We love animals at Greenpacks. We love pandas at Greenpacks. What could possibly be better than one animal, or one panda? How about a whole parade of pandas?! Good grief, and we thought that the pandas were about to go extinct! No way! Paris is being invaded by the chubby fellows … some 1600 of them.

The paper mache pandas were set up by the World Wildlife Fund and put on “the Parvis des droits de l’Homme at Paris Trocadero esplanade.” The significance of the number 1,600 - it’s the estimated population of the number of pandas remaining. WWF wants us to do our part to reverse the deterioration of our natural environment, thus, endangering our friends. We’re in! - via Xinhuanet

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Global warming has affected the climatic conditions of Britain, making it a warmer place now. This weather change has encouraged many species of bugs and arachnids to make Britain their home. Among these is the extremely poisonous Black Widow spider that has traveled all the way from America to settle in the UK to make their way through food and plant imports.

Insects like the Asian Harlequin are already endangering the native species of Britain. In the past few years people have been sighting the black widow in bananas and other fruits, however it has been clarified that it is not the deadly Black Widowm but a less harmful cousin of this species.

The species that had originated from southern Europe has built large colonies in Plymouth and Devon and is expected to spread in greater numbers across other parts of southern Europe.

According to Stuart Hine of the Insect Identification Service at the Natural History Museum in London, a cold spell could wipe out the fast spreading species. But he also declared that if the weather continued to remain warm then other species would also make their way through and the black widow would be no exception.

However a new technique is under way to deal with this pest mania which is causing serious damage to Britain’s vegetation. - via DailyMail

We love animals at GP, but this is ridiculous. NYC is hosting a cat show at Madison Square Gardens where cats representing John McCain ask visitors to “vote for your favorite DemoCat or Republicat.” McCain’s cat is called Renegade while the cat representing Obama is called Bombay.

A British shorthair cat named Renegade, representing John McCain

A Bombay cat named Barack Obama sits in his cage

There are cats selling grooming products, like Pocahontas. And a sphynx cat named Masquerade that is sure to hope Halloween will hurry up and get over. Seriously, folks. I think we should let these cats have a turn at dressing up their masters. What do you think?

Pocahontas, a brown patched tabby Persian cat, sits with his grooming products

Sharyn Hauck (R) holds her Bombay cat named Barack Obama, while Robin Beckett (L) holds her British shorthair cat named Renegade, representing John McCain

Images copyright : Sina

The US Federal government listed the beluga whales as endangered. While the beluga swims off the coast of Alaska’s largest city, Governor Sarah Palin called the listing “premature” saying she had pressed for more time to count the whales. It stands to reason that potlickers trying to gain points in Washington 5,000+ miles away would know more than a governor who lives in the area, eh? NOT!

A beluga whale at the Georgia Aquarium

Environmentalists hailed the decision. “Hopefully the State of Alaska will now work toward protecting the beluga rather than, as with the polar bear, denying the science and suing to overturn the listing,” said the oceans program director for the Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement.

Initial problems with the number of beluga whales was caused by over-harvesting by the region’s Native hunters.

Environmentalists also criticized Palin for causing a delay in the listing. Palin had said, “The State of Alaska has had serious concerns about the low population of belugas in Cook Inlet for many years. However, we believe that this endangered listing is premature.”

The hang up on Palin’s side - “all the legal requirements” a listing brings with it. Industry groups have also fought the listing because they fear the listing will hamper:

1. Cook Inlet oil and gas development,
2. cargo shipping,
3. commercial fishing and
4. major construction projects

Let’s see, whales? or industry? - via Sina (Image courtesy of wacko)

One of the numerous endangered species in the world, is the Asian white headed-Langur, also referred to as the leaf monkey because it only feeds on leaves and fruits. Previously found in 16 areas of the Guangxi Province of southern China this species is now limited to only three or four areas.

The steep mountains and the valley below are its natural habitat in the Nongguan Nature Reserve. The outer part of the reserve has been turned into an agricultural land for sugarcane and rice crops.

Dr. Pan Wenshi, a biologist from the Peking University, has been living at the Nongguan Nature Reserve for the past twelve years, trying to do everything possible to save this species from extinction. When he first arrived in the reservation, forest officials were planning to blow up three of the mountain cliffs but with much persuasion from Wenshi the blasting was stopped, restoring its karst mountain habitat.

Today with his continued efforts to save this race the Langur population has gone up from 96 in the 1990’s to a present 500. Check out the gallery below for more pictures. (more…)

There’s a secluded lagoon hidden alongside an island about 700kms south of Tokyo where - Iol says - Japanese fishermen, with the blessings of Tokyo, are slaughtering dolphins. Between October and April of last year, some 16,000-20,000 of the mammals were killed under whaling laws.

The fishermen hammer metal rods into the sea to disable the dolphins’ sense of direction, thus herding them into the lagoon where they stab them to death with knives, hooks and lances. Babies are separated from their parents and pregnant dolphins miscarry, while those the rest are being sold in Japan. Some to animal trainers, while the remainder are killed in a secluded bay.

Parts of the dolphins are processed into pet food and fertilizer.

GP can’t verify the validity of the report, but I am game for heading to Japan, to this island off the coast to see what’s going on and if it’s harm to our good animal friends, try to stop it. Is there anybody who can verify this report?

The longest living insect in the world is Phobaeticus Chani, also known as Chan’s megastick. We showed you some giant insects in here before and knew that the record was hold by Borneo native Phobaeticus kirbyi, at more than 14 inches (35.6 cm), but not anymore. Phobaeticus Chani, also a native of Borneo Island in Malaysia, got the title for the longest living insect in the world after being measured for a record 22.3 inches (56.6cm).

Just the body (excluding legs) of this stick insect is longer than 14 inches.

“We’ve known about both the previous record holders for over 100 years, so it’s extraordinary an even bigger species has only just been discovered,’ said Dr George Beccaloni, curator of stick-insects and their relatives at the Natural History Museum.

The impressive insect is going to show in London’s Natural History Museum. - via GreenCentral

There really is a Shangri-La. It is located at the center of the “Three Parallel Rivers” and is home to the Potatso National Park and Shudu Lake, Niru Area and Bitahai Nature Reserve.

Monks, (not monkeys) squirrels, fir trees and a Tibetan Buddhist Temple can be found there as well.

Ah, Shangri-La. It’s not just a hotel chain. It’s a real place.

When are you going to paradise?

Somehow, deep inside, we knew those Tibetans were wild, didn’t we? I mean, what’s with sitting up in the mountains all day waiting for someone to come to you, ask you a question and such?

Well, a few Tibetan wild asses got loose, or took to the fields, whatever, to hang out with the Qinghai-Tibet railway in Northwest China’s Qinghai province.

The wild asses (kiang) frolicked about and otherwise posed for pix. What were you expecting to see?

Run, fellas, run, before some goof ball in the name of trying to save you puts you in a zoo.

The PETA girls are at it again, stripping down naked, well half-naked, to protest bullfights. Somebody has to do it, right? Why not the girls? And, it all depends on which half is naked, huh?

Activists for the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) taped on banderillas, a decorated barbed dart, and lay in front of the European Parliament in Brussels to protest EU tax payers money used for organized bullfights in Spain.

The fellows from the Parliament could be seen rushing out to interview all the girls to be sure that they got the right impression the PETA girls wanted to make.

I eat meat, girls. Would you like to assemble outside my house and protest?