Latest news with #DavidShepherdWildlifeFoundation
United News of India
2 days ago
- General
- United News of India
'Rhino goes to School' : Assam's wildlife NGO's innovative campaign to boost rhino conservation
Guwahati, June 29 (UNI) The rhino goes to School in Assam! Sounds weird, but yes the rhinos are being taken to the schools to make the school children, particularly those living near the one-horned rhinos bearing areas in Assam, aware about the rhinos and to ensure better conservation of the species in future. While the rhinos are literally not going to the schools, a wildlife conservation organization, Aaranyak, has been taking one of their most effective campaigns "Rhino Goes to School" to make the younger generations aware about the one-horned rhinos, the state animal of Assam. Supported by David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Aaranyak's main objective behind the program is to create awareness among students on Rhino conservation. "From this program students will get more information about Rhinos, so that they can contribute to conservation in the future. The program includes power point presentation, Poster Presentation, open interaction and open quiz sessions," said Arif Hussain, Programme Manager of Aaranyak. "We believe that we must teach the children about conservation of environment and wildlife at tender age only. We are running this programme for last 15 years and we are happy to announce over a lakh school children are trained under this programme," said Arif. He said that "Rhino Goes to School" programme does not only included awareness about the one horned rhinos. It also includes stories about real life experience on how we can contribute towards conservation, he said. He said that the goal of the programme is to create awareness about rhino conservation and build future stewards for the conservation of this iconic species which is also the State Animal of Assam. " Students were acquainted with basic knowledge on rhinos, their distribution and importance," said Arif who is the Manager, Rhino Research and Conservation Division of Aaranyak. Aaranyak is a prominent wildlife and biodiversity conservation organisation in UN framework convention on climate change have recently announced Aaranyak in partnership with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) as winner of its UN Lighthouse Activity Award 2014 for the successful implementation of the community-based flood early warning system in the Lakhimpur and Dhemaji Districts of Assam. UNI ANP BM
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers stunned to discover cause of change in chimpanzee mating behavior: 'Rarely been demonstrated before'
A recent study on chimpanzees in Taï National Park in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, revealed that chimpanzees are losing traditions of male mating gestures. This coincides with declining chimpanzee populations due to human activity, according to an article posted to The loss of traditional chimpanzee social and cultural behaviors within groups may never be recovered even if population numbers return to healthier states. Like other wildlife species, including koalas and polar bears, chimpanzees are threatened by habitat loss. Human activity — such as deforestation from logging, mining, and agriculture — destroys chimpanzee habitats. As a result, chimpanzees are forced into small areas of the forest where they are more vulnerable to poaching (to be kept as exotic pets or used as bushmeat, as the International Fund for Animal Welfare reported). They are also forced to resort to alternative food sources, such as bat guano, which could increase the risk of communicable diseases and reduce the population. Male chimpanzees use specific mating request gestures, such as the "knuckle knock" or "heel click," to signal to female chimpanzees that they are ready for reproductive activities. According to the recent chimpanzee study, chimpanzees in the North group used the "knuckle knock" widely before the year 2004. But North group male chimpanzees have not used the "knuckle knock" gesture in over 20 years now. This may be due to the loss of male chimpanzee role models who would otherwise carry on the traditional mating request gesture. In 2008, the last adult male chimpanzee of the North group was killed by a poacher, the study found, wiping out any male role models to teach younger generations the local group's traditional signal. Studying the development of communicative gestures within groups and between neighboring groups, the study authors found that variance in mating gestures and signals indicated "socially learned dialects in chimpanzees, evidence that has rarely been demonstrated before," senior author Catherine Crockford said, per Chimpanzees are listed as endangered species under the Intentional Union for the Conservation of Nature, according to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. Declining chimpanzee populations could mean the risk of losing these species forever, disrupting the balance of local ecosystems and potentially leading to further species extinctions. The recent study also revealed that the effects of a dip in population may be long-lasting even if the decline is temporary. For example, though North group male chimpanzee numbers have "returned to levels comparable to when the gesture was last observed," the gesture has not returned, the study found. The behavior has been lost for the entire group. Conservation groups like the World Wildlife Fund are working to establish protected areas in parts of Africa where chimpanzees naturally roam and live. Advocates are also petitioning government stakeholders and training law enforcement officers to disrupt the chimpanzee poaching trade, the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance reported. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
