Lisa Marie Williams is the Australian photographer who won the first place at the 2009 Sony World Photography Awards in the Fine Arts and Natural History category. Her amazing photos were taken in the world’s largest hospital for wild animals in Beerwah (The Sunshine Coast, east coast of Australia). Opened in 2008 with money from the Australian States, the hospital is now capable of treating up to 10,000 animals each year. These images are simply amazing. Thanks Lisa Marie! [via SWPA]

Check out more images after the jump

(more…)

If you're new here and you like our articles, how about subscribing free for our updates via RSS feed.

The world’s second largest fish, basking sharks are some of the scariest ocean creatures you’ve ever seen. A gigantic 35-feet long swimmer, the basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) never tell when and where they leave on a vacation. Spending time from New England to the Bahamas and across the equator to South America, experts have been annoyed by not knowing where they hide.

That’s why marine biologist Greg Skomal and his team attached complicated tracking devices and satellite technology to 25 basking sharks off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Only to find out that during winters, the basking sharks make vast migrations to the South to find deep, warm-water hideouts.

With no hint of the adventurousness of these giant fish, recent findings show that basking sharks traveled at depths of between 200 meters (650 feet) and 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) and reached the coast of North Florida, the Cayman Trench in the Caribbean, the Guyana coast and the Sargasso Sea. And one have even been spotted hanging out near the mouth of the Amazon River. Which is far far away from “home”.

However, I can’t help but wonder… Will these findings help us better protect the basking sharks? And also, would humans appreciate being tagged and studied out? In detail? It’s a fascinating animal, but we’d much rather leave the basking sharks alone and do nothing on our part that would do harm to them.

Images courtesy of Wikipedia (1+2), antonystanley, museumwhales, cathrin-peter.

Sure, everybody says what goes on at home is nobody’s business but those in the house. But everybody WANTS to know what really goes on. Enter the Cubcam – a camera that captures the images of the secret life of lions and their cubs. Be careful of what you want to know, you might just find out.

Little guys sneak up on something hiding in the grass. The camera is hidden in elephant dung (how’d you like to have that job?)

The idea for the closeups go to Anup and Manoj Shah, and their sidekick, Carla.

“I am most satisfied with the images which show the personality of the lions.
There is one image of three lion cubs in the Ol Kiombo pride. They look slightly bold and a little apprehensive but that is exactly what a lion cub is.”

The cameras were triggered by movement nearby and were placed near watering holes. We get it now, it’s kinky. These guys just really wanted to see the animals strip down and take a bath.

“OOoo! Who’s that guy with the camera?” said Antoniette (Tony the Tiger’s sister).
Doesn’t matter. If it goes click, we’ll have him over for dinner and he can be the main course.”

Source

Multi-billion dollar Chevron’s Gorgon project won a conditional approval from an Australian environmental regular. The flatback turtle ran, whooosh!, for cover.

Australia’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Western Australia said it was still opposed to the building of the Gorgon liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility on a nature reserve. But, IF certain conditions could be met, the EPA will go along.

The recommendations are conditional and a final decision will be made in two weeks. Meanwhile, Tom continues to run.

Chevron of the U.S. is partnering with Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp, to increase the size of Gorgon to 15 million tons per annum (mtpa). They already have approval for 10mpta. Run, Thomas, run!

Chevron and the Western Australia government estimate the costs will be about A$50 billion ($35 billion).  LNG cargoes are expected in 2014 than the 2010-2011 target. Tommie, are you getting away?

Chevron owns 50 percent of Gorgon. The gas reserves are estimated to be 40 trillion cubic feet and  “Asia is obviously the most promising market and one that is the most buoyant.”

Environmentalist, however are concerned with potential damage to a protected nature reserve on Barrow Island. The EPA said there will be impact on:

1. flatback turtle nesting on the island
2. introduction of non-indigenous species to the island’s ecosystem
3. potential damage inflicted by seabed dredging.

The flatback turtle versus umpteen multi-billion dollar Chevron and it looks like the turtle will finally lose. Good grief!

Did you know that Giant pandas have fun, too? Just like little childs. But check out this black and white fellow who failed to slide the board in the cutest possible way.

[via Ffffound]

We may be in serious trouble. The rabbit or hare depending on your version might win this one.

One of the world’s rarest species of tortoise is under extreme threat. The rarity is not that this is the one that loses to the hare. The threat to Speedy is from exotic pet smugglers.

Conservationists are fighting with smugglers to keep them from taking the Ploughshare tortoise. This type of tortoise can garner thousands of dollars on the black market. It is only found Madagascar.

Some estimates say there are only between 400 and 1,000 left.

If you ask me, we had better hurry … rabbit like hurry.

The Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki) is critically endangered. The toad is endemic to Panama and inhabits tropical forest regions, on mountains and near streams.

At one time, it was thought to have become extinct, but this little fellow can be found at the El Nispero Zoo in Valle de Anton about 70 miles from Panama City.

These frogs are not really frogs. They are toads. They are unusual because they communicate by waving at rivals and prospective mates. Frogs and toads are supposed to communicate by croaking. Some think these fellows learned to wave because of the noise of the fast-moving streams. In other words, croaks couldn’t be heard.

Source

People often wonder what is the deadliest creature on the planet and argue about which animal should take that spot. To be honest though, none deserve that crowning glory better than us humans. But that set aside, let us take a quick look at the supposedly deadliest animals on the planet rated based on their danger to humans as the main criteria.

10. Poison dart frog

The natives just run darts against the skin of this tiny, bright and colorful frog from the rainforests of South America to hunt down prey. Why? Because its poison is enough to kill ten men and will be triggered the moment you touch its skin.

9. Cape buffalo

Here is a simple lesson if and when hunting the cape buffalo- Do not hurt it and leave it wounded as it will actively chase and kill you. This aggressive and massive animal kills more people in Africa than even the mighty predators prowling the continent.

8. Polar bear

The largest predator on the planet is ultra-protective when it comes to its young cubs. And when over-enthusiastic tourists or locals get too close to the cuddly, cute cubs, they are just inviting the wrath of the polar behemoth.

7. The elephant

They are not always the gentle giants and when in rampaging mood, a herd can mow down anything in its path. Reason for over 600 deaths every year, if you manage to keep out of the path then you are safe.

6. African lion

This seems a tab bit strange considering the fact that you would be careful enough to keep your way out of the Jungle king. But in nations like Tanzania where around 70 humans each year fall prey to the lion, that border between civilization and the African Savannah is thin and blurred.

5. Great white shark

With 30 to 100 global deaths each year, the great white is a predator that is all too well known and well documented. It is said that once it gets a taste of human flesh, it will develop a taste for further kills. The ocean’s most well-oiled and evolved killing machine strikes fear at sight.

4. Australian box jellyfish

With 5,567 deaths since 1884, that will definitely speak volumes about how lethal these creatures are. The most venomous marine creature known to man, each tentacle has enough toxins to kill 60 people. Beware if you’re swimming on the Australian coasts.

3. Australian saltwater crocodile

The famous ‘death roll’ will ensure that once you step into the water, it will drown you and then tear you apart. Water is its domain and the largest living reptile on the planet brings with it the ferocity of its Jurassic heritage causing around 2000 causalities each year.

2. Asian Cobra

Snakes like the Resells Viper and the Black Mamba might be deadlier, but the fact that the populous Asian continent is the home to the King Cobra makes its run-ins with humans all too regular and causalities aplenty.

1. Mosquitoes

A small bite that can turn out to be deadly with malaria infecting and killing millions of people across the globe each year. With majority of the victims residing in the developing nations and in the tropical belt, this tiny creature is the biggest killer of them all.

Images courtesy of cliff1066, Arno Meintjes, davipt, Matthieu, jim-sf, doobybrian, shellyblake, wikipedia, enygmatic, trekman.

Thanks to the senseless human activity and excessive greed, the days for one of the ocean’s largest and fastest predators are numbered. Bluefin tuna populations have been rapidly shrinking in the Atlantic and the experts at WWF predict that if fishing of this depleting breed is not completely halted during the breeding season, in a mere matter of 3 years, they’ll probably disappear.

The Bluefin tuna spawns only from the age of four and the current fishing patterns, they will be wiped out by 2012, “thanks” to a very high demand in the Japanese market as a sushi delicacy.

While a growing numbers of restaurants and retailers including Carrefour’s Italian supermarkets are boycotting, illegal fishing and the greediness to make more cash each year are surely proving to be the death knell for the Bluefin.

Images by boogieswithfish, eNil, sifu_renka

Racing in the oceans at the speed of a sports car, is apparently not enough for the Bluefin tuna to escape a tragic future. Something HAS to be done, NOW! [via Reuters]

We love animals here at Greenpacks.We don’t like when they are abused, mistreated and exploited. And that includes goat fighting.

Goat fighting?

I had never heard of the practice until just yesterday when I happened upon a short article in at a Chinese news site that I look at from time to time.

I suppose if we look around to most cultures we will find that there is fighting going on for sport … among animals trained to do so.

Thank goodness we are not so depraved in America. We just let people beat on each other. But, then there’s Michael Vick and the dog fighting and …

Why can’t we all just get along? [via Sina]