Only 123 Kakapo Parrots left on earth...

The Kakapo parrot is a very unique species, endemic to New Zealand. It has a large grey beak, short legs, large feet and a relatively short tail. It is the heaviest of all parrots (they are up to 60 cm. long and weigh up to 3.5 kilograms) and it's one of the world's longest living birds, since they live for up to 60 years. One of the basic features that makes them unique is that they do not fly. The Kakapo parrots live, feed and breed on the ground. Their basic food preferences include flowers, leaves, seeds, roots and buds.

Bill the Kakapo - Photo by Tristan Rawlence (from Kakapo Recovery)

The Kakapo parrots are critically endagered, since as of February 2010 there are only 123 birds left on the planet. Once New Zealand had thousands of individuals from that species and they had no natural predators. When the first Polynesian people moved to the island (a couple thousand years ago) they started to chop down the forests where the Kakapo parrots lived and to hunt down the animals. 150 years ago, when the first Europeans arrived in New Zealand, they introduced the first predators to the Kakapo parrots, which included cats, rats, dogs and ferrets, which killed the parrots easily. By 1889 demand for its stuffed skin in Europe increased drastically due to the bird's unique shape and form, leading to a dramatical decrease of the parrot's population.

A Kakapo on a nest (from Kakapo Recovery)


Today, there are teams, who work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, trying to rescue the species from extinction. Today the Kakapo parrots are kept in two islands - the Codfish Island and the Anchor Island - both of which are free of predators. The team's aim is to increase the bird's population to 150 adult females. However, there is no predator-free island capable of holding more than 100 individuals, which is a major difficulty for the team to succeed successful breeding of the species.

Feeding a Kakapo parrot (from Nature's Corner Magazine)

If you would like to learn more on Kakapo parrots, to donate for the the project of the Kakapo parrot, or even to volunteer for it, please visit http://www.kakaporecovery.org.nz/. Also, you can buy a spectacular documentary film on the Kakapo parrot, which has won 8 Awards in 3 different film festivals and conventions, entitled "The Unnatural History of the Kakapo" by Elwin Productions on http://www.elwin.co.nz/prjkakapo.html.



Sources:

Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakapo
Kakapo Recovery - http://www.kakaporecovery.org.nz/
The Fabulous Kakapo - http://www.kakapo.net/en/
The Unnatural History of the Kakapo (Elwin Productions) - http://www.elwin.co.nz/prjkakapo.html
Nature's Corner Magazine - http://www.naturescornermagazine.com/index.html

The Pacific Islands - Polynesia

As I've mentioned in previous entries, the South Pacific Islands are divided into three major categories. So far, we've discussed the first two (Melanesia and Micronesia) and today I'll move forward to the third, Polynesia. When we refer to Polynesia we actually refer to several islands and island groups which are as follows:

- The Hawaiian Islands,
- New Zealand,
- Easter Island,
- Rotuma,
- Samoa,
- The French Polynesia,
- The Cook Islands,
- Tonga and
- Tuvalu.

Starting with the Hawaiian Islands, they are an archipelago of seven major islands, several smaller islands and noumerous atolls. In the past, this archipelago was widely known as the "Sandwich Islands", but now it takes its name from the largest island in the group. The Hawaiian Islands are subject to earthquakes, volcanic erruptions and tsunamis (large waves that stike the shore, usually a result of earthquakes). The area is the home of a wide number of endemic species, while originally the area didn't have any mammals, which arrived with the first human settlers. As of 2009, most of the area's endemic species are considered endangered.

Lake Wanaka - New Zealand.


Moving on to New Zealand, it is an island country South-East of Australia. The highest mountain of the island is Mount Cook (3,754 meters). Because of its long isolation from the rest of the world, New Zealand hosts extraordinary species and plant life. The flightless moas originally inhabited the island, but are now extinct, while four species of kiwi, the kakapo parrot and the takahē are all endangered species due to human activity in the island's forests. There are no snakes on the island and there is only one species of venomous spider, the katipo, which is only found in coastal regions. The only non-marine mammals on the island are three species of bat. However, in 2006 scientists discovered bones aging approximately 15 million years ago, of a unique mouse-sized mammal that inhabited New Zealand.

Panorama of Anakena, Easter Island.


The Easter Island is actually the summit of a large volcano rising over 2,000 meters from the sea bed. The island has a rich history and great fame due to its massive statues, the moai, which are believed to represent ancestors of the original inhabitants of the island. Easter Island has sufferred major deforestation, which is believed to have occurred either due to its early inhabitants or due to major climate changes.


Ahu Tongariki on Easter Island. These moai were restored in the 1990's by a Japanese research team after a cyclone knocked them over in the 1960's.


Rotuma is a volcanic island of approximately 43 sq. kilometers. Like many other South Pacific islands, Rotuma sufferred depopulation due to diseases introduced on the island from European settlers. However, since the 1920's the island has experienced explosive population growth. As a result, while in 1921 the island had 2,112 inhabitants, there were 9,727 inhabitants in 1996.

Moving on to Samoa, it is an island with 176,848 inhabitants in total, as of 2002 and covers a total area of 2,935 square kilometers. Its capital is Apia and the two official languages of the area are Samoan and English. The highest point of Samoa is Mount Silisili (1,858 meters). The entire central north coast of the island (a total area of 50 square kilometers) is covered by solidified lava, which was a result of the erruptions of Mount Matavanu. What is very important to discuss is the Samoan tradition in tattoos. They have two different types of tattoos, one for each gender. The tattoos on males are called the Pe'a and those for females are called the Malu.


The Pe'a: A traditional type of tatto given to males in Samoa.



The Malu: A traditional tattoo given to females in Samoa.


The French Polynesia covers an arean of 3,660 square kilometers and has a total population of 270,485 individuals, as of 2005 and comprises of 130 islands in total, which are divided into six major groups:

- Austral Islands
- Bass Islands

- Gambier Islands
- Marquesas Islands
- Society Islands (including Tahiti - the largest and most populated group)
- Tuamotu Archipelago

Mount Otemanu in Bora Bora, French Polynesia.


The Cook Islands cover a total area of 240 square kilometers and have a total population of 18,027 individuals as of 2001. These islands suffer infestation of Polynesian rats, which have devastated the bird population of the islands. The traditional flower that grows on the Cook Islands is the Tiare māori. Wearing this flower as jewelery is distinctive for marital status. If it's worn on the left ear it means that this person is married, while on the right ear it means that the individual is eligible for marriage; something like our common wedding or engagement ring.

Moving on to Tonga, it covers an area of 649 square kilometers and has a total population of 101,700 individuals as of 2003. It has a tropical climate with only two seasons, summer and winter. Most rain falls around February through April and the Cyclone season lasts from November through March.

Last but not least, Tuvalu covers a total area of only 26 square kilometers and has a total population of 10,200 individuals. Their two official languages are Tuvaluan and English, while they use the Australian dollar as their official currency. The island consists of four reef islands and two atolls. The highest elevation is 4.5 meters above sea level, which gives Tuvalu the second lowest maximum elevation (the first held by the Maldives). Because of this low highest elevation, these islands are threatened by a possible sea rise. The island is famous for its traditional pulaka, which is a crop grown on Tuvalu, very similar to the taro root, which is the main source of carbohydrates for the island's population.



Sources:

Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/
The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission - http://www.sopac.org/
Rotuma Website - http://www.rotuma.net/
Polynesian Cultural Center - http://www.polynesia.com/
New Zealand On the Web - http://www.wanaka.nz.com/

The Pacific Islands - Micronesia

As I've mentioned in my previous entry, the Pacific Islands are divided into three groups, the first of which, Melanesia, was discussed in my previous entry. Today, I'll move on to the next group of islands, Micronesia (= small islands). The islands that are included in this complex are: the Marianas, Wake Island, Palau, Kiribati, Guam, Nauru, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Starting with the Marianas, they are an arch-shaped archipelago, which is actually made up by the summits of 15 volcanos in the North-Western part of the Pacific Ocean. The islands cover a total area of 389 square miles (1,007 square kilometers) and the grounds are very fertile, while there is a plentiful supply of water. Also, there are not great temperature variations in the area.

Moving on, Wake Island is a coral atoll with a coast line of 12 miles in total. Even though Wake Island is situated in the tropical zone, it is subject to several storms during the winter. On August 31, 2006 a category 5 Super Typhoon Loke hit the island inflicting major damage, while later a U.S. Air Force repair team restored the damage. Today, the atoll is administered by the U.S. Department of Interior's Office of Insular Affairs.

A reef in Palau.


Palau covers a total area of 488 square kilometers and has a total population of 19, 129 individuals as of 2000, according to the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission. In Palau there are several areas of ecological concern, which include illegal fishing with dynamite, inadequate facilities for waste disposal and extensive coral dredging. However, unlike most of the other Pacific Islands, Palau is outside the main Typhoon zone.

The next island in our list is Kiribati. The capital of this island is Tarawa. Kiribati covers a total area of 811 square kilometers and has a total population of 84,494 individuals, as of 2000. What is worth mentioning about this island is its musical tradition, which is mostly vocalizing accompanied by body percussions. This population of this rich island however is tortured by diseases the most common of which is Tuberculosis and has a high infant mortality rate.

Guam's capital is Agana and the island covers a total area of 541 square kilometers, with a total population of 154,805 individuals as of 2000. They use the U.S. Dollar as their currency and the island has a $21,000 GDP per capita. Guam suffers the effect of bioinvasion; near the end of World War II, the Brown Tree Snake was transported to the island and nearly eliminated the island's native bird population, since there were no snakes on Guam island prior to that. Also, the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle attacked most of the island's coconut trees in 2007, forcing the authorities to call for a quarantine on several areas of the island.

Nauru is a small island of 21 square kilometers and a total population of 13,048 individuals, as of July 2005. The island is surrounded by a magnificent coral reef, which is exposed to low tide. The highest point of Nauru is the Command Ridge, which is 71 meters above sea level. On the island there are about 60 native vascular plant species, no native mammals, but there are several native birds, insects and land crabs.

An old, rusty ship on the shore of the Marshall Islands.


The Marshall Islands are located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and cover a total area of 181.3 square kilometers. They have a population of 50,840 individuals as of 1999 and they use the U.S. Dollar as their official currency. From 1946 till 1958 the United States tested 67 nuclear weapons on Marshall Islands, including the largest nuclear test ever conducted, Castle Bravo.

The largest nuclear test ever conducted; Castle Bravo, Marshall Islands (March 1, 1954).


Last but not least, the Federated States of Micronesia cover an area of 702 square kilometers and have a total population of 107,008 individuals as of 2000. The Federation consists of 607 islands across the archipelago of Caroline Islands, east of the Philippines. The four constituent island groups are Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Yap, all four of which are represented by a white star on the Federation's National Flag. There are seven official languages spoken in the area including English.



Sources:

Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/
The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission - http://www.sopac.org/
World Dive Adventures - http://www.worlddive.com/

The Pacific Islands - Melanesia

When we use the term “Pacific Islands”, we refer to approximately 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean, south of the Tropic Cancer. Usually, these islands are divided into three groups:

- Melanesia: (black islands) these are New Guinea (Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian provinces of Maluku, Papua and West Papua), Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands and the Torres Strait Islands.

- Micronesia: (small islands) these are Wake Island, the Marianas, Palau, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru and Kiribati.

- Polynesia: (many islands) these are the Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand, the Midway Islands, Easter Island, Rotuma, Samoa, American Samoa, French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu.

Let us discuss each group of islands separately, starting with Melanesia. The first island in our list is New Guinea, which is divided into Papua New Guinea and the provinces of Maluku, Papua and West Papua.

Photo: A waterfall in the middle of an ancient forest in Papua New Guinea.


Starting with Papua New Guinea, the capital of which is Port Moresby, the area has a total population of 5,190,786 individuals as of 2000 and covers a total area of 462,243 square kilometers, according to the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission. The two main languages spoken by the natives of Papua New Guinea are Pidgin and English, while there are more than 700 other languages spoken in the area.

Moving on to Papua and West Papua, both provinces have a total population of 2,646,489 individuals as of 2005, while the island has 16,000 different plant species, while on the Foja Mountains in the area, in 2006 several new species of birds, butterflies, plants and amphibians were discovered.

Vanuatu is a small island of Melanesia, covering a total area of 12,190 square kilometers with a population of 186,678 individuals as of 1999. The official languages of the area are Bislama, French and English. The island is covered by tropical forests but has a limited number of plant and animal species, which include 19 species of reptiles, 11 species of bats and 61 species of birds, while there are no indigenous large mammals in the area. However, like most other Pacific Islands, Vanuatu has a rich sea life.

A beloved destination for travelers and tourists are the Fiji Islands, the capital of which is Suva. The islands cover an area of 18,272 square kilometers and have a total population of 831,600 individuals as of 2003. The languages spoken in the area are Fijian, English and Hindi, while indigenous Fijians are mostly Christian – 97.2% of the total population – and the Indo-Fijians mostly Hindu – 70.7% of the total population.

Photo: A native fisherman in Fiji Islands.


New Caledonia covers an area of 18,576 square kilometers and has a total population of 235,200 individuals as of 2003. The main languages spoken in the area are French and English. New Caledonia is considered one of the most endangered places of our planet and at the same time one of botanically most important areas of the world. Some fossil remains on the island indicate that it was once inhabited by large terrestrial animals, which became extinct prior to the European arrival. One of the official emblems of New Caledonia is the Nautilus, a magnificent sea creature. The island is covered both by rain forests and dry forests, the latter of which are highly endangered.

Moving on to the Solomon Islands, a total area of 28,785 square kilometers with a population of 409,042 individuals as of 1999; these islands are also considered a favorable destination for travelers. They are located East of Papua New Guinea and comprise nearly 1,000 islands, the climate of which is extremely humid, with the cooler period being from June through August. On some of the larger islands there are volcanoes with both high and low activity, the most active of which are the Tinakula and the Kavachi volcanoes. In the area there are more than 230 varieties of orchids and other tropical flowers.

Last but not least of the Melanesia islands are the Torres Strait Islands, a group of at lest 274 small islands, distributed across an area of 48,000 square kilometers. The islands and the waters surrounding them comprise a highly diverse set of both marine and land ecosystems. These ecosystems include a large number of unique species, which include saltwater crocodiles, flat back sea turtles and dugongs. Dugongs are an endangered species of sea mammal also found in the waters of New Guinea. The eastern Torres Strait Islands provide rich and fertile red volcanic soils and are thus thickly vegetated.


Sources:

Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/
The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission - http://www.sopac.org/
Photo Atlas - http://www.photoatlas.com/
Greenpeace - http://www.greenpeace.org

Baiji Dolphins: Are They Really Extinct?

The Baiji Dolphin, also known as the Chinese River Dolphin, the Yangtze River Dolphin, the Whitefin Dolphin and the Yangtze Dolphin, is obviously the animal closest to extinction - if we assume that the species hasn't already extinct. The Baiji is grey-blue on the dorsal side and white on the ventral side and as its names indicate it is - or was - found only in fresh waters and more specifically in the Yangtze River in China. Its eyes are smaller compared to dolphins that live in the ocean and its vision is rather poor, hense it relies on sonar for navigation and swims slower than its maximun speed.

The Yangtze River Dolphin breeds during the first half of the year (usually around February - April) and the calf is born 10-11 months later. Each female dolphin gives birth to one calf at a time and will not mate for two years until the calf is mature enough to survive alone in the wild. Based on studies conducted on Baiji Dolphins in captivity, a Baiji lives approximately 25 years and reaches sexual maturity at 4-6 years of age.

Fossil records indicate that the Baiji first appeared on our planet 25 million years ago at the banks of the Yangtze River in the Pacific Ocean and migrated up the river 20 million years ago.


According to the World Conservation Union (IUCN) the following are considered the main threats to the Baiji Dolphins:

- hunting by humans during breeding season,
- entanglement in fishing gear,
- the illegal practice of electric fishing,
- collisions with boats and ships,
- habitat loss and
- pollution

...for all of which responsible are humans.

The Xinhua News Agency announced on December 4, 2006 that in an expedition conducted by 30 scientists on the Yangtze River in China, no Baiji Dolphins were spotted, which raised suspicion of a first extinction of a species due to human action. However, in August 2007, footage was released to the public of sighting of what was believed to be a Baiji Dolphin.

"On October 11, 2007, Chinese state media announced that under a development plan an additional 4,000,000 people will be relocated from their homes near the dam by the year 2020 due to ecological concerns." However, is this enough? We've forced a beautiful animal, which has been an inhabitant of this planet for almost as long as we have, to extinction. Is it enough to take measures now that the species has already extinct?


Sources:

Animal Info - http://www.animalinfo.org/
Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/
NOAA Fisheries: Office of Protected Resources - http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/
The New York Times - A Fellow Mammal Leaves the Planet, Robert L. Pitman - http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/26/science/26field.html?_r=1
Life of Guangzhou - http://www.lifeofguangzhou.com/

The Iberian Lynx - Forced Close to Extinction

The Iberian Lynx (sometimes reffered to as the Spanish Lynx) is a habitat of the Iberian Peninsula in Southern Europe. It is a critically endangered species, similar to the Eurasian Lynx but with distinct differences. The Iberian Lynx, unlike the Eurasian Lynx, bears "leopard-like" markings on its body. It weighs from 9 to 13 kg. and it's an excellent tree climber, while it nests in several different locations, such as in small caves or even up on trees, sometimes more than 10 meters higher up the ground.

During the mating season (January - February), the female leaves her territory in search of a male. The cubs are born around March or April and usually each female gives birth to three or four cubs.

The Iberian Lynx was originally found all over Portugal and Spain, while today it is only found in two areas of Andalucia (in Southern Spain). The decline of its population size began in the beginning of the 20th century with a greater impact on the Lynx around the 1950's due to a fatal disease that affected the European rabbit, which is the Lynx's main pray. Other factors that participated in the decrease of the Lynx's population were the loss of habitat (due to the vast expansion of the rural areas), roadkills and hunting.


According to studies conducted in 2005, the Iberian Lynx population included around 100 members in total, while another study conducted in 2000 revealed that the population at the time included 400 members. This means that within only a period of five years, more than 300 Iberian Lynxes were killed. Today the population is believed to have reached almost 200 members in total, a number that will hopefully increase due to extraordinary efforts by several organizations worldwide.



Sources:

Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberian_Lynx
Animal Info - http://www.animalinfo.org/species/carnivor/lynxpard.htm