Grebes are specisalised waterbirds which inhabit marshlands and reed-fringed lakes. Their dependence on wetlands is total and as a result they are particularly vulnerable to changes in ecosystems and their deterioration. So adapted are they to the wetlands they inhabit that they are an ideal…
Descended from a long and ancient lineage, tapirs are important tropical forest seed dispersers. However, today, all species of tapirs are threatened to various degrees by habitat destruction and hunting. This action plan was written with wildlife biologists, ecologists, administrators,…
Over the last 30 years the African wild dog population has declined dramatically. Dogs have disappeared from 25 of the 39 countries in which they were previously found, and only 6 populations are believed to number more than 100 animals. Today it is believed that between 3,000 and 5,500 dogs…
Found in a variety of forms and sometimes with very attractive flowers, cacti and other succulents have elicited widespread interest and tremendous popularity worldwide. Although the subject of a certain amount of debate, about 10,000 species of plant are recognised as belonging to the succulent…
The Ethiopian wolf is one of many species endemic to the highlands of Ethiopia but with only about 400 adults remaining, it is also the most endangered canid in the world. The main threats to this creature are loss of habitat to subsistence farming and livestock over-grazing, human development…
Guests at Le Tonle stir from their sleep to the gentle hum of boats along the tranquil Mekong River.
The practice of keeping live birds in captivity has been widespread throughout this century and has increased considerably as the 20th century comes to a close. In the last decade or so, the increased trade in live birds from Tanzania has given rise to a number of concerns regarding the…
Wild caprinae, including sheep and goats, are an extremely valuable group of mammals. While most live in mountains, some inhabit desert grasslands, tropical forests or even arctic tundra. They range in size from the 30kg goral to the 350kg musk ox and display a variety of horn shapes and sizes…
There are currently three species of Asian rhino: the Indian or greater one-horned Asian rhino, the Javan or lesser one-horned Asian rhino and the Sumatran or Asian two-horned rhino. Today, all three are threatened with extinction and two, the Sumatran rhino and Javan rhino, critically so.…