The year 2006 brought with it a wide range of wildlife headlines.
21. Kenya's Black Rhino Population Increases
August 26, 2006. For years, poaching and habitat destruction have decimated black rhino numbers in Kenya. But after intense conservation efforts by the WWF and the Kenya Wildlife Service, black rhino numbers have increased. In 2003 the Kenyan black rhino population was 428 individuals. At the end of 2005, that number had risen to 539.22. Iceland Sets Sights on Whalemeat Trade
September 6, 2006. The BBC reports that Iceland plans to export two tonnes of minke whalemeat to the Faroe Islands. Despite an international ban on whaling, Iceland and other countries such as Japan and Norway, still conduct commercial whaling. These countries take advantage of a loophole in international law that permits the taking of a certain number of whales for 'scientific research'.23. Lead Poisoning Threatens Endangered Condors
Photo © Ferenc Cegledi / Shutterstock.
September 9, 2006. A study conducted by the University of California, Santa Cruz, has been monitoring the health of critically endangered California condors (Gymnogyps californianus). The data collected shows that the rare birds are dying from lead poisoning. Lead from shotgun pellets (left in the carcasses of dead animals such as deer that have been killed by hunters) is poisoning the endangered birds who feed on the remains, jeopardizing two decades of painstaking efforts to re-establish wild populations of the bird.
24. New Species of Bird Discovered in Northeast India
September 12, 2006. A new species of bird has been discovered in Northeast India—the first such discovery since 1948. The spectacular new bird, Bugun Liocichla, has an olive body, black cap, orange-yellow lore (the area between the upper bill and eye) and patches of yellow, crimson and white on its wings. The discovery was made by Ramana Athreya, an avid birder and professional astronomer who has been searching for the species ever since first sighting it over a decade ago at the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, India.25. New Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Sightings Reported
September 27, 2006. The ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) may be living in the forests along the Choctawhatchee River in the panhandle of Florida. Researchers from Auburn University and University of Windsor have set forth claims of new sightings of the rare bird in a paper published in the journal Avian Conservation and Ecology. The report reveals that between May 2005 and May 2006 there were 14 sightings. Also during that time, researchers heard the bird's distinctive calls on 41 occasions.26. Largest Known Pliosaur Unearthed in Svalbards
October 10, 2006. Palaeontologists from the University of Oslo have found fossil remains of over two dozen marine reptiles that date back to the time of the dinosaurs, 150 million years ago. The fossils were discovered in the Svalbards, a chain of island that lie about half-way between Norway and the North Pole.27. Starlings' Songs Shed Light on Language
Photo © Lpettet / iStockphoto.
October 16, 2006. Starlings make a complex assortment of sounds, including rattles, warbles, and whistles and they learn song patterns from other individuals and embed the learned sounds into existing songs. For these reasons, scientists are now looking to starlings to shed light on the development of language. And they are finding that not only are starlings' vocalizations highly complex, but the mere definition of language is turning out to be rather complicated.
28. Jaguars Roam Northward Into Arizona and New Mexico
Photo © Adalberto Rios Szalay and Sexto Sol / Getty Images.
October 18, 2006. Jaguars (Panthera onca) are once again reclaiming parts of their former habitat in the southwestern US. Motion sensing cameras have captured images of at least four jaguars that have roamed across the Mexico border into areas of New Mexico and Arizona during recent years. Although no breeding populations are thought to exist in the US, male cats occasionally roam northward from established ranges in Mexico in search of new territory. Now conservationists are working on both sides of the border to find ways to protect the endangered animal.
29. Illegal Ivory Trade Threatens Africa's Elephants
October 29, 2006. Conservationists at TRAFFIC, an international wildlife-trade monitoring program sponsored by the WWF and the IUCN, have warned that the illegal sale of ivory is growing in Africa, seriously threatening the continent's elephant populations. A considerable portion of the demand for ivory is believed to be driven by craft markets and carving industries in China where ivory is a sought-after luxury item.30. Three Million Barn Swallows Could Lose Roosting Site
Photo © Chris Knights / Birdlife International.
November 20, 2006. Three million barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are under threat of losing valuable roosting habitat in South Africa. The barn swallows breed throughout Europe and migrate thousands of miles to South Africa each fall where they roost in the Mount Moreland Reedbed. From early November through mid-April, hundreds of thousands of swallows can be seen flocking and filling the skies in and around the reedbed.
