Nur Handoko’s Post

More evidence that drones can play an important role in the conservation management of threatened marine mammals - if deployed with care and piloted by experienced operators under proper guidelines.

Drones can be powerful tools in gathering health data about wildlife, including the Salish Sea’s endangered killer whales. We went on a mission to scientifically understand if using drones to collect breath samples would be less invasive than previous sampling methods. With only 70+ Southern Resident Killer Whales remaining in the wild, it’s important that efforts to save the species don’t add to the problem. I’m thrilled to share our new paper–a highly collaborative effort with The SeaDoc Society, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, and the Center For Whale Research–published in the peer-reviewed journal, Marine Mammal Science, that answered that question by analyzing more than 1,000 drone-collected killer whale breath samples. We were able to show there were very few behavioral reactions to the drone, and those seen typically reflected a basic awareness rather than avoidance. This research helps support that drones, also referred to as Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), can be a valuable and lower-impact tool to remotely collect health samples that are vital to the conservation of orcas in the Salish Sea. Of course, UAVs in the study were piloted by trained and permitted professionals following strict distance guidelines. https://lnkd.in/gaPbjufi Big shoutout and thanks to NOAA NMFS, the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, United Parks and Resorts, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through the Pacific Marine Mammal Center for funding this important work! 🐋

Physically similar to a bear, only smaller, sea otter spends its whole life in the water. Swimming, feeding, and hanging out freely with families and friends. This animal inhabits coastal environments, where it dives to the seabed to forage. Sea Otter or the scientific name Enhydra lutris, typically have a lifespan between 15 and 20 years. Having adorable features, this animal can spend its entire life without leaving the water, forming a single-sex raft with its shady round eyes looking at the sky and hind feet resurface half from the water. The group of sea otters floating in the ocean is called rafts. The largest raft ever seen contained over 2000 sea otters floating on the water. They often hold their paws when sleeping to avoid drifting. Other than that, they also wrap themselves with kelp to avoid drifting. Sea otter is a member of the family Mustelidae comprises 13 other otter species like weasels, badgers, and minks. This North Pacific Ocean native animal can weigh between 14 kg to 45 kg, a typical children’s weight that makes them the heaviest members of the weasel family. Though, they are still known as one of the smallest marine mammals around the world. This mammal feeds on marine invertebrates like sea urchins, mollusks, crustaceans, and fish. The act of sea otter needing a tool (a rock for example) to eat and dislodge prey also to open shells is considered unique and intelligent. Despite their small size, one interesting fact about sea otters is that they are heavy eaters. They need to eat between 25 to 40 percent of their body weight every day. With this, sea otters feed on more than 100 varied species daily... Read more: https://lnkd.in/dkBcPfUK

🦁🔊 Hear the Lion’s Call: Ali’s Name Roared Loud and Clear! 📝Title The Lion’s Roar: Ali’s Name Echoes Through the Jungle 🧑🔬Bio I’m Muhammad Faisal Hussaini, an artist passionate about capturing the raw beauty of nature and the profound connections between humans and wildlife. 🔖Label Nature, Wildlife, Animal Communication ⁉️Related Queries How do lions communicate? Can animals call human names? What does a lion’s roar mean? Animal sounds and their meanings Unique wildlife encounters 👂Audience🔉Queries “Can lions really call out names?” “What is the significance of a lion’s roar?” “How do animals recognize human names?” “Is this a real or edited video?” “What other animals can mimic human sounds?” 🎯Tags with Commas lion roar, Ali’s name, wildlife video, animal communication, nature sounds, lion calling, unique animal sounds, jungle sounds, lion behavior, wildlife documentary #️⃣Hashtags #LionRoar #WildlifeVideo #AnimalCommunication #NatureSounds #LionCalling #UniqueAnimalSounds #JungleSounds #LionBehavior #WildlifeDocumentary ⌨️Keyword Search🔍 Lion roars Ali’s name Animal communication with humans Unique wildlife sounds Lion behavior and sounds Nature documentary lion roar SEO Optimized Description In this captivating video, witness an extraordinary moment as a lion roars and calls out the name “Ali” with remarkable clarity. This unique footage captures the raw power and majestic presence of one of nature’s most formidable predators, showcasing a rare instance of animal communication that will leave you in awe. The Lion’s Roar: Ali’s Name Echoes Through the Jungle Lions are known for their powerful roars, which can be heard up to five miles away. But have you ever imagined a lion calling out a human name? In this incredible video, we delve into the fascinating world of animal communication and explore the possibility of lions recognizing and mimicking human sounds. Why Do Lions Roar? Lions roar for various reasons, including marking their territory, communicating with their pride, and warding off intruders. The roar of a lion is a symbol of strength and dominance in the animal kingdom. But what makes this video truly special is the clear articulation of the name “Ali,” a phenomenon that raises intriguing questions about the cognitive abilities of these magnificent creatures. The Significance of Animal Communication Animal communication is a complex and fascinating field of study. While many animals use sounds to communicate, the ability to mimic human speech is rare and often associated with birds like parrots. This video challenges our understanding of animal behavior and opens up new possibilities for research into how animals perceive 🔔Subscribe & 👍Like💖 for new Videos📼Every Day!👇 🔗https://lnkd.in/drVc-jfQ 🔗https://lnkd.in/drVc-jfQ 🔗https://dai.ly/x95t1l2 🔗https://lnkd.in/dfFzmRqR

#naturalhistory #tooluse #humpbackwhales #bubblenets #animaltooluse - Humpback whale joins elite list of animals known to make and use tools Humpback whales have joined an exclusive list of animals that not only use but also manufacture their own tools, a new study conducted off the coast of Alaska has found. Researchers have known that humpbacks create “bubble nets” to hunt. Now, they have found that the giant marine mammals don’t just use these unique nets but also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximise their food intake. https://lnkd.in/gdVyzdzk

Cute Animals That Start With A - Animallearns Let's discover some animals that start with A! We'll explore creatures worldwide whose names begin with this letter. A is the first letter in the alphabet, and it's used a lot. So, let's gather our friends who love animals and start our adventure! We'll begin our journey into the animal kingdom by learning about animals beginning with A. Cute Animals That Start With A (Facts, Pictures) Aardvark Scientific Name: Orycteropus afer Kingdom: Animalia Class: Mammalia Family: Orycteropodidae Diet: Omnivore Lifespan: 23 years Location: Sub-Saharan Africa Weight: 60kg - 80kg (130lbs - 180lbs) Length: 1.05m - 2.20m (3.4ft - 7.3ft) Small animals that resemble pigs and aardvarks are found across Africa, south of the Sahara, in a variety of environments. Most of the time, they live alone and sleep in underground burrows to avoid the intense African sun. In the evening, they come out to forage for food. Their big snout and pig-like form gave rise to their name, which means "Earth Pig" in Afrikaans, the language spoken in South Africa. Being the sole surviving species in its family, aardvarks are special among animals. It was generally accepted until recently that their closest relatives were other insectivores, such as pangolins and armadillos.

Pacific Whale Foundation is pleased to announce our recent publication 'Pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata attenuata) abundance estimates in Maui Nui, Hawaiʻi reveal small population in need of monitoring' published in Frontiers in Mammal Science. Recent minimum population estimates are critical for effective marine mammal conservation, yet such estimates are often lacking at the stock or management level. Throughout the Main Hawaiian Islands, island-associated stocks of pantropical spotted dolphins (PSD) face multiple anthropogenic and natural threats including: - vessel impacts  - fisheries interactions  - marine debris  - climate change  - disease     Prior to this study, no abundance estimates of the 4-Islands (i.e., the Maui Nui region) PSD stock existed that were suitable for management use. This publication features Pacific Whale Foundation’s use of long-term dolphin photo-ID data to generate abundance estimates of PSD in Maui Nui. Our benchmark results revealed a small population in need of monitoring given the numerous threats facing this stock, the uncertainty of their impacts, and the decreased resiliency and recovery potential of small populations to negative demographic and environmental stochastic events. Our findings, including documenting long-term site fidelity and year-round presence of PSD in Maui Nui, further signify this area as one of future research and conservation importance.     Please find our open access article here: https://bit.ly/3W7rTIn   Research activities conducted under appropriate state and federal permits and following animal ethics approval. #MarineConservation #OceanConservation #PantropicalSpottedDolphin #maui #mauihawaii #PacificWhaleFoundation

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, Mississippi has a long history of subjecting its captive animals to harmful conditions - resulting in sickness, injuries, and even death. Yet the U.S. Department of Agriculture has taken years to even issue tiny fines or wag its metaphorical finger at the facility with official warnings. Sign the petition to demand the U.S. Department of Agriculture finally take animals' protection seriously and shut down the dangerous Institute for Marine Mammal Studies! In 2020, a sea lion named Jester died while undergoing surgery at the facility for a problem he shouldn't even have developed in the beginning. Jester had always been a healthy little guy, until he arrived at the Institute in 2015. After that point, he and three other sea lions developed eye lesions - which veterinarians linked to the overly-high levels of chlorine in their water supply. But while he was under anesthesia to have an operation to treat the ulcer, he passed away. None of that should ever have happened. Then, two years later, a bottlenose dolphin named Jag drowned to death at the Institute. The dolphin was attempting to escape facility staff and got trapped under a panel of netting at the bottom of the pool. By the time staff reached him, it was too late. He died tangled up in netting, resting on the floor of the enclosure. On top of all that, experts say that holding tanks for the captive aquatic animals there contain hazardous materials including flaking paint and rust. These are all extremely dangerous for wildlife that evolved to live in the open, unconfined spaces of the ocean. Under government rules, the U.S. Department of Agriculture could have fined the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies up to $12,722 for each animal's death - totalling more than $25,000 for the two deaths combined. Instead, it only issued one measly warning and hit them with a single, paltry $3,000 fine. Why is the U.S. Department of Agriculture essentially letting this facility get away with multiple deaths? It needs to do better to protect animals! The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies has a known history of being unsafe for marine animals. It's time to shut down this facility now! Sign the petition if you agree! more

“Wildly Unnatural: The Problems with Zoo Design” Born Free USA Devan Schowe Animals in Captivity May 2, 2024 “As the presence of zoos has largely become the “norm” in many parts of the world, so, too, has the design of them. This is despite the advancement of animal biology and welfare science indicating that antiquated design often ignores or conflicts with the basic needs of the animals zoos hold captive. By design, and largely for what are promoted as “educational” purposes, zoos often group animal exhibits based on shared geography, oversimplified versions of similar climates, or comparable distribution of animals. For example, many zoos have areas entitled “African Savannah,” “Asian Rainforest,” or “South American Jungle” or similar, but these are little more than design themes that bear no meaningful resemblance to the areas they claim to replicate. These themes also force animals to live unnervingly close to animals that would be their enemies, competition, or food in the wild.” Personal note/observation based on my tenure in the AZA accredited zoological world and ongoing research: Zoos often present a curated image of their animal enclosures, misguiding the public into believing that the exotic animals in their collections spend their entire lives in the faux habitats created for public display. The reality is that a significant percentage of the sentient creatures in zoo collections are “shifted” for overnight periods into concrete and steel enclosures known as “night houses”, more appropriately described as “cages”. These areas may not always align with the naturalistic exhibits seen by the public and highlights the need for transparency and ongoing discussions about animal welfare and the ethics of keeping wild animals in captivity. Complete Story: https://lnkd.in/gsE53wcv #captiveconservation #TheConservationGameMovie #bornfreeusa #AZA #weareaza #ZAA #roadsidezoo

Stress from wildlife tagging can alter post-release behavior & potentially study interpretations. New study shows that these effects diminish within 4-7 days in 42 mammal species and even more quickly for animals in high human activity areas. https://lnkd.in/e7sJWxB3