GOOGLE EARTH - Another Chance To See

To help you better visualize where in the world Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine went on their travels for Last Chance To See, I have prepared a small Google Earth file that you can download below. As you'll see, Douglas and Mark visited endangered animals all over the world and must have racked up some serious Air Miles. If you don't already have the application installed, you can download if from here: Google Earth, and if you can, pick up "3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator", the 3D navigation device that makes flying round the Earth an absolute breeze!

Once Google Earth is installed, download the Another Chance To See KMZ (Version 1) which should open naturally in the application. Once there, click the PLAY button to "Play Tour". This will send Google Earth on a trip around the world from South America, Africa, through Asia, New Zealand, and back across the Pacific. NOTE: Click the PLAY button in the PLACES section rather than the SEARCH section, otherwise it will report an error.

You can preview a slightly abbreviated Google Maps version of our Another Chance To See file in your browser.

In both Google Earth and Google Maps I would draw your particular attention to Selkirk Island in the South Pacific. If you zoom in really close, the level of detail is tremendous. You can almost see the Juan Fernandez Fur Seals frolicking in the surf. Selkirk Island is named after Alexander Selkirk of course, the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe".

The small Madagascar island of Nosy Mangabe (where many of the Aye-Aye Lemurs live) is also available in pretty good definition. Note the ship on the western side of the island. I wonder if this is a wreck?

Technorati Tags: Google Earth Google Maps

MOUNTAIN GORILLAS - Video of Wild Encounter

Here's a home-video of an encounter with a wild mountain gorilla which comes a little too close for absolute comfort. Hairy indeed (no pun intended), but a memorable encounter for all involved I'm sure.

First gorilla siting of the day in Parc National Des Volcans, Rwanda: a young male spends some time ignoring us and finally pushes our guide out of his way.

NORTHERN WHITE RHINOS - TWO left?

A BBC News report on the DR Congo elections mentions that Congolese Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa says that there are only TWO Northern White Rhino left in the country.

Michael Allison, from Preston in the UK, who asked our panel of Lubumbashi voters whether the environment had been mentioned in the election campaign, will be pleased to know that Mr Ruberwa did indeed cite the virtual extinction of the white rhino - he said there were just two left - as one of the many examples of how Congo has been misgoverned since independence.

This news comes less than a month since we reported that there were only FOUR Northern White Rhinos left.

MOUNTAIN GORILLAS - Tourists brave jungle to visit endangered species

Another reporter records his visit with the Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda, this one being Sagal Ali for the TorontoSun.

The youngest male gorilla gets a running start as he tackles his sister. Their mother, not bothered by her children's antics, slowly eats the leaves from a nearby tree as she watches her offspring play. When the match becomes too rough, she intervenes and pulls the two toddlers apart. Their father, the largest silverback gorilla in the country, lazily leans against another tree and grunts.

Watching the Sabyinyo family of mountain gorillas interact in their natural habitat has easily been the highlight of my trip to this country.

Apparently Bill Gates and Bill Clinton both visited the gorillas earlier this month.

DOUGLAS ADAMS - BBC Mastermind video

Laura Campbell appeared as a contestant on the BBC's "Mastermind" quiz show recently. Her chosen Specialist Subject was "The Life and Works of Douglas Adams". There's a couple of Last Chance To See related questions in there. Can you beat Laura's score?

DODOS - "Flock Of Dodos" movie coming to DVD and theatres

The Kansas City Star has word that the movie "Flock Of Dodos", a hit at this year's Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, is coming to movie theatres later this year. A DVD release is expected in early 2007.

"Flock Of Dodos" is a tongue-in-cheek documentary about the evolution-vs.-intelligent-design fight in Kansas schools.
[...]
It will also be the closing-night movie (on Sept. 21) for this year’s Kansas International Film Festival at the Glenwood Arts Theatre.

KAKAPO PARROTS - DOC under fire for felling old Rimu tree

New Zealand's STUFF reports that the Department of Conservation is taking a bit of heat over its decision to fell a 300-year-old Rimu tree, to make way for a hut to house Kakapo researchers. Rimu fruits are Kakapos favourite foodstuff of course, and are essential to get them breeding.

The tree was cut down on Anchor Island in Dusky Sound, part of Fiordland National Park.
[...]
Department spokesman Martin Rodd said the rimu was in poor condition. "An assessment of the tree found it to be rotting in places and it was considered to be a safety hazard."

It was also on the best site for a hut that was needed to house staff taking care of 30 recently released kakapo.