Latest news with #Hutan
ABC News
08-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Melbourne Zoo's Sumatran tiger sent to dentist over cracked canine teeth
If there is anything more heart-racing than being caught in the eye of the tiger, it must be being caught in the mouth of one. That was the experience of one Melbourne dentist this month, who was called to get between the jaws of one of nature's fiercest predators. Hutan the tiger weighs 110 kilograms and had to be sedated for two hours. ( Supplied: Zoos Victoria ) David Clark had been brought in for dental work on Hutan, one of Melbourne Zoo's two 15-year-old Sumatran tigers, when it was discovered a third tooth also needed attention. For Dr Clarke, a specialist animal dentist who usually works on cats and dogs, it was a significant departure from the normal nine-to-five — a 90-minute procedure on an apex predator. "Coming out to do a tiger is … something you could never imagine you were going to do," he said. Hutan's injuries included cracks to his two lower canine teeth — a pair of 7.5 centimetre shredders capable of effortlessly cutting through muscle and sinew. A root canal procedure involves removing a dead nerve to remove pain from a damaged tooth. Two hours under anaesthesia and three root canals later, Hutan's jaws were recovering back their biting best. They were injuries which could be fatal in the wild but were easily handled in a zoo — if a little confronting for the dentist working on them. Zookeepers believe Hutan cracked his canines while chomping bones. ( Supplied: Zoos Victoria ) Zoo officials believe they were likely damaged while Hutan chomped through bones. "You're suddenly face-to-face with this incredibly powerful animal," Melbourne Zoo's life sciences manager for carnivores Laura Weiner said. " Yet, in that moment, you're focused on something as small and delicate as a tooth. " After a groggy wake-up, Hutan was reportedly soon back to regular habits: exploring his habitat, enjoying the sunshine and grooming himself. Sumatran Tigers are considered as a critically endangered species in the wild. ( Supplied: Zoos Victoria ) He is one of two Sumatran tigers living at Melbourne Zoo, both born in 2010. Sumatran tigers are critically endangered, with fewer than 400 left in the wild.
CBC
04-03-2025
- General
- CBC
How your choices at the checkout can affect wildlife at home and abroad
Have you ever enjoyed your morning coffee while considering the plight of migratory birds? Sipped a glass of Pinot Noir while thinking about Pacific salmon? The products we buy have impacts on the natural world, including wildlife, that we might not think of. And with limitless consumer choice, it's easy to overlook where these items come from. But whether it's coffee that protects the habitats of migratory birds in Latin America and Africa, or vineyards that implement practices to help restore salmon habitats in the Pacific Northwest, there is a growing market for wildlife-friendly products. The four-part series Shared Planet highlights the benefits that come from working with nature, including the more ethical consumer goods that make their way to you. Can palm oil be orangutan-friendly? Versatile and inexpensive, palm oil is in about half of the products on store shelves — everything from lipstick and chocolate to laundry detergent. But palm oil is highly unsustainable. Indonesia and Malaysia produce more than 80 per cent of the world's palm oil, and millions of hectares of tropical rainforest have been cleared for palm plantations — destroying the habitat of wildlife like the orangutan. It's estimated that tens of thousands of orangutans have died over the last 20 years because of palm oil production. In the heart of oil palm country on Borneo, the Shared Planet team met Mariana (Dadai) Singgong. Born and raised in the Kinabatangan district, she has witnessed first-hand the massive scale of deforestation there. Now, she's working for a local conservation group, Hutan, and leads a reforestation team, in tandem with the Malaysian government's ambitious plan to replant 100 million native trees across Malaysia. Hutan has planted more than 220,000 trees in the Keruak Wildlife Corridor along the Kinabatangan River. It reconnects two areas of protected forest, transforming the landscape from a vast monoculture into a mosaic of palms and native species. The results speak for themselves, as orangutans have moved back into these smaller patches of forest. The palm oil produced from the plantation that provided some of the land for the corridor is certified as sustainable, and the reforestation efforts are good for business as well. Orangutans can cling on with the help of native trees 19 days ago Duration 1:26 Don't just drink responsibly — drink ethically Mexican biologist Rodrigo Medellín is one of the world's top bat experts. He is on a mission to rehabilitate the animal's public image while supporting one of his country's most beloved exports. Bats are often portrayed as vicious bloodsuckers or carriers of disease. And their PR problem only got worse with COVID-19. But in Mexico, bats are the main pollinators of the agave plant, which is used to make tequila and mescal. However, the industry is threatened. Many producers maintain fields of genetically identical plants, leaving entire crops vulnerable to disease. Additionally, the distillers don't allow the plants to flower as it drains the plant of the sugars that are converted to alcohol to make mescal and tequila. And the bats that would introduce pollen — and much-needed genetic diversity — from wild-growing agaves won't visit flowerless agave farms. In Shared Planet, Medellín advises mescal producer Don Emigdio Jarquín Ramirez on how to attract bats to his property by allowing a small number of plants to flower. With Medellín's help, bats are returning to Jarquín Ramirez's agave fields and the mescal brand he distills for, Mezcal Vago, can sell bottles with a bat-friendly label. Farming mezcal with the help of bats 1 month ago Duration 4:58 Bats aren't bad - just ask this Mexican farmer, who's agave farm now relies on the small flying mammals to help protect his mezcal business for the future. Watch Shared Planet on CBC Gem. What you can do From palm oil and coffee to mescal and wine, there are a number of wildlife-friendly products you can incorporate into your pantry. Look for certification: Seek out products that carry recognized wildlife-friendly certifications, such as Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade and Bat Friendly. Research brands: Are the brands you're considering committed to wildlife conservation? Are they transparent about their supply chain? The clearer they are about their manufacturing process, the better. Read labels: Look closely at ingredient lists to see if they mention sustainable sourcing and wildlife-friendly farming methods. Shop at a farmers' market: Buying directly from small-scale producers is a great way to learn more about the food you're buying. Smaller operations typically have more wildlife-friendly operations.
