Trail cameras capture once-in-a-lifetime footage of one of Earth's most iconic species — here's what you need to know
Trail cameras have captured footage of rare snow leopards in the wild. A mother and her cub were spotted in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in northwest China.
Snow leopards are an endangered species and had previously not been seen at the site since monitoring began in 2018, according to Bastille Post Global. An estimated 1,200 snow leopards live in China.
There has been a stronger push in recent years for more biodiversity conservation efforts at the nature reserve, like optimizing monitoring systems and increasing public awareness. This is being done to improve the snow leopard's habitat and ecosystem and strengthen its chances of survival.
Trail cameras are a crucial tool for preservation efforts in the wild. They help experts keep track of endangered species and understand population health without direct human intervention. They can also document evidence of rehabilitation for injured animals.
In India, conservationists used trail cameras to monitor and protect two tiger cubs in the wild from poachers. They appeared to be abandoned by their mother, but luckily, the cameras captured her returning for her cubs just days later.
Trail cameras also helped researchers in Bangladesh spot a leopard, which is a critically endangered species in the country due to habitat loss and poaching.
In Saudi Arabia, a rare Egyptian vulture was captured on camera in a national park. Only 50 breeding pairs of the bird are estimated to live in the country.
Unfortunately, the people and organizations that can best help wildlife conservation with these tools are typically underfunded. From small nonprofit rescue centers all the way up to the U.S. National Park Service, this industry often struggles to cover necessary costs.
But it's critical that we take care of our environment and manage it properly so that more species can thrive and be protected. This has a major impact on our food supply and overall human health.
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
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Liverpool transfer intrigue grows over missing forward as new multi-year deal announced
It wasn't immediately obvious that Liverpool were in town as the ECHO made its way from Hong Kong airport while the rain battered the ground late on Tuesday evening. But by the time the mid-summer sun was beating down on China's southern coast on Wednesday afternoon, signs - some subtle, others less so - that the Premier League champions were in place had started to show. The decorative 'Champions' activation, in conjunction with long-time partners Carlsberg, was placed neatly along the promenade walk known as 'Avenue of the Stars' and it proved to be a popular photo opportunity with passers-by keen to get their snaps for social media content. A more conspicuous boat, carrying both the club emblem and the logo of the Scandinavian brewers on its sails, could also be seen making its way around the river to further hammer home the point about Liverpool's arrival. READ MORE: Where Liverpool transfer spend is coming from after 'rage' about £300m outlay READ MORE: Martin Zubimendi makes bizarre claim after turning down £51m Liverpool transfer - 'the best decision' Naturally, given the groundswell of support the Reds enjoy in this region of the world, there were masses of fans who gathered outside the team's hotel from Wednesday morning through to the late afternoon. And that huge backing is only going to increase the closer it gets to game day in Hong Kong, which comes when Arne Slot and his players meet AC Milan at the Kai Tak Stadium on Saturday. Of course, for Slot, the main thrust of these international jaunts is to get the players up to speed for the forthcoming Premier League campaign and the Liverpool head coach is boosted by the fact that virtually all of his squad are with him in the Far East. This time last year, the then new boss was having to navigate a tour of the United States without the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Alexis Mac Allister, while an injury to Andy Robertson ruled him out and Curtis Jones picked up an early knock in Pittsburgh. Fast-forward 12 months and Slot has virtually a full complement at his disposal, which, in the long run, could prove to be hugely important. Van Dijk, Alisson and Robertson are all with the squad alongside players like Mac Allister, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, while new signings Giorgi Mamardashvili, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz are present. This next week or so will be vital for all of them to acclimatise as they get used to working with their new colleagues. Hugo Ekitike is expected to join them once his £79m move from Eintracht Frankfurt has been formally completed and the France Under-21 international striker will add a new and exciting dynamic to Liverpool's frontline. One player who has missed out, however, is Federico Chiesa, who was left out of the squad with what has been described as a minor injury, fresh from scoring in a 5-0 rout of Stoke City in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Sunday at the AXA Training Centre. The minor fitness concern has explained the omission but it will be no surprise if Chiesa is now the subject of increased interest from Italy, with Atalanta and Napoli both named in connection with the former Juventus man. Chiesa barely featured in the Premier League last season and could be offloaded if the right offer arrives. Of course, this trip comes just weeks after Diogo Jota's tragic death in northern Spain, where he was involved in a car crash with his brother, Andre Silva, and sensitivities understandably remain high. Plans to undergo something akin to a Hong Kong trophy parade were scaled back and a number of other scheduled events were called off after the unimaginably sad news of earlier this month. Players are also being treated delicately over their workload when it comes to media commitments in the Far East. As has become commonplace, a slew of club legends have been recruited for the trip to handle the bulk of interviews and after Sir Kenny Dalglish sat down with local media on Tuesday morning, Lucas Leiva held court on Wednesday at the club's plush hotel. One event that will still go ahead is open training, which is slated for Thursday. Around 25,000 are expected to be present to watch the Reds being put through their paces and while such sessions are often usually performative for the onlooking crowd, Slot famously wasted no time whipping his players into shape during a gruelling workout at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field this time last year. It will be interesting to see if a similar approach is taken this time around as Slot looks to get his players fine tuned for the big kick-off, which comes when LIverpool begin the defence of their title at home to Bournemouth on Friday, August 15. These trips are not solely about the football itself, though, and pre-season is an equally important period for the business side of the operation. This tour was held as part of the club's partnership with Japan Airlines and the club announced on Tuesday a multi-year global partnership with EC Markets, who are described as "the leading forex, indices, equities and commodities broker". Ben Latty, chief commercial officer at Liverpool FC, said: 'We want partners who share our passion, ambition, and commitment to innovation, and are proud to welcome EC Markets to the LFC family. 'With hundreds of millions of fans worldwide, this partnership will generate global exposure for EC Markets, and we look forward to working together.' Matthew Smith, CEO and chairman of EC Markets, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to partner with Liverpool FC, a club with a rich history and truly global reach. As we partner with the number one football club in the most prestigious league in the world, we see a reflection of our own ambitions at EC Markets. 'Just as Liverpool FC has earned its place at the top through relentless dedication and success, we too are committed to position EC Markets as a number one leader in the financial markets, known for our innovation, trust, and dedication to empowering our clients. We look forward to a successful and mutually beneficial relationship."
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trail cameras capture once-in-a-lifetime footage of one of Earth's most iconic species — here's what you need to know
Trail cameras capture once-in-a-lifetime footage of one of Earth's most iconic species — here's what you need to know Trail cameras have captured footage of rare snow leopards in the wild. A mother and her cub were spotted in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in northwest China. Snow leopards are an endangered species and had previously not been seen at the site since monitoring began in 2018, according to Bastille Post Global. An estimated 1,200 snow leopards live in China. There has been a stronger push in recent years for more biodiversity conservation efforts at the nature reserve, like optimizing monitoring systems and increasing public awareness. This is being done to improve the snow leopard's habitat and ecosystem and strengthen its chances of survival. Trail cameras are a crucial tool for preservation efforts in the wild. They help experts keep track of endangered species and understand population health without direct human intervention. They can also document evidence of rehabilitation for injured animals. In India, conservationists used trail cameras to monitor and protect two tiger cubs in the wild from poachers. They appeared to be abandoned by their mother, but luckily, the cameras captured her returning for her cubs just days later. Trail cameras also helped researchers in Bangladesh spot a leopard, which is a critically endangered species in the country due to habitat loss and poaching. In Saudi Arabia, a rare Egyptian vulture was captured on camera in a national park. Only 50 breeding pairs of the bird are estimated to live in the country. Unfortunately, the people and organizations that can best help wildlife conservation with these tools are typically underfunded. From small nonprofit rescue centers all the way up to the U.S. National Park Service, this industry often struggles to cover necessary costs. But it's critical that we take care of our environment and manage it properly so that more species can thrive and be protected. This has a major impact on our food supply and overall human health. 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.
CNN
a day ago
- CNN
Baby sea turtles in Georgia are struggling to find the ocean this season. Massive interstate lights are to blame, experts say
During the first week of July, the popular travel center and gas station chain Buc-ee's opened its largest location in Georgia, just off coastal Interstate 95. But it's not the beaver-branded merchandise or the smell of barbecue that's attracting Georgia's sea turtles — it's the harsh glare of towering high-mast lights. Under normal conditions, the soft glow of moonlight guides newly hatched loggerhead sea turtles from the beaches of Little St. Simons Island to the ocean. But this summer, brighter and taller lights are disrupting that instinct. Instead of heading toward the sea, the hatchlings are being drawn miles inland, where they risk falling to predators or dying from exhaustion before they find the water, said Scott Coleman, ecological manager of Little St. Simons Island. The loggerheads are the only sea turtle species to regularly nest on Georgia's barrier islands, including the Golden Isles. St. Simons Island, the largest of the isles, has long struggled with hatchlings losing their sense of direction and becoming what's known as 'misoriented,' largely due to the artificial glow from beachfront homes and vacation rentals, according to Catherine Ridley, vice president of education and communication at One Hundred Miles, a nonprofit working to conserve Georgia's coastal habitats. The problem has only intensified in recent months. A previously dark stretch near I-95's Exit 42 in Brunswick, Georgia, is now flooded with intense, artificial light from the high-mast light fixtures illuminating the Buc-ee's exit. The lights were there before the proposal and construction of Buc-ee's, according to Brittany Dozier, Glynn County's director of communications. Buc-ee's itself is not responsible for the lights. The county is choosing to keep them on 'for the safety of the motoring public,' Dozier said. However, the set up casts light far beyond the highway, extending onto beaches even 12 miles away, including Little St. Simons and Sapelo. 'It's more than sky glow — you can see the light from the actual bulbs shining directly onto the beach,' Ridley said. 'When you have unshielded artificial lights shining brightly onto the nesting beach, it can override the natural cues the turtles use to find their way to the ocean, and we see misorientations as the result.' A brightness crisis Georgia's Department of Natural Resources monitors sea turtle nests and misorientations on Little St. Simons Island. In 2024, 11% of nests had more than 10 misoriented hatchlings, according to a report from the department's Wildlife Resources Division. On average, each loggerhead nest has around 120 hatchlings, Ridley said. However, it's not just hatchlings at risk from artificial lighting. Nesting females also avoid brightly lit areas, reducing their options for safe nesting grounds along the coast, according to Coleman. The turtles typically nest on the same beaches each season from late May to mid-August. Although conservationists monitor nests closely, rescuing misoriented hatchlings is not always an option. 'We never really know exactly when the nests are going to hatch, and in any given nesting season we are monitoring 75+ nests, and often more than 100 nests,' Coleman said in an email. 'When hatchlings emerge and crawl in the opposite direction of the ocean, they are much more vulnerable to predators.' Little St. Simons Island and Sapelo bear the brunt of the problem sitting closest to Exit 42. If these types of high-intensity lights continue to expand, even underdeveloped parts of the isles like Jekyll Island — home to the greatest population of nesting turtles along the coast — could see serious long-term consequences for their turtle populations, Coleman warned. The rise in artificial light has been impacting threatened species of sea turtles all along the Southeast coast. In North Carolina, light-polluted beaches sometimes cause turtles to return to the sea without laying eggs, the National Park Service says. In Florida, there were more than 10,000 loggerhead turtle misorientation events from 2020 to 2023 alone, and that number only accounts for the turtles tracked by the state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Across the country, light pollution continues to soar. Based on measurements from citizen scientists, the average night sky in the US increased in brightness by 9.6% each year from 2011 to 2022, the National Park Service reported — equal to doubling the brightness of the sky every eight years. Experts urge quick fixes with hatching season underway The Georgia Department of Transportation owns the high-mast lights, but by agreement, Glynn County is responsible for ensuring the lights are operational, said Dozier, the county's communications director. The same high-mast lights exist at three other I-95 interchanges in Glynn County, according to Dozier, and the lights near Exit 42 do not violate any county ordinance. The county's public works department said the county and state transportation department discussed turning the high-mast lights off after street lights were installed at roundabouts, according to emails between Glynn County Public Works and a Georgia Department of Natural Resources biologist in May and June, shared with CNN by Ridley. The standard streetlights have since been installed, Ridley said, but the towering high mast lights remain in use as of late July, except during maintenance. Despite pleas from conservationists to dim or turn off the lights during the loggerhead hatching season, which began on July 15, county officials have not committed to shutting them off, Ridley said. Dozier told CNN on Wednesday the 'lighting installed at the roundabouts or near Buc-ee's was never meant to replace the high-mast system that serves the interchange.' The Georgia Department of Transportation is currently evaluating the installation of an alternative lighting system, she said. CNN has also reached out to Buc-ee's for comment, though they are not responsible for building, operating or maintaining the high-mast lights. In the meantime, conservationists are pushing for temporary fixes to protect this year's hatchlings. 'It's hard to understand why anyone needs lights that blindingly bright to begin with, but in the short-term, we'd be open to even temporary fixes that lower the risk to turtles this season, (such as) adding shields so they point in a downward direction,' Ridley said. These turtles are also beloved by residents and visitors alike, the nonprofit leader noted. 'I speak to tourists and residents every day on the beach that have moved here or have vacationed here for decades, all in hopes of seeing one (turtle) in person,' Ridley said. 'But if we're going to put sea turtles on billboards and magazine ads, we need to hold up our end of the bargain.'
