The Wildlife Professional - Spring 2010 2009

International

news and events affecting wildlife and wildlife professionals around the world

Ireland

it has been almost a year since ireland began testing the waters of the River lee through the technologically advanced DePlo Y pilot program. the project—run by a consortium of academic and industry partners including the national Center for Sensor Research, the tyndall national institute, and iDS-Monitoring—helps meet the european Union’s Water framework Directive, which requires e U countries to regularly assess and analyze their rivers, lakes, and seas. De Plo Y uses sensors to monitor water quality in the River lee, one of the largest rivers in southwest ireland. the five sensor stations send data relating to water quality in real time to a data center, where managers can monitor and analyze the trends. if successful, this technology demonstration project—funded by the Marine institute and the environmental Protection agency-ireland—could serve as an economically viable alternative to sending out scientists to collect and examine water samples, and could be extended to other european countries.

Source: DEPLOY: A Technology Demonstration, National Geographic News

Central America

Between January 25 and february 15, naSa’s Gulfstream iii, an 83-foot jet, flew over most of Central america to study land change in the region using Synthetic aperture Radar, or SaR. the jet’s SaR equipment, referred to as UaVSaR, enables environmental monitoring and mapping by capturing multiple, high-resolution images over a broad area even during poor weather or at night. Data from the mission will reveal details about topography, structures, deformations, and the extent of forest cover—which could prove useful for wildlife researchers attempting to estimate the region’s wildlife populations. the forest data could also be valuable for scientists studying vegetation structure and biomass. the mission also covers parts of Hispaniola, focusing on potential displacement along earthquake faults in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. the processed data was made available to the general public in early March and can be downloaded through naSa’s alaska Satellite facility. Source: NASA

the Cameroon government recently signed a decree to create the 143-acre Mount Cameroon national Park—home to numerous plant and animal species, including an isolated population of african forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis). this was once a region of rich biological diversity. However, several years of land clearing, hunting to supply the bushmeat trade, and poor land-use planning have damaged the area’s forest resources. the park, which includes Mount Cameroon— one of africa’s largest active volcanoes—is expected to provide the area’s approximately 300,000 local residents with valuable timber forest products and generate opportunities for eco-tourism as well as protect the region’s natural resources. Creation of the park is the result of a collaborative effort between Cameroon’s Ministry of forestry and fauna, the German Cooperation Bank (Kf W), and WWf. Source: WWF

Kenya

four of the world’s last eight known northern white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) were flown in December from Dvur Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic to the ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya in hopes that the climate and environment will encourage them to breed. Unlike other rhinos, this critically endangered species breeds poorly in captivity. experts hope their 1,000 acre enclosure within the vast and open 90,000- acre area of the ol Pejeta Conservancy—east africa’s largest black rhino sanctuary—will foster more natural behavior than did the zoo enclosures. in addition, the rhinos have been fitted with radio collars within their horns for monitoring and security. northern white rhinos were once a relatively abundant species, with numbers topping 2,000 in 1960. the subspecies population depleted rapidly, however, as a result of excessive poaching for its hide, meat, and horns. northern white rhinos were last seen in the wild in 2007. Source: Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Cyprus

last fall more than one million european robins (Erithacus rubecula) were killed and served in restaurants as ambelo-poulia, a popular, albeit illegal, Cypriot delicacy. the birds are typically trapped in nets or caught on glue sticks coated in lime, where the birds remain stuck until the trappers return to kill them. the use of trapping nets has risen by more than a third since 2008, according to Birdlife Cyprus, the Cyprus branch of the conservation group, Birdlife international. in october the British army intensified their efforts to apprehend trappers and seize trapping equipment on the British Sovereign Base area of Dhekelia—one of the region’s trapping hotspots.