10 of the world’s most at-risk monkey species
Monkeys are among our favourite animals, with their comical antics and sometimes human-like behaviour. But some of our closest relatives are at risk of extinction, facing threats from human activities. As their populations decrease, they are placed in even greater danger because they are at risk of inbreeding or the chance of a natural disaster … Continued
What a shock! Watch an electric eel light up this imitation predator
A new study conducted by a biologist at the Vanderbilt University in Tennessee has shown that—contrary to previous thinking—electric eels are not ones to shy away from a fight. A slow-motion video, involving a mock alligator head dotted with LEDS, has shown that when confronted with a predator, electric eels will take the offence—jumping out … Continued
Why this adventurer followed Darwin's footsteps up a threatened Argentinian river
At the end of November 2014, Leon McCarron and Tom Allen set off for Patagonia to follow the Santa Cruz river across Argentina. Inspired by the story of the first European crew to explore the area in 1834—which included on its roster a very young and altogether impressionable Charles Darwin—Leon, Tom and their friend Jose used the expedition’s old diaries to … Continued
337 whales have died in the largest mass-stranding known to science
During of a routine aerial research mission last summer, scientists flying over a remote fjord in Chilean Patagonia spotted something below that was not only entirely unexpected, it was also truly shocking: 337 dead whales. They were witnessing the grizzly and decaying aftermath of the biggest whale stranding event ever observed. What’s even more alarming is that—as … Continued
Expedition captures first ever video footage of elusive Peruvian bird
Conservationists are celebrating this week as camera traps captured images and video of the elusive Sira Currasow bird and the rare Andean spectacled bear, deep inside the remote Cerros del Sira, Peru. The success is hard earned, with biologists from the Universities of Exeter and Glasgow along with scientists from Peru, having spent weeks trekking through rugged and challenging … Continued
New monkey species discovered in Peru
A new species of monkey has been discovered living in a remote stretch of the Peruvian Amazon and, unlike other recent primate discoveries, it is not facing extinction. Researchers from the international NGO Proyecto Mono Tocón encountered the previously unknown species of titi monkey during an expedition down the Urubamba River in Central Peru. The … Continued