January 2010
Like a “toke” of vulture brain?
Last year was a bad one for vultures in Southern Africa. Several devastating
poisoning incidents were reported from Botswana and poaching of the birds was
widely reported in South Africa. We hear about these incidents, but what do
people do with the birds afterwards?
Malcolm Douglas
Highlands Farm
V27 Vergenoeg Road
White River
Tel: 083 233-5264
__________
Opinions expressed in this
newsletter are not
necessarily those of
Enviroskills or of the editor.
Enviroskills is not liable for
any errors in information,
nor for any actions in
reliance thereon.
It seems that vulture brains and to a lesser extent the beaks, are highly in demand
in the African muti-trade as “windows into the future.” The brains
are dried and then crushed together with dried clay (probably to
cut the product and make it go further) and the mix is then
smoked in a pipe or cigarette. This is said to bring visions of
winning lotto numbers and horse race winners, to perform better
in exams, envision criminals as they near your house, improve a
dog's hunting abilities and other such mystical gifts. A few grains
of dried brain sells for around R50, making the whole bird worth
about R2000.
What a startling reminder about the mixed-up crazy country we
live in. We have one of the most "advanced" bill of rights in the world, yet much of
the populace still believes in witchcraft! Where are we going here ....
Compass users could face some dodgy problems
The GPS naysayers may soon have to eat their words. I have often heard from hardcore bush gurus that you can't
rely on a GPS because it runs on batteries. Well, now the news is that compasses are not so great either, unless
you have the very latest magnetic declination and maps to consult. For reasons unknown, the magnetic pole is now
racing towards Russia at a rate of 64 kilometres per year, leaving its long time home in northern Canada.
Magnetic north was first located in 1831 and it moved very little from then till 1904 when it began to "migrate" northeast at 15 km per year. This steady rate was convenient since it allowed us to make regular adjustments for
declination on our maps. However, in 1989 it sped up again and is now shifting at an estimated 64 km per year.
Geophysicists believe that the Earth has a magnetic field because the core is made up of a solid iron centre
surrounded by rapidly spinning liquid metal. This creates a "dynamo" that drives our magnetic field. Changes in
magnetism are not new to the earth, with the poles having migrated around in a random pattern for aeons.
For proper information about geomagnetism and current declinations refer to http://geomag.org/index.html
"People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it's safer to
harass rich women than motorcycle gangs."
Unknown
January 2010
Page 2
Chimps show incredible spatial memory
Primatologists from the Max Planck Institute for evolutionary anthropology in Leipzig, Germany have documented
(in the journal Animal Cognition) how wild chimpanzees are able to memorise the precise location of possibly
thousands of individual trees in their home range. Not only that, but they are able to remember and predict which
ones are likely to be the most productive at any time of the year. "We were amazed by the apparent easiness by
which chimpanzees discover highly productive fruit trees. Or how after being separated from other group members
for hours or days, they could join each other silently at a large fruit tree, like if they would have had an appointment
at this place," said researcher Emanuelle Normand.
Using GIS technology, the scientists first mapped the location of 12499 trees of seventeen different fruit bearing
species in the study group's home range. They then statistically predicted the likelihood of a chimp randomly
bumping into a fruiting tree as opposed to navigating directly towards it. Their results showed that the group moved
directly to trees that they knew travelled much shorter distances to each fruit tree than would be expected by
chance, confirming that they travel directly to the trees. The article does not state exactly how, but they also ruled
out the possibility of the chimps navigating by smell.
Remarkably, as well as remembering the location of their favourite trees, the chimps also recalled when each tree
would be in season, producing the most fruit. They would then often walk further to reach these more bountiful
trees rather than make a shorter journey to a less productive one. For example, the apes visited one Pouteria
aningueri fruit tree, more than any other, despite it being one of the rarest trees in their home range.
The researchers postulate that this mental mapping ability is one possible driver of ape intelligence. The need to
remember and find specific food resources, such as fruit trees, would have the effect of enhancing the brain power
of these apes over those of leaf eating monkeys, which are easily able to find food in almost any location within
their home range.
Venomous dinosaurs - what next?
One of the dinosaurs featured in Jurassic Park “Dilophosaurus” was an
imaginary venom spitting terror, yet now the newly discovered 125 million year
old turkey sized Sinornithosaurus is thought to have used fangs and venom to
overpower its prey - just like the rear-fanged snakes of today.
Snakes like the boomslang and other rear fanged species do not inject venom, but
bite their victim and dribble venom into the wounds via grooves in the fangs. In
Sinornithosaurus fossils, researchers discovered an intriguing pocket, possibly for a
venom gland, connected to the base of a fang by a long groove, which likely
housed a venom duct, the study says. Their fangs also feature snakelike grooves in
their anterior surfaces.
One way female toads select their partners
If you have ever watched the melée that is a toad spawning orgy, you will be surprised
to find out that the females do actually have some choice over who mates with them. The scene always looks
rather chaotic, with females being surrounded by males who all jostle with each other, “clawing” and scrabbling to
be the first to dig their "thumbs" into the girl's armpits in the amplexus grasp they use. One would be forgiven for
thinking that it is a first come first served sort of arrangement, but new research and observation has disproved this
- at least where cane toads are concerned.
Enviroskills - Keeping Guides on Target
January 2010
Page 3
A toad that is threatened or is being swallowed by a snake uses the defensive technique of
super inflating its lungs. This makes it look bigger than it really is and also makes it more
difficult to swallow. When it comes to breeding, it seems that they use a similar method. An
unsuitable male can be dislodged by the female inflating herself to the point where he is
unable to cling to her, causing him to lose his position to another (hopefully) more suitable
mate.
This behaviour was documented in a report in the Royal Society's Biology Letters.
"Females can actually manipulate the outcome of male-male competition by inflating at the
right moment" says Dr Benjamin Phillips of the University of Sydney. At this point it is uncertain if this technique is
used by other amphibians, but according to the authors, it could be "a widespread mechanism of mate choice" in
frogs and toads.
Other stories in the news
Record price for a tuna on auction - a single tuna fish has been sold at auction in Tokyo's fish market for
16.28 million yen (about R1,3 million), the highest price paid in Japan for nine years. The fish weighed 232
kg, the price per kilo coming out at R5603 per kilogram! With prices like this what hope do we have of
properly managing the world's fisheries (or of eating bluefin sushi )?
Questions surround Wildlife Photographer of the Year - Spanish
photographer Jose Luiz Rodriguez beat 40000 other contestants to become
wildlife photographer of the year 2009 with this beautiful shot of a wolf
jumping a farm fence.
Questions have now been raised regarding the circumstances under which
the photograph was taken. Detractors say the animal was lured with bait
and others have questioned if the animal was really wild.
New paint designed to absorb carbon dioxide - Rachel Armstrong of University College London (UCL),
has developed a "smart paint" that can turn buildings into carbon sinks. The paint which is made by
dissolving salts and esters in oil droplets reacts with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to produce calcium
carbonate and alcohol. The resulting "biolime" will provide extra strength and insulation, she says. How
much CO2 could be removed from the atmosphere in this way has not yet been tested.
Biofuel developments set to destroy Kenya's Tana River Delta - the huge and ecologically important
Tana River Delta on Kenya's north coast is under threat as corporations and foreign agencies scramble to
exploit its riches for export crops, biofuels and minerals. Some of the threats are:
Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA-a government agency), and the Mumias
Sugar Company, who intend to convert about 20,000 ha of the Delta into a sugar cane
plantation.
Bedford Biofuels Inc, a privately-held multinational company based in Canada, is in the process
of acquiring land through 45-year lease agreements. Its intention is to transform over 90,000 ha
of land in Tana River District into biofuel farms, mainly growing Barbados Nut (Jatropha curcas).
Tiomin Kenya Ltd, a company incorporated in Canada, wants to mine titanium in the Tana Delta,
and is in discussions with the local government authorities.
Sugar company, Mat International, is acquiring over 30,000 ha of land in Tana Delta and another
90,000 ha in adjacent districts. The company has not carried out any environmental and social
impact assessments.
Enviroskills - Keeping Guides on Target
January 2010
Page 4
Qatar has asked Kenya to lease it 40,000 ha of land in Tana Delta to grow crops, in exchange
for support for a major new port in nearby Lamu town.
Rifle feeding problems - Part 2
Last month I wrote about ammunition feeding problems which can be caused by incorrect magazine box
dimensions. This is however, not the only cause of feeding-related malfunctions that riflemen may experience.
Another serious problem comes about as a result of cartridge design. To understand this properly, one needs to
understand some of the underlying history and technicalities of cartridge design.
In the safari heyday of the early 20th century, Britain was the premier producer of rifles, crafting some of the finest
rifles ever made, especially double rifles. In those days they used cordite (long spagetti-like sticks of propellent)
which necessitated using long cartridge cases. Also, to keep pressures down, they commonly used very large
cases, but this was not a problem in break action rifles since cartridges are fed into the chambers by hand. So in
1912, when Holland and Holland decided to adapt their old .375 H&H Flanged Magnum (with a rimmed case) for
use in a bolt action rifle, they adopted the same long tapering cartridge case for it. The slender design and very
small shoulder made headspacing on the shoulder a bit unreliable in a bolt action rifle, so they incorporated a belt
on the cartridge head for headspacing.
Headspace is the maximum clearance allowed
between the base of the cartridge case and the
face of the bolt. Various case designs are used to
achieve this, each one preventing any forward and
backward play of the chambered cartridge. The
figure at right shows the dimensions on which
rimmed, rimless and belted cases headspace.)
Many people wrongly assume that the belt is there to strengthen the case, but it actually has nothing to do with it.
Ammunition manufacturers soon caught onto this mistake and soon just about every cartridge seemed to have a
belt, even though it was unecessary. Belts supposedly look macho and therefore sell more ammunition!
Unfortunately, the belted design suffers the same problem as a rimmed cartridge - the belts tend to hook against
each other during the feeding cycle (as shown below left), often
interfering with proper feeding. The two cartridges used most by
field guides, the .375 H&H and the .458 Win Mag, both use this
mechanism for headspacing. Neither cartridge could be
described as a “good feeder” although the .375 is generally the
better of the two.
The rimless cartridge design is far and away the best design for use in a bolt actioned rifle, allowing for smooth
feeding and good extraction if the case is not too straight sided. Some of the best performing rimless cartridges for
use against dangerous game are the .404 Jeffery, .416 Rigby, .450 Rigby, .460 G&A etc, yet none are readily
available in “inexpensive” rifles. Consequently, guides have to soldier on using Brno or Zastava rifles in either
.375H&H or .458 Win. This brings us to yet another feeding problem which I will discuss next month.
"That's the thing about Mother Nature, she really doesn't care what economic
bracket you're in." (Whoopi Goldberg)
Enviroskills - Keeping Guides on Target
January 2010
Page 5
What is it?
This small bird’s foot is rather bizarre, being completely feathered
along the toes and the tarsi. As far as I know, this genus is the only
one in the world that shows this characteristic. The bird is familiar to
us all, being a common non-breeding palaearctic migrant to most of
southern Africa with the exception of the drier areas of Namibia and
Namaqualand. This one was the victim of an unseen windowpane!
Answer
Half of all known northern white rhinos
sent back to Kenya in the face of increased poaching there
There are only eight northern white rhinos known to exist on earth - all of them in captivity. The last four wild
northern white rhinos in Kenya have not been seen since 2006 and are now feared dead, rendering the subspecies
"extinct in the wild".
Recently, the Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech republic sent two males and two females back to Ol Pejeta
conservancy in central Kenya as part of the "Last Chance to Survive" project. That leaves another two in Czech
republic and two in the United States. Rob Brett, member of the African Rhino Specialist group at the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said: "Moving them now is a last-bid effort to save them and their gene
pool from total extinction."
This would not be half as worrying were it not for another recent headline which pointed out that "Rhino Poaching
Reaches Critical Levels in Kenya". The article highlighted that the private reserves in Kenya were being targeted,
citing the following losses of black rhinos and southern white rhinos; Mugie Ranch (3), Laikipia Nature Conservancy
(3), Solio Ranch (5), Ol Pejeta (1), Lewa conservancy (1).
The loss of any of these animals is likely to exhaust the last hope this subspecies has for survival. I hope the
conservators responsible for this decision don't have to rue their decision in the years to come.
Crossword
Across
2. One of the symptoms of diseases described as being
febrile (5)
5. An important wildlife disease in the KNP caused by
Mycobacterium bovis (12)
8. Abnormally high acidity in the rumen usually caused
by incorrect diet or rumen drinking in unweaned calves /
lambs (8)
10.A disease also known as bovine malignant catarrhal
fever (10)
11.Small rod-shaped colony forming bacteria that live in
biting arthropods and cause diseases such as typhus and
tickbite fever (11)
Down
1. A highly contagious form of mange caused by mites of
the Sarcoptes genus (9)
Enviroskills - Keeping Guides on Target
January 2010
Page 6
3. An ultramicroscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts (5)
4. An intense itching sensation that can have various causes, such as mange or scabies (8)
6. A small usually single-celled asexual reproductive body produced by some bacteria such as Anthrax (5)
7. Type of generally benign and non-contagious mange caused by mites of the Demodex genus (10)
8. Generalised loss of hair (especially on the head) or feathers (8)
9. A very serious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis (7)
More white lion nonsense
A recent article in the Beeld newspaper announced that white lions have again
been seen in the Timbavati area after decades of absence. So what?
The area from Tshokwane in KNP through to the Timbavati is known for its
leucistic animals with pale giraffes, kudus and duikers and even elephants
having been seen in the area since the late 1930's. The exact reason for this is
unclear, but the trait of being paler than usual is simply that - a trait. White lions
are an aberration of the normal form and would only be selected for if South
Africa suddenly became covered in snow or some such situation that favoured paler coloured lions.
Current understanding of lion genetics indicates that these recessive genes hark back to times when lions roamed
more widely in Europe and Asia. In these locations and during times of glaciation, pale lions would certainly have
had an advantage over the normal form. With the change in climate and the shrinking of the species' range, the
recessive genes have become less and less dominant, although they have been seen throughout Africa and not
just in the Timbavati area as some people have claimed.
As far as I can see, white lions are only useful as a business opportunity for stakeholders who try to promote them
as a rare and valuable new genetic form in order to create a commodity value for them. Land owners try and attract
tourists by advertising their "rare and endangered white lions". I guess that adverts calling for people to "come and
see our mutant lions" would not be as well received.
The Global White Lion Protection Trust (such an organisation exists believe it or not) state on their website "The
White Lions are currently classified under the general species classification Panthera leo, although this is likely to
change after the genetic research undertaken by the Global White Lion Protection Trust reveals important reasons
for sub-speciation of this rare phenotype". I can’t wait.
I find this a laughable notion in that the population is in no way isolated and has received an influx of genes from far
and wide, not the least of which were inbred captive white lions released into the area to boost the "genepool". If
there ever was such a white phenotype, it must be so diluted and bastardised by now as to mean virtually nothing.
Let's get real. Lions as a species need our best conservation efforts - not just the white ones.
Seen on a bumper sticker:
"Ignore the environment. It'll go away."
Answer: The foot belongs to a common house martin (Delichon urbicum). Three
species of house martins exist worldwide, all having this unique feathery toed design.
Enviroskills - Keeping Guides on Target