Animals

India has added at least 800 new species of plants and animals, including those previously unknown to humans, in 2020, despite being a pandemic year.

However, the number of discoveries has declined due to the Covid-19 pandemic compared to the average number of discoveries made by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) over the past five years.

“Surveys and exploration work have been halted due to the pandemic. Scientists mainly worked from home. Despite the pandemic, 267 new plant species have been discovered across India. Some of them have been reported in the country for the first time, ”said BSI director AA Mao.

On average, the BSI has identified around 350 plant species each year for at least the past five years.

The BSI on Monday released its list of new discoveries of plant species after that of the ZSI was released last month. Both have their headquarters in Kolkata.

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ZSI scientists have discovered 557 new species, of which 407 are new, while the rest were first reported in the country.

The list of new discoveries includes 28 reptiles, six amphibians and 28 species of fish. Of the 28 reptiles, 27 were new discoveries. All six amphibians were recorded for the first time while at least 23 species of fish were reported for the first time, ”said a scientist from ZSI.

India now has 102,718 species of animals and around 54,000 species of plants, including flowering and non-flowering plants, ferns, mosses, liverworts, fungi, algae, lichens and microbes.

The maximum number of new animal species was recorded in Karnataka (66) followed by Kerala (51) and Rajasthan (46). Each year, as many discoveries as possible are made from biodiversity hotspots such as the Himalayas, the Western Ghats and the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal.

“Over the past year and a half, field investigations have practically come to a halt. Meanwhile, ZSI scientists had to rely mainly on samples they had collected on previous field missions. Not all collected samples can be analyzed at one time. These have been analyzed and we have found a few hundred new species, ”said Dhriti Banerjee, director of ZSI.

Jacksonville, FL – The pressure to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19 doesn’t just stop with humans.

Zoos across the country are starting to vaccinate their animals.

Dr. Yousef Jafarey, veterinarian at the Jacksonville Zoo said, “We all make our bats. We also do otters as well as a number of our carnivorous species like bears and coyotes. And we also make zooids, so warty pigs and warthogs. “

Dr Jarfarey said the animals will receive a special COVID-19 vaccine designed specifically for them.

[STORY: ‘Thankful:’ Mom reunited with baby after battling COVID-19 at Orange Park Medical Center]

“It’s made by Zoetis,” he said. “It is an exclusively veterinary company which manufactured an exclusively veterinary vaccine. It cannot be used in humans, it is specially designed for animals.

Experts have warned that COVID-19 has the potential to wipe out populations of gorillas and other primates if humans do not take action to prevent the spread.

“They are all equally sensitive, but with primates, we are concerned that they will no longer become sick and require more invasive treatment,” said Dr Jafarey.

Just last week Atlanta Zoo Authorities have confirmed that nine western lowland gorillas have tested positive for COVID. After the diagnosis, vets at the Atlanta Zoo vaccinated orangutans, lions, tigers, and cloudy leopards.

Right now, officials at the Jacksonville Zoo are working to get ahead of any similar type of outbreak.

[STORY: White House drops ban on foreign travelers entering US, allowing entry for fully COVID-19 vaccinated]

“We try to apply strict personal protective equipment whenever we are around animals. We are also taking additional measures regarding where animals are placed in their pens when they are seen to the public, ”said Dr Jafarey. “So we are avoiding certain areas with certain species like the Kapok here. We no longer allow bonobos and gorillas until we can get COVID-19 under control. “

According to the CDC, the risk of animals transmitting COVID to humans is low. But we do know that COVID can spread from person to person in certain situations.

For now, vets are working on training animals to familiarize themselves with the needles.

They hope to have all vulnerable animals vaccinated by the end of winter.

© 2021 Cox Media Group

Mobile gamers will be back to a classic soon as Zynga released a new trailer for FarmVille 3.

The short teaser features some of the new agricultural landscapes found in the new game, as well as some of the different animal species that can be bred in this new installment, including goats, cows, alpacas, and more. Farm workers can also be seen interacting with the animals, in one case feeding a calf.

Baby animals like the fed cow feature prominently in the teaser, a nod to FarmVille 3’s all-new breeding mechanic. According to the official version, over 150 animals will feature in the game, including horses, pigs. and arctic foxes also among the wildlife of Farmville 3.

Fans of the longtime mobile franchise can also access new FarmVille-themed social features, including Zoom backgrounds and selected images featuring facts about the different animal species in the game.

Farmville 3 is the latest entry in the successful FarmVille social game franchise. The first Farmville was launched in 2009 as part of the Facebook platform, while FarmVille 2 launched five years later and has seen two expansions: Country Escape and Tropic Escape.

MOONLIT Sanctuary’s Wildlife Conservation Park, Pearcedale, celebrated its 20th anniversary on Friday, September 17 with treats for resident animals.

Despite the lockdown, the wardens have served “cakes” for koalas, dingoes, wombats and emus to mark two decades of bonding between people and wildlife.

Chief Life Sciences Officer Lisa Tuthill said ingredients such as sweet potato, meat or insects “can be a great source of nutritional and behavioral enrichment.”

The sanctuary has grown from Michael Johnson’s childhood dreams to a place where people could discover and appreciate the rare and unusual animals that roam the bush.

It was established by the Johnson family on 10 acres of what used to be a farm and pony club. Today, it is home to more than 400 animals representing 70 species.

The shrine initially organized nighttime tours to the public, hence the name Moonlight Shrine.

In 2007, the sanctuary began to open during the day, increasing the number of animals and registering 80,000 visitors per year. Before the COVID-19 closures, the sanctuary received around 150,000 visitors a year and it still turns out to be a favorite day.

“We honor this important milestone and are grateful to the community who helped us make it happen,” said Mr Johnson. “We are thrilled to celebrate our role in connecting people with wildlife since the sanctuary opened 20 years ago. ”

First published in the Frankston Times – September 21, 2021

While India enacted the “Prevention of Cruelty to Animals” law in 1960, minimum penalties and lack of data were hallmarks of its implementation. The government has also recognized that minimum sentences do not act as a deterrent. However, there has been no serious effort to change the legislation or even make the data available.

Section 51A (g) of the Indian Constitution states that it is the fundamental duty of every Indian citizen to protect and enhance the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to ‘have compassion for living creatures. Nonetheless, numerous incidents of animal cruelty have come to light via social media in recent years. Brutal crimes against animals such as the death of a pregnant elephant who ate pineapple containing explosives, a dog beaten to death, torched puppies, dragging dogs tied to a scooter, raping a cow and the execution of monkeys are reported across the country and have taken social media by storm.

India has many laws to protect animals

The prevention of cruelty to animals has been included in the concurrent list, which means that the governments of the Union and of the States have the power to enact legislation in this area. There are basically three animal welfare laws in India viz. Section 428 and 429 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Besides the three, there are other laws such as The Performing Animals Rules, 1973, The Transport of Animals Rules, 1978, and The Experiments On Animals (Control And Supervision) Rules, 1968, which are specific to certain activities.

Articles 428 and 429 of the IPC treat the killing or mutilation of animals as a recognizable offense

Under Articles 428 and 429 of the IPC, causing mischief by killing or mutilating an animal worth ten rupees or more is an identifiable offense punishable by two years in prison, a fine or both. If a designated animal of any value or worth Rs. 50 or more is killed or maimed, the penalty can be up to five years in prison and / or a fine.

The Fauna Protection Act deals with the protection of flora and fauna to ensure ecological safety

The 1972 Wildlife Protection Act aims to protect all plant and animal species in the country to ensure environmental and ecological safety. The law prohibits the hunting of endangered animals while providing for the creation of wildlife reserves, national parks and zoos. According to article 51 of the law, any person who contravenes a provision of the law will be guilty of the offenses enumerated in the law and will be liable, on conviction, to a term of imprisonment of three years or to a fine of up to Rs. 25,000 or both. The jail term can be up to seven years for offenses against specific animals.

Animal cruelty prevention law deals with captive and domestic animals

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (PCA) is legislation that deals exclusively with captive and domestic animals. The purpose of the law is to prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals, like the incidents mentioned at the beginning of the story. The act defines animals as any living creature other than a human being. It also defines what captive and domestic animals are, as the legislation is applicable to both types of animals.

Chapter 3 of the law lists the various acts that are considered cruel treatment of animals. These include physical damage such as beatings, crushing, torture, overloading, engagement in work despite illness, administration of dangerous drugs, confinement in cages where animals cannot. movement, lack of water, food and shelter, abandonment in situations where the animal has to suffer, the animal fights for money and keeps the animal chained for a long period of time time. However, acts of dehorning of livestock, nasal cordage, castration, destruction of stray dogs in lethal chambers or by other methods with minimal suffering or extermination of animals under legal authority, and preparation for human consumption, are exempt from the scope of cruelty, provided that it is done in the prescribed manner with a minimum of suffering and pain inflicted on the animals.

The law imposes a fine between Rs. 10 to Rs. 50 for first offense. This can go up to Rs. 100 in the event of a repeat offense within 3 years and / or imprisonment up to 3 months.

Animal Welfare Board of India was established by law

The law also created the Indian Council for Animal Welfare (AWBI) to promote animal welfare and protect animals from cruelty. The main function of the Council is to keep the law in force in India, to adopt essential measures to improve the conditions of the animals and to advise the Ministry of Fisheries, Livestock and Dairy and governments on the promulgation of rules under the Act. As of July 2021, the AWBI had recognized more than 3,661 animal welfare organizations across India. The board of directors provides funds for the maintenance of animal shelters, drugs, medical equipment and the organization of veterinary camps, among other activities.

Although the AWBI is an advisory body to Union and State Governments, the implementation of statutory laws is the primary duty of the State Government along with prevention, detection, registration and prevention. crime investigation. AWBI writes regularly to States / UTs to ensure that cruel acts are avoided and that provisions and rules are implemented.

AWBI, in its annual reports, provides details of complaints received regarding cruelty to animals in the country as well as the actions taken. Complaints received by AWBI are forwarded to the respective States / UTs for action. Since 2014-15, a total of 1,901 cases have been forwarded to States / UTs by AWBI. Data is available until July 25, 2021.

Latest data on cases registered under the Animal Cruelty Prevention Act not available

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports data on all types of crime in the country through its annual “Crime in India (CII)” report. It aggregates crimes under special and local laws (SLL) such as the “Animal Cruelty Prevention Act” and does not provide data specific to crimes recorded under each of these laws. Therefore, the latest annual data on the number of cases registered under the “Law on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals” is not available. However, the government told parliament in 2016 that up to 7,853, 14,235 and 2,265 cases were registered under this law in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively. A total of 11,950 people were convicted in 2012-2013, 20,164 in 2013-2014 and 3,801 people were convicted in 2014-2015. It should be noted that data for many states was not provided in this parliamentary response.

FIAPO report speaks of insufficient data

According to a report released by the Federation of Indian Animal Welfare Organizations (FIAPO) and All Creatures Great and Small (ACGS), between 2010 and 2020, a total of 4,939,910 animals were involved in various incidents. This, however, does not mean that all of these animals were subjected to cruelty. The report also states that most states do not record crimes against animals and therefore there is no data to analyze. The organization did secondary research through newspaper articles and other sources and compiled some statistics.

The report lists 720 cases of crimes against street animals, 741 cases against draft animals, 588 cases against pets, 88 cases against farm animals and 258 cases against wild animals and birds. About 1,000 cases of assault have been documented, including 82 cases of sexual abuse, 266 cases of cold-blooded murder and over 400 cases of violent attacks consisting of beating, kicking, torturing, throwing acid or boiling water, mutilating part of the body, attacking with a knife or blunt object. 20 of the documented cases were child abuse.

The government recognizes that the penalties provided by the PCA Act do not act as a deterrent

The Animal Cruelty Prevention Act is now a 60 year old law with no major changes in recent times. The monetary fines imposed for crimes against animals continue to be meager, in the range of Rs. 10 to Rs. 100. This could be one of the reasons why the legislation has not been able to have a deterrent effect on cruelty to animals. The government also accepted in the government of Lok Sabha received many suggestions, petitions and requests from various sections of the companies to increase the existing penalties in the PCA law. In the same response, the government acknowledged that the penalties provided for in the PCA Act are minimal and do not have a deterrent effect.

A bill called the Animal Welfare Act 2011 was proposed in 2011 to replace the 1960 law but has not been able to make much headway. In addition, several private members’ bills have been introduced in parliament, including an amendment to increase the penalty. As with all private members’ bills, none of them were accepted. Likewise, the 261st report of the Law Commission had established some guidelines and listed suggestions in 2015, which have not yet been incorporated.

As noted earlier in this story, the lack of availability of data on cases registered under the PCA law is another major issue as no trend analysis is possible without data. Course correction and policy interventions also suffer from a lack of data.

It is high time that India proposed legislation with strict provisions to replace the PCA law. India must also ensure that data on cases related to animal cruelty is properly maintained and made available by the NCRB or other agencies, as is the case with other crimes. India can take a cue from countries like the UK, where penalties include a lifetime ban on owning pets, a maximum jail term of 51 weeks and a sentence of up to £ 20,000.

The selected image: Animal cruelty cases in India

Argentina is a country that has it all: a culture that arouses curiosity, natural landscapes that make you fall in love from the first moment and a wide variety of animal species.

Although the excitement of knowing every corner of the country can lead to mistakes that can cost your life. And it is that many areas of Argentina are not supervised or are difficult for curious tourists to take care of, and have dangerous animals which are not friendly.

This is why we offer you a list of dangerous animals of Argentina, so that you pay attention and stay away from them.

JAGUAR

Jaguars are fast and impressive felines and are capable of hitting any prey they set themselves as a target. Its claws are sharp enough to tear easily using its powerful jaw. Be careful not to get distracted, because if the animal is hunting it can go for anyone who crosses its path.

RATTLESNAKE

They are better known as vipers of the cross, these snakes, about two meters long, are very poisonous. They are not aggressive, but their bite penetrates you with a poison that causes pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fainting, seizures, and massive bleeding.

If you are careful nothing should happen, but if they feel threatened they attack without thinking.

BLACK WIDOW

This spider is known to commit an act of cannibalism after mating with the male. With a tiny size of just 1.5 inches depending on the species, this powerful animal stings with its fangs, releasing a poison that first burns and hurts, but can then paralyze the nervous system.

The extremely bad thing? He hides in houses. Although, for a bit of peace of mind, she only attacks when she feels threatened.

CASCABEL

They are called rattlesnakes because of the sound they make from their tails. With a length of 2 meters, they have great agility to attack if they feel they are invading their ground.

If this happens, it sinks its fangs, releasing a venom that can cause dizziness and internal bleeding.

Now you know, once you hear the sound of the bell the best thing you can do is walk away as quickly as possible.

Wandering spider

It is known as the banana spider because it is usually accidentally transported on shipments of bananas from plantation areas to supermarkets and homes.

Its venom-laden fangs, which only cause pains to paralysis of the heart, give it the label of one of Argentina’s most dangerous animals. They are very aggressive and attack with any stimulus.

VAMPIRE BAT

Perhaps this animal is not that unknown to you due to its performances in multiple horror films and its association with vampires.

And yes, you were right: they are not only ugly but, like in movie scenes, they are just as dangerous to human beings. They attack at night, when they have better vision, to bite them and feed on their blood.

Although calm, their mortality is based more on the contagion of disease, as the poison they release is lethal.

BULLET ANT

Forget about all the ants you killed just by easing off, because this species is far from defenseless.

They live in swarms with thousands of other ants, and with their jaws they bite by injecting a venom stinger, causing burns and anaphylactic shock that can last up to 36 hours.

If you don’t want to have a bad time for a long time, or especially if you’re allergic, don’t invade their hive: They usually act in self-defense.

Polar bears depend on sea ice for their very survival, living where the frozen ocean surface lasts long enough to allow them to hunt seals, the main source of food. And in 2020, the Arctic sea ice shrank to the second lowest on record.

When the ice gets too thin, melts too early in the spring, or freezes more and more later in the fall, polar bears are forced to forage on land.

The National Wildlife Federation helps protect wild animals and places, creating new passageways for wildlife, supporting important wildlife protection laws, and helping meet the greatest conservation challenges of our time, such as as climate change and the extinction crisis.

The crisis is currently affecting hundreds of bird species, more than a third of freshwater fish species, nearly 40 percent of amphibians and nearly one in five mammals.

But it’s not just the animals that are at risk. Scientists now believe that if temperatures only heat up by two more degrees Celsius, sea levels will rise so high that coasts will be inundated and salt water will exceed potable water supplies. Homes, farms, businesses and people will be in danger. This is already happening.

An alarm is ringing in our world. When a polar bear climbs a cliff looking for eggs instead of hunting on ice floes, something is seriously wrong.

Please help protect our endangered animals and wild places. For more information contact nwf.org

Patricia Marques

Wilkes Barre

During her many years as Director of Animal Ambassador Programs for SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, Julie Scardina was the favorite guest on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and “Today”. Thanks to her high notoriety on television, the energetic animal lover has brought adorable baby penguins, a baby gibbon wrapped in a blanket and a free-flying scarlet ibis to millions of homes across America.

For her second act, the Poway resident wants to put pangolins on your radar. Also painted dogs, Grévy’s zebras and bonobos.

Scardina is the co-founder and president of Mission Wildlife, a San Diego-based non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and conserving species through fundraising and education. And in the case of a species under the radar like the ant-eating pangolin, the organization wants to raise awareness of animals that might go extinct before many people even know they were here.

It’s hard work, and Scardina was born to do it.

“When I was young, I remember having a picture book of all these different animals, and it was horny and ripped because I was always flipping through it,” said Scardina, who started working at SeaWorld San Diego in as a coach in 1977, when she was 19. She retired in 2016.

“I just can’t remember a time when it wasn’t my main focus to be outside and be around animals, and that has never changed. It only got stronger as I got older.

Mission Wildlife was born in 2013, when Scardina organized a trip to Uganda and Kenya for herself and a few colleagues from SeaWorld, including Heather Armentrout and Julie Byford. While there, the trio met with representatives from several animal conservation groups. When the three animal lovers returned to San Diego, they decided to turn their passion into action. Armentrout is now the organization’s treasurer, and Byford is its secretary.

“We were supporting all of these wonderful people through larger organizations, but we wanted to do something personally for them,” said Scardina. “After visiting these places in person, being part of that environment and realizing that you can make a difference by taking action, that’s when we really said, ‘We have to do it. “”

The all-volunteer Wildlife Mission hosted its first fundraising event in 2014. It attracted around 50 attendees and raised $ 4000 for Save the Elephants and Ewaso Lions. So far, the organization has distributed $ 200,000 to a handful of beneficiaries, including Grevy’s Zebra Trust, Lola ya Bonobo and the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

This year’s main fundraiser, which is split into two events to enable social distancing, will be held on October 2-3 at the Casa de Glory, an event venue in Middletown. The beneficiaries are Save Pangolins and Painted Dog Conservation, and if you are unsure of what a painted dog looks like or what a pangolin might be, Mission Wildlife is here to help.

Painted dogs are wild dogs that can only be found in Africa. Snares, traffic accidents and shootings have reduced the continent’s painted dog population to less than 7,000. Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe is home to around 700.

Pangolins are like what would happen if you crossed an anteater with an artichoke, but their future is no joke. Pangolins are killed and trafficked for their meat and for their scales, which are used in traditional Asian medicine. Four of the eight species of pangolins are on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s list of critically endangered species.

“These animals have been around for about 70 million years, and the only reason they could go extinct is if humans consume them to death and poach them until they become extinct,” said Paul Thomson, co-founder and executive director by Save Pangolins.

“When an organization like Mission Wildlife comes in and gives us a platform and connects us with donors and people who want to support us, it gives us a huge boost. Education and awareness are so important. I always say you can’t save something if you don’t know it exists.

Thomson will be attending Mission Wildlife’s two fundraising events, as will Painted Dog Conservation Director of Operations David Kuvawoga. In addition to chatting with the experts, attendees can interact with bird and animal ambassadors, bid on silent auction items, watch a painting performance by Stephen Fishwick, and watch a wildlife show.

And as they enjoy their day with the animals, Mission Wildlife supporters can be part of a larger, more optimistic picture. For pangolins, painted dogs and the planet.

Just a few decades ago, the American alligator and bald eagle were in danger of extinction. Thanks to the protections put in place by the Endangered Species Act, the alligator and bald eagle are off the endangered species list. It is a story of animals that Julie Scardina never tires of telling.

“These are two great successes that I don’t want people to forget. It is not impossible. We can’t give up just because an animal is in serious decline, ”said Scardina. “We had to be careful and we had to protect them and their environment for them to be successful. That’s what we’re trying to help these organizations accomplish.

Mission Wildlife’s annual fundraising event takes place October 2-3 at Casa de Glory in Middletown. For information and reservations, go to missionwildlifeconservation.org

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) – The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) hosted a webinar on Friday on the ability of animals to transmit infectious diseases to humans.

The “bats, monkeys and dogs, oh my god!” Was a free virtual webinar presented by Dr. Connie Austin. Officials said she was the state’s public health epidemiologist and veterinarian. During the webinar, Dr Austin spoke about several infectious diseases that can be transmitted to humans through contact with exotic animals, importation of animals, and travel around the world. The diseases mentioned were SARS, MERS and COVID-19.

According to Dr Austin, there have been several cases of animals catching COVID-19 because of their close contact with humans. However, there have been no cases of humans having contracted COVID from animals.

“With COVID-19, there have been a variety of infections in zoos. These have occurred in feline species such as lions and tigers as well as in non-human primates. More recently, the gorillas at the Atlantic Zoo have been affected by COVID, ”said Dr Austin. “They’ve put measures in place to prevent it, but they believe it was an asymptomatic gatekeeper who brought it on (COVID). There are cats and dogs that have been infected (with COVID) but this is a very low number. In Illinois, we only have 2 cats that tested positive. COVID does not appear to be transmitted from these species to humans. ”

Dr Austin encourages people to get vaccinated against COVID to avoid severe symptoms and reduce the possibility of spreading the virus to other people and animals.

Anyone interested in watching the webinar can find it on the ISU website.