Blog Archives

The Park is (almost) Open....

11/25/2014

0 Comments

My level of excitement cannot be measured by conventional means....

Genetic modification along with their recurring theme of de-extinction.... CAN'T WAIT!

0 Comments

Throwback Third Thursday - November 2014

11/20/2014

Happy Birthday Papason!

Today is my dad's birthday so this edition of Throwback Third Thursday (#tbtt) is honoring the crazy dude responsible for these awesome dance moves who is always willing to get on the dance floor with me! Shake it Peter!!

Post

Rest in Peace Dusty

11/4/2014

1 Comment

I am very sad to say my favorite cheetah at the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Dusty, passed away this week. At 14 years old, she lived an incredibly long and happy life as an ambassador cheetah living in a large pen behind the CCF main offices with regular runs, the company of her sister and two friends and lots of meat treats!

For me, she will certainly not be forgotten. She is a part of my every day. A large framed photo of her lives above my fireplace and I even had her face printed on my credit card. I will always remember her teddy bear face and how she would follow me around while I did my morning observations of her and her pen mates. She had so much personality! She was so incredibly majestic when she ran - her power and speed left you in awe. But she was also so gentle and loving with her sisters. I love that cat and I will miss her dearly.

Rest in peace my dear girl!

1 Comment

Threatened

11/3/2014

0 Comments

Some interesting news on the African lion front.... On October 27, 2014, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposed listing the lion as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act – a similar listing to the current International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listing of “vulnerable”. The curious thing is that, for the most part, both sides, the activists and the hunting community, are considering this to be a win. The activists get some regulation but the hunters don’t get so much that they're banned. It will be interesting to see how it will all play out in the long run.

What being “threatened” means:

The lion is not “on the brink of extinction.”
It is “likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.”
USFWS “will establish a permitting mechanism to allow importation of sport-hunted African lion trophies into the United States provided that they are established as originating from countries with a scientifically sound management plan for the African lion.”

A little background:
A couple years ago some organizations (primarily of the “animal rights” persuasion) submitted a petition to USFWS and the IUCN demanding the African lion to be listed as an endangered species. Their reasoning is based on a perceived decline in census size and an association that all hunting is the horrific practice of canned lion hunting, which it is not. In fact, with this decision USFWS said lion hunting is “not… a threat to the species at this time.”

Prior to this decision the lion wasn’t listed under the USFWS Endangered Species Act at all; meaning, there were no US government mandated regulations for the species. Interestingly enough, however, USFWS recognizes African lion sub-species, a designation debated by many scientists and policy makers (especially since the discovery that the distinguishable fluffy mane of the Cape lion, thought to be an extinct sub-species, is simply a morphological result of colder weather, i.e. any lion can become a fluffy Cape lion if it’s chilly). Over the years, scientists have given 23 different scientific names to the African lion. Currently the IUCN Red List recognizes only the African and Asiatic sub-species while the Catalog of Life recognizes eleven sub-species (listed below) and USFWS recognizes four. According to the USFWS website, the new “threatened” designation only applies to Panthera leo ssp. leo. Panthera leo persica, the Asiatic lion, has been “endangered” since 1970 but Panthera leo ssp. melanochaita and Panthera leo ssp senegalensis remain “not listed”. Panthera leo ssp. leo is considered to be all lions on the African continent by IUCN but is considered to be the extinct North African Barbary lion in other circles. In the case of USFWS, it could be that Panthera leo ssp. leo is simply a new distinction which will encompass all African lions, as it does for IUCN, and they just haven’t removed Panthera leo ssp. melanochaita and Panthera leo ssp senegalensis from their list yet. Either way, some kind of agreement across organizations needs to happen if we think any kind of international/interorganization regulation is going to happen.

Last week’s USFWS decision was based on what they claim to be “the best available science.” The very reason I am conducting my dissertation research is because the information available is, as you can see, quite inconsistent and inconsistent information compromises conservation decisions, some of which could have a profound impact on both the long-term security of the species as well as the African economy. There is very little genetic information available and genetic information is what is needed to provide some much needed population driven guidance.

Some Recognized Sub-species of Lion:

azandica – Congo lion: Northeast Congo
bleyenberghi – Katanga Lion: Southwest Africa (Namibia to Democratic Republic of the Congo to Zambia)
hollisteri – synonym for nubica
kamptzi – synonym for senegalensis
krugeri – Transvaal Lion: Southeastern Africa (South Africa)
leo – Barbary lion: North Africa (Morocco to Egypt)
massaica – synonym for nubica
melanochaita – Cape lion: Republic of South Africa only
nubica – Masai lion: East Africa (Ethiopia to Mozambique)
nyanzae – synonym for nubica
senegalensis – West African (Senegal to Central African Republic)
persica – Asiatic lion: India

0 Comments

The Park is (almost) Open....

Throwback Third Thursday - November 2014

Happy Birthday Papason!

Rest in Peace Dusty

Threatened

Caitlin Curry

Archives

Categories

The Park is (almost) Open....﻿

Throwback Third Thursday - November 2014

Happy Birthday Papason!

Rest in Peace Dusty

Threatened

Caitlin Curry

Archives

Categories

The Park is (almost) Open....