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Forbes
7 hours ago
- Forbes
This Illinois Zoo Is Working To Save The Earth's Most Trafficked Mammal
While the planet plays host to a wealth of fascinating mammals, few extant creatures can match the intrigue of the pangolin. Equipped with long tongues and a body sheathed in armor-like plates, the animal serves as the sole scaled mammal found on earth today—but unfortunately, this attribute has made them a target for widespread poaching and trafficking over the decades, with some pangolin species in immediate peril of extinction. However, far beyond their natural range, Brookfield Zoo Chicago serves as a major beacon of hope for the future survival of the pangolin, with multiple successful births seen over the past few years. 'With the birth of two pangopups in 2022, one pangopup birth in 2023 and another last year, we now have 13 pangolins in our care,' says Mark Wanner, Brookfield Zoo Chicago Associate Vice President of Animal Care and Conservation and Chair of the North American Pangolin Consortium. Native to the forests of Central and West Africa, these white-bellied pangolins provide crucial insight into the biology and needs of the species, with each birth offering new information on the specific requirements of both pregnant and newborn pangolins. At the beginning of their lives, the pangopups are entirely under the care of their mother, with minimal interaction from zoo staff until weaning, at which point the animals are ready for a carefully-calculated mix of food items to prepare them for their next stage of life. Though Wanner notes that replicating the natural diet of the white-bellied pangolin can be challenging, Director of Nutrition Dr. Jennifer Watts has crafted a varied blend of dried and ground invertebrates to ensure that the animals are properly nourished, with black soldier fly larva, silkworms and crickets incorporated into their diet alongside formic acid and additional mineral supplements. This insect-forward composition provides the resident pangolins with a mix that's similar to their natural diet of ants and termites—and as an added bonus for the mammals, every meal is paired with plenty of enrichment opportunities to keep them mentally stimulated. A pangolin's plates might be its most eye-catching feature, but the animals also possess mind-bogglingly long tongues, with the organ connecting down at the pelvis rather than the base of the mouth. In the wild, pangolins use their tongues to consume more than 50 million insects per year—and at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, the white-bellied pangolin exhibit plays host to a multitude of different feeders, providing every resident with an opportunity to engage in natural feeding behavior at a variety of sites. Beyond this amenity, the pangolins are also provided with misting systems, unique sleeping areas and sound machines, each one playing a crucial role in fostering a safe and secure environment for the proliferation of this imperiled species. 'The 2024 birth signifies more than just another pangolin,' says Wanner. 'This birth also offers hope for developing a sustainable population under professional care. And as the most trafficked mammal in the world and facing steep declines in the wild, every successful birth is a reason to celebrate.' Though pangolins have struggled immensely over the years, Brookfield Zoo Chicago has made it their mission to ensure the future survival of the many species that call Africa and Asia home. With the arrival of each newborn pangopup, zoo staff uncover crucial information about the biology and behavior of these fascinating animals, ensuring that with enough time, humanity will see a world that's well-equipped to combat the plight of the pangolins.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Glass pyramids to help revive sound not heard since 1980s in Australia's capital
Back in the 1980s, if you were living in Australia's capital, you would have heard bands like Cold Chisel, the Divinyls and INXS blasting on the radio. While most people remember their music, there's a natural sound that echoed through the night but has been largely forgotten — the startling motorbike-like call of a small native frog. Canberra is famously a transitory city that attracts workers for stints in the public service, and most people living there in 2025 have probably never heard a green and golden bell frog. It's considered locally extinct in Canberra, and it's vanished from 90 per cent of its entire natural range, which extends from Queensland to Victoria. Excitingly, there's a major plan underway to reintroduce it to Canberra later this year. How building glass pyramids could protect newly released frogs One of the main problems the newly released frogs will face is a disease associated with chytrid fungus, which has caused the extinction of six other native species and dramatically reduced numbers of several others. There are high-tech solutions in the works, like genetic engineering resistance in amphibians, but a team from the University of Canberra is trialling something more analogue to protect the green and golden bell frogs it plans to release. Because the fungus thrives in colder environments, the plan is to build infrastructure at 15 sites to keep the frogs warm. This will involve building tiny glass pyramids, which will act like 'frog saunas' to raise the temperature inside by trapping heat from the sun. Stacks of bricks that are painted black to store even more heat will be placed inside, giving the golden bell frogs somewhere to hide. Related: Rare Aussie creature rediscovered in 'lost world' at edge of cliff Jarrod Sopniewski, an amphibian researcher at the University of Canberra, explained that if the frogs spend a long period in the cosy saunas, the fungus will be killed off. 'Green and golden bell frogs really like bricks for some strange reason. Whether they're actively seeking out the heat or just looking for a safe place to be, we don't know for sure,' he said. The first frogs will be reintroduced in late November or early December at existing wetlands. In total, they plan to build 180 saunas and place between nine and 18 at each location. To help improve their chances of survival, 60 satellite ponds will be dug into the landscape, and salt will then be added to the water because it's known to kill off chytrid. 'Hopefully the frogs will find these little salt baths and treat themselves when they're sick,' he said. 🐀 Incredible Australian footage reveals new predator killing city rats 🌳 Controversial $350,000 culling plan for 16 Canberra parks 🚚 Warning Canberra project will be 'nail in the coffin' for rare animal Why introduce rare frogs into a city? It's not just chytrid that's caused problems for the frog. Habitat destruction and fragmentation, along with the introduction of invasive mosquito fish, have also contributed to its decline. 'That fish is particularly bad for this frog because it likes to eat their eggs. And obviously if all the eggs are eaten, we don't get any frogs,' Sopniewski said. While reintroducing wild frogs into an urbanised environment may seem counterintuitive, it's hoped doing so will help excite the public about their natural environment. 'The more people know about frogs, the more they tend to like them, and the more they care about them. So that's good for the frog,' Sopniewski said. The Reintroducing Green and Gordon Bell frogs to Canberra project is funded through an Australian Research Council grant. It's led by the University of Canberra and supported by Healthy Waterways ACT and the ACT Government. On August 14, the university will be running a free event on frog saunas as part of National Science Week. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Raccoons could become UKs next invasive pest threat
Raccoons could become the UK's next invasive pest threat. The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) has identified the species as a growing concern, noting that raccoons are already well-established pests in parts of Europe and could quickly adapt to UK environments if introduced. Niall Gallagher, technical manager at the BPCA, said: "Raccoons were imported into Germany from North America during the 1930s and rapidly became established across central Europe. "What we've learned from this is that once established, raccoons can thrive in our natural environments." While there is no evidence of a breeding population in the UK, raccoons have been identified by the Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS) as one of the top 20 species most likely to become invasive over the next decade. Raccoons can live for up to four years in the wild and pose risks to both property and wildlife. They also carry diseases and parasites that can be harmful to humans.
