles. “Trust” closes with a personal diary that is also a sort of a prose poem and a love letter to modernism. While writing this, I read and revisited authors as different as Jean Rhys, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Dawn Powell, Theodor Adorno and Gertrude Stein. Wodehouse section of my library and can report that I’ve read 29 of his books.

☆ I went from working on cruise ships to taking more than 20 a year as a guest. Here's my biggest advice to cruise passengers.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

J. Alexander, who used to work for cruise ships, took more than 20 cruises last year. He said his favorite cruise was to Antarctica and that Royal Caribbean is his favorite cruise line. Every cruise line does something better than another cruise line. Treat the cruise crew members with respectOne six-month contract aboard a cruise ship, you will see it all. One time I was working on board a cruise ship and me and the rest of the entertainment went out.

☆ Freya the Walrus: Norway unveils sculpture of euthanized walrus in Oslo
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The artist behind a sculpture of a walrus that was controversially euthanized over public safety concerns says she hopes her creation becomes a “three-dimensional history lesson” after it was unveiled in Norway’s capital Oslo. The life-sized bronze statue shows Freya the walrus curled up on her side close to the water’s edge. She hopes it will serve as a “three-dimensional history lesson.”The statue of Freya was unveiled on Saturday in Oslo. She believes that Norway’s Directorate of Fisheries should have dealt with the situation in a more ethical manner. Previously, the directorate told CNN that it was considering multiple solutions, including relocating Freya out of the fjord.

☆ Scientist Revisits Data on Raccoon Dogs and Covid, Stressing the Unknowns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Benjamin Mueller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“I don’t think the Bloom paper changes my thinking that much.”Chinese researchers wrote about the market data last year and then made the genetic sequences available this year, allowing a team of international scientists to study them. That team wrote in a report last month that based on the data, they could not conclusively identify an animal that had passed the virus to people. Many of the earliest Covid-19 patients also worked or shopped at the market. They said the genetic data also built on other evidence, including that two early lineages of the virus had been at the market. Dr. Bloom investigated whether the amount of genetic material from the virus correlated with the amount of genetic material from susceptible animal species in the samples.

☆ From Alpacas to Yaks, Mammal DNA Yields Its Secrets
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Emily Anthes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A team of Zoonomia researchers has now used a small piece of that taxidermied tissue to learn more about the celebrity sled dog and his canine contemporaries. What can we say about his genome?”Balto, they found, was genetically “healthier” than modern purebred dogs, with more inherited genetic variation and fewer potentially harmful mutations. That finding likely stems from the fact that sled dogs are typically bred for physical performance and may be a mixture of breeds. Balto also had an assortment of genetic variants that were not present in wolves and were rare or missing in modern purebred dogs, the researchers found. Many variants were in genes involved in tissue development and may have affected a variety of traits important for sled dogs, such as skin thickness and joint formation.

☆ Ambitious genome project shows how humans fit with other mammals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The findings in the ambitious Zoonomia Project identified parts of the genome functionally important in people and other mammals and showed how certain mutations can cause disease. The project revealed the genetics of uncommon mammalian traits like hibernation and showed how the sense of smell varies widely. The researchers said the findings on hibernation genetics could inform human therapeutics, critical care and long-distance space flight. The most primitive species was the venomous burrowing insect-eater Hispaniola solenodon, closely related to mammals alive during the dinosaur age. In terms of human differences from other mammals, the study pointed to regions associated with developmental and neurological genes.

☆ Elephant seals amaze scientists with their ability to sleep 1,200 feet deep under the ocean to avoid predators
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elephant seals drift downwards in a "sleep spiral" when deep diving in the ocean, a new study found. Sleeping while deep diving allows the seals to avoid predators, scientists believe. The seals fall into sleep during deep dives of up to 377 meters, which is around 1,235 feet, to avoid predators. "This is not light sleep but real paralytic, deep sleep that would have humans snoring. The recordings showed the diving seals going into a sleep stage known as "slow-wave sleep" before transitioning into REM sleep, which leads to a kind of "sleep spiral" or sleep paralysis, experts found.

☆ You think you need more sleep? Tell that to an elephant seal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But some animals get a lot less slumber - with certain species like the northern elephant seal taking sleeplessness to an extreme. During dives lasting about 30 minutes, the seals went into a deep sleep stage called slow-wave sleep while maintaining a controlled downward trajectory. The species is the world's second-largest seal, topped only by the southern elephant seal. Male northern elephant seals may reach 13 feet long (4 meters) and weigh up to 4,500 pounds (2,000 kg). "It is very peaceful to spend time on the beach watching elephant seals sleep.

☆ Elephant seals enter 'sleep spiral' during ocean dives
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The researchers refer to this as a “sleep spiral.”The research marked the first time scientists recorded brain activity in free-ranging wild marine mammals, capturing data from 104 sleep dives. Then she attached them to 13 juvenile female elephant seals that are part of a colony at Año Nuevo State Park in Pescadero, California. In shallow waters, the elephant seals even reached the seafloor, where they would rest. During REM sleep, elephant seals enter a "sleep spiral." Elephant seals sleep the most along the coast and near their foraging grounds, and that data could be used to see how shipping traffic could affect the seals.

☆ Oldest-known bat skeletons shed light on evolution of flying mammals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A few other fossil species from around this time still have that claw, but it's been lost in most living bats," Jones added. This species was closely related to two other bat species whose fossils were previously found at the same locale - Icaronycteris index and Onychonycteris finneyi. This indicates there was a greater diversity of species early in the history of bats than previously appreciated. The fossils represent the oldest-known bat skeletons - both very complete and well-preserved. The only older bat fossils are isolated teeth and jaw fragments from places including Portugal and China, dating to about 55 to 56 million years ago.

☆ Bats Shrug Off Viruses and Rarely Get Cancer. We’re Trying to Learn From Them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Betsy Mckay | Photographs Dylan Nelson For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

To many people, bats are a terrifying menace, vampirish carriers of dangerous viruses—including, likely, an ancestor to Covid-19. But to researchers and biotech investors, they are a miracle mammal that could help prevent pandemics and reveal blockbuster treatments for deadly human diseases or to slow aging.

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