Apr 19th, 2013 at 1:00PM: A gang of masked men broke into the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin on Wednesday night and made off with four rhino heads.
Museum officials said in a press release that the thieves overpowered a security guard and tied him up. They then entered a storeroom and removed the heads. The heads had previously been on display but had been put into storage a year ago for fear of their being ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
conservation posts
Thieves Steal Rhino Horns From National Museum Of Ireland
Apr 19th, 2013 at 1:00PM: A gang of masked men broke into the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin on Wednesday night and made off with four rhino heads.
Museum officials said in a press release that the thieves overpowered a security guard and tied him up. They then entered a storeroom and removed the heads. The heads had previously been on display but had been put into storage a year ago for fear of their being ...Tanzania Government To Fishermen: 'Stop Catching Dolphins, It Upsets The Tourists'
Apr 18th, 2013 at 2:00PM:
The government of Tanzania is urging fishermen to stop hunting dolphins, a report in the Daily News says.
The report says dolphin hunting has become common practice in the Dar es Salaam and Tanga regions. It's often done by "dynamite fishing," in which explosives are chucked into the water to kill all marine life in a large area. Dolphin meat is used to bait sharks, which is what the ...Leatherback Turtle Nesting Ground Protected In Puerto Rico
Apr 14th, 2013 at 12:00PM:
Puerto Rico has just declared 5.4 square miles of coastline as protected land in order to preserve a leatherback turtle nesting ground, BBC reports.
The Northeast Ecological Corridor has been a battleground between conservation groups and big business for 15 years. The choice was basically between two ideas: "Hey, look at this beautiful natural wonder; let's preserve it for low-impact ...How You Can Help Save Endangered Destinations
Feb 27th, 2013 at 12:00PM:
Earlier this year, I told you about several destinations you should see before they disappear. Climate change, environmental destruction and a number of other issues were all threatening to ruin these travel sites, and in some cases (such as The Maldives) wipe them right off the map.
A lot of you responded with feelings of sadness and helplessness about the travel treasures we face losing. ...More Than 11,000 Elephants Poached In Gabon In Past Decade, Officials Estimate
Feb 7th, 2013 at 3:00PM: The West African nation of Gabon has one of the largest populations of elephants in the world, yet now they're in danger of being wiped out for their ivory.
The World Wildlife Fund reports that a study done by itself in cooperation with the Gabonese National Parks Agency and the Wildlife Conservation Society found that up to 11,000 elephants were killed by poachers in Gabon since 2004. That may ...New National Park In The Congo Will Protect Lowland Gorillas
Feb 6th, 2013 at 8:00AM: The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is hailing the creation of a new national park in the Republic of Congo as a major step towards protecting western lowland gorillas. The park, which was officially created on December 28 of last year, is believed to be the home of more than 15,000 of the creatures, which have been on the "critically endangered" list for many years.
Located in the northern ...New Clues To The Sinking Of A Confederate Submarine
Jan 29th, 2013 at 3:00PM: The Confederate Submarine H.L. Hunley may have been sunk by its own torpedo, researchers say.
The cause of the Hunley's sinking has been a mystery since it sank the USS Housatonic on February 17, 1864, and then the Hunley itself mysteriously sank shortly thereafter. This submarine, which had a hand-cranked propeller and a torpedo set at the end of a 16-foot pole, was a desperate attempt by the ...Naughty Roman Frescoes Uncovered In Colosseum
Jan 12th, 2013 at 2:00PM:
Archaeologists working on a conservation project at the Colosseum in Rome have discovered ancient frescoes of gladiators and erotic scenes, Agence France Press reports.
The brightly colored fragments were found on the walls of a corridor currently closed to the public for restoration. The scenes show gladiators being honored with laurels. There are also erotic scenes, although the researchers ...New Agers Trash Mayan Pyramid At 'End Of The World' Party
Dec 26th, 2012 at 11:00AM:
Revelers at an Apocalypse party at the ancient Mayan site of Tikal in Guatemala have damaged one of the pyramids, AFP reports.
Temple II, built at Tikal's height around 700 A.D., was damaged when a crowd of partygoers ignored signs saying it was off-limits and climbed up it anyway. An official at the site didn't reveal how extensive the damage was but did say it was permanent.
About 7,000 ...Brazen Poaching Of Rare Rhinoceros Species In India
Sep 27th, 2012 at 11:00AM:
Two recent poaching incidents reveal the dangers faced by India's rare animals, even when they are supposedly under protection.
The BBC reports that a one-horned rhino was shot in Assam when it wandered out of Kaziranga National Park. Poachers took its horn but the animal did not die. Park staff are now trying to save it. The park is home to about two-thirds of the world's population of ...Snowkiting Harmful To Reindeer, Scientists Say
Sep 20th, 2012 at 3:00PM:
Snowkiting is becoming big in Norway. At first glance it looks like some extreme fun in harmony with nature. After all, you're just zipping across the snow while being dragged by a kite. It looks environmentally friendly.
Not true, says a new scientific study. The BBC reports that Norwegian scientists have discovered the kites spook reindeer and may have a negative impact on their population. ...
Cougars Regaining Numbers, Spreading Habitat
Jun 15th, 2012 at 9:00AM:
Cougars have been declining in number for a century now, as victims of hunting and loss of habitat. Now the BBC reports they're making a comeback. The population is increasing and they are spreading out of their usual western habitats back into eastern and northern areas where they haven't been seen for many years.
They've been spotted from Texas to Canada, and one even made it to Connecticut ...Meet The 2012 National Geographic Emerging Explorers
May 23rd, 2012 at 8:00AM: Last week National Geographic announced the 2012 class of Emerging Explorers, honoring 15 men and women who have already made outstanding contributions to their field while still in the early stages of their careers. The distinction is bestowed upon adventurers, scientists, photographers and storytellers on an annual basis and includes a $10,000 award to help fund further research and exploration. ...Five Things You Can Do On Earth Day To Save Natural Resources
Apr 21st, 2012 at 3:00PM: Earth Day is upon us, and even if you're not planning to celebrate our planet's making it through another year (what global warming?), there are still some simple measures you can take to show your gratitude. Love your Mother, you know?
Whether you're on the road or at home, the following are smart rules to implement every day of the year:
Do laundry at night, after peak electricity usage ...English wildlife and nature to get more protection
Mar 1st, 2012 at 9:00AM:
I've said it before and I'll say it again--on a good day there's no country more beautiful than England. Fans of hiking, nature, and wildlife have a real treat with England's wild places, and those places just got a boost to the tune of £7.5 million ($12 million) in additional funding.
The government has selected twelve Nature Improvement Areas where nature will be protected and ...Sacred ship from ancient Egypt is undergoing restoration
Feb 21st, 2012 at 1:30PM: A sacred boat that lay hidden in the sands of the Sahara for 4,500 years will be restored and put on display, Egyptian authorities say.
The boat is one of a pair discovered buried next to the pyramid of the Pharaoh Khufu at Giza, also known as the Great Pyramid. They rested in long, stone-covered pits.
The first boat, shown here in this photo courtesy Berthold Werner, was excavated in 1954 ...New trail for medieval church paintings in England
Feb 13th, 2012 at 2:00PM: The church of St Mary the Virgin in the little village of Lakenheath, Suffolk, England, contains a treasure trove of medieval church paintings. They were discovered 130 years ago when Victorian workmen were cleaning off centuries of grime and lime wash from the walls.
What they found was a series of detailed paintings of religious subjects painted from c.1220-c.1610. The church was repainted ...Rescuing wildlife in Namibia
Jan 21st, 2012 at 2:00PM:
While 2011 has been a bad year for African wildlife, a foundation in Namibia is making a difference.
The N/a'an ku sê Foundation, which runs a wildlife sanctuary in Namibia, announced its best year to date, the Namibian reports. Last year the Foundation rescued, rehabilitated and re-released several animals, including five cheetahs, two leopards, one brown hyena, two caracals and one ...Ivory poaching on the rise thanks to Asian demand and a legal loophole
Jan 2nd, 2012 at 4:00PM: The poaching of elephant tusks is a growing problem due to increased demand from Asian nations, the Kenyan newspaper Business Daily reports.
A loophole in the UN law regulating the ivory trade allows Japan and China to legally purchase some ivory from selected nations under tightly controlled contracts. This has encouraged poachers to smuggle their illegal goods to Asia. Once there, it's much ...Zimbabwe has mixed success stopping rhino poaching
Dec 6th, 2011 at 10:30AM:
Zimbabwe has seen an increase in rhino poaching this year, the government newspaper The Herald reports.
At least 23 of the 700 or so black and white rhinos in the country were poached this year, but authorities managed to arrest 37 poachers and horn dealers. Rhino horns are popular for folk medicine, especially in Asia where they fetch high prices. One tactic of the poachers is to poison ...
