Posts by patkinsella
Countries commit to protecting 30 per cent of the world's seas by 2030, but is it enough?
In the wake of President Obama’s recent creation of the largest protected marine area on the planet off Hawaii, an international coalition of governments and NGOs attending the World Conservation Congress have this week committed to officially safeguarding a third of all the world’s oceans by 2030. Currently, less than four per cent of Earth’s … Continued
Eastern gorillas are on the edge of oblivion, but giant pandas have bounced back
The world’s top conservationists this week warned that the eastern gorilla, the planets biggest primate, is on the very brink of disappearing forever. With extinction staring right into its anthropomorphic eyes, the species has been added to the organisation’s Red List. At its congress in Hawaii, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) … Continued
Paradise lost: Humans have destroyed a 10th of Earth's wilderness areas in 25 years
A new report has revealed that human activity has destroyed 10 per cent of the planet’s remaining wilderness areas in the last two and a half decades, and authors have warned that there will be no unspoiled areas left at all within a century if current behaviour continues apace. The shocking study—conducted by the University … Continued
'We have never seen anything like this'—Over 300 wild reindeer killed by freak lightning storm
Over the weekend hundreds of reindeer were killed by lightning in Norway, in a freak incident that appears to be unprecedented in recorded history. The bodies of 323 reindeer were found after a severe electrical storm savaged the Hardangervidda mountain plateau in southern Norway, a scenic area, which is popular among local hikers and foreign … Continued
Ultra runner ultra relieved to be reunited with canine companion
A runner has been reunited with the stray dog that randomly kept him company during a gruelling 250km ultra-marathon across China’s Gobi desert last month, before promptly disappearing and leaving him heartbroken. Long distance running is an infamously lonely activity, but Dion Leonard found himself a charismatic companion in the shape of a little mutt, … Continued
Mortal Wombat! A woman was just savaged by a seemingly cuddly marsupial
A woman in Australia who was attacked by a wombat in a suburban street in the country’s capital city has said that she thought she was going to be killed by the deceptively docile looking marsupial. Wombats, although extremely powerful animals, are usually peaceful vegetarians, but it didn’t look that way when Kerry Evans became … Continued
Fish with human teeth and a rumoured taste for testicles scaring swimmers in Michigan lakes
A fish with large humanoid teeth and a nasty reputation for biting men in the nether regions, has been discovered swimming wild in Michigan lakes, by anglers who have pulled in more than they bargained for. The pacu fish, or tambaqui, which is a close cousin of the piranha, is native to the waters of … Continued
This shark could take the title as the world's oldest animal
After a recent study discovered a female Greenland shark estimated to be 400 years old, the species has been declared the longest-living vertebrates on the planet, smashing the previous record holder, a 211-year-old bowhead whale, right out of the water. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark used radiocarbon dating techniques to figure out … Continued
Mysterious new species of black whale discovered in the Pacific
A strange new species of whale has been found in the northern Pacific Ocean. Tales of the whale have previously been told by Japanese fishermen, who call them karasu (ravens) because they are black and have a bulbous head with a distinctive beak, but up until now they have remained entirely unknown to science. Beyond … Continued
Newly discovered dragon ants of New Guinea straight from Game of Thrones
The amazing island of New Guinea comprises only 1% of the world’s land area, but it’s home to an estimated 5% of all the planet’s plant and animal species, as many as half of which are yet to be formally described in science. It has, for example, over 800 species of ant, around 60% of … Continued
Amateur anglers catch Britain's biggest shark (and then release it)
An enormous shark has been reeled in by a group of men fishing from boat just off the coast of Cornwall in southwest England. The whopping thresher shark, estimated to weigh 167kg (368lb), was measured by the men, who then released it back into the sea to save its life, spurning the opportunity to net … Continued
Monster bird stalking Scottish village is a rhea…and you don't want to upset him
The mystery surrounding a family of enormous ostrich-like birds spotted running wild around a Scottish village last week, confounding and alarming everyone, has been partially solved, but the super-sized and reportedly aggressive avians remain on the loose. A 6ft-bird accompanied by chicks was seen several times close to the East Ayrshire village of Patna last … Continued
The RSPB just pulled out of a government plan to save England's rarest bird of prey
The RSPB has pulled out of the UK government’s plan to save the country’s most endangered bird of prey, the hen harrier, declaring the controversial campaign a failure, and the charity is now calling for grouse shooting estates to be licensed, saying that is the only way to save the harrier from disappearing from England. … Continued
Space and food (for thought)
Space. Whether you see it as the final frontier or the ultimate resource, how we use space is a challenge that will ultimately determine the destiny of the human race—not to mention the future of every other living thing we share this big round rock with. Not so much because we’re exploring the outer elements … Continued
Meet the real magic rabbit from Pokémon Go
As Pokémon Go gamers go bananas around the world, reportedly putting themselves and everyone else in danger by hunting for Jigglypuff and company whilst walking and even driving, Love Nature has attempted to track down a real life Pikachu. And regardless of your thoughts on Pokémon, we think you really might want to see this… According … Continued
Man's new BFF: The goat
They might not be much good at collecting sticks or fetching the paper, but according to a new study, goats are just as intelligent as dogs and interact with humans in a similar way to canines in order to get what they want. After dogs—a species whose close relationship with humankind dates back further than … Continued
Mountain biker mauled to death in Montana, but should grizzlies lose protected status?
A mountain biker has been killed by a grizzly bear, after he surprised the animal whilst riding on trails just outside Glacier National Park in Montana. The tragic indecent took place on Wednesday, when 38-year-old Brad Treat was out cycling with a friend in the Halfmoon Lakes area of the Flathead National Forest. Treat was … Continued
Dramatic blue whale rescue unfolds off Californian coast
A life and death struggle to save a blue whale is currently taking place in the Pacific Ocean. The distressed animal is caught in crab nets just off the coast of California, and appears to be dragging 200 feet of line and several buoys from its tail, according to witness reports. The National Oceanic and … Continued
Lethal lionfish invade Mediterranean
The lionfish—a beautiful, but dangerous and potentially deadly creature—has entered the waters of the Mediterranean, marine biologists are warning, and conservationists are deeply concerned about the impact the invasive and voracious species will have on the sea’s natural ecosystem. Also known as the Devil Firefish, the ornate and colourful lionfish bristles with barbs which pack … Continued
Amazing plot twists in the story of the hobbits of Flores
Just over a decade after the sensational revelation that a species of hobbit-sized humanoids lived on the Indonesian island of Flores between 17,000 and 95,000 years ago, researchers discovered crucial clues to the identity of the hobbit’s ancestors literally hours before giving up the ghost, according to a new report in Nature. In 2003, scientists … Continued
Aussie town invaded by 100,000 flying foxes
A popular tourist destination town in New South Wales, Australia, has been declared a disaster zone after being descended upon by an immense colony of megabats. The fruit bats, which have bodies about the size of a small dog and an average wingspan of one metre, are commonly known as flying foxes because of the … Continued
Buffalo bill to make American bison national symbol of US
After being virtually obliterated in the 19th century, the American bison will soon become a national symbol of the Unites States. The ‘National Bison Legacy Act’, which will make the bison the official national mammal of the US, was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate last week, and will come into effect … Continued
Saiga saga update: Tension mounts as scientists monitor species trying to bounce back from the brink of oblivion
Last year, one of the world’s worst ever mass mortality events wiped out over half of the planet’s entire population of saiga antelope. A wave of death swept across the steppe in Kazakhstan, central Europe, hitting the females in the Betpak-Dala community of siaga—who were herding together for the calving season—so savagely that it caused … Continued
Deer were transported to Scotland's islands 5000 years ago by mysterious Stone Age animal traffickers
The sight of a stag tilting his crown of antlers back and splitting the morning mist with a mighty bellow has become an iconic image of Scotland, much depicted on everything from paintings to mousepads in tourist shops, but according to new research, the red deer in the Highland glens are distinct from those on … Continued
Minke-eating mink? Norway accused of feeding fur farm animals with whale meat
As Norway’s whaling fleet prepares to hit the high seas to begin its annual hunt for minke whales, a report just released by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) suggests that market demand for whale meat is so low that unsellable stock is ending up as feed for animals being … Continued
Hungry hyena hangs out with wolf pack
Wolves and hyenas—two species of opportunistic carnivores infamous for their ruthless predatory instincts— are highly unlikely bedfellows, but evidence unearthed in Israel’s Negev Desert and recently published in the journal Zoology in the Middle East, has revealed that the two species can travel and work together in order to survive in some of the world’s … Continued
