Latest news with #LukeHill
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Grainy phone footage leads to rediscovery of lost species after 46 years
Incredible video taken by a hunter has overturned 46 years of thinking about the extinction of a flightless bird on mainland New Zealand Aotearoa. It had been thought little spotted kiwi (also known as kiwi pukupuku) only survived on small islands and protected areas where it was translocated following significant declines. Luke Hill had been part of a crew tasked with controlling tahr, an invasive species of fast-moving alpine sheep that has adapted to the rugged 46,500-hectare Adams Wilderness Area in the Southern Alps, and if numbers go unchecked, they can destroy plants that provide food and shelter for native species. Like Australia, New Zealand is overrun with feral animals, and it was the attacks from stoats, cats, and ferrets, and dogs, combined with habitat destruction, that led to the decline of the little spotted kiwi. It was close to midnight, and Hill was making his way down to camp through 'tough bush' when he spotted the rare bird. Thinking quickly, Hill whipped out his mobile phone and began to film. The video he took that night (seen below) is grainy, and it's only just possible to make out the small bird behind a fallen log. Related: Concern as rare birds retreat to mountains where giant moa became extinct There are five species of kiwi, and because Hill has a background in conservation, he immediately knew he wasn't looking at one of the common ones. But he was yet to understand the 'magnitude' of his sighting. Hill's footage contained enough information to excite the Department of Conservation, and it choppered out a ranger and his sniffer dog to the remote location. Ranger Iain Graham's mission was to catch one of the birds and extract some of its tiny feathers for DNA testing. Out in the sodden wilderness, he could hear the kiwis 'duetting', distinct calls between a male and female. But the birds proved too fast to catch. 'We were in rough terrain, in typical west coast weather, and I was running out of dry clothes,' he said. With time running out, they captured the female on their final night. He then returned with a colleague and tracked down the male, and both have been fitted with transmitters. All kiwi species are threatened with extinction. Unmanaged populations are declining by two per cent every year. Their eggs are roughly six times bigger than those laid by most birds their size. The last time a little spotted kiwi was seen on the mainland in the wild was 1978. That year, Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta became a global sensation after the release of the movie Grease, disco songs by the Bee Gees were topping the charts, and the total population of New Zealand was just over 3.1 million people. Rare animal hiding in outback photo helps solve decades-long mystery Tourists 'totally outraged' by fishing crew's confronting act at sea Emily King, the leader of the Kiwi Recovery Group, said the rediscovery this year was 'thrilling' for the conservation world. 'Despite years of targeted searching, we hadn't found them until now,' she said. 'We're grateful to the hunter for reporting this and capturing evidence. It was like finding a needle in a haystack, but he pointed us to the right patch to start searching.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ole Miss baseball's Luke Hill picked by Cleveland Guardians in 2025 MLB Draft
Ole Miss baseball infielder Luke Hill has been picked in the 2025 MLB Draft. The Cleveland Guardians picked Hill, Ole Miss baseball's shortstop, in the fourth round of the MLB Draft with the No. 132 overall pick on July 14. Hill was the second Rebel selected in the draft behind pitcher Mason Morris. Advertisement Hill developed into a top draft prospect after transferring to Ole Miss from Arizona State as a sophomore in 2024. He has experience at third base, shortstop and second base. Hill was named to the All-SEC second team in 2025. He started 63 games for the Rebels in 2025 and batted .336. He had the best batting average of any Rebel. He also took more walks (46) than strikeouts (43). Part of Hill's biggest impact to Ole Miss was in the offseason before 2025. Teammates credited him as a key player in holding Ole Miss baseball's roster together after stars Liam Doyle and Andrew Fischer transferred to Tennessee. Hill has the ability to return to college baseball. His projected slot value is $561,400. Advertisement Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@ or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Cleveland Guardians draft Ole Miss baseball infielder Luke Hill
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tracking Ole Miss baseball players, signees picked in 2025 MLB Draft
Some Ole Miss baseball players are getting a shot at a lifelong goal. The 2025 MLB Draft is being held July 13-14 in Atlanta. The first three rounds will be on July 13 (5 p.m. CT, ESPN and MLB Network) and rounds 4-20 will take place July 14 (10:30 a.m. CT, Advertisement The Washington Nationals own the first overall pick. Ole Miss baseball is coming off a season where it earned a national host bid in the NCAA tournament but was defeated at home in the Oxford Regional. Starting pitcher Hunter Elliott, infielder Luke Hill and bullpen pitcher Mason Morris are some of the Rebels projected to be taken high in the draft. Here is a rundown of every Ole Miss baseball player selected, as well as incoming signees who were drafted and may bypass college for a ticket in the minor leagues. This story will be updated Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@ or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss baseball: Tracking Rebels players, signees in 2025 MLB Draft