Geese Surfing - the new YouTube sensation

Ever seen a gaggle of geese surf? Next week we'll get them on their skateboards!

State of the world's Forests 2011

With the launch of Rainforest Life Funding's coming in September 2011 the Ibex Earth blog will be taking a very foresty theme over the Summer - here's a great video by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) about the work they are involved in in the Philippines. Well worth a watch.

Australia's koalas under threat

Australia's beloved koalas under threat

Pressures on the marsupial include urban sprawl, farming, drought, heatwaves and disease an article by Marie-Morgane Le Moël

There is no shortage of postcards featuring lovable koalas in Australia, but it is much more unusual to catch sight of the marsupials in the wild. The situation could deteriorate further, say scientists. The number of koalas – a symbol of Australia – is falling. A senate committee is due to report on whether they should be treated as an endangered species.

Studies suggest there are 50,000 to 100,000 koalas left. "In fact, it is hard to say with any certainty, the funds not being available to carry out extensive research," says Alistair Melzer, an ecologist at Central Queensland University. On the Gold Coast the population is thought to have fallen by 80% in 20 years.

Several factors are to blame, above all the loss of habitat due to urban development and farming. The koala needs large areas of eucalyptus forest for food and shelter. Only certain tree species suit its needs, growing on good-quality soil. "Unfortunately the best places for the koala are also best for humans, namely fertile land," Melzer explains. When their habitat shrinks and they are forced to live close to towns, koalas often get knocked over by cars or attacked by dogs.

Koalas also suffer from heatwaves and drought, which are likely to become more frequent with climate change. They do not like high temperatures and need the moisture of dense foliage.

"If the climate changes these animals don't migrate, so population groups won't move south, where it's cooler. They'll die," Melzer warns.

Koalas are also suffering from an endemic strain of the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia. "This comes on top of the other pressures already affecting the population," says Mathew Crowther, a biologist at Sydney University.

Although scientists agree on the risks, koalas are still not recognised as an endangered species by the federal government. Individual states have their own classifications. In New South Wales, for instance, koalas are listed as "rare and vulnerable", whereas in Queensland their status depends on the location.
Koala campaigners say a national classification is essential, particularly if it enables the koala's habitat to be protected from property development.

This story originally appeared in Le Monde. and can also be found on the Guardian's Website.

Some Mount Roraima Pictures

Sea Life Penguin Enclosure and Funny Penguin Video

In celebration of the new Penguin enclosure at the London Sea Life Aquarium we found a rather amusing clip of a penguin in the wild...

Sea Life's new enclosure opened on 18th May and looks exceptional, but there is a very important aspect to the new zone and that is the conservation of the adorable Gentoo Penguin in the wild. Here's some more information. Let us know whether you have been to see the penguin enclosure...

Penguin Conservation

The natural environment of the penguins in Antarctica is continually threatened by climate change. Gentoo Penguins live primarily on krill (small crustaceans) in the wild, but as the polar ice caps melt, there are fewer krill in the waters as they feed on algae on the ice itself. Penguin food sources are also threatened by the overfishing of krill in the Antarctic, which is used to make commercial fish food. Fluctuations of their food sources threatens the mortality rate of penguin chicks, and therefore the later adult population of penguins for breeding.

One of the main Gentoo Penguin colonies is on the Falkland Islands, which is becoming more and more populated due to the rise in tourism and the construction of roads and buildings on their breeding sites, which therefore threatens the Gentoos natural habitat.

What can I do to help?

One of the main ways to help is to only buy fish that are sustainably sourced. Suppliers are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, so look out for their logo when you are buying fish. At the SEA LIFE London Aquarium we have signed the Sustainable Fish City Pledge, outlining our commitment to using sustainably sourced fish.

Everything you do to help reduce the impact of climate change will also help the Gentoo Penguins. In reducing the amount of waste we produce, the amount of energy we use and the amount of natural resources we consume, we can help keep the planet a safe and habitable place for Gentoo Penguins.