Lights! Camera! Bears oh my!

Scientists have been using a technology that has enabled them to study elusive species that were once thought to be extinct.  The technology is simple, inferred camera traps.  Actually the true name of the camera is the humble. "The humble camera trap — an automated digital device that takes a flash photo whenever an animal triggers an infrared sensor..." (1)

Some of the species that are being photographed are the Amur leopard (with only 30 individuals left in the wild), the Javan Rhino (the world's rarest rhino), and some Sumatran tigers. 

Why is this important?  The cameras provide evidence that these animals still exist.  Conservationists are using this technology to track individuals to survey whether or not the populations are increasing or decreasing.  They can use past data to figure whether the population is dropping due to weather, deforestation, poaching, over hunting of prey, or diseases.

I would like to test this camera in my backyard.  We have a large pack of coyotes that are causing damage to the local population of rabbits, other small mammals, and in turn is causing a drop in the population of red tailed hawk.  I want to be able to present visual data that they are a large pack and should be relocated.  They lost there territory due to construction.  I want to show the town the damage they cause when they disregard the presence of local species.


Sources:
1.) http://e360.yale.edu/feature/camera_traps_emerge_as_key_tool_in_wildlife_research/2469/

 2.) http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=SM1&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1920&bih=859&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=hP013jP0EQiS3M:&imgrefurl=http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2009/07/sumatran-tiger-cubs-frolic-in-dublin.html&docid=w3HaBJ9UJ0igaM&imgurl=http://www.zooborns.com/.a/6a010535647bf3970b0115724a0841970b-800wi&w=489&h=420&ei=e53fTr7hN4LW0QHKo6yjBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=830&vpy=518&dur=557&hovh=208&hovw=242&tx=108&ty=162&sig=113131952548967410107&page=1&tbnh=146&tbnw=192&start=0&ndsp=33&ved=1t:429,r:28,s:0

3.)http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5DWxKIxXLjvsb3bi9a5fqmldWvfsW8UpapNMaY6YrqVH_VSwGwmPdclymy93ak5T5vrLbQKPP-epyrWK411COxw4m5936XHToSVkVqdaNDiZhtUnoRRaJ80bfqqNilNsVWi48adlMw/s1600/Javan-Rhino.jpg&imgrefurl=http://wallpapers-animal.blogspot.com/2009/11/javan-rhinoceros.html&h=335&w=500&sz=35&tbnid=n3ztvhQMsFfXmM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=134&zoom=1&docid=2BZBHHKbpQlPmM&sa=X&ei=WZ3fTqnHDaPZ0QHmrvShCg&ved=0CEEQ9QEwAg&dur=384

4.) http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Leopard_in_the_Colchester_Zoo.jpg/275px-Leopard_in_the_Colchester_Zoo.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amur_leopard&h=206&w=275&sz=19&tbnid=lktMUkkleHbqSM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=130&zoom=1&docid=PIoep16qUxUukM&sa=X&ei=A6HfTt-UJ6f10gHbvaiJBw&ved=0CFAQ9QEwBA&dur=806

Horse for Dinner?

       Recently President Obama lifted the ban on slaughtering horses for meat processing.  I am an animal lover and I find this appalling.  I understand the importance of the meat industry, I was once an Animal Science major and it was expected we respect the killing of livestock to support a way of life.  Still, it does not change how I feel about horse meat. 

        Just as I view dogs as man's best friend, I view the horse as much as a loyal companion.  Horses are used for so many good things ranging from therapy for special needs children to pulling carriages and carts for farming.  I understand that when a horse gets older to euthanize is expensive; I had to put down a couple pets in my past.  However, this does not excuse the fact that these beautiful animals, which should be left wild, should be mass slaughtered.  Okay so may I am contradicting some of what I am saying, but this subject is too sensitive.  It is one of those topics that get brought up into conversation and then quickly dropped because no one wants to risk saying something that makes them immoral. 

        I just know that my vote is against lifting the ban, though my voice is part of the minority of those who favor horses as a pet over something that will end up on my dinner plate.

       

http://dailycollegian.com/2011/12/05/eating-horses/

Money vs. Nature

I recently read an article that spoke of wolves being slaughtered in hopes to safe a species of caribou.  Truthfully I think it is a load of crap that the naturalist believe removing a top predator will help the numbers of caribou increase.  What I failed to mention was in Canada, where this is happening, there is an increase in the development of tar sands and oil and gas fields that are encroaching on the caribou's habitat. The people in charge believe that by removing wolves the caribou will come back. Unfortunately they are messing with the nature of things.

Canada spent over $1 million to poison and snipe from the air wolves, killing over 500 of these beautiful animals.  I find this to be down right appalling.  If I were able to do something, raise awareness...anything to help the wolves I would. Where to start is the question?

The article can be found at: 

http://e360.yale.edu/feature/alberta_canada_energy_boom_places_wolves_in_the_crosshairs/2459/