Why did the chimp cross the road? Chimps witnessed using safe crossing techniques

About chimpanzees
The chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) are found across equatorial Africa ranging across countries such as: Angola, Ghana, Rwanda, Sudan and Uganda where, they occupy a wide range of habitats from savannahs to rainforests to swamp land. Chimpanzees generally lack sexual dimorphism (different looking males and females i.e. male peacocks have plumed tails whilst females lack them.) however, males are slightly larger then females weighing up to 60kg whilst, females weigh up to 47kg and youngsters are born with a white tail tuft which may indicate their age. Chimpanzees can live up to 45 years in the wild and much longer in captivity; they live on a diet that consists mainly of fruits but can be supplemented with various other foods including insects, honey and meat, actively forming hunts to catch species such as duiker (Cephalophus sp.) and the red colobus monkey (Procolobus sp.).

A duiker a common prey species.

What was observed

It is already known that chimpanzees can adapt their behavior depending on the situation, for example during crop raids chimpanzees have learned to change their approach techniques and
vocalizations, to aid in making them less noticeable. More recently however chimpanzees have been seen using safe crossing techniques when crossing a busy road in Kibale National Park in Uganda.

What was Studied

The studied focused on how human highways affected chimp behavior especially, since human overpopulation causes us to further encroach onto their territories. The team of scientists spent two and a half years studying chimpanzees crossing the road at Kibale National Park; in total they saw 122 crossings of the road which experiences a high rate of traffic with up to 60 vehicles per hour, traveling at speeds up to 60mph along the road. 

The results

During each crossing the chimpanzees were vigilant with the majority (more than 90%) looking both ways before they crossed. Upon proceeding to cross over 55% chose to run, further demonstrating that they were aware that they needed to cross quickly to avoid being hit and 20% watched those that were crossing either making sure they were okay or waiting for them to cross. 

Alpha males were always first to cross the road, aiding the rest of the group as they crossed, with males often being the ones that made sure the vulnerable and infants crossed safely.

Lastly when the data collected was compared with that taken from a road that passed through another park in Guinea, they noticed that different techniques were used, with the chimps crossing in pairs at this location. They realized that the road in Guinea was not as busy as the one found in Uganda which led to the chimpanzees adopting different crossing techniques due to the presence of traffic.

My views

This study shows just how intelligent and flexible chimpanzees can be; this is a example of what is referred to as a learned behavior, it has arisen due to the loss of group members during early encounters with the road, this will have led to a individual or group of individuals adopting a more visual, protective response when crossing the road therefore, by checking for oncoming vehicles and that the road was clear before crossing could live to see another day. Other group members will then see that this behavior is beneficial and begin to adopt the technique themselves leading to a new behavioral process being learned. This could also represent a form of critical thinking with the chimpanzees being faced with a problem and them learning how to combat it again showing just how intelligent these creatures are. Another reason why we should learn to respect and appreciate these amazing animals and learn to be able to live alongside them.

As always thanks for reading my blog and feel free to leave any thoughts in the comments box below :)

To view the original article please click here.

Another look at poaching; elephants in trouble.

About the African elephant
The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) are found across the continent of Africa, are the largest land dwelling species at up to 13ft high and can live up to seventy years. Females form herds consisting of related individuals and their young; these groups are led by the oldest female known as the matriarch who uses the knowledge she has collected with age and from previous matriarchs, to lead her family to water and food sources. Male elephants often leave the family group as they begin to mature, leading a solitary life often only seeking out females during musth. The large ears of the African elephant help with regulating heat levels and are often spread during threat displays to try to make them look bigger. Both sexes of this species grow tusks which are used for digging up tubers and other food sources as well as fighting in the males, unfortunately it is these tusks which are putting these incredible animals at risk.

Ivory poaching and conservation
It is well known that species such as elephants are targeted by poachers for their tusks which consist of ivory, a product that brings a high profit price in eastern countries and the constant battle by conservationists to prevent it however, a problem arises on how to fund conservation projects and what may not be known by the general society, is that most of the funds come from legally sourced stockpiled ivory. These stockpiles are taken from elephants that have died natural deaths or from herd management schemes and are kept by various African governments, to be sold to eastern markets that deal in legally sourced ivory though, it is worth noting that some governments have burnt their stockpiles due to increased pressure by confused parties as to where the legal ivory is taken from.

 
Corruption within legal ivory trading
A problem has recently been revealed within the legal ivory trade in which park staff, custom officials and government officials have been corrupted and allowed poached ivory to be traded as legal ivory. A study in 2010 which investigated how well Africa's parks protected its wildlife, revealed that in countries where corruption occurred i.e.paying of police to turn a blind eye to poaching, all species of animal were in decline.

How to tackle the problem
The main focus needs to be on preventing corruption by making it a more prominent issue in conservation planning, this means changing how conservationists view the issue and therefore how they approach it. For example just enforcing new policies such as strict penalties and throwing more money into the schemes because this only seems to play into the hands of corrupt systems i.e. further encouraging redirection of money flow or, burning of stockpiled legal ivory in case it may contain illegal items which will only cause the value of ivory to increase, increasing the likelihood of poaching. Conservationists need to better understand the reasons behind why corruption occurs and turn to other countries that have been successful in dealing with scenarios such as this and then they will be ready to address this issue effectively.
To read the original article click here.

My Views
I chose this article due to its similarities to a book that I just finished reading called animals on the edge by Chris Weston which highlights the many animals across the globe that face extinction. It also features some very interesting case files which give a opportunity for the people who are loggers, poachers etc, to explain just why they do what they do. One that particularly stood out to me was an account taken from a man who was caught poaching in a park in India, I will not lie and say that upon beginning to read this case I was a bit biased towards his views but by the end I was very much enlightened, here is a brief overview of his story; he came from a poverty stricken area, with no money to feed his family. He awoke one day to find that his youngest son had died overnight from disease which caused him to hit rock bottom, it was at this point that he wanted better for himself and his family and no longer wanted to experience the loss of his children. It was with this mind that he sought out a man that he was told could bring you and your family great wealth and take him away from this life. It did not take him long to find the man responsible, he was well dressed and filled the man's head with glamorous tales of a better life, he also told the man that the money came from poaching and convinced him that they were not endangered and that if he was caught he would not get into trouble and he would help him out. Of course the man was taken in by this and was soon caught trying to poach animals within a state park and is now facing 40 years in jail which due to the conditions he may not even survive, he is just 23!
Some of you may still think he got what he deserved but the truth is that many of these people including the man just mentioned, do not want to kill animals or destroy acres of forest, they do it to survive often because corrupt countries have taken away their livelihoods and often sustainable methods of living to replace them with unsustainable money earners such as logging, providing these people with their only chance at a source of income. Therefore I agree with what the article is saying, that we need to change how we approach conservation and adapt a method that benefits not just the wildlife but the people who live alongside them. Only when these people can be provided with a secure source of income other then poaching/logging via projects such as ecotourism which has proved to be a success in many areas, can we truly start to preserve species and the habitats they live in.

As always feel free to add your thoughts or comments in the box below and thanks for reading :)
If you would like a copy of animals on edge, you can purchase it by clicking here.

A problem for the poor pangolin

What is it?
The pangolin (Manis sp.) can be described as Africa and Asia's version of the American armadillo (Dasypus sp.) and therefore an example of what is known as convergent evolution or where two animals develop similar traits in response to similar environmental needs despite, being miles apart. It is covered in scales that are comprised of keratin, the same material as can be found in your fingernails and is the only mammal species to do so; when a potential predator approaches the pangolin wraps itself into a ball like position, protecting itself from harm however, if this fails to deter the predator the pangolin has yet another method of defense, it can spray a foul smelling acid to rid itself of the predator threat.
The uniqueness of the pangolin has earned them a placement in their own order pholidota, all are nocturnal living solitary lives and feed on ants and termites using their long tongues to collect them.
Pangolins are also great mothers who carry their babies called pangopups, on their tails for the first two months of their lives, after which they continue to stay with mum for a further two years till they reach adulthood. 

The pangolin's problem
Most species of pangolin are endangered with two Asian species being recently changed to critically endangered, this is due to over 100,000 pangolins being illegally poached every year to be used in the trade of pangolin meat. The meat can fetch up to £168.00 per kilo and is seen as a status symbol product in countries such as Vietnam and China; a popular dish is pangolin fetus soup which is used to aid various symptoms from virility in men to breastfeeding in women. Scales are also highly prized and are believed to aid in curing both mild symptoms to serious medical conditions such as cancer.

  
There is of course no scientific evidence to suggest that consuming any of these food items results in the desired effect and the belief in them providing these benefits probably comes from the Chinese meaning of the pangolins name meaning one that can dig through a hill; leading to consumerists believing that they will be instilled with this strength by eating them.

How we can help
Reducing the need for pangolin meat and scales is the obvious first step in protecting pangolins from extinction and therefore awareness campaigns are a good start and have worked for other delicacies such as shark fin soup and whale meat which have seen declines in trade since awareness campaigns started.
Addressing the illegal trade of the species within China and Vietnam and enforcing stricter penalties for those caught poaching and selling pangolin meat however, as with any conservation effort it requires funding to make it happen and the only way funding can occur is by making the nation more aware of the pangolin's plight and how much of a loss it would be to lose this amazingly unique creature forever.
The recently developed pangolin specialist group website is a good place to visit if you would like to learn more about the pangolin and the conservation efforts being undertaken to help it, the site is run by dedicated researches and also offers the option for people to get involved or if they so wish to donate to the cause. To view the website please click here.

My views
I have to start by saying and please remember this is purely my opinion on the matter, that is continues to surprise me that countries such as China and Japan that are so developed in ways such as technology but can be and I shall try to pick my words carefully, underdeveloped in this aspect. I struggle to understand how people who have the cognitive ability to develop leading technologies can fall foul of unfounded traditional beliefs that clearly carry no medical benefit for the consumer. Now I understand that there is the argument that in the UK people eat meat and that it can vary from cows, to deer but all these animals are not taken from wild populations and are being consumed on the basis of the simple fact that we are omnivorous and therefore require a diet that includes meat as part of a healthy diet not because we believe that we will gain some unrealistic medical gain such as higher fertility or a cure for cancer. It is therefore a shame that such a wonderful species is facing extinction not due to habitat loss but alike species such as the tiger, rhinoceros and elephant, due to human ignorance and unwillingness to accept that their beliefs are unfounded and ever more outdated in a population that is overflowing with bright minds and great technology.
As always thanks for taking the time to read my blog and feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments box below :).