Photographer stunned as new technology captures haunting images in rainforest: 'The ultimate thrill'
After setting up his camera in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, a 4,000-square-kilometer (1,545-square-mile) expanse of lowland rainforest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mongabay reported that photographer Will Burrard-Lucas captured stunning shots of elusive wildlife.
"For me, the ultimate thrill is to photograph predators," Burrard-Lucas told Mongabay. "It was an incredible moment when I returned to one camera and found a photo of the most impressive male leopard I have ever seen!"
The biodiversity in the DRC is rich — 450 mammal species, 15,000 plant species, and 1,150 bird species roam the world's second-largest tropical rainforest area, according to Interactive Country Fiches. Burrard-Lucas set up four cameras in the national park. Such camera traps provide valuable research about the status of and threats to wildlife populations, particularly those that are endangered.
African forest elephants are among the critically endangered species in the area that the cameras managed to capture. Other delightful creatures caught in action — often at night — include duikers, water chevrotains, giant pangolins, etc.
Seraphin Ngouna, a staffer at one of Nouabalé-Ndoki's research sites, told Mongabay, "These photos are amazing; I am really happy that thanks to these cameras we are able to take pictures of the animals that are very difficult to spot."
Without intervention, such as reduced interaction with humans or habitat protection, the next step for endangered species can be extinction. However, such candid photography can help researchers and governments document what species are endangered and how to help. Doing so benefits the entire world, as a blend of different species from the plant and animal kingdom creates healthy biodiversity for a functional ecosystem.
Conservation efforts have proved to work, such as with the monarch butterfly. After facing threats due to the extensive loss of their sole food source, milkweed, the area the monarch butterfly covers has doubled from 2024 to 2025. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point researchers have developed heat-sensing drones to protect threatened waterfowl.
The stunning photos from the Congo were a hit in the comments, as one person said, "Absolutely brilliant photo[,] well done all of you involved in this project." Another remarked, "This is amazing."
Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty?
Definitely
Only in some areas
No way
I'm not sure
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Researchers raise alarm after disturbing behavioral shift among Amazon birds: 'It's very sad'
Recent research is indicating that a mere 1° C (or 1.8° F) increase in average dry season temperatures locally could mean a 63% drop in some Amazonian bird populations, according to a mid-May report from Mongabay. The study, published in the journal Science Advances in January, examined 27 years of data for the populations of 29 Amazon bird species. In that timeframe, 24 of the species showed reductions in population size. Researchers suggest that shrinking insect populations — potentially a result of higher temperatures — mean less food for birds. The heat itself may also act as a direct stressor for the animals. While some might expect seemingly tucked-away portions of the Amazon to be sheltered from the worst of the climate crisis, this study is showing that its effects are reaching even the most remote areas of the planet. "These birds obviously experienced temperature changes of 1° C (1.8° F) or 2° C (3.6 °F) over these millions of years, but they occurred slowly over time, allowing the species time to adapt," study co-author Jared Wolfe told Mongabay. "Right now, we are talking about rapid changes over 10 or 20 years, and these birds don't have the [ability] to keep up with them. And it's very sad," he said. The Amazon rainforest is a hotbed for biodiversity, home to many species that science has yet to fully understand. The delicate balance between the species there provides ecosystem services not only to the region, but the world. Hits to local bird and insect numbers are likely to have a range of ripple effects. But they may also serve as indicators of disasters yet to come, being perhaps simply a more tropical canary in the coal mine. The co-authors highlight in their paper the importance of learning more about conditions that could be protective of vulnerable species. "Identifying the landscape characteristics that confer resilience to tropical forests and formulating policies to safeguard these resilient forests are essential steps toward ensuring the persistence of vulnerable tropical bird communities into the 22nd century," they write. Researchers intend to follow up with a study that zeroes in on isolated bird populations and another observing the effects of irrigation on populations during the dry season. The results could inform best practices for sustaining bird populations and potentially other life forms as global temperatures rise due to human-caused pollution. Still, this study delivers a strong message on its own. "This article unequivocally links climate changes with the birds' survival," Wolfe told Mongabay. "It was just a hypothesis until now, but this analysis confirms that they are playing a significant role in bird deaths in central Amazonia." Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
The proof that older people are getting smarter
Fitter, faster, stronger – and smarter. I'm paraphrasing, but that's how researchers at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently summed up the Baby Boom generation in a recent report on the consequences of global ageing. The developed world may be running out of lithe young things to drive our economies forward as birth rates collapse, but the oldies that remain are brainier than any generation before and can pick up at least some of the slack, it said. The IMF's findings rely on data from 41 advanced and emerging market economies and show that, on average, older people from around the age of 50 are smarter or more cognitively able today than ever before. Moreover, of all the indicators of healthy ageing (better retained agility, flexibility, strength, stamina etc), it is an improvement in our mental capacities that is most marked in the data, says the IMF. 'We aim to offer a new perspective on the old argument that ageing will lead inevitably to slumping economic growth and mounting fiscal pressures', say Bertrand Gruss and Diaa Noureldin, lead authors of the new report. 'When it comes to cognitive capacities, the 70s are indeed the new 50s: A person who was 70 in 2022 had the same cognitive health score as a 53 year old in 2000. Older workers' physical health – such as grip strength and lung capacity – has also improved.' The IMF aren't the only people who have looked at this trend. A 2022 study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US shows that when it comes to brain power, Baby Boomers (born between 1946 to 64) beat the Great Generation (1901-27) on all the researchers' key measures of cognition. 'We found better age-adjusted performance in the cognitive domains of processing speed, executive function, attention and verbal fluency in more recent generations compared to the Greatest Generation', said its authors. So why is the world seemingly getting smarter? Professor Axel Börsch-Supan, director of the Munich Center for the Economics of Aging (MEA) at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy in Munich, said improvements in education have been key. 'That [Boomers] are smarter is essentially a function of their much better education than earlier generations', he says. 'If you look at the years of schooling, that immensely increased in Europe, particularly in the Mediterranean countries, but also in the North and the East.' Education and better nutrition in childhood does not just help preserve good cognition in later years but improves employment prospects. And the longer you stay in employment, with all the mental and social stimulations that brings, the better things are for our brain health. Given the proportion of over 65s participating in the UK labour market has been slowly rising, and has more than doubled since 2000 participation was at 7.8 per cent over the first three months of that year, increasing to 15.7 per cent in 2025), no wonder our mental fire power is improving. Further Department of Work and Pensions data reveals that in the UK, 10 per cent of 70 to 74-year-olds were still in employment in 2024 (up from 5 per cent in 1984) as were over a quarter of 65 to 69s (27.6 per cent, up from 9.5 per cent in 1984). In 2024, the average age of people exiting the workforce hit its highest level since the 1960s (65.7 years old) and its highest level on record for women (at 64.5 years). On June 7 The Oxford University Longevity Project will gather for the Smart Ageing Summit 2025 in Rhodes House in the heart of Oxford. The meeting brings together leading longevity experts and enthusiasts from around the world to explore 'how we can age smarter and better now'. Leading lights include the runner and academic Sir Christopher Ball, 90, the father of the pace maker Professor Denis Noble, 88, and the broadcaster Angela Rippon, 80. Physician Sir Muir Gray, 80, a director of the Longevity Project and a pioneer in the area of evidence-based ageing, said the first thing to grasp about ageing is that 'ageing by itself' is not the problem. Instead 'controllable factors' including loss of fitness (mental and physical) and environmentally-linked disease were the things to look out for. 'The trick to healthy ageing is for all of us to have a plan', says Gray. 'A plan to understand ageing, a plan to regain lost fitness, a plan to reduce the risk of disease striking, a plan to better adapt to your environment… It's knowledge that's the elixir of life. 'In the 12 years since my myocardial infarction [heart attack], I've had 400 boxes of pills and not one prescription of exercise or diet from the NHS. The pills keep me going but it's all the other stuff that keeps me young,' he says. 'All the other stuff' includes the internet – Gray believes it has contributed to gains in cognition by keeping older people engaged with the world. The same applies not just to staying in the labour market for longer, but particularly to career changes – an increasingly common phenomenon that forces us to start over again in our learning and greatly broadens our knowledge and experience. Volunteering has a similar impact. 'Becoming a volunteer is a very good way of reducing your risk of dementia,' says Gray, because, as with staying in the labour market, it allows you to keep yourself 'mentally and physically challenged' by keeping you engaged with society and your local community. The threat of dementia is the perfect reason to heed Gray's call for people to better understand the process of ageing and plan for it. Only around 60 per cent of it is caused by Alzheimer's, leaving 40 per cent linked to behavioural and environmental factors – many of which we can avoid or mitigate. According to Gray, this also includes looking after your vascular heath through regular exercise; a good diet and the avoidance of binge drinking, smoking etc; and protecting the brain tissue from damage 'caused by stress, sleep problems and over medication'. Working has already proved its cognitive worth: a 2020 study by the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation in the US found that American women who had paying jobs as young adults into middle age had slower rates of age-related memory decline than women who didn't, while women who did not have much paid work between the ages of 16 and 50 tended to have faster declines in memory later in life. Medical understanding had also completely changed in a generation, says Gray: 'we know now we can form new neural circuits at any age, whereas doctors who qualified before 2000 were taught that after 20 all that happened was that brain cells died off'. Until recently there has also been prejudice in the medical establishment, says Gray – some of it quite subtle. 'The effects of ageing on intellectual capacity have been greatly exaggerated because researchers have used tests that concentrate on quick decision-making, which does slow with age. But quick decision-making is only needed in pub quizzes and landing planes and [now] AI will do it for you. We actually get better at complex decision making as we live longer. As Oscar Wilde said, 'experience is the name we give our mistakes!'' But while the trend from the Greatest Generation to the Baby Boom generation shows an uptick in brain power, there are important caveats and nuances. Although the IMF points to an average gain in cognition worldwide, there are outliers who are faring less well, particularly in disadvantaged groups among Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980). 'Average health scores are significantly lower for individuals in rural locations, individuals with at most primary education, and lower-wealth households', says the IMF. 'Further analysis reveals that lifestyle factors, such as levels of physical activity, body mass index, and smoking, are significant determinants of the functional capacity of older individuals [even] after age and socioeconomic characteristics are controlled for.' 'The biggest changes in the UK are in the lower [socio economic] groups,' agrees Börsch-Supan. 'There's definitely a social gradient and it has a lot to do with health behaviours, nutrition and the big disaster of cheap prefab food. Look at the pizza which you buy for a pound – they're really bad quality.' In short, the trend can only continue if we don't sit on our laurels. Only those people cycling to work each day, climbing stairs or going to night classes will get a boost in the smart charts. To gain personally, you've got to put in the hard yards (and plenty of fruit and veg) yourself. Still, as the rest of the world continues to get smarter, the Boomer generation are the poster boys: it's why Mick Jagger, 81, and Iggy Pop, 78, are still touring. We just need to be wealthy, clean-living, gainfully employed and well connected to make it last. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Ocean currents can generate electricity – and our study shows Africa's seas have some of the strongest
The world's oceans cover more than 70% of Earth's surface. They're filled with currents, some much stronger than the fastest flowing large rivers. These currents can be harnessed as clean, marine renewable energy. Marine energy is much more predictable and reliable than many other forms of renewable energy because unlike sun and wind, which regularly do not produce electricity, ocean currents never stop moving around the planet. New research has found that the eastern and south-eastern coasts of Africa have currents that put them among the world's top potential locations for ocean energy production. Researchers Mahsan Sadoughipour, James VanZwieten, Yufei Tang and Gabriel Alsenas explain what is needed to bring renewable marine energy into African countries' electricity mix. Ocean currents contain kinetic energy that can be converted to electrical power using turbines. This is similar to offshore wind farms, or wind turbines positioned in the ocean, that convert wind to electricity. The difference is that converting ocean currents to energy means the turbines would float on the surface or just under the surface of the ocean. The electricity they generate can be brought to shore using power cables under the sea (as is currently done with wind turbines in the sea). It could also be used to generate hydrogen offshore which could be transported and used as fuel. This would eliminate the need for subsea cables. We looked at 30 years of water velocity data – measurements of how fast the water moves (currents). We got the data from drifting buoys in the ocean. These devices are fitted with meteorological and oceanographic sensors that have been sent into the ocean. There are 1,250 of these buoys floating around the world's oceans today. They are designed to follow the water circulation in oceans so that they can constantly measure the speed and direction of ocean currents. They aren't blown around by the wind. They transmit information about ocean currents via satellite so that it can be made publicly available and used by scientists. We looked at 43 million measurements of ocean current speed and direction at specific locations and times over 30 years. From this, we were able to calculate the amount of energy stored in every metre squared of the ocean. This is known as energy density. This is a foundational step in determining the potential of ocean currents for generating clean and renewable energy. Our research is the first time this information has ever been generated. Prototypes have been developed and tested at sea from as far back as 1985. But there are no ocean current turbines feeding power to electrical grids at present. This delay between testing the prototypes and getting turbines up and running has happened because of the technical challenges in setting up these systems in deep water offshore environments. Developers have recently made new advances, however, improving the undersea cables and the microcomputers used in ocean current energy systems, and enhancing the design of the turbine blades. There have also been advances in developing stronger anchors for these systems. Read more: The new and advanced systems are being developed and tested in the waters off Florida (US), North Carolina (US), Japan and Taiwan. Engineers in South Africa and Mexico are also investigating the potential of ocean current turbine systems. We've identified high energy areas in the waters off Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar. They have some of the most energy dense currents on Earth, higher than the standard for wind energy resource to be classified as 'excellent'. These are potential sites for ocean energy production. An area in the ocean off the coast of South Africa also has potential. For example, we found areas with power densities ranging from 500 to 2,500 watts per square metre over an area around 800km by 30km off South Africa and around 2,000km by 30km off Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. To put this into perspective, the average small household in South Africa uses on average about 730 watts of power. Therefore, every metre squared in the ocean that generates power could provide enough power for one small South African household. Read more: More research is needed, however. This is because we haven't been measuring the currents in the Indian Ocean as long as we have for other oceans. For example, Pacific Ocean currents have been measured since 1979 but the Indian Ocean currents have only been measured since 1994. Also, most of these high-energy areas are located in relatively deep water (over 1,000 metres deep). This could make it challenging to install ocean current turbines. On the positive side, these areas are relatively close to shore. There are also areas off South Africa, Somalia, Kenya and Madagascar where strong ocean current energy densities are found in waters as shallow as 100 metres. There is a good chance that relatively shallow and nearshore locations such as these will be the first places where ocean current based electricity will be generated off Africa. Scientists all over the world are conducting research into how to use the oceans' waves, tides and currents to generate energy. So, what's needed is for the projects to be developed. Usually, this starts with a project developer, community or electric company setting up a business to attract investment to get the project started. Then more technical work will be needed. This includes measuring the ocean currents closely to select the precise locations for the turbines, and figuring out how to connect the turbines to shore. The project developer then needs to bring everything together. Each project will cost a different amount, depending on how big it is and what technology is needs. Finding the start-up funds could be a challenge. The other stumbling block is that the technologies to harness ocean currents are not commercially viable yet. But they are developing fast. Ocean current energy is a compelling prospect for African countries in times of climate change. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: James H. VanZwieten Jr., Florida Atlantic University; Gabriel Alsenas, Florida Atlantic University; Mahsan Sadoughipour, Florida Atlantic University, and Yufei Tang, Florida Atlantic University Read more: Climate change is disrupting ocean currents. We're using satellites and ships to understand how Six areas where action must focus to rescue this planet The untapped power of ocean winds – why New Zealand is looking offshore for future renewable energy James H. VanZwieten Jr. receives funding from the US National Science Foundation and US Department of Energy. Gabriel Alsenas receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, State of Florida, and marine energy sector partners. Florida Atlantic University's Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center is a member of the U.S. National Hydropower Association Marine Energy Council, the U.S.-based industry association for marine renewables. Mahsan Sadoughipour receives funding from DOE. Yufei Tang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
