tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78042462024-03-23T14:51:45.527-04:00Another Chance To SeeNews updates on the endangered animals visited by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine for their book and radio series "Last Chance To See". With updates on the TV series featuring Stephen Fry.Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-26836217534547828052011-07-09T16:37:00.002-04:002011-07-15T11:07:46.366-04:00VIDEO: Five endangered Amazonian Manatees released in PeruHere's some happy Amazonian Manatee news from May. Sorry for the delay. <a href="http://www.livinginperu.com/news/14959">Living in Peru documents</a> the release of five endangered Amazonian Manatees back into the wild. There's also a <a href="http://www.livinginperu.com/gallery/view/3207">picture slideshow</a>.<br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/22954548?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" width="860" height="484" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><blockquote>On April 22, 2011 after more than three years of rehabilitation, Juliana, Victoria and three other manatees were released into their natural habitat deep in the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. This was the first release of the endangered species in Perú.<br /><br />With the financial support of the Dallas World Aquarium the center was able to keep the young manatees alive with a lactose-free milk formulated for orphaned mammals. Previous attempts to rescue manatees with cow milk and other substitutes failed.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-29246047469614358012009-12-26T09:00:00.003-05:002009-12-26T09:02:11.135-05:00Mystery of Amazon Manatee Migration SolvedThere's an interesting article on the BBC News site this week about the mystery of the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8426000/8426287.stm">Amazonian Manatee's migration habits</a>.<blockquote>Only in recent years did scientists find that the secretive aquatic mammal migrates from shallow to deep water.<br /><br />Now researchers can reveal that the manatees make this perilous journey to avoid being exposed to attack by predators during the low-water season.<br /><br />That means the species may be at greater risk than thought, say scientists, as migration and low water levels make them vulnerable to hunters.<br /><br />The international team of researchers from Brazil and the UK publish their findings in the <a href="http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123207827/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0">Journal of Zoology</a>.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-13877499585636704942009-09-02T09:43:00.002-04:002009-09-02T11:58:26.813-04:00BBC Last Chance to See Blog: Brazil ConclusionsMark Carwardine has posted a blog entry on the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/lastchancetosee/2009/09/brazil-conclusions.html">BBC Last Chance to See Blog</a> about the Brazilian trip to see the Amazonian Manatees.<blockquote>Last Chance to See hits our screens this week starting in the Amazon. I was a little apprehensive about this first shoot to be honest. Travelling with Stephen was going to be like travelling with Wikipedia. I remember sending a video blog about this at the time. He's far too unassuming and generous to make anyone feel in any way deficient on purpose, but there's no escaping the fact that he's the kind of person who makes you continually question your own intellect.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-73032941075595438442009-08-30T20:26:00.005-04:002009-08-30T20:34:24.022-04:00Last Chance To See: TV Series Episode 1 - Amazonian Manatee<iframe src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&nou=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=anotherchance-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=B002EPJEOW" style="width:120px;height:240px;padding-left:5px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" align="right"></iframe><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mqd2n">BBC2's schedule webpage</a> now confirms that episode 1 of the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mg3qk">Last Chance To See TV series</a>, featuring Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine, is called "Amazonian Manatee", and will air on Sunday, September 6th at 8p.m. For all you UK viewers, enjoy. I've already got the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002EPJEOW?ie=UTF8&tag=anotherchance-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B002EPJEOW">DVD</a> on order for my Region Free player, so I'll be a little behind with any thoughts on the shows.<blockquote>Stephen Fry and zoologist Mark Carwardine head to the ends of the Earth in search of animals on the edge of extinction, following the route Mark took 20 years ago with the author Douglas Adams.<br /><br />They set out to discover how the lugubrious Amazonian manatee, a freshwater mammal, has survived the last two decades, but Stephen breaks his arm deep in the Amazon rainforest.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-66046939882746732112008-08-09T21:59:00.000-04:002008-08-09T21:59:00.262-04:00Peru's Amazon region to protect pink river dolphin and manatee<a href="http://www.livinginperu.com/news/6934">LivingInPeru.com</a> has a story concerning both Amazonian Manatees and the Pink River Dolphin.<blockquote>Government authorities in Loreto, Peru's largest and northernmost region, have announced that measures are being and will be taken to protect, care for and preserve the lives of pink dolphins and other mammals in captivity.<br /><br />It was reported that anyone who had a pink Amazon River dolphin, Inia geoffrensis, or "bufeo colorado” as they are known in Peru, will have 60 days to report to the Regional Production Directorate and explain why the animal is being kept in captivity.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-26288923077816821612008-08-06T09:06:00.005-04:002008-08-06T09:16:58.489-04:00Mark Carwardine & Stephen Fry - Pictured in the Amazon while filming TV seriesCheck out this news page on <a href="http://www.markcarwardine.com/last.php">MarkCarwardine.com</a> which pictures Mark and Stephen Fry down in the Amazon, most likely before Stephen <a href="http://www.anotherchancetosee.com/2008/01/stephen-frys-x-rays-and-he-has-podcasts.html">broke his arm</a> in such spectacular fashion.<blockquote>Mark has joined forces with Stephen Fry to present a new television series about endangered species – as inspired by Mark's travels to almost every country on Earth studying, protecting and photographing wildlife at risk.<br /><br />The series will include some of the old stars from the best-selling book, Last Chance to See (which he wrote with the late Douglas Adams 20 years ago), and it will introduce us to many new ones that have inevitably joined the ever-expanding cast of endangered species.</blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Last Chance To See</span>, the TV series (or will it get another name before transmission?), is a BBC Wales and West Park Pictures co-venture, due to be transmitted on BBC2 in 2009.<div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-77720661881665748102008-06-08T15:21:00.001-04:002008-06-08T15:21:00.549-04:00Baby Amazonian Manatee - Q&A with rescuerHere's an <a href="http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/apr/15/q-manatee-rescuer-brazil/">interview with Dr Miriam Marmontel</a>, the conservation scientist who helped save Piti, the baby Amazonian Manatee recently. We covered that story <a href="http://www.anotherchancetosee.com/2008/05/baby-amazonian-manatee-gets-little-help.html">back in early May</a>.<blockquote>Q: What's the story behind Piti, and how has Dr. Gregory Bossart been able to help?<br /><br />A: Every year there are a number of cases of orphaned manatees, either because they became entangled in fishing nets or because the mother was killed. They may also be used as bait to attract the mothers for an easier kill. The animals that are rescued by the environmental agency (IBAMA) or donated are usually taken to one of 2 authorized facilities for rehabilitation, in or close to Manaus. However, those facilities are close to their maximum capacity, and they don’t have the policy of releasing animals after a few years (some have been in captivity for 30 years). We feel a need to release those animals as soon as possible, so that they can become part of the genetic pool.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-40514878035564776592008-05-06T07:12:00.000-04:002008-05-06T07:12:00.776-04:00Baby Amazonian Manatee gets a little help from his friendsHere's a rare piece of Amazonian Manatee news from Florida's <a href="http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/apr/28/28tamazon/">TCPalm.com</a>. It seems that Piti, an orphaned baby manatee was entangled in a net deep in the Brazilian Amazon, when conservationists came to his rescue.<blockquote>Conservationist Dr. Miriam Marmontel arrived with her team to find the locals had pulled the river animal free using a harpoon to the back.<br />[...]<br />The two scientists with a passion for preserving aquatic life collaborated to rehabilitate the manatee named Piti in a fiberglass pool on a houseboat in western Brazil's Tef'é Lake. The plan remains to release him back into the wild this fall.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-66154959167424545702008-01-18T16:15:00.000-05:002008-08-06T09:16:58.493-04:00Stephen Fry Injured While Filming Last Chance To SeeThe <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7196783.stm">BBC reports</a> that Stephen Fry has broken his arm while filming the TV version of <span style="font-style:italic;">Last Chance To Se</span>e down in Brazil. How terrible, but equally how fabulous that the filming is now well under way. Get well soon Stephen! <blockquote>A BBC spokesman said Fry was treated at a local hospital before being flown to the US for further treatment and then back to the UK. <br /><br />He would receive more treatment and hoped to be fully recovered to film later in the year, the spokesman added.<br />[...]<br />Fry was on location in Tefe to film the release of an endangered Manatee into the wild. </blockquote>Feel free to use <a href="http://www.anotherchancetosee.com/2008/01/stephen-fry-injured-while-filming-last.html#itemcomments">this post's comments</a> as a "Virtual Cast" to sign your get well wishes to Stephen...<br /><iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=tefe,+brazil&ie=UTF8&ll=-3.299566,-64.715137&spn=0.145321,0.215607&t=h&z=13&iwloc=addr&om=0&output=embed&s=AARTsJpP3-EhJ9oEE3-SreU5N-7P55Rkvw"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=tefe,+brazil&ie=UTF8&ll=-3.299566,-64.715137&spn=0.145321,0.215607&t=h&z=13&iwloc=addr&om=0&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-80200048890608149422007-10-26T12:37:00.000-04:002007-10-26T12:47:17.064-04:00Dwarf Manatee discovered in the Brazilian AmazonHere's some interesting news at <a href="http://www.marcvanroosmalen.org/dwarfmanatee.htm">Wildlife Extra.com</a> about a new dwarf species of Amazonian Manatee discovered by <a href="http://www.marcvanroosmalen.org/dwarfmanatee.htm">Marc van Roosmalen</a>.<blockquote>The Amazonian manatee was thought to be the only manatee fully adapted to living in fresh water, until the discovery of the Dwarf manatee, Trichechus Bernardi, or Prince Bernhard’s dwarf manatee.<br /><br />The story started in September 2002 when Marc van Roosmalen collected a skull of a recently killed adult male. He had to wait for 2 years until he found living proof of the Dwarf manatee, when he was able to study and film a live specimen that was kept in a corral in its natural environment for 4 months.<br />[...]<br />Dwarf manatees are considered to be critically endangered as they are highly restricted ecologically and geographically. It is thought that there may be less than 100 individuals in this population, and they are not known from any other locality. They are hunted as game, and their habitat is highly susceptible to illegal mining of gravel and gold, timber extraction and commercial fishing. </blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-59849281258214606112007-08-24T01:00:00.000-04:002007-08-26T17:44:24.127-04:00Brazil reviving endangered Amazon manateesFrance24.com has a news update on the <a href="http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/administration/afp-news.html?id=070824192218.9r6ucmyo&cat=null">status of the Amazonian Manatee</a>. The article covers the work being done by Brazilian conservationists who are looking to reintroduce Manatees into the wild. The National Amazon Research Institute have 36 manatees in captivity, all of them captured as babies after being discarded by hunters. Their ultimate plan will be to release as many as half of them back into the wild in the coming years.<blockquote>In February 2008 scientists at the National Amazon Research Institute (INPA) plan to take the two manatees (Trichechus inungis) and drop them into the Rio Cuieiras, a tributary of the Rio Negro, where researchers hope they will seek out females and begin repopulating the area.<br />[...]<br />Despite being protected, the manatee population of the vast Amazon has steadily fallen with habitat loss, slow reproduction -- females give birth only once every two years and to only one offspring -- and due to hunting by people who eat the huge, sluggish fresh-water mammal.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-60202425739716403942007-07-14T09:35:00.000-04:002007-07-14T14:01:28.328-04:00Brazil green lights Amazon damsThe BBC has news that the Brazilian government has given the initial go-ahead for the construction of two hydro-electric dams on the Madeira River, the biggest tributary of the Amazon. The impact to the Amazonian environment is bound to be enormous if the project runs through to completion. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6286804.stm">Full story</a>.<blockquote>The Madeira River projects have divided opinion even within government and in recent years have been one of the most environmentally sensitive issues.<br /><br />The river is said to have one of the most diverse fish stocks in the world.<br /><br />Environmentalists fear they could be threatened by the development of the dams costing billions of dollars.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-9819836103582138212007-03-18T19:05:00.000-04:002007-03-19T19:07:34.868-04:00Amazonian Manatees: The Columbus Zoo and AquariumCincinnati.com has an article on The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium about <a href="http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070318/LIFE09/703180324/1052/LIFE">Manatees</a>.<blockquote>At its enclosed Manatee Coast and Discovery Reef exhibit, visitors learn about ocean reef ecosystems, the colorful fish that inhabit them, and the endangered manatee - thought to be the mythical creature of mermaid lore, as spun by old-world mariners.<br /><br />The zoo's goal is to present the animals in exhibits that best mimic the natural environs in which they live, and warm-water enclosures house the manatees, unicorn tangs and other aquatic creatures on display.<br />[...]<br />Since the exhibit opened in 1999, zoo visitors have contributed more than $40,000 to manatee conservation. These donations have supported research and conservation programs for manatees in the United States, Belize, Brazil and Colombia.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-54046324410950014792007-01-28T16:26:00.000-05:002007-01-28T16:45:14.362-05:00Amazonian Manatees: Sani Lodge adventure vacationIf you'd like to get up close and personal with an Amazonian Manatee, why not explore vacation opportunities in the region. <a href="http://www.sanilodge.com/">Sani Lodge</a> in north-eastern Ecuador looks like a wonderful place to experience the wildlife of the rainforest.<blockquote>Deep within the Ecuadorian Amazon you will find a mysterious lake called Challuacocha, where floating water hyacinths and grasses obscure the shores. And if you venture out on this lagoon in a dug out canoe early in the morning when it is quiet and the light is still low, you just might see, somewhere out there, lying hidden in the vegetation a rare and wild Manatee or Anaconda. Float here for a while, scanning the horizon and you would probably notice the yellow, banded chest of an Aracari or hear the hoarse whisper of the Hoatzin. Eventually, the day would pass and you could peer out across the shimmering, black water towards the setting sun, and almost certainly see the gleaming orange eyes of the Black Caiman. Come to Challuacocha and feel the mystery. Come to Challuacocha and experience the world of Sani Lodge.<br /><br />To the north of Challua lies the massive Cuyobeno Reserve and along the southern border stretches the vast Yasuni National Park. In the corridor between, located on 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) of untouched rainforest lies Sani Lodge, a unique Ecuador eco-lodge. Here, the biodiversity will amaze you! On your adventure, you will walk through a pristine rainforest gallery that is home to 1,500 species of trees, hundreds of climbing vines, and exotic flowers, as well as 550 species of tropical birds, 13 species of monkeys and 1,000 beautiful butterflies. </blockquote>Sounds marvellous, and the all-inclusive <a href="http://www.sanilodge.com/pages/rates.html">rates</a> are pretty good.<div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-1165890291993591462006-12-11T21:13:00.000-05:002006-12-11T21:24:52.013-05:00Horny Manatees?You have to laugh at the weirdness of the web. The latest internet craze I'm seeing everywhere is the Horny Manatee that was first mentioned on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien". <br /><br />On December 4th Conan O'Brien included the Horny Manatee in a segment on fake college mascots and gave out its web address as <a href="http://www.hornymanatee.com/">www.hornymanatee.com</a>. Before the show went out on the air, NBC snapped up the HornyManatee.com domain name and set up a quick site. Unlike manatees, this one could have legs...<br /><br /><small>* <i>Not totally kid-safe, but pretty funny, especially the Fan Art</i></small><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-1160699302588327182006-10-12T20:28:00.000-04:002006-10-13T20:24:04.426-04:00SIERRA CLUB COMPASS - March of the Penguins, Etc<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=anotherchan04-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000ICL3KG&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;padding-left:5px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" align="right"></iframe>Pat Joseph wrote to tell me about his post on the Sierra Club blog <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/compass/2006/10/march-of-penguins-etc.asp">Compass</a> entitled "March of the Penguins, Etc". Pat's post talks about how climate change could be driving plant and animal species to migrate poleward. <br /><br />What with <a href="http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com/2006/08/blue-footed-boobies-booby-sighted-in.html">Blue-Footed Boobies near Seattle</a>, and <a href="http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com/2006/08/manatees-new-york-sighting.html">Floridean Manatees up near New York</a> this is certainly a product of climate change worth monitoring.<br /><br />As a side-note, I notice Al Gore's climate change movie "<a href="http://www.climatecrisis.net/">An Inconvenient Truth</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anotherchan04-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000ICL3KG" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />" hits DVD shelves on November 21st. This book (which just <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6043172.stm">won a Quill award</a>) and movie has been in the news quite a lot recently, and Pat actually <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200609/interview.asp">interviewed Al Gore</a> for the Sierra website. I've definately Pledged To See the movie... <br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=7,0,0,0" width="200" height="138"><param name="movie" value="http://www.climatecrisis.net/downloads/widget/widget.swf?key=DA8AA00857EBB799F3323721A66DCAA3" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#333333" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><embed src="http://www.climatecrisis.net/downloads/widget/widget.swf?key=DA8AA00857EBB799F3323721A66DCAA3" quality="high" bgcolor="#333333" width="200" height="138" menu="false" wmode="opaque" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" ></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-1154982739228469842006-08-08T16:32:00.000-04:002006-08-08T12:50:33.560-04:00MANATEES - New York sighting?CNN is one of several outlets reporting on sightings of a Manatee in the Hudson River off Manhatten, New York. The animal has presumably swum up from the warmer waters near Florida. <blockquote>The massive animal has been spotted in the Hudson River at least three times in the last week -- first off the Chelsea and Harlem sections of Manhattan, then to the north in Sleepy Hollow in Westchester County.<br />[...]<br />Last month, trackers saw the manatee as it swam north, first near Delaware, then Maryland, then New Jersey. By Saturday, it was seen in Manhattan.</blockquote>Full story at CNN: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/07/manatee.hudson.river.ap/index.html">Manatee cruises Hudson River</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-1151523901963392252006-06-28T15:45:00.000-04:002006-07-09T14:56:17.243-04:00AMAZONIAN MANATEES - Óbidos at Amazon.com<blockquote>Why would Amazon.com commemorate the site of manatee massacres in its website sales system? The online bookseller isn't letting on, but New Scientist may have the answer</blockquote>In New Scientist Issue 2558, July 1 2006, they speculate on the use of the word "Óbidos" in online retailer Amazon's URLs all over the world.<br /><br />For example, here's part of the URL for the book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=anotherchan04-20&creative=374929&camp=211189&link_code=as2&path=ASIN/0345371984">Last Chance To See</a>" at Amazon.com...<br />http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=...<blockquote>Óbidos is also a town on the real-world Amazon. It can hardly be coincidence, so the folks at Amazon.com must be indulging in a clever play on words.<br /><br /><img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/anotherchancetosee/animalamazonianmanatee.jpg" align="right" style="padding-left:5px;" />What's so special about this town? Situated between Manaus at the heart of the Amazon rainforest and the seaport city of Belém, Óbidos is small and sleepy today, but in the late 18th and early 19th centuries it was a big, bustling place with consulates from 16 nations, a busy port and packed warehouses. The source of its wealth was not rubber - that came later - but the Amazonian manatee, Trichechus inunguis.</blockquote><a href="http://www.newscientist.com/channel/opinion/mg19125582.000-the-word-%C3%B3bidos.html">Full Article</a> (requires subscription unfortunately)<div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-1142086031191794242006-03-11T09:07:00.000-05:002006-03-11T09:09:11.830-05:00AMAZON MANATEES - Peru promotes its Amazon northAn article on the British TravelBite website about Peru's renewed tourism initiative - <a href="http://www.travelbite.co.uk/news/holidays/activity-holiday/peru-promotes-its-amazon-north-$312841.htm">Peru promotes its Amazon north</a>.<blockquote>Peru tourism officials are launching a campaign to promote the country's northern Amazon region.<br /><br />While the Inca trail and the lost citadel of Machu Picchu are well-established on the tourist map, many of the country's northern attractions are less well-known.<br /><br />The city of Iquitos offers the best route for tourists to enter the Amazon region of Peru, which comprises 50 per cent of its territory.<br /><br />Iquitos, the capital of the Loreto region, is surrounded by three rivers – the Nanay, the Itaya and the Amazon – which are home to wildlife including the manatee, or sea cow, the pink dolphin, the charapa turtle, and the anaconda.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-1140449773725171422006-02-20T10:36:00.000-05:002006-02-20T10:39:00.036-05:00AMAZONIAN MANATEES - The Manatee Project in Itamaracá, PernambucoHere's a rare article on the endangered manatee, from Brazilmax.com.<blockquote>The Manatee Project (Projeto Peixe Boi) began in 1980 with an initiative by the Federal Government of Brazil to preserve this marine mammal in Brazil, the greatest concentration of which is found at Barra de Mamanguape, in the state of Paraíba. The discovery of this strategic point on the Brazilian coast came after a long survey to identify the remaining population of these animals. And thus that beautiful estuary was the site of the first base station for the project.</blockquote>Full story at <a href="http://www.brazilmax.com/news1.cfm/tborigem/pl_northeast/id/11">The Manatee Project in Itamaracá, Pernambuco</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-1135695512576662392005-12-27T09:58:00.000-05:002005-12-27T19:32:32.116-05:00AMAZONIAN MANATEES - Manatee-biting catfish invade Florida<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/anotherchancetosee/animalamazonianmanatee.jpg" align="right"><a href="http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Enviro/03EnviroWEST01ENV122505.htm">The Daytona Beach News</a> has an article on the threat to Floridean Manatees from a species of catfish which originally threatened the Brazilian Manatees...<blockquote>As the manatees return to Blue Spring State Park this winter, they're being greeted by the invasive catfish that love them -- or the algae on their skin, anyway.<br /><br />In recent years a species of catfish native to Brazil has expanded into the park's waters, and thrived.<br /><br />The first few were spotted in 1999, and now they are estimated in the thousands. With their shark-like movements and manatee-biting habits, they're among the park's least popular denizens.<br /><br />Rumor has it that the fish -- known as suckermouth sailfin catfish, or more commonly, armored catfish -- are descendants of aquarium escapees. They are often seen grazing on the manatees, which toss and twirl to try and throw them off.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-1125324815574447482005-08-29T22:13:00.000-04:002005-08-29T20:55:41.170-04:00AMAZONIAN MANATEES - Amazon manatee expedition enters final phase<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/anotherchancetosee/animalamazonianmanatee.jpg" hspace="3" border=1 align="right"/>Of all the endangered animals from Last Chance To See, the Amazonian Manatee is one we get little information on. So its a nice surprise to get a little snippet here from <a href="http://internacional.radiobras.gov.br/ingles/materia_i_2004.php?materia=237528&q=1&editoria=">Portal da Cidadania</a>.<blockquote>An expedition that has been studying the situation of the Amazon manatee (Expedição Peixe-Boi Amazônico) since 2000, began the final phase of its work on August 16 when it left Santarem (PA). It will arrive in Manaus today, concluding the study. The Amazon manatee (Trichechus inungis) is the world's only river species. The expedition has gathered data on its habitat and habits, and worked with riverside inhabitants on the importance of preserving the species. The Amazon manatee has been hunted ever since colonial times and is threatened with extinction.<br /><br />The expedition, sponsored by the Aquatic Mammals Center at the Environmental Protection Institute (Ibama), distributed gifts and gave talks and classes to local inhabitants. During the lifetime of the expedition, some 600 riverside communities were visited and around 18,000 people interviewed. It travelled on the Amazon, Negro, Purus, Madeira, Tapajos and Arapiuns rivers.<br /><br />Translator: Allen Bennett<br /><i>© Agencia Brasil</i><br /></blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-1121789372886049562005-07-19T08:09:00.000-04:002005-07-19T13:12:59.733-04:00MANATEES - From armchair environmentalist to swimming with the manateesNice article on The <a href="http://www.theroyalgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050719/LIFESTYLE/107190141">Royal Gazette</a> about a HSBC bank employee who went to Belize to help scientists study the manatees there, in this case, the West Indian Manatee.<blockquote>A local bank worker left his computer behind to spend some time plugged into the plight of manatees in South America.<br /><br />Geoffrey Usher, a project manager in the information technology department at HSBC Bank of Bermuda recently went to Belize to help scientists study endangered manatees, as part of HSBC’s ongoing partnership with Earthwatch. "I am one of those armchair environmentalists, but, recently, I hadn’t been getting off my backside and getting involved in it," said Mr. Usher shortly after returning from Belize. "I thought this would be an ideal opportunity and would give me the kick I needed to actually get out and do something for the environment."</blockquote>Here is HSBC's page about its <a href="http://www.hsbc.com/hsbc/about_hsbc/corporate-social-responsibility/environment/investing-in-nature">Investing With Nature</a> initiative.<div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-1116508356361399902005-05-22T09:12:00.000-04:002005-05-22T07:34:56.606-04:00AMAZONIAN MANATEES - Amazon rainforest destruction acceleratingThe BBC has grim news on the accelerating destruction of the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4561189.stm">Amazon rainforest</a>.<blockquote>The environment ministry said 26,000 sq km of forest were chopped down in the 12 months prior to August 2004. The figure is the second highest on record, 6% higher than the previous 12 months.<br /><br />Deforestation was worst in the state of Mato Grosso where vast swathes of land have been cleared to grow crops.<br /><br />The loss of 26,000 sq km means almost a <span style="font-weight:bold;">fifth of the entire Amazon</span> has now been cleared. </blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-1116348479142163072005-05-19T07:47:00.000-04:002005-05-19T09:10:25.513-04:00AMAZONIAN MANATEES - Paper, website and webcamIt's been a while since I posted anything about the <b>Amazonian Manatee</b>, so here's a few links.<br /><br />Here's a recently published scientific research paper entitled <b>Phylogeography and population genetics of the endangered Amazonian manatee</b> available as <a href="http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/marinemammal/Education/journalclub_pdfs/CantanhedePhyloGeneticsAmazon2004.pdf">PDF</a> or Google's <a href="http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:KazwZjTlxDwJ:www.vetmed.ufl.edu/marinemammal/Education/journalclub_pdfs/CantanhedePhyloGeneticsAmazon2004.pdf+Amazonian+Manatees&hl=en">HTML</a> cache. It has a very positive conclusion.<blockquote>Although classified on the Endangered Species List, the Amazonian manatee has maintained relatively high genetic variability, and the genetic signature of an expanding population might be an indication of recovery in the last 30–40 years after a 200-year period of heavy exploitation.</blockquote>This BBC Science and Nature article is titled <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/features/297feature1.shtml">Manatees that capture the imagination</a>.<br /><br />And finally, here's a link to a Florida <a href="http://www.manateecam.com/live_gallery.htm">Manatee WebCam</a>. OK, so this isn't an <i>Amazonian</i> Manatee, but it's still nice to see a closely related animal on the move. I've not seen them myself yet, just fish so far...<div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com