#elephant conservation event

[townpostin]

Tata Steel Zoological Park to Remain Open on World Elephant Day

Tata Steel Zoological Park to host an event on World Elephant Day, keeping the zoo open for visitors on August 12. In observance of World Elephant Day, Tata Steel Zoological Park will remain open on Monday, August 12, 2024, and will host a special event to promote elephant conservation. JAMSHEDPUR – Tata Steel Zoological Park will celebrate World Elephant Day on August 12, 2024, by organizing a…

[valtsv]

it makes me kinda sad when i think about all the interesting friends and acquaintances my parents used to have who they just... don't talk about anymore, let alone talk to or spend time with, because they went off the deep end with facebook conspiracy theories and antivaxx bullshit and generally turned into weirdo conservatives. like the slavic orthodox monk who used to play football with me and my brother when he came to visit sometimes, or the japanese photographer whose parents sent us cultural exchange gifts every christmas, or the polish woman who toured the world with a dancing/theatre troupe when she was young and later moved to spain and started her own olive farm business, or the american jewish family who lived down the road when we were kids who my mom was best friends with, or my brother's godfather the polish biker gang priest who rode a harley davidson to sermons, or my south african godmother who collected incredible wood carvings of dragons and giraffes and elephants and filled her house with beautiful jewel-colored paintings and ornamental bird cages and brightly patterned and bejewelled throw blankets and rugs and told me about growing up during and post-apartheid and helped me to understand important historical events and social issues we never covered in school and was one of the most unconditionally kind and helpful people i've ever met, or the german family my mom used to spend hours talking to on the phone, or the woman my mom was friends with whose son was trans and who supported my own struggles with gender and sexuality and encouraged me to express myself. i can't even get in touch with most of them because i never got their contact details, and i can hardly ask my parents now. it's just so thoroughly depressing how much life and culture my childhood was filled with and how my parents destroyed that before i was even old enough to fully appreciate it.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Humans infecting animals infecting humans − from COVID-19 to bird flu, preventing pandemics requires protecting all species - Published Sept 4, 2024

I remember back in 2022, someone mocked me for worrying about zoonosis of new coivd strains. The science backs up my thoughts once again: We have to protect *everyone,* even critters, from disease to prevent future pandemics.

Authors Anna Fagre Veterinary Microbiologist and Wildlife Epidemiologist, Colorado State University

Sadie Jane Ryan Professor of Medical Geography, University of Florida

When the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, humans had been the only species with reported cases of the disease. While early genetic analyses pointed to horseshoe bats as the evolutionary hosts of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, no reports had yet surfaced indicating it could be transmitted from humans to other animal species.

Less than two weeks later, a report from Belgium marked the first infection in a domestic cat – presumably by its owner. Summer 2020 saw news of COVID-19 outbreaks and subsequent cullings in mink farms across Europe and fears of similar calls for culling in North America. Humans and other animals on and around mink farms tested positive, raising questions about the potential for a secondary wildlife reservoir of COVID-19. That is, the virus could infect and establish a transmission cycle in a different species than the one in which it originated.

For example, spillback has been a long-standing threat to endangered great apes, even among populations with infrequent human contact. The chimpanzees of Gombe National Park, made famous by Jane Goodall’s work, have suffered outbreaks of measles and other respiratory diseases likely resulting from environmental persistence of pathogens spread by people living nearby or by ecotourists.

We are researchers who study the mechanisms driving cross-species disease transmission and how disease affects both wildlife conservation and people. Emerging outbreaks have underscored the importance of understanding how threats to wildlife health shape the emergence and spread of zoonotic pathogens. Our research suggests that looking at historical outbreaks can help predict and prevent the next pandemic.

Spillback has happened before Our research group wanted to assess how often spillback had been reported in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic. A retrospective analysis not only allows us to identify specific trends or barriers in reporting spillback events but also helps us understand where new emergent threats are most likely.

We examined historical spillback events involving different groups of pathogens across the animal kingdom, accounting for variations in geography, methods and sample sizes. We synthesized scientific reports of spillback across nearly a century prior to the COVID-19 pandemic – from the 1920s to 2019 – which included diseases ranging from salmonella and intestinal parasites to human tuberculosis, influenza and polio.

We were also interested in determining whether detection and reporting bias might influence what’s known about human-to-animal pathogen transmission. Charismatic megafauna – often defined as larger mammals such as pandas, gorillas, elephants and whales that evoke emotion in people – tend to be overrepresented in wildlife epidemiology and conservation efforts. They receive more public attention and funding than smaller and less visible species.

Complicating this further are difficulties in monitoring wild populations of small animals, as they decompose quickly and are frequently scavenged by larger animals. This drastically reduces the time window during which researchers can investigate outbreaks and collect samples.

The results of our historical analysis support our suspicions that most reports described outbreaks in large charismatic megafauna. Many were captive, such as in zoos or rehabilitation centers, or semi-captive, such as well-studied great apes.

Despite the litany of papers published on new pathogens discovered in bats and rodents, the number of studies examining pathogens transmitted from humans to these animals was scant. However, small mammals occupying diverse ecological niches, including animals that live near human dwellings – such as deer mice, rats and skunks – may be more likely to not only share their pathogens with people but also to be infected by human pathogens.

COVID-19 and pandemic flu In our historical analysis of spillback prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the only evidence we found supporting the establishment of a human pathogen in a wildlife population were two 2019 reports describing H1N1 infection in striped skunks. Like coronaviruses, influenza A viruses such as H1N1 are adept at switching hosts and can infect a broad range of species.

Unlike coronaviruses, however, their widespread transmission is facilitated by migratory waterfowl such as ducks and geese. Exactly how these skunks became infected with H1N1 and for how long remains unclear.

Shortly after we completed the analysis for our study, reports describing widespread COVID-19 infection of white-tailed deer throughout North America began surfacing in November 2021. In some areas, the prevalence of infection was as high as 80% despite little evidence of sickness in the deer.

This ubiquitous mammal has effectively become a secondary reservoir of COVID-19 in North America. Further, genetic evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 evolves three times faster in white-tailed deer than in humans, potentially increasing the risk of seeding new variants into humans and other animals. There is already evidence of deer-to-human transmission of a previously unseen variant of COVID-19.

There are over 30 million white-tailed deer in North America, many in agricultural and suburban areas. Surveillance efforts to monitor viral evolution in white-tailed deer can help identify emerging variants and further transmission from deer populations into people or domestic animals.

Investigations into related species revealed that the risk of spillback varies. For instance, white-tailed deer and mule deer are highly susceptible to COVID-19 in the lab, while elk are not.

H5N1 and the US dairy herd Since 2022, the spread of H5N1 has affected a broad range of avian and mammalian species around the globe – foxes, skunks, raccoons, opossums, polar bears, coyotes and seals, to name a few. Some of these populations are threatened or endangered, and aggressive surveillance efforts to monitor viral spread are ongoing.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported the presence of H5N1 in the milk of dairy cows. Genetic analyses point to an introduction of the virus into cows as early as December 2023, probably in the Texas Panhandle. Since then, it has affected 178 livestock herds in 13 states as of August 2024.

How the virus got into dairy cow populations remains undetermined, but it was likely by migratory waterfowl infected with the virus. Efforts to delineate exactly how the virus moves among and between herds are underway, though it appears contaminated milking equipment rather than aerosol transmission, may be the culprit.

Given the ability of influenza A viruses such as avian flu to infect a broad range of species, it is critical that surveillance efforts target not only dairy cows but also animals living on or around affected farms. Monitoring high-risk areas for cross-species transmission, such as where livestock, wildlife and people interact, provides information not only about how widespread a disease is in a given population – in this case, dairy cows – but also allows researchers to identify susceptible species that come into contact with them.

To date, H5N1 has been detected in several animals found dead on affected dairy farms, including cats, birds and a raccoon. As of August 2024, four people in close contact with infected dairy cows have tested positive, one of whom developed respiratory symptoms. Other wildlife and domestic animal species are still at risk. Similar surveillance efforts are underway to monitor H5N1 transmission from poultry to humans.

Humans are only 1 part of the network The language often used to describe cross-species transmission fails to encapsulate its complexity and nuances. Given the number of species that have been infected with COVID-19 throughout the pandemic, many scientists have called for limiting the use of the terms spillover and spillback because they describe the transmission of pathogens to and from humans. This suggests that disease and its implications begin and end with humans.

Considering humans as one node in a large network of transmission possibilities can help researchers more effectively monitor COVID-19, H5N1 and other emerging zoonoses. This includes systems-thinking approaches such as One Health or Planetary Health that capture human interdependence with the health of the total environment.

[hermitw]

Jjk theories / opinions / thoughts part 3 uwu (they are becoming more stupid and less coherent, let's go)

-Gege began the rumor about sukuna drinking his own milk. It is TOO MUCH OF SOMETHING GEGE WOULD SAY I cannot be convinced otherwise

-Gojo's twink death happened in the prison realm

-kenjaku was involved in founding the star religious group. He's already been making pacts with sorcerers for a thousand years, so putting him in the Nara era isn't a stretch. We already know he made several attempts to interrupt the star plasma vessels. (yes I blame him for every thing ever. His fault. And I think he'd rather watch things crumble than do the work directly bc then it's like a game, unexpected things happen and it's more interesting. Bro is always playing games even with curses smh)

-Hakari would have started a fight club to fund Kirara's transition. Idk if the higher ups would have had issues w trans students or just with Hakari's unconventional domain and methods (not hesitating to lose a foot bc he'll get it back, for example), but Gojo called them a lot of variations of conservative idiots so it seems likely I think. And they left the school before she even came out, bc Panda didn't know.

-kinda unfair that Yuta gets to transfer into Gojo with his best outfit on, he didn't have to dress like Edward Cullen for years to get there (pls don't get offended I swear to God it's a joke but also I do kinda feel this way lmaoooo)

-how the fuck do nanako and mimiko's technique work? They're twins right? I get the feeling like Mimiko can't use one on her own, but she likes to threaten people with her doll and Nanako can hang people with it. I rly wish we got to see them more (I want to believe they survived sukuna bc Geto would have prepared those girls to stay safe, maybe there's just a time lag or something pls)

IN THE AIRPORT SCENE there's even Toji but those girls are not there so that gives me hope I kajahxkakdn (I get that maybe it's Gojo's mindscape but how would he have known that Haibara showed up to Nanami? It's not just his imagination imo, those girls are alive, I need them to be.)

-I miss rainbow dragonnnnnnnn I'm so sad and still mad at toji (despite my theory that he lost himself bc the worm is banana fish I'm just bitter lmao)

-I'm so fucking sad that we didn't get to see Hanami's domain. So I made one up myself but I don't have a name for itnkajsxjskmax I just think Hanami needed a redemption arc like Choso got :(((

-the other dubs are so fkn good that when I'm tired of it I'll just play that shit in another language. The first minute of the series in French tho made me laugh so hard I had to change it. But the exchange event in German was so good

-remember when Megumi brought out Max Elephant against Noritoshi Kamo? It's like. He knew that the blood manipulation weakness was water. Maybe that's a benefit of growing up in one of the 3 major clans.

-I feel like no one ever talks about how Megumi lost Orochi AND one of the demon dogs that was with him since he was a kid when he also watched Sukuna rip out Yuuji's heart. Like we all talk about how he gets more upset over losing animals than people but all 3 of those events at once... I was rly sad at first bc I wanted to see the snake more too.

-Megumi's head bleeding in every fight for most of the anime is meant to represent that his weakness is in his head.

-when it's raining, that shows that the characters are up against something bigger than they are prepared for. (I made a whole list of every use of water and its symbolism but God I feel insane)

-the shibuya arc hurts less to watch after the first 5 times (I think? I'm on My 9th watch and I think 2 1/2 read. It's hard to keep track at this point)

-I want to see the extended mahoraga vs sukuna fight in theaters I'm so jealous oh god

-I cannot be convinced that a single character in this show is heterosexual. Everyone is gay except for hakari ig but he's an ally so

-I think that Miguel and Larue might be together but idk

-kinda weird that no one mentioned nanako or mimiko (like how no one mentioned todo and he was fiiiiiine I knew he was having fun in the culling game the whole time)

-despite how much I love hanami, my favorite animated Gojo scenes are when he is exorcising them. The English dub especially oh god

[sflow-er]

Results & analysis of the Finnish presidential election

By the narrowest margin since the direct popular vote was introduced in 1994, Alexander Stubb (National Coalition Party i.e. the main conservative party) won the presidential race against Pekka Haavisto (Green Party; technically ran as an independent) last night.

The margin was 3.2 percentage points - or less than 99,000 votes.

The first poll conducted after the first round predicted that Stubb would win 59 to 41, while the last poll released before the election was 54 to 46. Haavisto had the momentum and got the majority of votes cast on election day, but it wasn't enough to close the gap from early voting (which Stubb won 52.7 to 47.3).

Stubb's victory was largely decided by voters from urban settlements/townships, as well as rural areas. Towns/smaller cities were quite evenly divided between the candidates, whereas the bigger cities mostly went to Haavisto. Out of the ten largest cities, Stubb only managed to win four.

Map of constituencies & number of voters in each:

Support for Haavisto was particularly strong in Helsinki (where he got 57.7% of the vote), other cities with academic universities, the Swedish-speaking autonomous island region of Åland, and western Lapland (the northernmost part).

Stubb was strongest on the west coast (especially Swedish-speaking Österbotten). He also did well in the other cities in the Helsinki metropolitan area (e.g. Espoo and Vantaa, but also Kauniainen, the city with the highest gross income in Finland). And of course the townships and rural areas already mentioned above.

So what do we know about the reasons people voted the way they did? Well, we can look at a survey conducted last week, asking people who had already chosen their candidate why they wouldn't vote for the other guy:

Top 5 reasons not to vote for Stubb

His values: 51% of respondents

Doesn't bring the nation together: 39%

His views on foreign policy: 36%

Doesn't seem like a good leader: 32%

His political party: 31%

Top 5 reasons not to vote for Haavisto

His values: 45%

His partner [husband]: 41%

His views on foreign policy: 39%

Past political scandals: 36%

His political party: 35%

It's worth noting that both candidates have been known for their liberal values throughout their careers. Stubb represents liberal conservatism, which combines individual liberties with economic "liberties" i.e. minimal government intervention (low taxes and low regulation). Haavisto is a liberal moderate/centrist who represents the fiscal conservative wing of the Green Party; this means he's only slightly left of the centre.

In other words, their values really aren't that far apart, at least in the social/ethical sense! So, the answer likely has more to do with identity politics and the values that the candidates were seen as representing.

The elephant in the room is, of course, Haavisto's homosexuality. Sadly, that is still a dealbreaker for many people in Finland.

In a survey conducted during the first round, about 30% of all respondents said his husband was a reason not to vote for him, and the same was said by a disturbingly large 41% of Stubb voters in the second round. It also came up multiple times in interviews asking voters whose choice in the first round had been knocked out what they made of the candidates in the second round. People said they couldn't imagine two men welcoming guests to the President's Reception on Independence Day (a big televised event) or making state visits to countries where homosexuality wasn't as widely accepted (oh, the irony).

Haavisto & his husband at the reception in December 2023.

As for Stubb, he's always been an outspoken LGBTQ+ ally before. Which was why it was extremely disappointing when his campaign refused requests for comment on that first-round survey, citing his tight schedule. It felt like a pretty calculated move to avoid alienating these conservative voters. To his credit, though, he did condemn the result of the second survey very clearly in a televised debate.

Haavisto's sexuality wasn't the only thing that irked conservative voters, however. There was also the fact that he did civil service instead of military service.

There's been a lot of concern in Finland for a potential Russian attack in the future if they win their war of aggression against Ukraine. That's why we joined NATO last year. In general, both candidates had very similar views on security policy and our role in NATO, although Stubb was more hawkish about it and even said we could change the law to allow the transport of nuclear weapons as a deterrent (dealbreaker for many on the left, boon for many on the right).

By Finnish law, the president becomes commander in chief if war breaks out, and a lot of voters (especially along the Russian border) saw military service as a prerequisite for that job. Which is ridiculous. The whole idea is that the operations would be planned and the troops commanded by professional high-ranking officers, but a democratically elected civil leader should make the final decisions and unite the nation behind them. Haavisto has been awarded several military medals for his merits as a UN peace broker, for example, and even Stubb pointed out in a debate that it would be pretty rich of him as a Lance Corporal to start barking out orders in a military capacity.

And then there was of course their party background and the many ways that factored in. Stubb's Coalition Party is the current prime ministerial party with a very strong and active base (current support is 22.4%), while the Greens are a medium-sized party (8.2%). This was also reflected in campaign funding - the CP forked out five times as much money for Stubb's campaign as the Greens did for Haavisto. Stubb also had more big money donors, while Haavisto mostly relied on grassroots donations.

Both parties are pretty well established and also quite polarising to the "other side." The CP's policy of spending cuts + tax cuts is popular across the right and gets more and more unpopular the further left you go. The Greens' focus on climate change is extremely unpopular on the far right and in the rural areas, but extremely popular on the left and in the big cities. There's also a (largely racist) misconception on the right that the left wants open borders and condones terrorism. Haavisto's "past political scandal" was related to an operation to repatriate children of ISIS fighters a few years back - whereas Stubb had been gone from Finnish politics for a while, so his political skeletons (e.g. arrogantly lying to parliament as minister of finance) were buried deeper.

Now, differences in internal policy would have actually separated the candidates, but they weren't discussed as much during the election, because the president's official role is limited to foreign and security policy. Haavisto's experience in those was much more extensive and substantial, but Stubb's wasn't that bad either. They also agreed on most topics, which made for some boring debates.

Interestingly enough, when there was more focus on internal policy and people's everyday concerns towards the end of the campaign period, support for Haavisto increased. He found it important to show that he knew and cared about such matters, because the president is also a "leader in values." Stubb mostly tried to dodge and stonewall such questions because he found them irrelevant to the president's official duties, and when pressed for an answer, he came across as very privileged and glaringly oblivious.

But as mentioned, it was the other things that mattered more to the voters. The rural areas, smaller townships and west coast are conservative strongholds, and I guess they thought even a liberal conservative was better than a liberal moderate. Especially if the latter was also a gay environmentalist who didn't spend those all-important six to twelve months in the barracks.

So that was how we got President Stubb. A president who is presumed straight and has done his military service. A president with some foreign policy experience and a sort of hawkish NATO stance. A president who is liberal and will hopefully display those values more now that he doesn't need to worry about upsetting the bigots - but who is pretty far removed from the common people and whose ability to unite the nation and be a good leader is doubted by many on the left.

To end this on a nice and hopeful note, the candidates did their best last night promote that national unity. Apparently, they had agreed after their final TV debate that whoever won would come from the TV studio (where they would receive the result) to the other guy's event and address his supporters before going back to his own.

And sure enough: Stubb gave a short but seemingly heartfelt speech thanking Haavisto and his campaign for how respectful and constructive all their discussions and debates were, praised him as "one of the finest people he'd ever met", hinted at potential future cooperation in the field of peacemaking, jokingly apologised to Haavisto's husband for "stealing" him for the last few months, and encouraged everyone in Team Alex and Team Pekka to come together as Team Finland. Haavisto heartily congratulated him and wished him well.

So, I don't know. I remember how arrogant Stubb has always come across, and I remember his political history. I hate him for both those reasons, I hate his party, and I hate that the bigots got what they wanted. But I really liked his gesture last night, I like that he has liberal values, and I guess I may also grow to like his lack of interest in internal politics (the current president is also from the CP, and he has occasionally overstepped by voicing support for his party's austerity politics).

So, congrats and good luck to Alex Stubb, I guess. You're not my president, but I appreciate that you're trying to be.

[camillasgirl]

Queen Camilla’s Patronages

The Elephant Family (Joint President with King Charles III)

Elephant Family exclusively works in partnership with home grown in-country conservation experts on the ground to tackle the challenges facing Asia’s wildlife and the indigenous communities that live alongside them. We support the rights and essential knowledge of forest dwelling peoples and take a 21st century approach to species preservation, recognising that the habitats of the majority of animals are outside of national parks and focusing our energies on both the sharing as well as sparing of space.

We have raised more than £20 million to support our magnificent wildlife and their precious habitats. We raise funds through high profile full colour public art events, which are always 100% free and inclusive highlighting the work of both well and lesser known artists.  

Our events have included epic digital faberge egg hunts in New York, high fashion Animal Balls in London, rickshaw races through rural India and hundreds of painted elephant sculptures taking over the streets of Mumbai.  

In 2021, our CoExistence campaign saw 235 lantana elephants brought to life by artisans in the Nilgiri Hills in Southern India. Of those, 230 elephants crossed the seas on an epic adventure and have been delivered to 140 different homes and locations around the world. Members of our CoExistence herd can now be found in places as diverse as Bahrain, USA, Puerta Rico, Spain, Sweden, Greece and of course all corners of the UK!  

[aquarian-sunchild]

Cities/Countries that I think should host upcoming Olympics and why:

1. Havana, Cuba: Over the course of several decades, Cuba has proven itself to be one of the most resilient and resolute nations on the planet. Withstanding the weight of global repression and economic embargoes, Cuba has emerged as a social and cultural hub with a growing reputation for medical breakthroughs and excellence. No one who matters cares about the Cold War bogeyman-ification of Cuba anymore, and it will be very funny to see those who do still care work themselves into a frothing hysteria.

2. San Jose, Costa Rica: As far as I'm personally aware, Costa Rica has the economic and infrastructural capacity to host an event like the Olympics. More importantly, Costa Rica's national initiatives to preserve and restore its unique ecosystems deserves to be celebrated on a international stage. It would be fascinating to see how San Jose could host an international event as sustainably as possible. Also, the Olympics should be held in as many countries near or under the Equator as possible before climate change makes a lot of places difficult to inhabit.

3. Johannesburg, South Africa: I chose Johannesburg because I think their economy/infrastructure is most capable, but just somewhere in Africa yo! Get the Olympics out of Europe and North America! Boring! I want to see dashikis, kente cloth, pyramids and elephants!

4. Sapporo, Japan: I just really think Japan deserves a do-over because the 2020 Olympics were fated to be a bust. Hosting the Winter Olympics in Hokkaido would be great! Have you seen pictures of the snowfall there? And Japan is making some incremental steps to recognize and revive Ainu culture, so this would be a great way to showcase that. Get the weebs interested with references to Golden Kamuy lol.

5. Helsinki, Finland: I recently read that a lot of Europeans are changing their summer vacation destination to Scandinavia because of climate change causing oppressive heatwaves elsewhere. So Finland would be more environmentally hospitable for more people, it'd be a great place for winter sports, and they could show off why they're consistently considered one of the happiest countries on the planet. Also, Moomins. Also also, the name of the capital would outrage a lot of usamerican fundies, which is always a good thing.

6. Istanbul, Türkiye: I admit that I don't know much about the socio-political or economic situation in Türkiye, but I think that in the age of memes as a significant means of communication, the country that generates the most memes during the current Olympics should host the next one. It is surreal to see how many people suddenly care about Olympic shooting competitions, and Turkish Shooter Guy is behind most of that. Also maybe this could be an opportunity for everyone to learn how to properly spell/pronounce Türkiye. Also it would probably anger a lot of conservative Europeans. Tee hee.

I was going to suggest Lhasa, Tibet, but they're not big on tourists anymore for justifiable reasons. I just wanted to anger the Chinese government. If Ireland actually reunites soon they should host the Olympics in the newly reunited Ireland. That would be beautiful.

I am so good at global diplomacy.

[rabbitcruiser]

Nature Photography Day

Get out of the house and capture the beauty of nature on your own  camera. Even if it’s just taking a walk with your smartphone, you’re  sure to find something snap-worthy.

The natural world is full of so much gorgeous beauty and wonder, and  it is important for us to embrace it as much as possible. We can  experience so much breathtaking scenery in nature, and it is important  to make sure you make the most of this. The world of nature is one that  exists alongside our own, and it is important that we love and respect  it, and the best way of doing this is to try to understand and admire  the beauty of nature as much as possible. Many people have hobbies and  interests that involve the natural world in some way

One of the best ways of being able to admire and experience the  supreme magnificence of the natural world is to capture it on film.  There is a reason why people take cameras and camcorders when they go on  safaris. Nature is so awe-inspiring and unique that we often only get  fleeting moments that pass as quickly as they happen. And it is so  important to try to capture these moments, as many of them are things we  may never see or experience again. Things like The Great Migration and  thunderstorms are good examples of things in nature that you need to try  to capture when you get the opportunity.

Have you ever enjoyed a photo of a flower? Or a close up of a bee  landing on the entrance to its hive? Have you marveled at the grace of a  gazelle leaping through the Savannah, or the lumbering majesty of a  rare elephant as it feeds from the highest trees or draws water from a  watering hole? If so, you know what it is to marvel at the natural world  around us. Nature Photography Day celebrates those amazing souls who  are able to capture nature’s beauty in the eye of a camera. Capturing  these seminal moments is so important for allowing you to take in the  beauty of the natural world, and preserve the amazing power of nature  for years to come. So, let’s take a look at Nature Photography Day, what  you need to know, and how you can go about celebrating this amazing  global event.

History of Nature Photography Day

The North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) was formed  in 1994 by well over 100 nature photography enthusiasts. The members of  this organization were deeply invested in the future of this art form,  and ensuring that those who practice it are taking proper steps to  protect the subject of their photography through environmental  conservation and awareness. Through their efforts they ensure that  access to public land continues to exist for nature photographers.

NANPA established Nature Photography Day to help bring awareness to  the works they produce and the fragility of the subjects of their work.  The first step in truly appreciating the beauty that is nature  Photography is getting out into the world with your camera and finding  beautiful and rare subjects to photograph. To encourage amateur  photographers to participate there’s even a competition held with prizes  ranging from an amazing new camera, NANPA membership, and workshops  with the leading experts in nature photography.

There are limitless possibilities in nature photography, ranging from  standard photography to macro photography to capture all the smallest  details of the natural world we live in. In fact, with every passing  year there is more and more technology developed that allows people to  get closer and even more personal with the natural world, and the  animals that inhabit it. Making sure you have all the best equipment and  gear to help you enjoy and celebrate this day properly is so essential,  and you need to ensure you make the most of this moving forward.

How to celebrate Nature Photography Day

Obviously, the first step to celebrating Photography Day is getting  out into the world with your camera. You can’t take pictures of nature  without being out in it, and who doesn’t need a walk every now and then?  Visit your local park and discover the beauty held in such a natural  setting, or take a look in your garden for the little-hidden world of  insects and flowers. Nature can be found everywhere, even in the cracks  in the sidewalks! In fact, you could even take this one step further,  and try to snap one picture every single day for a year of the natural  world. Challenge yourself.

If you really want to make sure you get the best possible outcome  from your nature photography, one of the best things you can do is to  book something like a nature safari. This kind of thing is going to set  you up for success in the future, and give you access to some of the  most incredible and unique wildlife and nature in the world. You might  even look at booking a trip like this to coincide with Nature  Photography Day in order to really maximize what this day has to offer,  and how much you can enjoy it.

Try to get out of the house and make the most of the world around  you. Take your camera to the park, head into the garden, experience  nature from a different viewpoint. This is a great way of getting up  close and personal with the natural world, and there are so many things  that can play a major part in this. So, you are going to need to make  the most of everything that comes with it.

Nature photography is a beautiful art that really brings us closer to  the world we live in, and the view through the camera’s lens helps us  catcher it every day. So use Nature Photography Day as your excuse to  get out into the world and take a closer look at it than you have  before, and then capture it for the memories.

Source

[momo-de-avis]

Oh, that Jeronimos gossip sounds interesting. What do you mean, it was a scandal?

In the 19th century, everyone in Europe was traversing an identity crisis and sought to define their own nationalism. So nations in europe looked back at their past and tried to think, which moment of the past signified our biggest glory? The answer to this question is whatever revival you see in the country's capital city. Paris with Gothic. England with Tudor. Greece is easy to answer. Italy, take a guess.

Well we realised, it has to be Manuel I, because that's when we were an EmPiRe. Glorious constructions! Colonialism! Imperialism!

More so, at this moment, and this when the subject of Art History is being developed into a field of studies and not just an "I have opinions" type of thing, people figured it was at this moment that Portugal, because it had so much money, developed its own style. A style uniquely portuguese, an architectural language that willingly (willingly!) rejected the renaissance, which could only mean we were SO POWERFUL. A style that is comprised of all these new ExOtIc things we were discovering across the globe, and which apparently celebrates the discoveries because wow look at all these ropes on these windows!

On a side note: now that we're in 2023, that is 90% false. Most art historians disagree that Manuelino is an architectural style at all. The "ropes" are not ropes and never were. There is some "exoticism" in the buildings, yes, but they're not there because "haha white man never seen an elephant before". They're actually symbols of power and they're documents of events that happened in history. Fun stuff, but as usual, the romantics were wrong.

So with this settled among the portuguese people, everyone decided we must find the most glorious example of this architecture! And hey! We have it! It's the Jeronimos Monastery! The greatest gem of Manuelino!

Just one problem.

In the 19th century, the monastery was in ruins.

In 1833, religious orders were annhiliated off the face of this country, for several reasons that to this day bother the shit out of historians, but the fact of the matter is that we have a fuckton of them, way to fucking many, and they're been hoarding shit like fucking dragons. To give you an idea, there was so much shit (and I mean art, jewellery, paintings, sculpture, etc) that entire wings of the National Museum of Ancient Art were FILLED with just the crap found inside these convents.

The Jeronimos Monastery was one of the many shut down, the monks then had to go elsewhere (which is when they sold the recipe for the custard tarts of Belém to the store that is still today, and why it is still a secret). Soon after, the Monastery became home to Casa Pia, which is kind of like an orphanage for the non-portuguese people.

When this debate was happening, the monastery was in near-ruins. I mean, completely run down. So it was a huge shame at the time.

Now, mind you, this is the kind of debate that the average Zé doesn't give a shit about, and at the time, the government wasn't really concerned about this.

Enter Alexandre Herculano, and Almeida Garrett got his hand in this too. The historian decided to raise a campaign to call everyone's attention to the sorry state the monastery was in, and how shameful it was for us, the portuguese, to leave such a building to be in such a state.

It was also around this time that the word "manuelino" was coined. Vernhagen comes up with the term, but it's Almeida Garrett (WHO WAS ENGLISH, I HAVE TO KEEP REMINDING EVERYONE HE WAS ENGLISH) defined the style.

Herculano's campaign worked, and the government decided to find a project to recover the monastery.

This is when the scandals starts.

I don't know from memory, but we're looking at something like 6 different architects who were rejected. Now, this is the 19th century, a time when the concepts of "restoration" and "conservation" are being discussed. For a quiuck rundown on the two: in western europe, there's Conservation, led by John Ruskin, who defends that buildings should have no intervention, but instead, we should do our best to preserve them and then let nature run its course, until collapses. And then there's Viollet-le-Duc, in France, who defends Restoration: that we absolutely must intervene in buildings, and we are free to rebuild parts of it and make additions, even if they are 500 years away, but to do so, we must use modern materials such as iron or steel, so that the untrained eye can immediately see that this is different, and thus this must be recent. In Portugal, we mostly follow Viollet-le-Duc's perspective.

So, with Viollet-led-Duc being the favoured theorist here, when we talk about "restoring" the monastery, we're talking about heavy intervention. But this was still fresh, so the enlightened individuals at the time took this to mean "let's just make shit up".

The entire souther wing of the monastery, what is today the archeological and naval museums, was made up. Admittedly, it was rebuilt based on what it used to look like, but... much more. Compare it with this painting from, I believe the 17th century:

There's something really funny here, which is: the monastery was in a shit state because of neglect. The 1755 earthquake actually, and miraculously, barely affected Belém.

You see that tower there? That is the original belltower. It's simple, because that's the dominating style at the time, and what the original architects went for. Today there's this thing

this was designed by an architect who, and I am sighing as I type this, came up with this shit, "an indian-style dome", to honour Vasco da Gama's achievements and our presence in India. It's no wonder this shit was Salazar's wet dream.

Eventually, they just keep adding shit. The entire southern body, as I stated, is one of them, which used to be the dormitories. When you look at what the monastery looks like today and compare it with the 17th century painting, you'll notice that the 19th century version is "a lot more". There's just a lot more shit going on. They basically waged on verticality, and added and added shit to make the monumento not only more vertical, but more symmetrical, which is NOT what was going on with the monastery before this.

If you look at that painting, you'll notice that there's something there that is not in the monastery anymore. Where today is the main entrance, kind of like a closed atrium that leads you not only to the monastery proper but the façade of the church (the western portal), in the painting, it has a massive body built on top of it. That body is gone, instead there's an open space, that ugly ass dome, and two spires opposite from it--both a 19th century invention. That "body" was meant to be one of two things: a sort of customs for every commercial ship coming from india, or a connection to a Palace Manuel I might have wanted to build here (this second one seems most likely to me). They tore the whole fucking down.

Then comes the graver thing.

So, by 1880, 12 projects had been submitted, each one of them is fighting for dear life to reconstruct this shit. At one point, this became a political matter. There's a lot of background to why this became such a heated debate: the britsh ultimatum, for example, really depressed the people enough that it was the perfect event to speak of Portugal's clonial past with nostalgic tears, and then there was this massive mound of stone that was falling apart that was supposed to signify this lost glory. Restoring the monastery meant restoring PORTUGAL'S PAST!

In this wild fever of "making shit up" and, as one intellectual of the time called it, I sincerely don't remember who but I can still hear my professor quoting this in class, "make Manuelino more than Manuelino truly is", then comes, I think he was an italian architect, and he has a GREAT idea.

Let's build a fucking tower.

Now, this tower was supposed to go in the middle of the southern body, standing where today is the main entrance to the Archeological Museum.

Let's look at this again

As you can see, no tower.

(Slight edit: there is a tower, but it's barely tower, it's so tiny I didn't even consider it a tower lmfao this thingw as really not bothered about VERTICALITY)

Like, I cannot highlight enough how 90% of what you see here today is just entirely made up, a completely made-up version of Manuelino that is NOT what we know Manuelino to be today, and a reflection of 19th century nationalism (which, to be fair, is different from Salzar's nationalism, though in a way that a rightist grandpa is different from his rightist grandson). But the tower was the epitome of this, and when shit got so wild they FINALLY stepped back and said "maybe we took it too far".

This italian guy goes ahead and just starts building the tower. I dont' remember the exact height, but this tower was HIGH. So high, immediately people who knew their shit told this guy it couldn't hold, because the building was from THE FUCKING 16TH CENTURY and didn't have the tructure to hold so much vertical weight. My man gave no shits. This is about when the myth of gothic being "high constructions cause people were trying to reach god" comes along, so they kinda thought this was the proper way to honour Manuelino and make it, as the mysterious dude said, more manuelino than manuelino truly is.

Here is an engraving of HALF of what it was supposed to look like, made during construction:

In 1878 construction starts. In December, the entire thing collapses, killing 10 workers.

This is exactly where this very famous photo comes from

This is what the Monastery looked like after it was botched and botched repeatedly. It started off as the gem of manuelino, and ended as the duchess of Alba of monuments, essentially.

This was so scandalous, EVERYONE wrote about it. Not only had further damage been caused to the monastery, it had caused the deaths of 10 workers. Those who had been trying to warn everyone to maybe don't overdo it, finally had their time to shine.

My absolutely favourite criticism comes from Ramalho Oritgão, who said about this new tower: "It couldn't fall from old age, so it fell from shame."

They had to abandon every project from this moment on. Reconstruction of this part of the moment would resume quickly, but they abandoned the idea of a tower altogether. But the entire campaign would only come to a complete end in 1940, by when this entire area of Belém became a fascist's wet dream to welcome the Portuguese World Exhibition. By then, however, MOST construction was concluded, and it was just soom rooms that were wrapped up.

The most interesting thing about this is that one of the people who witnessed this collapse was an englishman who would go on back home and, inspired by this event, build his own church, his own massive tower, and then do it disproportionately so it would collapse, all because he was so fascinated by this event. I keep forgetting who this was and what church we're talking about. I keep getting Fonthill Abbey but I'm not sure if that's it. And the reason he did that does have to fo with Ruskin's conservationism theories, where, if you're going to preserve things until the end, then you're going to love ruins (which is why so many british gardens have these small made-up ruins to discover), so this guy really wanted to build a church that would look like a ruin, couldn't come up with it, came to Portugal, witnessed this shit, and... voilà.

[rainybluebirdflower]

An elephant in Kenya has given birth to a set of twins, a conservation group said on Friday, a rare event for the planet's largest land mammals. (CBS Sunday Morning) 

[satocidal]

You might be surprised but I also get the looking mean often. I think the biggest difference is that my culture doesn't entertain being fake nice as much as others (as someone who interacted with the brits, they're the epitome of it, I'm sorry)

Honestly, asian cultures oftenly get mingled when provided by people who didn't interact with said culture so all I know about India is basically the sari (I think that's how it's named? The colorful dresses are so pretty and the jewelry, omo) and most people practicing Hinduism or Buddhism (I'm still not sure of the difference, if any, between them? I know also there's a river in India that's like sacred and I know the cow is also quite a sacred animal?)

I think (again, not sure) Buddha's from there.

Honestly, when I think of India, as many not so cultured ppl, I do think of the Taj Mahal, elephants, River Ganje (?), Buddha and the many arms statue T-T

I also think of curry and spices (y'all got some delicious curry. And I say this bcs I actually ate indian food made by the right ppl lol)

I'm curious about traditions such as weddings, funerals and general holidays mostly

For example, my country (Romania) is Christian (ortodox) but got such a rich history and traditions that many of the traditions we have are quite more pagan than actually Christian (we were a pagan country a long ass time ago, after all)

So yeah, I'd say I'm a basic white girl (tho eastern europeans aren't exactly…well, basic in the european white history 😅 but not exactly the point. Tho we are not like brits and americans, that's for sure)

~🦊

Your perception is so cute😭 but yes I assumed you might’ve gotten that comment lmao- like I just knew lolol

So, let me say that our traditional cloths does include saris and kurtas- but like as we get urbanised, people are lesssening the usage of them. Like mainly grandma’s (or like 35+) women wear it on a usual and even they, to keep it comfortable prefer kurtas as daily attire. Most of us though, like we just go with basic causal wear. So they’ve become more of a traditional-only-when-events-are-around type of a deal for most of us

And like there’s so much more than saris, there are lehengas and anarkalis and ghagharas and shararas- like a lot of beautiful stuff frfor. And there’s different sort of method of embroidery too

Hinduism is very different yet similar to it, both focus on attainment of nirvana but where Hinduism is very life-concerned, like focusing on the present—Buddhism, at its core works for giving up worldly pleasures (Hinduism, like ancient one at least, divided human life into 4 age ranges—the last which began at like 65+? Or 50? That range focused on the same stuff as Buddhism) and then Buddhism is a little stricter and not discussed on idol worship where in Hinduism is core worshipping

Elephants 💀? Not tigers? They are our national animal lmao- the Bengal white tiger<3 but well, that’s how india is portrayed usually so I don’t blame you. There are many more beautiful things than the Taj btw and the Ganga is very holy to us- belief leads to say that your sins get washed with every dip in her (I’m an agnostic so idk but we’re very respectful to the religions usually- even the atheists I’ve met, they also act good towards Hinduism)

If you read our mythology and scripts the many arms will make sense lmao but this ask is getting long so I won’t get into it rn lmao-and we have a plenty of festivals. Like a lot.

Also like apologies but tell me about Christianity here (I’m not a fan at all of conservative Christian’s and all) and I’ve like mostly onky judged Christian’s so yes💀

[townpostin]

Tata Zoo Celebrates World Elephant Day with Educational Outreach

Conservation Efforts Highlighted at Jamshedpur’s Popular Wildlife Park Tata Steel Zoological Park marked World Elephant Day with engaging activities, emphasizing the importance of elephant conservation. JAMSHEDPUR – Tata Steel Zoological Park (TSZP) in Jamshedpur commemorated World Elephant Day on August 12 with educational programs aimed at raising awareness about elephant conservation. Visitors…

[edupunkn00b]

Variations on a Sin, Ch. 7: Lust

Prev - Lust - Masterpost - [ AO3 ]

Final chapter for @intrulogicalweek Seven Deadly Sins Creative Event

Remus stumbled on his first step out of the room and Logan wordlessly shifted from offering his arm for support to looping it around his waist and letting the taller man drape his arm over his shoulders.

As they walked, Logan clicked on each light they passed. It wasn’t the best choice for maintaining proper circadian rhythms—nor for energy conservation—but he felt it was what Remus needed right now. 

When they approached the kitchen doorway, Remus’ feet stuttered and he shook his head. “No… Let me stay here,” he mumbled. “Not inside.”

Logan stopped and turned to face Remus and as he moved, the arm wrapped around his shoulders came into view, the sleeve shoved up to his elbow. The hallways light illuminated a web of scars carved into his skin.

He placed his hand over Remus’ arm and met his eyes, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. “I would feel better if you were somewhere I could see you,” he began and Remus nodded his head shakily. “Same for you?”

“If I stay right here in the doorway…” Remus didn’t finish his sentence but began to slide down and Logan helped him to the floor.

Looking over his shoulder after he entered the kitchen, he nodded. “This is acceptable.” Scanning his kitchen, the first thing he did was check the refrigerator for juice. He smiled tightly. There wasn’t much food in the refrigerator but there were several bottles of apple juice and protein smoothies. He snatched up a juice and sat down next to Remus on the floor, staying between his student and the kitchen.

After uncapping the bottle, he offered it to him. “Would you rather hold this or should I?” Remus reached for the juice but his hand shook so badly, it threatened to spill. Logan placed his hand over Remus’. “I’ll help,” he murmured. “Take it slowly. Small sips.”

He let Remus guide the bottle and just provided extra support. Taking tiny sips of the cold juice, Remus had about a third of the bottle then pushed it back toward Logan.

After a moment, he finally spoke. “There’s a box under the kitchen sink where I’m supposed to stash everything… unsafe at the first sign of feeling like…” He shook his head, eyes tracing a knot in the wood near his feet. “I didn’t think it would be that bad this time—“ his voice cracked and he leaned his head back to rest on the doorframe. “It did.”

“I can help with that. But, Remus,” Logan spoke slowly. “Is there anyone I should call?”

He squeezed his eyes shut, face pained. “My doc… in the morning. If…” He hugged himself, arms wrapped tightly around his middle, knuckles white where they clung to his shirt. “Anyone else and…” 

“And you’ll be hospitalized?” Logan finished for him, freeing the elephant from the room so they had the space to speak freely. 

Nodding, Remus swallowed hard. “Yeah.”

Logan considered him for a moment, his death grip on his shirt, the fear in his eyes at the mention of a hospital. His continued resistance to even looking at his kitchen. “Very well,” Logan nodded and uncapped the juice, again holding it steady while Remus slowly drank.

“I reserve the choice to call someone sooner if I feel we need assistance to keep you safe until the morning.” 

Remus lowered the bottle and turned to him. “You’ll… you’ll stay? After… after what I did? The things I said… I… I… I didn’t mean it…” He stared at him, eyes wide and searching his face as though he wasn’t sure Logan really meant to stay.

“Yes, I will stay.” He considered Remus for a long time, silent while he finished a little more of juice. “You will need to find other ways to communicate to me when you are in distress in the future. And I will seek to learn some of your signals before you… feel that bad so I can render whatever assistance I am capable of.” 

Remus stared back at him, mouth hanging a little open and then his face bloomed in a smile. He’d missed that smile. Impulsively, Logan reached for his hand, turning it into a gentle pat at the last moment. He’s your student, Logan. And he is in distress. 

He gave Remus a small smile and offered more of the juice. “Perhaps you could point me to where you keep your coffee?” His smile went lopsided. “I doubt Downpour delivers at this hour.”

Remus barked out a half laugh-half sob, but kept his smile. It was watery and shaky, but it was beautiful. “Oh, I’ve got coffee.”

That’s how they spent the rest of the night, Remus eventually moved to a chair at the kitchen table after Logan had secured sharps and the few household chemicals that hadn’t already been stored in the lockbox. He’d examined the key, turning the jagged steel teeth between his fingers. One side was dented, an odd arc imprinted into the metal. “What do you do with this key when you use the box?”

Remus shrugged, cradling a mug of broth in his hands. “I… I roll it under a piano leg and lock the wheels again. It’s enough to slow me down… to think about it before I…” He brought the cup close to his mouth but didn’t drink, merely closed his eyes and inhaled the warm, savory steam. “And I get a lot of takeout,” he added with a dry laugh.

“Would you…” Logan began to slip into the chair across the table but stopped and chose one adjacent to him. “Do you need—want…” He sandwiched the key between his palms when he saw the way Remus’ eyes followed its movement. “Would you like me to hold on to it… until you are ready to adjust your safety plan?��� The words felt awkward in Logan’s mouth and he was certain they sounded even worse, but he wanted to use the same terminology Remus had when he’d explained the box. “I could come by in the evening and… cook with you or… I—I don’t mean… You’re my student, I would never…  I—I merely wish to be helpful, so if something else—”

“I…” Remus interrupted but then stared down at the broth, mouth working but no other words came out. He took a sip and Logan waited quietly. “I—I would like that.” A smile fought its way to his face. “It would be nice to have a friend… to not be alone.”

~~~

“Nice tie, Teach!” Remus grinned at him from the top porch step. 

Smiling, he looked down and smoothed away wrinkles that weren’t there. “Why, thank you, Remus.” He stepped back, opening the door all the way.

“‘Almond Blossoms?’” he asked, chin tilted up at the pink flowers against an aquamarine background.

“I thought it an appropriate choice for the first day of Spring.” He grinned over his shoulder as he locked the door. “Speaking of, are you still interested in trying that arrangement for Rite of Spring?”

Remus rushed to the piano, waggling his fingers over the keys. “Bring it on, Teach!”

"This is brand new," Logan said, his face split in a smile at Remus' enthusiasm. "The arranger hasn't even sent this for publication. There's no way you've heard this before."

He smiled up Logan. "I'm ready."

~~~

“Excellent!” Logan cheered as Remus ended the final crescendo—and the lesson—in a flourish. “That was wonderful!”

Remus’ cheeks were tinged pink as he gently closed the lid over the keys. “Thank you.” He bounced his knee for a moment then flipped around on the bench. “So, I uh… I hope you don’t mind, but I shared your new student website with a few people I know from the jazz night school that just started up… People who wanna up their game and pick up more musical theory. Get better at sight reading, that kind of thing.” He twisted his fingers together and looked up at Logan, nodding rapidly. “They’re good people. They’ll study hard for you.”

“Well,” Logan blinked in surprise. “I am honored by the recommendation… I am afraid I do not have the time in my calendar to pick any students… I’m stretched rather thin.”

“Yeah… um,” Remus’ shoulders curled over and he tapped his toes against the floor. “A… about that…”

Oh.

Keeping his expression neutral, Logan bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from speaking. How would he manage not seeing this amazing man every day? Even when they cut back on Remus’ lessons to just twice a week, and well after it was no longer necessary, they would have dinner together most nights. 

And Remus’ playing… Watching his hands move across the keys, the joy and passion that just pours out of him when he played or composed.

“I’m quitting lessons,” Remus finally said, and though he knew it was coming, Logan still felt the floor fall out from underneath him. He clung to the side of the piano bench and forced himself to listen. “I’m not going to be your student anymore,” Remus continued slowly.

Logan nodded and opened his mouth, words forming automatically. “Well, of course I respect your decision and… and I do hope you continue your studies with another teacher. Your talent is…” He steeled himself to look up and meet Remus’ eyes, the sunlight glinting across them in five different shades of green. “Remus, your talent is remarkable and…” He sighed, shoulders sinking down, his façade cracking under the weight of his emotional honesty. “I must ask… is there anything I could have done differently? Any feedback you might be willing to give me?”

Remus reached for Logan’s hand. “I just have something more important to do. Something I can’t do while you’re my teacher.”

Eyes fixed on Remus’ hand cradling his, Logan didn’t dare breathe. Remus turned his hand over and pointed to his watch. “Lesson’s over? I’m not your student anymore… right?”

Logan nodded, afraid to speak.

“Logan…” Their knees brushed together as Remus shifted on the piano bench to fully face him.  “May I kiss you?”

Certain he’d break whatever spell this was, Logan nodded silently. Together, they closed the distance between them and neither could tell who kissed who first.

After a long while, Remus broke away, smiling into Logan’s eyes. His smile was softer than Logan had ever seen it, but there was a depth to the soft curve of his lips, the little dance of his mustache. The warmth that spread up his cheeks cast a light in his eyes that Logan swore he could live off.

Remus cupped Logan’s cheek, stroking his thumb back and forth over his cheekbone. “You never did tell me, Lo…”

“Tell you what?” Logan didn’t dare move away from his lips, sharing their breaths.

His eyes sparkled as he leaned in close to Logan’s ear to whisper, “How you take your first coffee of the day.”

Logan cupped his cheek and drew him close until their lips just brushed together. He slid his hand up into Remus’ hair. It was even softer than it looked. “Why don’t you find out in the morning?” he murmured just before capturing his mouth in another hungry kiss.

[cleanearthfunfacts]

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Tracking Elephants Across Namibia

The wide open, arid lands of northwestern Namibia are home to the world’s largest living land animal: the African elephant (Loxodonta africana). Like many large mammals, these iconic elephants are endangered, threatened by expanding agriculture, urbanization, human-elephant conflict, and poaching. As their populations continue to decline, researchers have turned to conservation corridors—links between habitats—as a key strategy to strengthen the population’s chance of survival.

In a new study, researchers used a combination of GPS tracking data and satellite imagery to map elephant movement throughout the landscape in northwestern Namibia. They found that elephants moved freely within the region’s protected areas, including Etosha National Park and community-managed lands in the neighboring Kunene region, but that there was little movement between each protected area. The study, led by Aung Chan of Colorado State University, was published in Landscape Ecology.

Landscape connectivity matters from both an ecological and genetic perspective. Spanning more than 22,000 square kilometers (8,500 square miles), Etosha National Park is almost as big as New Hampshire. But a single park could never sustain a whole species. Small populations of mammals within an isolated landscape face higher risks of inbreeding or being wiped out by a single catastrophic environmental event.

Chan and colleagues used eight years of GPS tracking data to create a “movescape” that depicted not just where elephants were, but how long they stayed and how fast they moved on the landscape. The data revealed only three connective routes between Etosha National Park and protected lands in the Kunene region.

Next, the researchers used satellite imagery and other local data to assess how landscape features influenced elephant movement. The presence of water was the most important factor determining how elephants moved. In the dry landscapes of Namibia, elephants ambled along rivers and gathered around watering holes. The image above (left), acquired on March 7, 2024, with the OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) on Landsat 9, shows several such watering holes and rivers within Etosha National Park and areas north. It includes several pans—depressions in the ground with deposits of salt—including a section of the Etosha Pan, the largest salt pan in Africa.

Beyond watering holes, elephants tend to stay in flatter areas, away from towns, and in areas with more available food. The researchers used NDVI (Landsat-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) as a proxy for how much food was available, as NDVI measures the health and density of vegetation—the main diet for these large herbivores. The false-color image above (right) shows the area’s NDVI on March 7, 2024, during a time of year when vegetation is especially abundant.

Importantly, not all elephants in the study moved the same. Some behavior was split across gendered lines; for example, NDVI influenced female elephant movement far more than it did male elephant movement. According to Chan, this makes ecological sense. Female elephants tend to stay with their family group, which includes calves and juveniles, and they need more resources to keep everyone fed. “Male elephants, in general, tend to disperse and take a lot more risk to achieve their reproductive and fitness goals than the family group,” Chan said.

There was also plenty of variation between individual African elephants. Chan said that being able to see the range of behaviors is important because it can help land managers triage their efforts to suit common behaviors (in this case, focusing on conserving areas with watering holes) while also accounting for rarer behaviors that may be critical for population health (in this case, marking the places where elephants moved between regions). According to Chan: “We wouldn’t have found those connective corridors between the two regions if our approach didn’t account for individual variations.”

NASA Earth Observatory images by Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Photo by Axel Tschentscher, used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Story by Madeleine Gregory, Landsat Science Outreach Team.

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World Wildlife Conservation Day

The sad truth is that the world’s best loved, beautiful and fascinating species are being slaughtered by widespread and dangerous criminal networks that will stop at nothing to get what they want. And what they want are animal parts and products that for reasons no sane person really understands, are worth lots of money.

There are plenty of synthetic substitutes for things like ivory and fur that don’t require the brutal slaughter of an animal to obtain, not to mention how hard it actually is to tell the difference between high-quality synthetic substitutes and the real thing. And do you mean to tell me no other dish in the world tastes as good as shark fin soup, and that we really have to mutilate live sharks and then throw them back into the ocean to die? Long story short, there is simply no excuse for the amount of animals being poached every year.

And yet they are. In 2011 alone, for example, there were 13 large-scale seizures of ivory, and over 23 tons of ivory confiscated, which is equivalent to at least 2,500 elephants. A 2010 United Nations report suggests that gorillas could disappear altogether from large parts of the Congo Basin by the mid-2020s.

And yet they are. In 2011 alone, for example, there were 13 large-scale seizures of ivory, and over 23 tons of ivory confiscated, which is equivalent to at least 2,500 elephants. A 2010 United Nations report suggests that gorillas could disappear altogether from large parts of the Congo Basin by the mid-2020s.

And it is not just the animals that are suffering. Park rangers get killed on a regular basis by poachers they’re trying to stop, and the local economies of entire towns and villages suffer terrible damage once enough wildlife is wiped out to make them irrelevant as wildlife tourism destinations. Corruption and intimidation are weakening law enforcement efforts. Unscreened wildlife and wildlife parts increase the risk of human health pandemics such as bird flu. Everyone involved is suffering.

History of World Wildlife Conservation Day

A call to action was put out by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2012 to raise awareness and engage conservationists on Wildlife Conservation Day, December 4.

During the “Wildlife Trafficking and Conservation: A Call to Action” event held at the State Department on November 8th 2012, Secretary Clinton outlined the White House’s strategy to address the global problem of wildlife trafficking. These efforts are estimated to cost between $7 and $10 billion dollars a year.

“Wildlife cannot be manufactured. And once it’s gone, it cannot be replenished. Those who profit from it illegally are not just undermining our borders and our economies, they are truly stealing from the next generation,” she said.

How to Celebrate World Wildlife Conservation Day

Raise awareness and contribute to the conservation and protection of endangered species such as elephants, rhinos and tigers on World Wildlife Conservation Day’s website.

This global occasion provides everyone with the opportunity to learn more about wildlife conservation and to be part of the solution to wildlife crime. Go online and join the thousands of other individuals who have taken the wildlife pledge.

Promise to learn more about wildlife conservation, to spread the word about the importance of protecting our plane’ts most endangered species and the impact of poaching on our environment. Learn how to become a responsible consumer in order to stop illicit wildlife trade.

You can also take direct action by making a charitable donation to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). 100% of all donations go towards training and equipping the rangers who are the wildlife protectors, and often the only thing standing between a baby tiger or elephant and a poacher.

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