by Kelly WANG Agence France-Presse WUHAN, China (AFP) — In an oxbow lake along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, a breathy sigh pierces the surface stillness as one of China’s most endangered animals comes up for a gulp of hazy air. A slick black back with no dorsal fin arches briefly above the water line before plunging back down. Such glimpses of the shy Yangtze finless porpoise, the only aquatic mammal left in […]
Tag: mammals
Scientists spot six near-extinct vaquita porpoises
MEXICO CITY (AFP) — The near-extinct vaquita marina, the world’s smallest porpoise, has not yet disappeared from its habitat off the coast of Mexico, a research team said Wednesday after spotting six of them. The vaquita has been nearly wiped out by illegal fishing in its native habitat, the Gulf of California, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) warned in May that it could go extinct this year. But “all hope is not lost” for […]
‘Carnivore’ sharks have a stomach for greens: study
by Hazel WARD Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The bonnethead shark, a small member of the hammerhead family, was long thought to be a strict carnivore that would occasionally ingest greens purely by accident. Not so, scientists said Wednesday. The bonnethead follows an omnivorous diet in which seagrass plays a key, nutritional role. Although researchers have long known that Sphyrna tiburo eats copious quantities of seagrass, it was not believed to absorb any nutrients from […]
Mammals more likely to survive climate change: study
PARIS, France (AFP) — Mammals and birds stand the best chance of all animals of surviving Earth’s rapidly changing climate, researchers said Monday. An analysis of how nearly 11,5000 species fared over 270 million years of hot-and-cold fluctuations showed that warm-blooded creatures cope better with change than reptiles and amphibians, a team reported in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. “We see that mammals and birds are better able to stretch out and extend their […]
World’s biggest heart – from a blue whale – displayed in Toronto
TORONTO, Canada (Reuters) — The largest heart ever seen has gone on display at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The organ belonged to one of two blue whales whose carcasses washed up on the shores of Trout River in Newfoundland and Labrador province three years ago. “Blue whale carcasses are very rare because most of the time they sink, as they don’t have as much fat or blubber as other whale species,” Burton Lim, Assistant […]
Isang stranded na Risso’s dolphin, na-rescue sa Puerto Princesa, Palawan
PUERTO PRINCESA City, Palawan (Eagle News) — Isang dolphin ang na-stranded at na-rescue ng awtoridad kahapon sa baybayin ng Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Ang pag-rescue ay pinangunahan ng hepe ng Irawan Police Station na si Police Insp. Felix Venancio Rivera kasama ang kinatawan ng Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) na si Ms. Aiza Nuñez. Nang makarating ang report sa PCSD na may na-stranded na dolphin sa baybayin ng Sitio Tagbarungis, Brgy. Inagawan, ay agad […]
Sri Lanka navy personnel and residents return 20 beached whales to the sea
TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka (Reuters) — Sri Lanka Navy personnel and local residents helped around 20 beached whales back out to sea on Wednesday (May 31), a day after Cyclone Mora passed over the Indian Ocean island nation. The whales, which beached themselves repeatedly near the village of Sampur in the district of Trincomalee on the country’s northeastern coast, were pushed back into deeper waters by sailors from the nearby naval base and villagers. Large pods […]





