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Beautiful and Doomed: Saving Bangladesh’s Langurs From Extinction
A recent study has found hybridisation (interbreeding) between critically endangered Phayre’s #langurs and endangered capped langurs in #Bangladesh, raises serious concerns about their genetic health and future survival as distinct species. Hybridisation is a serious sign of ecological disruption, and researchers point to human-related threats such as #palmoil and #timber #deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and #hunting as key drivers for them interbreeding. These pressures not only push the species to hybridise but also threaten their long-term existence in the wild, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts to address habitat destruction and protect these seriously endangered primates. 🌿 Help them when you shop, go #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4WildlifeBeautiful Capped Langurs and Phayre’s #Langurs are interbreeding, risking both #species’ survival. Pressures of #palmoil #deforestation and #hunting are pushing the #monkeys to the edge in #Bangladesh #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🚫 @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9bY
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterHybridisation/interbreeding of two beautiful #langur 🐵🐒species in #Bangladesh puts both #animals in serious peril finds #research study 😭. #Palmoil #deforestation is a major threat. Fight back and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🛢️⛔ @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9bY
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterThis article was originally published in Mongabay and was written by Mohammad Al-Masum Molla, read the original article. Republished under Creative Commons attribution licence. Research by Ahmed, T., Hasan, S., Nath, S., Biswas, S. … Roos, C. (2024). Mixed-Species Groups and Genetically Confirmed Hybridization Between Sympatric Phayre’s Langur (Trachypithecus phayrei) and Capped Langur (T. pileatus) in Northeast Bangladesh. International Journal of Primatology. doi:10.1007/s10764-024-00459-x
- Bangladesh is home to less than 500 Phayre’s langurs and 600 capped langurs in the rainforests in the country’s northeast.
- A recent study has unveiled a trend of hybridisation between Phayre’s langurs and capped langurs in Bangladesh, which are listed as critically endangered and endangered, respectively, by IUCN.
- Hybridisation is a vital indicator of ecological change, and researchers are raising serious concerns about the genetic health of the two species and their future existence in the wild.
- The study holds human activities such as deforestation, habitat fragmentation and hunting as some of the causes responsible for increasing the risk of hybridisation cases.
A recent study revealed a troubling trend among the wild monkey population in Bangladesh’s northeastern forests. The study, conducted by the German Primate Centre, unveiled a concerning tendency of hybridisation between Phayre’s langurs (Trachypithecus phayrei) and capped langurs (Trachypithecus pileatus), listed as critically endangered and endangered, respectively, within Bangladesh by IUCN.
This hybridisation of the endangered primates, which researchers of the study say is caused by habitat loss due to deforestation and other human interferences, could push them to extinction in a few generations.
“Bangladesh’s langur populations are small and isolated, limiting gene flow. This hybridisation in restricted populations heightens their extinction risk. Furthermore, our laws primarily protect pure langurs, leaving hybrids unprotected. If hybrids persist into future generations, we’ll face tough decisions about their role in our ecosystem,” Tanvir Ahmed, the study’s lead researcher, told Mongabay.
Monirul H. Khan, a professor at Jahangirnagar University’s Zoology Department, agreed with Tanvir and said that the significance of interbreeding is that these langurs don’t survive for a long time.
“They are usually born infertile. So the population of langur will gradually decrease,” he said.
The study, published in the International Journal of Primatology, recently found that out of 98 langur groups observed, eight comprised both Phayre’s and capped langurs.
“We analysed genetic samples of the species in the lab and confirmed one case of hybridisation. This langur had a capped langur mother and a Phayre’s langur father. Another female with a hybrid appearance showed signs of motherhood, indicating that at least female hybrids are fertile and give birth to young,” Tanvir said.
“The genetic characteristics of a distinct species tend to become most threatened when their hybrid females can reproduce. Fertile hybrid females threaten to bring the two species closer together as the offsprings begin to mix characteristics. That is exactly what could be happening to them,” he said.
The research shows that the ‘spectacled’ Phayre’s langurs and the capped langurs, with their distinctive shock of black fur on their heads, are under threat of losing their distinct genetic makeup to hybridisation.
Researchers conducted the study over five years, between 2018 and 2023, in six forests in northeastern Bangladesh — Lawachara National Park, Satchari National Park, Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajkandi Reserve Forest, Patharia Hill Reserve Forest and Atora Hill Reserve Forest.
The study involved field surveys for 92 days between March 2018 and April 2019 and from July to December 2022, employing three trained local eco-guides to monitor the mixed-species groups until October 2023.
(Left) A mixed-species group of Phayre’s and capped langurs in Satchari National Park. (Right) A male hybrid of Phayre’s and capped langurs in Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. Image by Auritro Sattar. Images by Rasel Debbarma and Auritro Sattar.Why hybridisation is a concern
The study shows that, although it’s relatively rare, hybridisation among primates is an escalating concern worldwide, often driven by habitat loss and fragmentation. It serves as a stark reminder of the significant impacts of human activity on biodiversity. The situation in Bangladesh gradually becoming more common emphasizes the urgent need for strong conservation efforts.
The study mentions how hybridisation is a vital indicator of ecological change, raising serious concerns about species’ genetic health. Tanvir added that this study is groundbreaking, as it documents the first hybridisation incidents among these langurs in Bangladesh and their entire distribution range.
Hybrids being fertile could lead to the extinction of the parent species. “Additionally, mixing species can enable the spread of diseases between previously unconnected populations, posing risks to both wildlife and human health, since these animals are often hunted and traded,” said Sabit Hasan, a researcher of the study.
The study blamed human activities such as palm oil deforestation, habitat fragmentation, hunting and trapping of primates as some of the causes that can increase the risk of such hybridisation.
“The existence of fertile hybrids is particularly alarming because it suggests that gene flow between these two endangered species could irreversibly affect their future genetic composition,” Tanvir said.
The genetically confirmed hybrid with its half-sibling feeding on fruits at Satchari National Park. Image by Harish Debbarma.The genetically confirmed juvenile hybrid with its capped langur mother and Phayre’s langur father at Satchari National Park. Image by Mahmudul Bari.Primates of Bangladesh
Ten of the 121 mammal species found in Bangladesh are primates. According to the hybridisation study, Bangladesh is home to less than 500 Phayre’s langurs and 600 capped langurs.
The Phayre’s langur has a brown to grey-brown back, white fur on its belly and face, and a “spectacled” appearance due to wide white rings around its eyes. Its face and extremities are black, and it has long hair on its head that points backward. Additionally, its tail is longer than its body and has a tuft of dark hair at the tip.
The capped langur is known for its distinctive crown of long, erect hairs on its head. It has a black face, grey to blackish-grey fur on top, and brownish-yellow or orange fur below, with the distal half of its tail being blackish.
The study suggested the government prioritize habitat preservation and create corridors to connect isolated primate populations, facilitating natural langur dispersal.
“If we don’t take action now, we risk losing not just two monkey species but also a vital part of Bangladesh’s biodiversity,” Tanvir said.
A juvenile hybrid with its Phayre’s langur father in Satchari National Park. Image by Rasel Debbarma.Banner image: The genetically confirmed hybrid (right) with its capped langur mother at Satchari National Park. Image by Harish Debbarma.
This article was originally published in Mongabay and was written by Mohammad Al-Masum Molla, read the original article. Republished under Creative Commons attribution licence. Research by Ahmed, T., Hasan, S., Nath, S., Biswas, S. … Roos, C. (2024). Mixed-Species Groups and Genetically Confirmed Hybridization Between Sympatric Phayre’s Langur (Trachypithecus phayrei) and Capped Langur (T. pileatus) in Northeast Bangladesh. International Journal of Primatology. doi:10.1007/s10764-024-00459-x
ENDS
Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global South America S.E. Asia India Africa West Papua & PNGSunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus
Keep readingWestern Parotia Parotia sefilata
Keep readingCapped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus
Keep readingMountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque
Keep reading Keep reading Keep readingLearn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read moreTake Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
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Join 3,177 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Read moreMel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Read moreAnthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Read moreHealth Physician Dr Evan Allen
Read moreThe World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
Read moreHow do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
Read more3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
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5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support #animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalExtinction #animalRights #animals #Bangladesh #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #CappedLangur #CappedLangurTrachypithecusPileatus #deforestation #hunting #India #langur #Langurs #monkey #monkeys #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #PhayreSLeafMonkeyTrachypithecusPhayrei #Primate #research #species #timber #vegan -
Beautiful and Doomed: Saving Bangladesh’s Langurs From Extinction
A recent study has found hybridisation (interbreeding) between critically endangered Phayre’s #langurs and endangered capped langurs in #Bangladesh, raises serious concerns about their genetic health and future survival as distinct species. Hybridisation is a serious sign of ecological disruption, and researchers point to human-related threats such as #palmoil and #timber #deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and #hunting as key drivers for them interbreeding. These pressures not only push the species to hybridise but also threaten their long-term existence in the wild, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts to address habitat destruction and protect these seriously endangered primates. 🌿 Help them when you shop, go #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4WildlifeBeautiful Capped Langurs and Phayre’s #Langurs are interbreeding, risking both #species’ survival. Pressures of #palmoil #deforestation and #hunting are pushing the #monkeys to the edge in #Bangladesh #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🚫 @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9bY
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterHybridisation/interbreeding of two beautiful #langur 🐵🐒species in #Bangladesh puts both #animals in serious peril finds #research study 😭. #Palmoil #deforestation is a major threat. Fight back and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🛢️⛔ @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9bY
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterThis article was originally published in Mongabay and was written by Mohammad Al-Masum Molla, read the original article. Republished under Creative Commons attribution licence. Research by Ahmed, T., Hasan, S., Nath, S., Biswas, S. … Roos, C. (2024). Mixed-Species Groups and Genetically Confirmed Hybridization Between Sympatric Phayre’s Langur (Trachypithecus phayrei) and Capped Langur (T. pileatus) in Northeast Bangladesh. International Journal of Primatology. doi:10.1007/s10764-024-00459-x
- Bangladesh is home to less than 500 Phayre’s langurs and 600 capped langurs in the rainforests in the country’s northeast.
- A recent study has unveiled a trend of hybridisation between Phayre’s langurs and capped langurs in Bangladesh, which are listed as critically endangered and endangered, respectively, by IUCN.
- Hybridisation is a vital indicator of ecological change, and researchers are raising serious concerns about the genetic health of the two species and their future existence in the wild.
- The study holds human activities such as deforestation, habitat fragmentation and hunting as some of the causes responsible for increasing the risk of hybridisation cases.
A recent study revealed a troubling trend among the wild monkey population in Bangladesh’s northeastern forests. The study, conducted by the German Primate Centre, unveiled a concerning tendency of hybridisation between Phayre’s langurs (Trachypithecus phayrei) and capped langurs (Trachypithecus pileatus), listed as critically endangered and endangered, respectively, within Bangladesh by IUCN.
This hybridisation of the endangered primates, which researchers of the study say is caused by habitat loss due to deforestation and other human interferences, could push them to extinction in a few generations.
“Bangladesh’s langur populations are small and isolated, limiting gene flow. This hybridisation in restricted populations heightens their extinction risk. Furthermore, our laws primarily protect pure langurs, leaving hybrids unprotected. If hybrids persist into future generations, we’ll face tough decisions about their role in our ecosystem,” Tanvir Ahmed, the study’s lead researcher, told Mongabay.
Monirul H. Khan, a professor at Jahangirnagar University’s Zoology Department, agreed with Tanvir and said that the significance of interbreeding is that these langurs don’t survive for a long time.
“They are usually born infertile. So the population of langur will gradually decrease,” he said.
The study, published in the International Journal of Primatology, recently found that out of 98 langur groups observed, eight comprised both Phayre’s and capped langurs.
“We analysed genetic samples of the species in the lab and confirmed one case of hybridisation. This langur had a capped langur mother and a Phayre’s langur father. Another female with a hybrid appearance showed signs of motherhood, indicating that at least female hybrids are fertile and give birth to young,” Tanvir said.
“The genetic characteristics of a distinct species tend to become most threatened when their hybrid females can reproduce. Fertile hybrid females threaten to bring the two species closer together as the offsprings begin to mix characteristics. That is exactly what could be happening to them,” he said.
The research shows that the ‘spectacled’ Phayre’s langurs and the capped langurs, with their distinctive shock of black fur on their heads, are under threat of losing their distinct genetic makeup to hybridisation.
Researchers conducted the study over five years, between 2018 and 2023, in six forests in northeastern Bangladesh — Lawachara National Park, Satchari National Park, Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajkandi Reserve Forest, Patharia Hill Reserve Forest and Atora Hill Reserve Forest.
The study involved field surveys for 92 days between March 2018 and April 2019 and from July to December 2022, employing three trained local eco-guides to monitor the mixed-species groups until October 2023.
(Left) A mixed-species group of Phayre’s and capped langurs in Satchari National Park. (Right) A male hybrid of Phayre’s and capped langurs in Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. Image by Auritro Sattar. Images by Rasel Debbarma and Auritro Sattar.Why hybridisation is a concern
The study shows that, although it’s relatively rare, hybridisation among primates is an escalating concern worldwide, often driven by habitat loss and fragmentation. It serves as a stark reminder of the significant impacts of human activity on biodiversity. The situation in Bangladesh gradually becoming more common emphasizes the urgent need for strong conservation efforts.
The study mentions how hybridisation is a vital indicator of ecological change, raising serious concerns about species’ genetic health. Tanvir added that this study is groundbreaking, as it documents the first hybridisation incidents among these langurs in Bangladesh and their entire distribution range.
Hybrids being fertile could lead to the extinction of the parent species. “Additionally, mixing species can enable the spread of diseases between previously unconnected populations, posing risks to both wildlife and human health, since these animals are often hunted and traded,” said Sabit Hasan, a researcher of the study.
The study blamed human activities such as palm oil deforestation, habitat fragmentation, hunting and trapping of primates as some of the causes that can increase the risk of such hybridisation.
“The existence of fertile hybrids is particularly alarming because it suggests that gene flow between these two endangered species could irreversibly affect their future genetic composition,” Tanvir said.
The genetically confirmed hybrid with its half-sibling feeding on fruits at Satchari National Park. Image by Harish Debbarma.The genetically confirmed juvenile hybrid with its capped langur mother and Phayre’s langur father at Satchari National Park. Image by Mahmudul Bari.Primates of Bangladesh
Ten of the 121 mammal species found in Bangladesh are primates. According to the hybridisation study, Bangladesh is home to less than 500 Phayre’s langurs and 600 capped langurs.
The Phayre’s langur has a brown to grey-brown back, white fur on its belly and face, and a “spectacled” appearance due to wide white rings around its eyes. Its face and extremities are black, and it has long hair on its head that points backward. Additionally, its tail is longer than its body and has a tuft of dark hair at the tip.
The capped langur is known for its distinctive crown of long, erect hairs on its head. It has a black face, grey to blackish-grey fur on top, and brownish-yellow or orange fur below, with the distal half of its tail being blackish.
The study suggested the government prioritize habitat preservation and create corridors to connect isolated primate populations, facilitating natural langur dispersal.
“If we don’t take action now, we risk losing not just two monkey species but also a vital part of Bangladesh’s biodiversity,” Tanvir said.
A juvenile hybrid with its Phayre’s langur father in Satchari National Park. Image by Rasel Debbarma.Banner image: The genetically confirmed hybrid (right) with its capped langur mother at Satchari National Park. Image by Harish Debbarma.
This article was originally published in Mongabay and was written by Mohammad Al-Masum Molla, read the original article. Republished under Creative Commons attribution licence. Research by Ahmed, T., Hasan, S., Nath, S., Biswas, S. … Roos, C. (2024). Mixed-Species Groups and Genetically Confirmed Hybridization Between Sympatric Phayre’s Langur (Trachypithecus phayrei) and Capped Langur (T. pileatus) in Northeast Bangladesh. International Journal of Primatology. doi:10.1007/s10764-024-00459-x
ENDS
Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global South America S.E. Asia India Africa West Papua & PNGSunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus
Keep readingWestern Parotia Parotia sefilata
Keep readingCapped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus
Keep readingMountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque
Keep reading Keep reading Keep readingLearn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read moreTake Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 3,177 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Read moreMel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Read moreAnthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Read moreHealth Physician Dr Evan Allen
Read moreThe World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
Read moreHow do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
Read more3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support #animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalExtinction #animalRights #animals #Bangladesh #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #CappedLangur #CappedLangurTrachypithecusPileatus #deforestation #hunting #India #langur #Langurs #monkey #monkeys #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #PhayreSLeafMonkeyTrachypithecusPhayrei #Primate #research #species #timber #vegan -
Beautiful and Doomed: Saving Bangladesh’s Langurs From Extinction
A recent study has found hybridisation (interbreeding) between critically endangered Phayre’s #langurs and endangered capped langurs in #Bangladesh, raises serious concerns about their genetic health and future survival as distinct species. Hybridisation is a serious sign of ecological disruption, and researchers point to human-related threats such as #palmoil and #timber #deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and #hunting as key drivers for them interbreeding. These pressures not only push the species to hybridise but also threaten their long-term existence in the wild, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts to address habitat destruction and protect these seriously endangered primates. 🌿 Help them when you shop, go #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4WildlifeBeautiful Capped Langurs and Phayre’s #Langurs are interbreeding, risking both #species’ survival. Pressures of #palmoil #deforestation and #hunting are pushing the #monkeys to the edge in #Bangladesh #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🚫 @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9bY
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterHybridisation/interbreeding of two beautiful #langur 🐵🐒species in #Bangladesh puts both #animals in serious peril finds #research study 😭. #Palmoil #deforestation is a major threat. Fight back and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🛢️⛔ @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9bY
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterThis article was originally published in Mongabay and was written by Mohammad Al-Masum Molla, read the original article. Republished under Creative Commons attribution licence. Research by Ahmed, T., Hasan, S., Nath, S., Biswas, S. … Roos, C. (2024). Mixed-Species Groups and Genetically Confirmed Hybridization Between Sympatric Phayre’s Langur (Trachypithecus phayrei) and Capped Langur (T. pileatus) in Northeast Bangladesh. International Journal of Primatology. doi:10.1007/s10764-024-00459-x
- Bangladesh is home to less than 500 Phayre’s langurs and 600 capped langurs in the rainforests in the country’s northeast.
- A recent study has unveiled a trend of hybridisation between Phayre’s langurs and capped langurs in Bangladesh, which are listed as critically endangered and endangered, respectively, by IUCN.
- Hybridisation is a vital indicator of ecological change, and researchers are raising serious concerns about the genetic health of the two species and their future existence in the wild.
- The study holds human activities such as deforestation, habitat fragmentation and hunting as some of the causes responsible for increasing the risk of hybridisation cases.
A recent study revealed a troubling trend among the wild monkey population in Bangladesh’s northeastern forests. The study, conducted by the German Primate Centre, unveiled a concerning tendency of hybridisation between Phayre’s langurs (Trachypithecus phayrei) and capped langurs (Trachypithecus pileatus), listed as critically endangered and endangered, respectively, within Bangladesh by IUCN.
This hybridisation of the endangered primates, which researchers of the study say is caused by habitat loss due to deforestation and other human interferences, could push them to extinction in a few generations.
“Bangladesh’s langur populations are small and isolated, limiting gene flow. This hybridisation in restricted populations heightens their extinction risk. Furthermore, our laws primarily protect pure langurs, leaving hybrids unprotected. If hybrids persist into future generations, we’ll face tough decisions about their role in our ecosystem,” Tanvir Ahmed, the study’s lead researcher, told Mongabay.
Monirul H. Khan, a professor at Jahangirnagar University’s Zoology Department, agreed with Tanvir and said that the significance of interbreeding is that these langurs don’t survive for a long time.
“They are usually born infertile. So the population of langur will gradually decrease,” he said.
The study, published in the International Journal of Primatology, recently found that out of 98 langur groups observed, eight comprised both Phayre’s and capped langurs.
“We analysed genetic samples of the species in the lab and confirmed one case of hybridisation. This langur had a capped langur mother and a Phayre’s langur father. Another female with a hybrid appearance showed signs of motherhood, indicating that at least female hybrids are fertile and give birth to young,” Tanvir said.
“The genetic characteristics of a distinct species tend to become most threatened when their hybrid females can reproduce. Fertile hybrid females threaten to bring the two species closer together as the offsprings begin to mix characteristics. That is exactly what could be happening to them,” he said.
The research shows that the ‘spectacled’ Phayre’s langurs and the capped langurs, with their distinctive shock of black fur on their heads, are under threat of losing their distinct genetic makeup to hybridisation.
Researchers conducted the study over five years, between 2018 and 2023, in six forests in northeastern Bangladesh — Lawachara National Park, Satchari National Park, Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajkandi Reserve Forest, Patharia Hill Reserve Forest and Atora Hill Reserve Forest.
The study involved field surveys for 92 days between March 2018 and April 2019 and from July to December 2022, employing three trained local eco-guides to monitor the mixed-species groups until October 2023.
(Left) A mixed-species group of Phayre’s and capped langurs in Satchari National Park. (Right) A male hybrid of Phayre’s and capped langurs in Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. Image by Auritro Sattar. Images by Rasel Debbarma and Auritro Sattar.Why hybridisation is a concern
The study shows that, although it’s relatively rare, hybridisation among primates is an escalating concern worldwide, often driven by habitat loss and fragmentation. It serves as a stark reminder of the significant impacts of human activity on biodiversity. The situation in Bangladesh gradually becoming more common emphasizes the urgent need for strong conservation efforts.
The study mentions how hybridisation is a vital indicator of ecological change, raising serious concerns about species’ genetic health. Tanvir added that this study is groundbreaking, as it documents the first hybridisation incidents among these langurs in Bangladesh and their entire distribution range.
Hybrids being fertile could lead to the extinction of the parent species. “Additionally, mixing species can enable the spread of diseases between previously unconnected populations, posing risks to both wildlife and human health, since these animals are often hunted and traded,” said Sabit Hasan, a researcher of the study.
The study blamed human activities such as palm oil deforestation, habitat fragmentation, hunting and trapping of primates as some of the causes that can increase the risk of such hybridisation.
“The existence of fertile hybrids is particularly alarming because it suggests that gene flow between these two endangered species could irreversibly affect their future genetic composition,” Tanvir said.
The genetically confirmed hybrid with its half-sibling feeding on fruits at Satchari National Park. Image by Harish Debbarma.The genetically confirmed juvenile hybrid with its capped langur mother and Phayre’s langur father at Satchari National Park. Image by Mahmudul Bari.Primates of Bangladesh
Ten of the 121 mammal species found in Bangladesh are primates. According to the hybridisation study, Bangladesh is home to less than 500 Phayre’s langurs and 600 capped langurs.
The Phayre’s langur has a brown to grey-brown back, white fur on its belly and face, and a “spectacled” appearance due to wide white rings around its eyes. Its face and extremities are black, and it has long hair on its head that points backward. Additionally, its tail is longer than its body and has a tuft of dark hair at the tip.
The capped langur is known for its distinctive crown of long, erect hairs on its head. It has a black face, grey to blackish-grey fur on top, and brownish-yellow or orange fur below, with the distal half of its tail being blackish.
The study suggested the government prioritize habitat preservation and create corridors to connect isolated primate populations, facilitating natural langur dispersal.
“If we don’t take action now, we risk losing not just two monkey species but also a vital part of Bangladesh’s biodiversity,” Tanvir said.
A juvenile hybrid with its Phayre’s langur father in Satchari National Park. Image by Rasel Debbarma.Banner image: The genetically confirmed hybrid (right) with its capped langur mother at Satchari National Park. Image by Harish Debbarma.
This article was originally published in Mongabay and was written by Mohammad Al-Masum Molla, read the original article. Republished under Creative Commons attribution licence. Research by Ahmed, T., Hasan, S., Nath, S., Biswas, S. … Roos, C. (2024). Mixed-Species Groups and Genetically Confirmed Hybridization Between Sympatric Phayre’s Langur (Trachypithecus phayrei) and Capped Langur (T. pileatus) in Northeast Bangladesh. International Journal of Primatology. doi:10.1007/s10764-024-00459-x
ENDS
Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global South America S.E. Asia India Africa West Papua & PNGSunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus
Keep readingWestern Parotia Parotia sefilata
Keep readingCapped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus
Keep readingMountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque
Keep reading Keep reading Keep readingLearn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
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https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
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Pledge your support #animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalExtinction #animalRights #animals #Bangladesh #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #CappedLangur #CappedLangurTrachypithecusPileatus #deforestation #hunting #India #langur #Langurs #monkey #monkeys #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #PhayreSLeafMonkeyTrachypithecusPhayrei #Primate #research #species #timber #vegan -
Beautiful and Doomed: Saving Bangladesh’s Langurs From Extinction
A recent study has found hybridisation (interbreeding) between critically endangered Phayre’s #langurs and endangered capped langurs in #Bangladesh, raises serious concerns about their genetic health and future survival as distinct species. Hybridisation is a serious sign of ecological disruption, and researchers point to human-related threats such as #palmoil and #timber #deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and #hunting as key drivers for them interbreeding. These pressures not only push the species to hybridise but also threaten their long-term existence in the wild, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts to address habitat destruction and protect these seriously endangered primates. 🌿 Help them when you shop, go #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4WildlifeBeautiful Capped Langurs and Phayre’s #Langurs are interbreeding, risking both #species’ survival. Pressures of #palmoil #deforestation and #hunting are pushing the #monkeys to the edge in #Bangladesh #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🚫 @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9bY
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterHybridisation/interbreeding of two beautiful #langur 🐵🐒species in #Bangladesh puts both #animals in serious peril finds #research study 😭. #Palmoil #deforestation is a major threat. Fight back and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🛢️⛔ @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9bY
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterThis article was originally published in Mongabay and was written by Mohammad Al-Masum Molla, read the original article. Republished under Creative Commons attribution licence. Research by Ahmed, T., Hasan, S., Nath, S., Biswas, S. … Roos, C. (2024). Mixed-Species Groups and Genetically Confirmed Hybridization Between Sympatric Phayre’s Langur (Trachypithecus phayrei) and Capped Langur (T. pileatus) in Northeast Bangladesh. International Journal of Primatology. doi:10.1007/s10764-024-00459-x
- Bangladesh is home to less than 500 Phayre’s langurs and 600 capped langurs in the rainforests in the country’s northeast.
- A recent study has unveiled a trend of hybridisation between Phayre’s langurs and capped langurs in Bangladesh, which are listed as critically endangered and endangered, respectively, by IUCN.
- Hybridisation is a vital indicator of ecological change, and researchers are raising serious concerns about the genetic health of the two species and their future existence in the wild.
- The study holds human activities such as deforestation, habitat fragmentation and hunting as some of the causes responsible for increasing the risk of hybridisation cases.
A recent study revealed a troubling trend among the wild monkey population in Bangladesh’s northeastern forests. The study, conducted by the German Primate Centre, unveiled a concerning tendency of hybridisation between Phayre’s langurs (Trachypithecus phayrei) and capped langurs (Trachypithecus pileatus), listed as critically endangered and endangered, respectively, within Bangladesh by IUCN.
This hybridisation of the endangered primates, which researchers of the study say is caused by habitat loss due to deforestation and other human interferences, could push them to extinction in a few generations.
“Bangladesh’s langur populations are small and isolated, limiting gene flow. This hybridisation in restricted populations heightens their extinction risk. Furthermore, our laws primarily protect pure langurs, leaving hybrids unprotected. If hybrids persist into future generations, we’ll face tough decisions about their role in our ecosystem,” Tanvir Ahmed, the study’s lead researcher, told Mongabay.
Monirul H. Khan, a professor at Jahangirnagar University’s Zoology Department, agreed with Tanvir and said that the significance of interbreeding is that these langurs don’t survive for a long time.
“They are usually born infertile. So the population of langur will gradually decrease,” he said.
The study, published in the International Journal of Primatology, recently found that out of 98 langur groups observed, eight comprised both Phayre’s and capped langurs.
“We analysed genetic samples of the species in the lab and confirmed one case of hybridisation. This langur had a capped langur mother and a Phayre’s langur father. Another female with a hybrid appearance showed signs of motherhood, indicating that at least female hybrids are fertile and give birth to young,” Tanvir said.
“The genetic characteristics of a distinct species tend to become most threatened when their hybrid females can reproduce. Fertile hybrid females threaten to bring the two species closer together as the offsprings begin to mix characteristics. That is exactly what could be happening to them,” he said.
The research shows that the ‘spectacled’ Phayre’s langurs and the capped langurs, with their distinctive shock of black fur on their heads, are under threat of losing their distinct genetic makeup to hybridisation.
Researchers conducted the study over five years, between 2018 and 2023, in six forests in northeastern Bangladesh — Lawachara National Park, Satchari National Park, Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajkandi Reserve Forest, Patharia Hill Reserve Forest and Atora Hill Reserve Forest.
The study involved field surveys for 92 days between March 2018 and April 2019 and from July to December 2022, employing three trained local eco-guides to monitor the mixed-species groups until October 2023.
(Left) A mixed-species group of Phayre’s and capped langurs in Satchari National Park. (Right) A male hybrid of Phayre’s and capped langurs in Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. Image by Auritro Sattar. Images by Rasel Debbarma and Auritro Sattar.Why hybridisation is a concern
The study shows that, although it’s relatively rare, hybridisation among primates is an escalating concern worldwide, often driven by habitat loss and fragmentation. It serves as a stark reminder of the significant impacts of human activity on biodiversity. The situation in Bangladesh gradually becoming more common emphasizes the urgent need for strong conservation efforts.
The study mentions how hybridisation is a vital indicator of ecological change, raising serious concerns about species’ genetic health. Tanvir added that this study is groundbreaking, as it documents the first hybridisation incidents among these langurs in Bangladesh and their entire distribution range.
Hybrids being fertile could lead to the extinction of the parent species. “Additionally, mixing species can enable the spread of diseases between previously unconnected populations, posing risks to both wildlife and human health, since these animals are often hunted and traded,” said Sabit Hasan, a researcher of the study.
The study blamed human activities such as palm oil deforestation, habitat fragmentation, hunting and trapping of primates as some of the causes that can increase the risk of such hybridisation.
“The existence of fertile hybrids is particularly alarming because it suggests that gene flow between these two endangered species could irreversibly affect their future genetic composition,” Tanvir said.
The genetically confirmed hybrid with its half-sibling feeding on fruits at Satchari National Park. Image by Harish Debbarma.The genetically confirmed juvenile hybrid with its capped langur mother and Phayre’s langur father at Satchari National Park. Image by Mahmudul Bari.Primates of Bangladesh
Ten of the 121 mammal species found in Bangladesh are primates. According to the hybridisation study, Bangladesh is home to less than 500 Phayre’s langurs and 600 capped langurs.
The Phayre’s langur has a brown to grey-brown back, white fur on its belly and face, and a “spectacled” appearance due to wide white rings around its eyes. Its face and extremities are black, and it has long hair on its head that points backward. Additionally, its tail is longer than its body and has a tuft of dark hair at the tip.
The capped langur is known for its distinctive crown of long, erect hairs on its head. It has a black face, grey to blackish-grey fur on top, and brownish-yellow or orange fur below, with the distal half of its tail being blackish.
The study suggested the government prioritize habitat preservation and create corridors to connect isolated primate populations, facilitating natural langur dispersal.
“If we don’t take action now, we risk losing not just two monkey species but also a vital part of Bangladesh’s biodiversity,” Tanvir said.
A juvenile hybrid with its Phayre’s langur father in Satchari National Park. Image by Rasel Debbarma.Banner image: The genetically confirmed hybrid (right) with its capped langur mother at Satchari National Park. Image by Harish Debbarma.
This article was originally published in Mongabay and was written by Mohammad Al-Masum Molla, read the original article. Republished under Creative Commons attribution licence. Research by Ahmed, T., Hasan, S., Nath, S., Biswas, S. … Roos, C. (2024). Mixed-Species Groups and Genetically Confirmed Hybridization Between Sympatric Phayre’s Langur (Trachypithecus phayrei) and Capped Langur (T. pileatus) in Northeast Bangladesh. International Journal of Primatology. doi:10.1007/s10764-024-00459-x
ENDS
Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global South America S.E. Asia India Africa West Papua & PNGSunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus
Keep readingWestern Parotia Parotia sefilata
Keep readingCapped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus
Keep readingMountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque
Keep reading Keep reading Keep readingLearn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read moreTake Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 3,177 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Read moreMel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Read moreAnthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Read moreHealth Physician Dr Evan Allen
Read moreThe World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
Read moreHow do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
Read more3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support #animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalExtinction #animalRights #animals #Bangladesh #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #CappedLangur #CappedLangurTrachypithecusPileatus #deforestation #hunting #India #langur #Langurs #monkey #monkeys #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #PhayreSLeafMonkeyTrachypithecusPhayrei #Primate #research #species #timber #vegan -
A list of animals who
The recent death of the great Jane Goodall brought me back to an old post about the use of who-pronouns with non-human animals, as in ‘swallows who flew past her window’, as opposed to ‘swallows that/which flew past her window’.
Goodall’s first scientific paper was returned to her with who replaced by which, and he or she replaced by it, in reference to chimpanzees. Goodall promptly reinstated her choice of pronouns, presumably seeing them as markers of the animals’ intrinsic value, and their substitution as an unwarranted moral demotion.1
Since then I’ve made note of other examples of animals who that I’ve read in books.2 This post compiles them in one place, where they form a kind of homemade menagerie of zoolinguistic solidarity. It extends, as we have seen, to swallows:
She watched the sudden, fast shadows of swallows who flew past her window in fleeting pairs, subtracting light from her room, and marvelled how living things could suspend themselves in mid-air. (Claire Keegan, ‘Men and Women’, in Antarctica)
And, from the same writer, sheep:
I sit by the window and keep an eye on the sheep who stare, bewildered, from the car.
Ducks:
‘At the place [. . .] where timid ducks, who must have been through some experiences in the ugly little gravel pool of the never-completed excavation, flew away from me . . . (Werner Herzog, Every Man for Himself and God Against All)
Cows:
I do not care for animals, except for cows, who combine supreme usefulness with a rustic kind of beauty. (Maeve Kelly, ‘The Sentimentalist’, in Orange Horses)
Kingfishers and otters:
In now distant days Iris used to return to Steeple Aston or Hartley Road full of her visit to them, and of what they had told her about their Welsh cottage, a converted schoolhouse. They told her of the pool they had built in the field behind it, the kingfishers and otters who came to visit there. (John Bayley, Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch)
Rabbits:
Who was the more frightened between them? (Nicola Barker, Wide Open, when a woman is startled to meet a rabbit in a kitchen)
Tadpoles (first which, then who):
And we presented her with gallons of frogspawn which duly turned into tadpoles, which ate each other until there were just a few fat cannibal monsters left, all black belly and no sign of legs, who got poured down the sink. (Lorna Sage, Bad Blood)
Bonobos:
The researchers’ most spectacular success has been with Kanzi, a bonobo (a species closely related to chimpanzees) who apparently learned lexigrams spontaneously as an infant while watching his mother being trained. (Abby Kaplan, Women Talk More than Men: …And Other Myths about Language Explained)
Chimpanzees:
In the study by Hirata and Fuwa (2006), for example, chimpanzees who did not solicit other chimpanzees to engage in a group activity quite readily solicited a presumably more helpful human. (Michael Tomasello, Origins of Human Communication)
I make piles, like the chimp who thought he was a human. (Sara Baume, A Line Made by Walking)
Foxes:
And I look out for the fox, the fox who dropped me a rat. (Baume again)
Aardwolves and aasvogels (that’s right, aardwolves and aasvogels):
The aardvark is a peculiar African mammal whose equally peculiar double-A name has earned it its prestigious position as the first animal in the dictionary. Spare a thought, then, for its alphabetical next-door neighbours, the aardwolf and aasvogel, who are pipped into second and third place . . . (Paul Anthony Jones, Word Drops)
Horses:
But still they did not stop the mare, who cantered gaily onward. (Mary Lavin, ‘The Joy-Ride’, in In a Café)
It’s not just stallions who can become aggressive if they’re raised alone. (Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson, Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behaviour)
Pigs:
The sides of the pen are solid, so the other pigs can’t reach their snouts inside and bite the tail or rear end of the pig who’s eating. (Grandin and Johnson again)
Animals generally:
All animals who live in groups – and that is most mammals – form dominance hierarchies. (Grandin and Johnson)
Consider, he [Michael Trestman] says, the category of animals who have complex active bodies. These are animals who can move quickly, and who can seize and manipulate objects. (Peter Godfrey-Smith, Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life)
If it is a number of animals who are being chased, and if the pack succeeds in surrounding them, then their mass flight turns into a panic, each of the hunted animals will try to escape on its own from the circle of its enemies. (Elias Canetti, Crowds and Power, translated from the German by Carol Stewart)
Wolves:
Wolves vary their hunting techniques, share food with the old who so not hunt, and give gifts to each other. (Barry Lopez, Of Wolves and Men)
A wolf who remains with his or her parents and helps raise their next litter is an alloparent. (Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson and Susan McCarthy’s When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals)
(Many different animals are treated thus in Moussaieff Masson and McCarthy’s book, but I neglected to keep track, aside from the example above.)
Dogs, of course, are often so honoured – the most frequently so of all the animals in Gilquin and Jacobs’s data set (footnote 1):
They could care less that I once had a dog named Woodsprite who was crushed by a backhoe. (George Saunders, ‘The 400-Pound CEO’, in CivilWarLand in Bad Decline)
The same thing applied to the first three time dogs, two of whom had actually been the favourites. (James Kelman, ‘A wide runner’, in Not Not While the Giro)
Most senses require two of things – eyes, ears, hands. But we only have one nose. This is, again, to stop us smelling dogs so much, who stink. (Philomena Cunk, Cunk on Everything: The Encyclopedia Philomena)
Molly Keane explicitly calls dogs people, in both The Rising Tide:
The only people to whom she was a little kind were her dogs and Diana.
and Loving and Giving:
The dogs loved him as he loved them. They flew to his beautiful whistle, even when on the hot line of a rabbit. Nettle, the Killer, a fierce opinionated person who would have been hero of a rat-pit had Silly Willie been sweeping chimneys, was, of the three, his favourite.
Nuala Ní Chonchúir, similarly, uses someone in reference to a dog in You:
Sinbad goes banana-boats when he sees you through the balcony door. [. . .] You kneel down on the rug and let him lick your nose with his smelly tongue. That’s how dogs kiss each other. Then you remember that they also lick each other’s bums, so you don’t let him do it any more. Still, at least someone’s glad to see you.
Even an ant can be ‘someone’:
Last week my little nephew said to his father: “Look, someone is walking under the table.” The father, thinking that his son had had a hallucination, looked under the table and saw – an ant! For the child, an ant was “someone.” I, too, have never doubted that I am one animal among others. (from ‘A Talk with Konrad Lorenz’, in In the Modern Idiom: An Introduction to Literature, ed. Leo Hamalian & Arthur Zeiger)
Rats:
The worst thing about rats, says Steve, ‘is waiting for that big wet slap on your back’. ‘No,’ says Kevin, ‘it’s knowing you’re being watched but not knowing who’s watching and from where.’ London’s sewer rats generally run away from humans. New York’s don’t. (Rose George, The Big Necessity: Adventures in the World of Human Waste)
If you thought rats were unexpected, try trees:
Mycorrhizal fungi have coevolved with trees, with whom they’ve worked out a mutually beneficial relationship in which they trade the products of their very different metabolisms. (Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma)
As soon as the bright sunlight increases the rate of photosynthesis and stimulates growth, the buds of those who have shot up receive more sugar. (The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, translated from the German by Jane Billinghurst)
And rivers: I’ve yet to read Robert Macfarlane’s book Is a River Alive?, but I saw an excerpt that referred to meeting ‘a living, threatened river who flows from the roadless boreal forest to the sea’. These non-human, non-animal examples align with a movement to grant living systems legal rights – chiefly to protect them from destructive human action.
The menagerie could be greatly enlarged by adding examples from other sources: conversations, letters and emails, social media, the internet generally, language corpora, etc. But this thin slice is based solely on offline reading because that’s how I often pattern my notes.
Using who or personal pronouns is not something I do automatically when referring to animals. Sometimes which, that, or it seems more apt, or I could go either way, depending on context. In footnote 2 I instinctively used which in reference to sharks and decided to leave it be.
I’m sure my usage is inconsistent – it’s one of those grey areas in language that I find interesting. Maybe it’s something you’ve noticed in your own usage. In any case, it’s fun to see new animals join the who club (or the very important person club). All it needs now is some fungi and microbes.
*
1 I learned about this incident from Gaëtanelle Gilquin and George M. Jacobs’s paper ‘Elephants Who Marry Mice are Very Unusual: The Use of the Relative Pronoun Who with Nonhuman Animals’. It has lots of data-informed commentary and is well worth reading if this topic interests you.
2 Examples do occur in films and other media, naturally. There’s a fun one in Batman: The Movie (1966) when Batman, after being attacked by a shark, which then explodes, says at a press conference: ‘That was an unfortunate animal who chanced to swallow a floating mine.’ The DVD subtitles change the line, or I’d have included an image.
#anaphora #animals #birds #books #grammar #JaneGoodall #language #literature #nature #pronouns #relativePronouns #usage #which #who #writing
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CW: For the Unseen Image Challenge: Two (unseen) portraits of my in-world sister Juno for the 17th anniversary of OSgrid with alt-texts and long image descriptions; CW: long (22,537 characters, including 20,329 characters of image descriptions)
(This is technically a repost of this post, but with "unseen" images for the Unseen Image Challenge by @Altbot, a modified post text and an upgraded set of long image descriptions. I didn't have time to complete the descriptions for a set of wholly new images.)
OSgrid is probably the oldest 3-D virtual world based on free and open-source software (OpenSimulator) and run by community members. It's definitely the oldest 3-D virtual world that's federated with other virtual worlds.
These images are from OSgrid's 17th birthday celebration in July, 2024.
My little in-world sister @Juno Rowland, part-time OSgrid resident just like myself, celebrated the grid birthday with outfits based on the officially-issued women's tank tops. The first image shows her wearing one of these outfits on her pier at her now-soon-to-disappear home at Tropicana Tuneage on Friday, July 26th. She had been around the birthday sims on Thursday already, but in a different skirt. On Friday, she posed in one that's much easier for me to describe in front of a background that's a great deal easier to describe than the anniversary sims.
One day later, on Saturday, July 27th, she went and revisited the birthday exhibitions, also to see one of her favourite things, a Leonard Cohen album cover at an exhibition. The second image is from there.Juno's look
- Body including head, eyelashes, feet and nails: Ruth2 v4 by the RuthAndRoth team ( @Austin Tate a.k.a. @Ai Austin, Ada Radius, Serie Sumei et al.)
- Shape: modified by herself from the shape in the Ruth2 v4 Extras box
- Skin: Starlight Remix Fair, NSFW, with eyebrows, but without eyeliner; originally by Eloh Eliot, "remixed" by yours truly so that Juno has a decent skin
- Hair: CS Milca by DieChaotin McMasters
- Necklace: Q's Pendant - OSgrid by Qandy Saw
- Top: Happy Bday OSG17B Black, mesh by Damien Fate, texture and assembly by Saphy Riler
- Skirt: mini-fuer-fate jeans beige, mesh and base texture by Klarabella Karamell, texture tinting and assembly by Juno herself
- Shoes: reBoot Flat Ballet Black, unrigged variants, by Taarna Welles
Image descriptions
The medium and the basic setup
Both images in this post are digital renderings from inside a 3-D virtual world, using shaders, simplified real-time reflections and an artificial sun as a directed light source for illuminating the scenery and casting shadows, but without ray-tracing. It shows a digital avatar made to look like a fairly young woman. In the first image, she is standing at the end of a wooden pier. In the second image, she is standing next to a painted portrait of Leonard Cohen which he has used as an album cover.The locations
The images were created in two different places in OSgrid, known as sims. Both are linked to the 17th anniversary of OSgrid which was celebrated from July 22th to July 28th, 2024.
OSgrid is a virtual world, a so-called "grid", based on a virtual-world engine named OpenSimulator. OpenSimulator, OpenSim in short, is a free, open-source, server-side re-implementation of the technology of Second Life. It is not affiliated with Linden Lab, the creators and owners of Second Life.
Second Life is a centralised, commercial 3-D virtual world launched in 2003. It experienced a big hype starting in 2007 which faded away in 2008. It still exists, it is constantly evolving, and it is celebrating its 21st anniversary this month.
The development of OpenSim started in 2006, originally under the name of OpenSecondLife, then OpenSL, by reverse-engineering Second Life's viewer API and building a virtual world server against it. In early 2007, Linden Lab laid open the source code of the official Second Life viewer, the client application needed to access Second Life. This revealed large parts of Second Life's technology and made not only the development of third-party viewers possible, but also facilitatted OpenSim's development. It was also in early 2007 that the first test version of OpenSim came out.
Second Life, as well as the worlds based on OpenSimulator, are referred to as "grids" because they are split into square regions of 256 by 256 metres or roughly 280 by 280 yards. This roughly corresponds to a bit more than three by two major-league football pitches or soccer fields or a bit less than three by two American football fields.
While Second Life is a walled garden with only one publicly accessible grid that is connected to nothing else, OpenSimulator can be used by just about anyone to create and run their own grid. In 2008, a new feature called the Hypergrid was introduced that allows avatars registered on one grid to visit other grids. Thus, OpenSim is not only decentralised, but actually mostly federated. There are currently over 3,000 active grids, maybe over 4,000, and especially most of the larger public grids are connected to the Hypergrid.
Sims, in turn, are short for simulators which have to run in regions for any kind of content to be able to exist in them and for avatars to be able to enter them. In Second Life, one sim always covers one region. OpenSim has so-called varsims which can cover multiple regions arranged in a square without having borders between the regions. The upper limit imposed by the software is 32 by 32 or 1,024 regions, but anything significantly larger than 16 by 16 or 256 regions has been proven to be highly impractical.
OSgrid was the first public OpenSim grid. It was launched in July, 2007, as a proving ground for OpenSim's own development which it still is. Nonetheless, it was the first OpenSim grid to surpass Second Life in land area, and it currently is one out of two grids to have done so. Also, as early as 2007 already, OSgrid referred to OpenSim in general and then, by 2008, to itself as "the Open Source Metaverse". It has used this term for an actual virtual world 14 years earlier than Mark Zuckerberg. For about just as long, the word "metaverse" has been part of the standard vocabulary in the OpenSim community.The avatar in both pictures
The avatar shown in the image is Juno Rowland. She is, in fact, a backup avatar for my female alt, short for alternate avatar, that goes by the same name and looks the same while being at home on another grid.
Juno is built to look like a young woman. OpenSim does not explicitly support different ethnicities, but the basic avatar-building components available in OpenSim are almost exclusively geared towards avatars looking white or Latin American and in the 30s at most. She is 1.74 metres or 5 feet 8 1/2 inches tall which is taller than the average real-life Western woman by about the length of an adult person's palm. She is fairly slim which is somewhat concealed by the loose fit of her clothes.
Juno's skin textures are light to medium-light. Highlights and partly also shades are part of the skin textures, but very subdued. Most shading on her is created by the shader built into the viewer.
She has brown eyes and black hair worn as a rather short bob that narrows downward from where her ears are and extends to a height halfway between her chin and her shoulders. Her bangs cover her forehead entirely. Strands of her bangs partly cover her eyebrows, and two of them extend down as far as her upper eyelids. On each side, a single thick lock extends forward and slightly inward. These locks occasionally cover parts of her lower cheeks.
Juno is wearing a loose-fitting black tank top with the official logo of the 17th grid birthday festivities on it. The logo stretches across about 90% of Juno's chest and from slightly higher than right below her breasts to slightly higher than the middle of the front of the shirt.
In the top left corner of the birthday logo, there is the OSgrid logo. It consists of five identical parallelograms. Each one of them resembles a rectangle which, when placed horizontally, has its short edges tilted to the right by 18 degrees. The long edges are longer than the short edges by about three quarters. These five parallelograms are arranged around a common centre at the same distance and at angles of 72 degrees from each other. There is always one pointed angle slipping under the long side of a neighbouring parallelogram. This way, the gap in the middle between the parallelograms is a five-point star. The outer short edge of each parallelogram is farther away from the centre than the parallel long edge of the neighbouring parallelogram by a bit over half the latter's width. The top right parallelogram is placed exactly vertically.
The whole logo has a light, yellowish orange tint. Size-wise, it takes up a bit more than 20% of the width and about 70% of the height of the entire birthday logo.
To the right of the OSgrid logo, there is the name of the grid, "OSgrid", written in all capitals in the same tint of orange as the OSgrid logo. The writing is about two thirds as tall as each parallelogram in the OSgrid logo is long. It starts to the right of the vertical top right parallelogram at roughly 80% of its width, and the top of the letters is slightly higher than the obtuse top right corner of the top right parallelogram. The typeface used is a heavy variant of the Futura typeface, a geometric sans-serif typeface known for fairly small lower-case characters and a lower-case "a" which is like a "d" with a shorter line, much like in hand-writing.
Right below, "The Open Source Metaverse" is written at a vertical distance that is roughly the same as the general thickness of the letters in the "OSgrid" writing. All four words start with capitals. The writing lines up with the "OSgrid" writing to the left. The typeface is the same as the one used for the "OSgrid" writing, only smaller by about 60%. It is small enough to not be easily readable in the image at the resolution at which the image was posted. The writing is tinted a light grey, resembling aluminium.
Most of the lower half is taken up by a horizontal rectangle, tinted a darker, slightly less saturated, slightly more brownish tone of orange. To the left, it lines up with the bottom pointy-angled corner of the bottom left parallelogram in the logo. To the right, it lines up with the end of the writing "The Open Source Metaverse". At the top, it almost touches the vertical line of the "p" in the same writing.
On this rectangle, "17th Birthday" is written in the same black as the rest of the tank top and the same typeface as the other two writings, but twice the height as the writing "The Open Source Metaverse". Vertically, this writing is slightly above the middle of the rectangle. Horizontally, it lines up with the other two writings on the left.
Below the tank top, Juno is wearing a straight, loose-fitting miniskirt which ends roughly the length of one of her hands above her knees. Its texture gives it a look like washed-out denim in various shades of slightly yellowish, medium-light-to-medium brown. Seams, pockets and the fly are all only part of the texture. The pocket on the front to the left from Juno's point of view is completely covered by the tank top, the pocket on the other side is mostly covered. The texture does not emulate any rear pockets.
Apart from the skirt, Juno's legs are bare. On her feet, she is wearing a pair of flat ballet shoes which mostly show a black texture, slightly lighter than the tank top, with a structure that resembles an unidentified fabric. The insides of the shoes are a medium-light, shaded tone of brown, suggesting some fabric or thin leather again. The soles are a medium-light, slightly reddish brown. They have very low heels.
Around her neck, Juno is wearing a necklace consisting what appears to be a single wire of solid gold of a similar thickness as the material used for clothes hangers plus an OSgrid logo made of gold as well. The logo is a bit over half as big as the one on her tank top. The eye through which the wire runs is attached near one of the outer obtuse-angled corners, so the logo is rotated to the left in comparison with the one on the tank top. Both the wire and the logo are glossy, the logo more than the wire, but the material appearance is textured onto both.
In both Second Life and OpenSim-based worlds, unlike most other 3-D virtual worlds, avatars are not only highly configurable in-world, but also highly modular. Everything on Juno is an attachment. Her body is an attachment, the head included. Her feet are a separate attachment; different feet for medium and high heels are available. The skin textures can be replaced, and standard skins can be worn on this body. The eye texture can be replaced, too. Eyelashes, fingernails and toenails are attachments, although the latter are fully concealed inside her shoes. Her hair is an attachment. The top, the skirt, each shoe and the necklace are separate attachments which makes it possible for her to wear all kinds of outfits. Her shape is configurable with over 80 parameters, and even that can be replaced with another one which is usually just as configurable.
Everything that Juno is made up from was made by users. Everything else, including the purpose-made texture on the tank top, was made directly for OpenSim.The scenery in the first image
The first image was created on a sim called Tropicana Tuneage, a multi-purpose sim which is regularly used for events, but which is also Juno's home in OSgrid.
The scenery is limited to a wooden pier which Juno is standing on. It takes up the lower 45% of the image. Its water-side end would line up with the lower side of Juno's butt if she was shown from behind. The top surface of the pier is textured in a way that suggests wooden planks that run transversally across the pier. The wood is very slightly less yellowish tone of brown than Juno's skirt and varies greatly between light-medium, almost light, and medium. The sides of the pier are outside the borders of the image.
The pier leads to the southwest. The camera angle follows it almost exactly in parallel. It is oriented farther to the right by about one degree. It is also roughly at the height of Juno's waist.
Beyond the pier and behind Juno, there is nothing but blue sea with gentle waves on it. The tone of blue has a fairly low saturation, and some of the waves are partly almost medium-dark grey. The horizon is at almost precisely two thirds of the height of the image, roughly below Juno's breasts, which shows that the camera is tilted downward by a few degrees.
The sky is a very pale, greenish blue with a very faint gradient towards the horizon that suggests haze. To Juno's right, there are some thin clouds which increasingly blend in with the sky, the lower they are. A bit of cloud is above her head as well. There are no clouds to her left.Juno in the first image
Juno is slightly left of centre, standing on her right foot while moving her left foot forward and turning it to the left. She is about to turn herself around. Her arms are on her sides, the left arm is moved a bit forward. Her hands are relaxed with both middle fingers bent inward a little more than the other fingers.
Juno's face is expressionless. Any expressions would require specific animations to be played, mostly manually which would be an extra effort. She is looking past a point slightly above the camera.
Her hair is fully covering her ears. The lock on the left of her face, the right for the on-looker, is in front of the lower parts of her cheek. So is the lock on the other side, but less so.Lighting in the first image
The simulated time of day is late afternoon. The sun is quite low already in the west. This can be told by the shadows which Juno's legs cast on the wooden planks texture on the pier as well as some narrow highlights on her neck, her arms and her legs. The sun itself is not in the image.
Apart from the sun, there is medium grey ambient light that shines the same from everywhere and therefore doesn't create any shadows.
Save for being cropped, the image is unedited and unprocessed.The scenery in the second image
The second image was created in a different place on the same grid named OSG17B2. The name refers to OSgrid's 17th birthday, OSG17B in short. It is the second one of four numbered exhibition sims created for the birthday, two of which were opened to the public while the other two remain unused.
In the second image, Juno is inside a building used as a gallery of music album covers.
Most of the right-hand 60% of the image are taken up by an art easel. It is about one and two thirds times as high as Juno is tall while appearing smaller due to the perspective. It is rotated to the right from the camera being directly aimed at its front by about 25 degrees.
The easel is a fairly stable and elaborate construction which looks like it is adjustable for various canvas sizes. Below where the canvas would be put, there is a shelf for painting utensils. The easel is mostly white with no texture on it. The exceptions are eleven slotted screw heads and a handle roughly shaped like a six-point star with which the easel can be adjusted to different canvas sizes. They have metal-like, partly light grey, partly light yellowish or brownish textures with medium-light orange spots hinting at corrosion. These textures include highlights and shading. The parts themselves are not shiny. Of the screw heads, only five are unobscured. One is holding the adjustment handle in place. Three are holding the almost vertical part of the easel together, one close to the top, two near the bottom. The fifth one connects the right-hand rear support to the foot.
The easel is adjusted for something way bigger than what it is carrying. It's the cover of the album Recent Songs by the singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. It was released in 1979 as his sixth studio album, and it is not known for high-charting single releases. The cover is about half as high as Juno is tall. Again, due to the perspective, it appears to be smaller. Its aspect ratio is very slightly warped, it is a little wider than it is high.
The album cover is based on a frontal facial portrait painting of Cohen by Dianne Lawrence. It shows him as a middle-aged, light-skinned man with green eyes and black, medium-short hair which he wears in a somewhat asymmetrical hairdo that is slightly fuller on his left, the on-looker's right, than on the other side. The top of his hair is cut off by the top edge of the canvas. At the bottom, the portrait ends at Cohen's shoulders. He is wearing a black shirt which lacks too many details to be identifiable any further.
The background behind him is a solid, slightly pale medium blue with a minimal hint of green.
Above his right shoulder, his left shoulder from the on-looker's point of view, there is a drawing of a hummingbird which is only black and background blue and about as long from beak to tail feathers as Cohen's mouth is wide. The bird seems to be hovering above his shoulder with no intention to touch down. Its beak is oriented to the right for the on-looker and tilted slightly downward to between Cohen's shoulder and the collar of his shirt.
Between the top left corner and Cohen's hair, his name is written, "Leonard Cohen". Likewise, between his hair and the top right corner, the title of the album is written, "Recent Songs". Both are in black, fairly small, in an unidentified, very heavy geometric sans-serif typeface and in all-caps.
The narrow right-hand side of the box that has the portrait on its front has a medium-dark wood texture, slightly reddish, slightly greyish, with the grain perpendicular to the long edges.
The wall behind the easel is mostly white with a black circular pattern on it. It consists of 39 concentric circles whose thickness increase from the outermost to the innermost circle. Instead of a 40th circle, there is a dot in the centre which is a little bigger than the thickness of the innermost circle. The texture itself is a bit over one and a half times as high as Juno is tall and twice as wide as it is high. Thus, it has ample of white space on both sides whereas the outermost 16 circles are more or less cut at the top and the bottom. Two of these patterns are within the border of the image above one another. The upper one is cut off by the upper edge of the image in such a way that only the two innermost circles are complete.
The wall makes up a bit less than the upper two thirds of the background of the image. Apart from Juno and the easel, everything below is ground. The edge between the wall and the floor shows that the camera is rotated from being perpendicular to the wall by some five degrees to the left. Thus, the easel is rotated to the right by about 20 degrees from being parallel to the wall. Besides, the camera is as high above the ground as Juno's waist and tilted downward only very minimally.
The ground is a medium orange in the bottom left corner of the image. It gets a little darker and more purplish towards the opposite corner where it meets the wall.Juno in the second image
Juno is on the left-hand side of the image. standing in front of the easel, a little left of its centre, and facing it. The image shows her to the left of the easel and from the rear right. Her head is tilted downward as if she was looking at the album cover. Her face is entirely on the far side of her head. The bottom of her hair is shifted to the back and to the left because she is actually in motion. Her right ear is still fully concealed under hair.
Her arms are relaxed on both sides. She is resting her weight on her right leg while having lifted up the heel of her left foot.
The right strap of her tank top is hovering above her right shoulder at a distance of a little more than the thickness of one of her fingers. The background appears through the gap.Lighting in the second image
The only light available in the image are the omnipresent medium grey ambient light and several white point lights on the ceiling beyond the edges of the image, only one of which is on this side of the wall. The sun is fixed straight above the scene, but the roof of the building which is outside the image is in its way. Since shadows are on in this picture, the roof keeps the sunlight out. Point light sources like those on the ceiling don't cast shadows, so they add to the ambient light, but they only illuminate avatars, objects and the like from one side. The highlights on her legs hint at the position of the sole point light on this side of the wall, namely behind and slightly to the left of Juno.
Save for being cropped, the image is unedited and unprocessed.
#Long #LongPost #CWLong #CWLongPost #AltText #ImageDescription #OpenSim #OpenSimulator #Metaverse #VirtualWorlds #OSgrid #OSG17B #UnseenImageChallenge -
Yesterday I linked a self-titled album by little-known Aotearoa band Runt (from Ōtepoti). This is my favourite track from it, also called Runt. Still sends shivers down my spine. That breakdown...
"You should be scared, it doesn't show
You're gonna die, you don't know
Flat-featured face, curly tail
Your porky brother's for sale
You were born number nine
The mother is doing fine
Now put your head on the block
You're the runt, you're the runt" -
"The future is not about what you know but what you can create!" - Futurist Jim Carroll
I've become quite the Python programmer.
I know nothing about Python
This is both the conundrum and the wonderful possibility of the AI age.
As I type this out on the deck at 526am, there's a large jet lumbering overhead, a few thousand feet above. I know at this moment that it's a big old MD11 for UPS, flying a load of cargo from Louisville to Toronto. It's exactly 7,200 feet overhead, moving southeast. It is precisely this type of concise but useless information that I share with my wife that she finds crazy. She is unimpressed.
But this is one of the promises of the AI age. Yesterday, I wrote about how I was using AI to manage all the technical support around this complicated home office and home. Today, a short overview of how I can master a complex computer programming language without ever knowing much about the program.
Some cards on the table first - I do have some pretty intense coding skills. Enter AI. If you spend any time online, you will be hearing about the idea of 'vibe coding' - that's the idea where you are using it to help you write, structure. fix and test code. I've certainly been doing a lot of that - and this little project is a great example.
For a long time, in my home, I've been running an ADS-B receiver on a Raspberry PI - that's a little $35 computer that can be used for a wide number of small projects. The little antennae on the device pull in all the details on the various flights that pass over or around my home; each plane sends out an ADS-B signal with height, speed, callsign, tail number and more.
But the folks at FlightAware, FlightRadar, Planespotters, and other apps you might use to track flights or find arrival and departure information have developed programs that let you turn this raw data into magical maps. My Raspberry Pi, for example, takes the data above and turns it into this image, accessible via my Web browser. The same data is uploaded continuously to all those flight services - with tens of thousands of people participating in this hobby, that's how this live flight tracking app you might use on your iPhone or iPad came to be.
It's a fun little hobby that tens of thousands of people around the world participate in - having their own 'feeder' stations grab this ADS-B information, feeding it to tracking services.
Onwards. One day, I saw someone post about the FlightWall - a display that someone could place over a window in their apartment or home, to know exactly what plane was just outside the window.
I decided to build my own.
Here's the story, and why it matters.
**#Creation** **#AI** **#Programming** **#Python** **#Learning** **#Skills** **#Aviation** **#Technology** **#Innovation** **#Augmentation**
-
Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus
Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus
IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened
Locations: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela
Found in tropical rainforests and lowland jungles from southern Mexico through Central America to north-western South America.
The Keel-billed #Toucan, with their dazzling rainbow-coloured bills and bold black-and-yellow plumage, are one of the most iconic #birds of Central and #SouthAmerica. Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, this species of spectacular #bird is facing steady declines due to #palmoil #soy and #meat #deforestation, #hunting, and capture for the illegal pet trade. The destruction of humid forest canopies — especially for cattle grazing and monocultures like palm oil — is pushing this vibrant forest specialist closer to extinction. Protect the colourful creatures of the Amazonian rainforest canopies! Every time you shop be #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Showing up with a riot of colour and croaking, Keel-billed #Toucans 🌈✨🦜 are nature’s works of art. Help them survive against #palmoil and meat #deforestation in #Colombia and #Guatemala. Be #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterIconic #birds of #Venezuela 🇻🇪 #Mexico 🇲🇽 #Honduras 🇭🇳 Keel-billed #Toucans are rainbow flocks of rainforest joy! 🦜🐦🪽 Help them survive be #vegan and call out #poaching and the illegal pet trade #Boycottpalmoil 🌴❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterAppearance & Behaviour
The Keel-billed Toucan is impossible to miss. They are strikingly colourful birds, with black plumage, a vivid yellow throat, crimson tail-tip, and turquoise legs. Their oversized, multi-hued bill — lime green, orange, and cherry red — can reach up to 15 cm long but remains surprisingly lightweight thanks to a hollow keratin structure.
Highly social, they travel in small groups of 6 to 12 individuals, calling to each other with croaks and yelps as they glide between trees. They nest and sleep in tight tree cavities, often tucking their beaks and tails under their bodies to conserve space and heat. Recent research also shows they can detect fruit using their sense of smell — a rare trait in birds, highlighting their complex foraging behaviour.
Threats
Deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching
Throughout their range, particularly in Mexico, Honduras, and Colombia, large areas of tropical rainforest are being cleared for cattle grazing, soy plantations, and subsistence farming. These forest clearances remove vital canopy nesting trees and reduce food availability, especially for highly frugivorous birds like the Keel-billed Toucan. Habitat fragmentation also isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing vulnerability to local extinction.
Palm oil and soy monocultures and forest degradation
Although not traditionally associated with Central America, palm oil cultivation is rapidly expanding in regions like Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia. These monocultures replace biodiverse forests with uniform, sterile plantations where toucans cannot nest or forage effectively. The clearing of tropical forest for palm oil is often accompanied by illegal logging, fire, and pesticide use, further degrading the ecosystem. Loss of tree cavities and fruiting species is directly linked to toucan population declines.
Hunting for meat and beak trade
In rural regions, toucans are hunted for their meat and their colourful beaks, which are sold as ornaments or used in traditional ceremonies. Though this practice is illegal in many countries, weak enforcement allows it to persist. The slow flight and conspicuous colours of the Keel-billed Toucan make them easy targets. As mature adults are most often targeted, these killings reduce breeding success and destabilise family groups.
Capture for the illegal pet trade
The Keel-billed Toucan is a sought-after species in the illegal exotic bird trade. Chicks are taken from nests and sold in pet markets across Latin America, often dying during capture or transport. Adults are also captured and kept in cramped cages, where they frequently suffer from iron storage disease (hemochromatosis) due to improper diets. Online wildlife trafficking has made it easier for these birds to be bought and sold internationally with little oversight.
Climate change and drought-related food shortages
Shifting rainfall patterns and increased dry seasons caused by climate change are altering fruiting cycles in tropical forests. For a bird so reliant on fruit, this poses a serious threat. Prolonged droughts can lead to localised starvation and reduce breeding success. With fragmented forests unable to support movement between food-rich areas, toucan populations may collapse in drier regions over time.
Geographic Range
Keel-billed Toucans are found in: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. They inhabit humid tropical and subtropical rainforests, ranging from sea level to 1,500 metres. While they can forage in degraded forests and plantations, they rely on undisturbed primary canopy for nesting and social cohesion. Populations are becoming increasingly fragmented as deforestation escalates.
Diet
Keel-billed Toucans are frugivores, but opportunistically omnivorous. They consume a wide range of soft fruits, tossing them into the air to swallow whole. Their dextrous bills help them reach fruit on thin outer branches inaccessible to other birds.
Their diet also includes insects, small lizards, eggs, and nestlings. In studies conducted in Costa Rica, toucans were shown to actively use olfactory cues — specifically, the scent of ripe banana and papaya — to locate food, suggesting their sense of smell plays a more important role in foraging than previously believed.
Mating and Reproduction
Keel-billed Toucans nest in existing tree cavities, laying between 1 to 4 white eggs. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks once they hatch. Chicks are born blind and featherless with thick heel pads to protect them in the pit-covered nests. They remain in the nest for 8–9 weeks until their bills fully develop and they are ready to fledge.
These birds breed once annually, timed with fruiting seasons in tropical forests. Family groups share parenting responsibilities and maintain long-term bonds, often engaging in bill jousting and food-sharing behaviours.
FAQs
How many Keel-billed Toucans are left in the wild?
The global population is estimated to be between 50,000 and 499,999 mature individuals (Partners in Flight, 2019). However, numbers are declining rapidly, with up to 20–29% projected loss in the next three generations due to habitat destruction and hunting (BirdLife International, 2020).
Where do Keel-billed Toucans live?
They live in humid tropical forests across Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, ranging as far south as Colombia and Venezuela. They prefer the canopy and upper midstorey of primary forests but are increasingly forced into degraded habitats.
Why are Keel-billed Toucans endangered?
They are primarily threatened by deforestation for agriculture, palm oil and cattle ranching, as well as illegal pet trade and hunting. Their populations are declining faster than tree cover loss alone would suggest, due to their sensitivity to forest degradation and reliance on cavity-nesting trees.
Do Keel-billed Toucans make good pets?
No. Capturing and caging toucans is cruel and drives illegal wildlife trade. They suffer from disease, stress, and a short lifespan in captivity. Keeping them as pets contributes to population decline and ecosystem collapse. If you love toucans, help protect them in the wild — never buy or share content encouraging exotic pet ownership.
Take Action!
Help save the Keel-billed Toucan from extinction. Never buy exotic birds or support facilities that trade in wild animals. Boycott palm oil, beef, and soy products. Support forest restoration and indigenous-led protection of tropical canopies. Raise your voice to defend one of the most colourful birds on Earth. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat
Support Keel-billed Toucans by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife
Support the conservation of this species
This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.
Further Information
BirdLife International. 2021. Ramphastos sulfuratus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22682102A168670038. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22682102A168670038.en. Accessed on 17 April 2025.
Hernández, M. C., Villada, A. M., & Barja, I. (2022). Onto the sense of smell in macaws, amazons and toucans: Can they use volatile cues of fruits to make foraging decisions? Integrative Zoology, 17(6), 1003–1020. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12694
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Read more3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
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Pledge your supportLearn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
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Keep readingLearn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read more #animals #Belize #Bird #birds #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #bushmeat #Colombia #CostaRica #deforestation #ForgottenAnimals #Guatamala #Guatemala #Honduras #hunting #illegalPetTrade #KeelBilledToucanRamphastosSulfuratus #meat #Mexico #NearThreatenedSpecies #Nicaragua #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Panama #poaching #SouthAmerica #soy #Toucan #Toucans #vegan #Venezuela #vulnerable #VulnerableSpecies -
Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus
Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus
IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened
Locations: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela
Found in tropical rainforests and lowland jungles from southern Mexico through Central America to north-western South America.
The Keel-billed #Toucan, with their dazzling rainbow-coloured bills and bold black-and-yellow plumage, are one of the most iconic #birds of Central and #SouthAmerica. Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, this species of spectacular #bird is facing steady declines due to #palmoil #soy and #meat #deforestation, #hunting, and capture for the illegal pet trade. The destruction of humid forest canopies — especially for cattle grazing and monocultures like palm oil — is pushing this vibrant forest specialist closer to extinction. Protect the colourful creatures of the Amazonian rainforest canopies! Every time you shop be #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Showing up with a riot of colour and croaking, Keel-billed #Toucans 🌈✨🦜 are nature’s works of art. Help them survive against #palmoil and meat #deforestation in #Colombia and #Guatemala. Be #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterIconic #birds of #Venezuela 🇻🇪 #Mexico 🇲🇽 #Honduras 🇭🇳 Keel-billed #Toucans are rainbow flocks of rainforest joy! 🦜🐦🪽 Help them survive be #vegan and call out #poaching and the illegal pet trade #Boycottpalmoil 🌴❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterAppearance & Behaviour
The Keel-billed Toucan is impossible to miss. They are strikingly colourful birds, with black plumage, a vivid yellow throat, crimson tail-tip, and turquoise legs. Their oversized, multi-hued bill — lime green, orange, and cherry red — can reach up to 15 cm long but remains surprisingly lightweight thanks to a hollow keratin structure.
Highly social, they travel in small groups of 6 to 12 individuals, calling to each other with croaks and yelps as they glide between trees. They nest and sleep in tight tree cavities, often tucking their beaks and tails under their bodies to conserve space and heat. Recent research also shows they can detect fruit using their sense of smell — a rare trait in birds, highlighting their complex foraging behaviour.
Threats
Deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching
Throughout their range, particularly in Mexico, Honduras, and Colombia, large areas of tropical rainforest are being cleared for cattle grazing, soy plantations, and subsistence farming. These forest clearances remove vital canopy nesting trees and reduce food availability, especially for highly frugivorous birds like the Keel-billed Toucan. Habitat fragmentation also isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing vulnerability to local extinction.
Palm oil and soy monocultures and forest degradation
Although not traditionally associated with Central America, palm oil cultivation is rapidly expanding in regions like Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia. These monocultures replace biodiverse forests with uniform, sterile plantations where toucans cannot nest or forage effectively. The clearing of tropical forest for palm oil is often accompanied by illegal logging, fire, and pesticide use, further degrading the ecosystem. Loss of tree cavities and fruiting species is directly linked to toucan population declines.
Hunting for meat and beak trade
In rural regions, toucans are hunted for their meat and their colourful beaks, which are sold as ornaments or used in traditional ceremonies. Though this practice is illegal in many countries, weak enforcement allows it to persist. The slow flight and conspicuous colours of the Keel-billed Toucan make them easy targets. As mature adults are most often targeted, these killings reduce breeding success and destabilise family groups.
Capture for the illegal pet trade
The Keel-billed Toucan is a sought-after species in the illegal exotic bird trade. Chicks are taken from nests and sold in pet markets across Latin America, often dying during capture or transport. Adults are also captured and kept in cramped cages, where they frequently suffer from iron storage disease (hemochromatosis) due to improper diets. Online wildlife trafficking has made it easier for these birds to be bought and sold internationally with little oversight.
Climate change and drought-related food shortages
Shifting rainfall patterns and increased dry seasons caused by climate change are altering fruiting cycles in tropical forests. For a bird so reliant on fruit, this poses a serious threat. Prolonged droughts can lead to localised starvation and reduce breeding success. With fragmented forests unable to support movement between food-rich areas, toucan populations may collapse in drier regions over time.
Geographic Range
Keel-billed Toucans are found in: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. They inhabit humid tropical and subtropical rainforests, ranging from sea level to 1,500 metres. While they can forage in degraded forests and plantations, they rely on undisturbed primary canopy for nesting and social cohesion. Populations are becoming increasingly fragmented as deforestation escalates.
Diet
Keel-billed Toucans are frugivores, but opportunistically omnivorous. They consume a wide range of soft fruits, tossing them into the air to swallow whole. Their dextrous bills help them reach fruit on thin outer branches inaccessible to other birds.
Their diet also includes insects, small lizards, eggs, and nestlings. In studies conducted in Costa Rica, toucans were shown to actively use olfactory cues — specifically, the scent of ripe banana and papaya — to locate food, suggesting their sense of smell plays a more important role in foraging than previously believed.
Mating and Reproduction
Keel-billed Toucans nest in existing tree cavities, laying between 1 to 4 white eggs. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks once they hatch. Chicks are born blind and featherless with thick heel pads to protect them in the pit-covered nests. They remain in the nest for 8–9 weeks until their bills fully develop and they are ready to fledge.
These birds breed once annually, timed with fruiting seasons in tropical forests. Family groups share parenting responsibilities and maintain long-term bonds, often engaging in bill jousting and food-sharing behaviours.
FAQs
How many Keel-billed Toucans are left in the wild?
The global population is estimated to be between 50,000 and 499,999 mature individuals (Partners in Flight, 2019). However, numbers are declining rapidly, with up to 20–29% projected loss in the next three generations due to habitat destruction and hunting (BirdLife International, 2020).
Where do Keel-billed Toucans live?
They live in humid tropical forests across Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, ranging as far south as Colombia and Venezuela. They prefer the canopy and upper midstorey of primary forests but are increasingly forced into degraded habitats.
Why are Keel-billed Toucans endangered?
They are primarily threatened by deforestation for agriculture, palm oil and cattle ranching, as well as illegal pet trade and hunting. Their populations are declining faster than tree cover loss alone would suggest, due to their sensitivity to forest degradation and reliance on cavity-nesting trees.
Do Keel-billed Toucans make good pets?
No. Capturing and caging toucans is cruel and drives illegal wildlife trade. They suffer from disease, stress, and a short lifespan in captivity. Keeping them as pets contributes to population decline and ecosystem collapse. If you love toucans, help protect them in the wild — never buy or share content encouraging exotic pet ownership.
Take Action!
Help save the Keel-billed Toucan from extinction. Never buy exotic birds or support facilities that trade in wild animals. Boycott palm oil, beef, and soy products. Support forest restoration and indigenous-led protection of tropical canopies. Raise your voice to defend one of the most colourful birds on Earth. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat
Support Keel-billed Toucans by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife
Support the conservation of this species
This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.
Further Information
BirdLife International. 2021. Ramphastos sulfuratus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22682102A168670038. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22682102A168670038.en. Accessed on 17 April 2025.
Hernández, M. C., Villada, A. M., & Barja, I. (2022). Onto the sense of smell in macaws, amazons and toucans: Can they use volatile cues of fruits to make foraging decisions? Integrative Zoology, 17(6), 1003–1020. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12694
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 3,176 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Read moreMel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Read moreAnthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Read moreHealth Physician Dr Evan Allen
Read moreThe World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
Read moreHow do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
Read more3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your supportLearn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global South America S.E. Asia India Africa West Papua & PNGAsian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus
Keep readingMarsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua
Keep readingGursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae
Keep readingSunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus
Keep readingWestern Parotia Parotia sefilata
Keep readingCapped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus
Keep readingLearn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read more #animals #Belize #Bird #birds #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #bushmeat #Colombia #CostaRica #deforestation #ForgottenAnimals #Guatamala #Guatemala #Honduras #hunting #illegalPetTrade #KeelBilledToucanRamphastosSulfuratus #meat #Mexico #NearThreatenedSpecies #Nicaragua #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Panama #poaching #SouthAmerica #soy #Toucan #Toucans #vegan #Venezuela #vulnerable #VulnerableSpecies -
Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus
Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus
IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened
Locations: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela
Found in tropical rainforests and lowland jungles from southern Mexico through Central America to north-western South America.
The Keel-billed #Toucan, with their dazzling rainbow-coloured bills and bold black-and-yellow plumage, are one of the most iconic #birds of Central and #SouthAmerica. Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, this species of spectacular #bird is facing steady declines due to #palmoil #soy and #meat #deforestation, #hunting, and capture for the illegal pet trade. The destruction of humid forest canopies — especially for cattle grazing and monocultures like palm oil — is pushing this vibrant forest specialist closer to extinction. Protect the colourful creatures of the Amazonian rainforest canopies! Every time you shop be #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Showing up with a riot of colour and croaking, Keel-billed #Toucans 🌈✨🦜 are nature’s works of art. Help them survive against #palmoil and meat #deforestation in #Colombia and #Guatemala. Be #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterIconic #birds of #Venezuela 🇻🇪 #Mexico 🇲🇽 #Honduras 🇭🇳 Keel-billed #Toucans are rainbow flocks of rainforest joy! 🦜🐦🪽 Help them survive be #vegan and call out #poaching and the illegal pet trade #Boycottpalmoil 🌴❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterAppearance & Behaviour
The Keel-billed Toucan is impossible to miss. They are strikingly colourful birds, with black plumage, a vivid yellow throat, crimson tail-tip, and turquoise legs. Their oversized, multi-hued bill — lime green, orange, and cherry red — can reach up to 15 cm long but remains surprisingly lightweight thanks to a hollow keratin structure.
Highly social, they travel in small groups of 6 to 12 individuals, calling to each other with croaks and yelps as they glide between trees. They nest and sleep in tight tree cavities, often tucking their beaks and tails under their bodies to conserve space and heat. Recent research also shows they can detect fruit using their sense of smell — a rare trait in birds, highlighting their complex foraging behaviour.
Threats
Deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching
Throughout their range, particularly in Mexico, Honduras, and Colombia, large areas of tropical rainforest are being cleared for cattle grazing, soy plantations, and subsistence farming. These forest clearances remove vital canopy nesting trees and reduce food availability, especially for highly frugivorous birds like the Keel-billed Toucan. Habitat fragmentation also isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing vulnerability to local extinction.
Palm oil and soy monocultures and forest degradation
Although not traditionally associated with Central America, palm oil cultivation is rapidly expanding in regions like Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia. These monocultures replace biodiverse forests with uniform, sterile plantations where toucans cannot nest or forage effectively. The clearing of tropical forest for palm oil is often accompanied by illegal logging, fire, and pesticide use, further degrading the ecosystem. Loss of tree cavities and fruiting species is directly linked to toucan population declines.
Hunting for meat and beak trade
In rural regions, toucans are hunted for their meat and their colourful beaks, which are sold as ornaments or used in traditional ceremonies. Though this practice is illegal in many countries, weak enforcement allows it to persist. The slow flight and conspicuous colours of the Keel-billed Toucan make them easy targets. As mature adults are most often targeted, these killings reduce breeding success and destabilise family groups.
Capture for the illegal pet trade
The Keel-billed Toucan is a sought-after species in the illegal exotic bird trade. Chicks are taken from nests and sold in pet markets across Latin America, often dying during capture or transport. Adults are also captured and kept in cramped cages, where they frequently suffer from iron storage disease (hemochromatosis) due to improper diets. Online wildlife trafficking has made it easier for these birds to be bought and sold internationally with little oversight.
Climate change and drought-related food shortages
Shifting rainfall patterns and increased dry seasons caused by climate change are altering fruiting cycles in tropical forests. For a bird so reliant on fruit, this poses a serious threat. Prolonged droughts can lead to localised starvation and reduce breeding success. With fragmented forests unable to support movement between food-rich areas, toucan populations may collapse in drier regions over time.
Geographic Range
Keel-billed Toucans are found in: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. They inhabit humid tropical and subtropical rainforests, ranging from sea level to 1,500 metres. While they can forage in degraded forests and plantations, they rely on undisturbed primary canopy for nesting and social cohesion. Populations are becoming increasingly fragmented as deforestation escalates.
Diet
Keel-billed Toucans are frugivores, but opportunistically omnivorous. They consume a wide range of soft fruits, tossing them into the air to swallow whole. Their dextrous bills help them reach fruit on thin outer branches inaccessible to other birds.
Their diet also includes insects, small lizards, eggs, and nestlings. In studies conducted in Costa Rica, toucans were shown to actively use olfactory cues — specifically, the scent of ripe banana and papaya — to locate food, suggesting their sense of smell plays a more important role in foraging than previously believed.
Mating and Reproduction
Keel-billed Toucans nest in existing tree cavities, laying between 1 to 4 white eggs. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks once they hatch. Chicks are born blind and featherless with thick heel pads to protect them in the pit-covered nests. They remain in the nest for 8–9 weeks until their bills fully develop and they are ready to fledge.
These birds breed once annually, timed with fruiting seasons in tropical forests. Family groups share parenting responsibilities and maintain long-term bonds, often engaging in bill jousting and food-sharing behaviours.
FAQs
How many Keel-billed Toucans are left in the wild?
The global population is estimated to be between 50,000 and 499,999 mature individuals (Partners in Flight, 2019). However, numbers are declining rapidly, with up to 20–29% projected loss in the next three generations due to habitat destruction and hunting (BirdLife International, 2020).
Where do Keel-billed Toucans live?
They live in humid tropical forests across Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, ranging as far south as Colombia and Venezuela. They prefer the canopy and upper midstorey of primary forests but are increasingly forced into degraded habitats.
Why are Keel-billed Toucans endangered?
They are primarily threatened by deforestation for agriculture, palm oil and cattle ranching, as well as illegal pet trade and hunting. Their populations are declining faster than tree cover loss alone would suggest, due to their sensitivity to forest degradation and reliance on cavity-nesting trees.
Do Keel-billed Toucans make good pets?
No. Capturing and caging toucans is cruel and drives illegal wildlife trade. They suffer from disease, stress, and a short lifespan in captivity. Keeping them as pets contributes to population decline and ecosystem collapse. If you love toucans, help protect them in the wild — never buy or share content encouraging exotic pet ownership.
Take Action!
Help save the Keel-billed Toucan from extinction. Never buy exotic birds or support facilities that trade in wild animals. Boycott palm oil, beef, and soy products. Support forest restoration and indigenous-led protection of tropical canopies. Raise your voice to defend one of the most colourful birds on Earth. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat
Support Keel-billed Toucans by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife
Support the conservation of this species
This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.
Further Information
BirdLife International. 2021. Ramphastos sulfuratus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22682102A168670038. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22682102A168670038.en. Accessed on 17 April 2025.
Hernández, M. C., Villada, A. M., & Barja, I. (2022). Onto the sense of smell in macaws, amazons and toucans: Can they use volatile cues of fruits to make foraging decisions? Integrative Zoology, 17(6), 1003–1020. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12694
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 3,176 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Read moreMel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Read moreAnthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Read moreHealth Physician Dr Evan Allen
Read moreThe World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
Read moreHow do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
Read more3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your supportLearn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
Global South America S.E. Asia India Africa West Papua & PNGAsian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus
Keep readingMarsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua
Keep readingGursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae
Keep readingSunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus
Keep readingWestern Parotia Parotia sefilata
Keep readingCapped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus
Keep readingLearn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read more #animals #Belize #Bird #birds #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #bushmeat #Colombia #CostaRica #deforestation #ForgottenAnimals #Guatamala #Guatemala #Honduras #hunting #illegalPetTrade #KeelBilledToucanRamphastosSulfuratus #meat #Mexico #NearThreatenedSpecies #Nicaragua #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Panama #poaching #SouthAmerica #soy #Toucan #Toucans #vegan #Venezuela #vulnerable #VulnerableSpecies -
Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus
Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus
IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened
Locations: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela
Found in tropical rainforests and lowland jungles from southern Mexico through Central America to north-western South America.
The Keel-billed #Toucan, with their dazzling rainbow-coloured bills and bold black-and-yellow plumage, are one of the most iconic #birds of Central and #SouthAmerica. Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, this species of spectacular #bird is facing steady declines due to #palmoil #soy and #meat #deforestation, #hunting, and capture for the illegal pet trade. The destruction of humid forest canopies — especially for cattle grazing and monocultures like palm oil — is pushing this vibrant forest specialist closer to extinction. Protect the colourful creatures of the Amazonian rainforest canopies! Every time you shop be #vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Showing up with a riot of colour and croaking, Keel-billed #Toucans 🌈✨🦜 are nature’s works of art. Help them survive against #palmoil and meat #deforestation in #Colombia and #Guatemala. Be #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterIconic #birds of #Venezuela 🇻🇪 #Mexico 🇲🇽 #Honduras 🇭🇳 Keel-billed #Toucans are rainbow flocks of rainforest joy! 🦜🐦🪽 Help them survive be #vegan and call out #poaching and the illegal pet trade #Boycottpalmoil 🌴❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/04/05/keel-billed-toucan-ramphastos-sulfuratus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterAppearance & Behaviour
The Keel-billed Toucan is impossible to miss. They are strikingly colourful birds, with black plumage, a vivid yellow throat, crimson tail-tip, and turquoise legs. Their oversized, multi-hued bill — lime green, orange, and cherry red — can reach up to 15 cm long but remains surprisingly lightweight thanks to a hollow keratin structure.
Highly social, they travel in small groups of 6 to 12 individuals, calling to each other with croaks and yelps as they glide between trees. They nest and sleep in tight tree cavities, often tucking their beaks and tails under their bodies to conserve space and heat. Recent research also shows they can detect fruit using their sense of smell — a rare trait in birds, highlighting their complex foraging behaviour.
Threats
Deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching
Throughout their range, particularly in Mexico, Honduras, and Colombia, large areas of tropical rainforest are being cleared for cattle grazing, soy plantations, and subsistence farming. These forest clearances remove vital canopy nesting trees and reduce food availability, especially for highly frugivorous birds like the Keel-billed Toucan. Habitat fragmentation also isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing vulnerability to local extinction.
Palm oil and soy monocultures and forest degradation
Although not traditionally associated with Central America, palm oil cultivation is rapidly expanding in regions like Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia. These monocultures replace biodiverse forests with uniform, sterile plantations where toucans cannot nest or forage effectively. The clearing of tropical forest for palm oil is often accompanied by illegal logging, fire, and pesticide use, further degrading the ecosystem. Loss of tree cavities and fruiting species is directly linked to toucan population declines.
Hunting for meat and beak trade
In rural regions, toucans are hunted for their meat and their colourful beaks, which are sold as ornaments or used in traditional ceremonies. Though this practice is illegal in many countries, weak enforcement allows it to persist. The slow flight and conspicuous colours of the Keel-billed Toucan make them easy targets. As mature adults are most often targeted, these killings reduce breeding success and destabilise family groups.
Capture for the illegal pet trade
The Keel-billed Toucan is a sought-after species in the illegal exotic bird trade. Chicks are taken from nests and sold in pet markets across Latin America, often dying during capture or transport. Adults are also captured and kept in cramped cages, where they frequently suffer from iron storage disease (hemochromatosis) due to improper diets. Online wildlife trafficking has made it easier for these birds to be bought and sold internationally with little oversight.
Climate change and drought-related food shortages
Shifting rainfall patterns and increased dry seasons caused by climate change are altering fruiting cycles in tropical forests. For a bird so reliant on fruit, this poses a serious threat. Prolonged droughts can lead to localised starvation and reduce breeding success. With fragmented forests unable to support movement between food-rich areas, toucan populations may collapse in drier regions over time.
Geographic Range
Keel-billed Toucans are found in: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. They inhabit humid tropical and subtropical rainforests, ranging from sea level to 1,500 metres. While they can forage in degraded forests and plantations, they rely on undisturbed primary canopy for nesting and social cohesion. Populations are becoming increasingly fragmented as deforestation escalates.
Diet
Keel-billed Toucans are frugivores, but opportunistically omnivorous. They consume a wide range of soft fruits, tossing them into the air to swallow whole. Their dextrous bills help them reach fruit on thin outer branches inaccessible to other birds.
Their diet also includes insects, small lizards, eggs, and nestlings. In studies conducted in Costa Rica, toucans were shown to actively use olfactory cues — specifically, the scent of ripe banana and papaya — to locate food, suggesting their sense of smell plays a more important role in foraging than previously believed.
Mating and Reproduction
Keel-billed Toucans nest in existing tree cavities, laying between 1 to 4 white eggs. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks once they hatch. Chicks are born blind and featherless with thick heel pads to protect them in the pit-covered nests. They remain in the nest for 8–9 weeks until their bills fully develop and they are ready to fledge.
These birds breed once annually, timed with fruiting seasons in tropical forests. Family groups share parenting responsibilities and maintain long-term bonds, often engaging in bill jousting and food-sharing behaviours.
FAQs
How many Keel-billed Toucans are left in the wild?
The global population is estimated to be between 50,000 and 499,999 mature individuals (Partners in Flight, 2019). However, numbers are declining rapidly, with up to 20–29% projected loss in the next three generations due to habitat destruction and hunting (BirdLife International, 2020).
Where do Keel-billed Toucans live?
They live in humid tropical forests across Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, ranging as far south as Colombia and Venezuela. They prefer the canopy and upper midstorey of primary forests but are increasingly forced into degraded habitats.
Why are Keel-billed Toucans endangered?
They are primarily threatened by deforestation for agriculture, palm oil and cattle ranching, as well as illegal pet trade and hunting. Their populations are declining faster than tree cover loss alone would suggest, due to their sensitivity to forest degradation and reliance on cavity-nesting trees.
Do Keel-billed Toucans make good pets?
No. Capturing and caging toucans is cruel and drives illegal wildlife trade. They suffer from disease, stress, and a short lifespan in captivity. Keeping them as pets contributes to population decline and ecosystem collapse. If you love toucans, help protect them in the wild — never buy or share content encouraging exotic pet ownership.
Take Action!
Help save the Keel-billed Toucan from extinction. Never buy exotic birds or support facilities that trade in wild animals. Boycott palm oil, beef, and soy products. Support forest restoration and indigenous-led protection of tropical canopies. Raise your voice to defend one of the most colourful birds on Earth. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat
Support Keel-billed Toucans by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife
Support the conservation of this species
This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.
Further Information
BirdLife International. 2021. Ramphastos sulfuratus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22682102A168670038. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22682102A168670038.en. Accessed on 17 April 2025.
Hernández, M. C., Villada, A. M., & Barja, I. (2022). Onto the sense of smell in macaws, amazons and toucans: Can they use volatile cues of fruits to make foraging decisions? Integrative Zoology, 17(6), 1003–1020. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12694
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 3,176 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Read moreMel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Read moreAnthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Read moreHealth Physician Dr Evan Allen
Read moreThe World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
Read moreHow do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
Read more3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your supportLearn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
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Keep readingLearn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing
Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read more #animals #Belize #Bird #birds #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #bushmeat #Colombia #CostaRica #deforestation #ForgottenAnimals #Guatamala #Guatemala #Honduras #hunting #illegalPetTrade #KeelBilledToucanRamphastosSulfuratus #meat #Mexico #NearThreatenedSpecies #Nicaragua #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Panama #poaching #SouthAmerica #soy #Toucan #Toucans #vegan #Venezuela #vulnerable #VulnerableSpecies -
Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus
Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus
Locations: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Bali), and Borneo
The Sunda flying lemur, also known as the Malayan flying lemur or Malayan #colugo, silently glides through the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, relying on ancient forests to survive. Despite their name, they are not true lemurs, nor do they fly—they are gliders, and among the most skilful in the world. This species is experiencing population declines in several parts of their range. They are threatened by #deforestation from #timber, #palmoil plantations, and #hunting by local communities. Forest loss, particularly in #Java, #Vietnam, and #Thailand, is fragmenting their populations and endangering their survival. Use your wallet as a weapon every time you shop and protect these sensitive creatures #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
The elegant #Sunda flying #lemur AKA #Colugo can glide 100m through trees 🪽🕊️ in #Sumatra #Kalimantan and #Borneo. Totally reliant on trees, #palmoil is a major threat to them 😿 Fight back and🌴🩸🔥☠️🧐🚫 #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/02/08/sunda-flying-lemur-galeopterus-variegatus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterHauntingly beautiful gliding #mammal, the Malayan #Colugo/ Sunda Flying #Lemur uses a cape-like skin membrane to slide 100’s of metres through the #rainforests of SE #Asia. Fight for them and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🙊🤮🚜🔥❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/02/08/sunda-flying-lemur-galeopterus-variegatus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterAppearance & Behaviour
Sunda flying lemurs are hauntingly beautiful gliding mammals, with their large, forward-facing eyes adapted for night vision and a delicate, kite-shaped membrane of skin called a patagium stretching from their neck to their fingertips, tail, and toes. This structure allows them to glide over 100 metres through the forest canopy, losing as little as 10 metres in elevation. On the ground, they are nearly helpless, but in the trees, they move with astonishing agility. These quiet, nocturnal mammals spend their days curled up in tree hollows or nestled in the dense fronds of coconut trees, becoming active at dusk when they begin foraging.
Threats
Palm oil deforestation
The widespread clearing of tropical rainforest to establish palm oil plantations is one of the greatest threats to the Sunda flying lemur. These gliders rely heavily on continuous tree canopy for movement, foraging, and breeding. When forests are fragmented or entirely removed for palm oil, flying lemurs become stranded, exposed to predators, and unable to access food or shelter. This process has caused severe habitat degradation across Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo.
Human persecution and hunting
In Java and some other regions, Sunda flying lemurs are hunted by local communities, including the Baduy Tribe, who increase hunting activity every four years as part of cultural practices. Though the species yields little meat, they are still killed for consumption or perceived nuisance. Hunting disrupts already fragile populations, particularly in areas where habitat loss has already reduced numbers and isolated groups.
Logging and forest fragmentation for timber
Commercial and illegal logging contribute to the rapid degradation of forests across Southeast Asia. Even selective logging can cause fragmentation, which limits the flying lemur’s ability to glide and forces them to descend to the ground—where they are highly vulnerable to predators and human threats. Logging roads also increase human access to remote forests, further accelerating hunting and forest conversion.
Competition with invasive species
In degraded habitats and plantations, Sunda flying lemurs face increased competition for food and nesting sites from invasive and generalist species such as the Plantain Squirrel (Callosciurus notatus). These squirrels are more adaptable and can dominate food sources, leaving less for the more specialised colugo. Competition like this puts additional stress on the already fragile populations of flying lemurs, especially in fragmented or edge habitats.
Urban expansion and infrastructure development
Rapid urbanisation across Southeast Asia has resulted in the encroachment of cities and towns into previously forested areas. Roads, buildings, hydroelectric dams and agricultural expansion sever vital canopy corridors and isolate populations, making gliding impossible in many urban landscapes. As a result, Sunda flying lemurs are forced to navigate unsuitable environments, increasing their risk of vehicle collisions, electrocution from power lines, and conflict with humans.
Weak protections and lack of enforcement
Although the Sunda flying lemur is legally protected in several countries, enforcement is often weak or inconsistent. In areas like Sarawak and Java, data on current populations is outdated or incomplete, making it difficult to assess trends or plan effective conservation strategies. Without strong protections and ongoing monitoring, habitat loss and hunting will continue to drive the species toward future vulnerability or extinction.
Geographic Range
Sunda flying lemurs are found across Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, southern Myanmar, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia (Java, Bali, Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Borneo). They are patchily distributed, with population declines noted in Java and possibly Sarawak. They occur in both primary and secondary forests, and are sometimes seen in plantations and gardens—but dense forest canopy is critical for their survival. Populations in disturbed habitats are less viable due to limited gliding space and reduced food availability.
Diet
The Sunda flying lemur feeds primarily on young leaves, buds, shoots, flowers, and fruits of a wide variety of forest trees. In Bako National Park, Sarawak, they have been observed feeding on over 12 tree species, with Buchanania arborescens making up over 50% of their diet. They also consume tree sap and have even been seen licking bark for water and minerals. Interestingly, they have been recorded feeding on ants (Paratrechina longicornis) in rare cases, highlighting their adaptability in changing environments.
Mating and Reproduction
After a gestation period of about 60 days, females give birth to a single young, which clings to the mother’s belly and is cradled within the folds of the patagium. The mother’s gliding membrane acts like a living pouch, offering warmth and protection as she climbs and glides through the treetops. Not much else is known about their mating systems or breeding intervals, but juveniles stay with their mothers until they are old enough to glide on their own.
FAQs
How many Sunda flying lemurs are left in the wild?
Exact population numbers are unknown, but the species is believed to be in slow decline. Localised extinctions are suspected in parts of Java and mainland Southeast Asia due to hunting and habitat fragmentation. While still widespread, their dependence on intact forests makes them vulnerable to ongoing deforestation (Boeadi & Steinmetz, 2008).
How long do Sunda flying lemurs live?
In the wild, their lifespan is estimated to be around 10–15 years, though this can vary depending on threats and environmental conditions. Data from wild populations are limited due to their elusive, nocturnal habits (Wikipedia, n.d.).
Why are they threatened by palm oil?
Palm oil plantations destroy the lowland tropical forests that flying lemurs depend on. Unlike other adaptable mammals, colugos require dense canopy cover for safe gliding, resting, and breeding. When forests are cleared, these gliders lose their ability to navigate safely, exposing them to predators and starvation. The conversion of rainforest into monoculture plantations has led to significant declines in habitat quality across their range (Lim et al., 2013; Nasir & Abdullah, 2009).
Do Sunda flying lemurs make good pets?
Absolutely not. Sunda flying lemurs are wild animals with specialised needs. They are not domesticated, and keeping them as pets leads to extreme stress, injury, or death. Capturing these animals for trade disrupts family groups and contributes to their extinction. If you care about flying lemurs, advocate against the exotic pet trade and never support it.
What conservation efforts are underway?
National laws protect the Sunda flying lemur in many range countries, and studies have been conducted in places like Bako National Park and Singapore. However, much stronger protection is needed, particularly in habitat protection and indigenous-led conservation. Conservationists recommend protecting forest patches, especially those with >95% canopy cover, to ensure their survival (Lim et al., 2013).
Take Action!
Protect the Sunda flying lemur by choosing only products that are 100% palm oil-free. Avoiding palm oil directly combats deforestation and preserves vital canopy corridors these animals depend on. Support indigenous-led agroecology and forest protection movements. Never support the exotic pet trade or keep wild animals in captivity. Every purchase you make has the power to either destroy or safeguard their rainforest homes. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Support Sunda Flying Lemurs by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife
Support the conservation of this species
This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.
Further Information
Boeadi & Steinmetz, R. 2008. Galeopterus variegatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T41502A10479343. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T41502A10479343.en. Accessed on 06 April 2025.
Lim, N. T-L., Giam, X., Byrnes, G., & Clements, G. R. (2013). Occurrence of the Sunda colugo (Galeopterus variegatus) in the tropical forests of Singapore: A Bayesian approach. Mammalian Biology, 78(1), 63–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2012.06.008
Nasir, D., & Abdullah, M. T. (2009). Foraging ecology of the Sunda colugo (Galeopterus variegatus) in Bako National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal, 61(4), 285–294. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290610443_Foraging_ecology_of_the_sunda_colugo_galeopterus_variegatus_in_bako_national_park_sarawak_malaysia
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Sunda flying lemur. Retrieved April 6, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunda_flying_lemur
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
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Read moreMel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
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Read moreHealth Physician Dr Evan Allen
Read moreThe World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
Read moreHow do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
Read more3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your supportLearn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture
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Read more about RSPO greenwashing
Lying Fake labels Indigenous Land-grabbing Human rights abuses Deforestation Human health hazardsA 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)
Read more #animals #Asia #Borneo #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #Brunei #Cambodia #colugo #dams #deforestation #ForgottenAnimals #glidingMammal #humanWildlifeConflict #hunting #hydroelectric #Indonesia #Java #Kalimantan #Laos #lemur #Malaysia #Mammal #Myanmar #nocturnal #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #poaching #rainforests #Sumatra #Sunda #SundaFlyingLemurGaleopterusVariegatus #Thailand #timber #Vietnam #VulnerableSpecies -
A Failed Filling-In: the thread about the loch at Lochend
Lochend Loch, in the district of that name, is a natural loch fed from its own springs. The name comes from the fact this was one end of the Barony of Restalrig; the opposite end was the community of the Calton which was therefore sometimes known as the Craigend (Craig being Scots for a rock or cliff). As such the name Lochend Loch is a self-referential tautology. It long had utility as an area for wildfowling, fishing and collecting reeds for thatch and when it froze over it was a popular skating rink. Historically it was fed by a stream called the Strype which drained the lands to its west into it. From the 18th century onwards it was also the water supply for the Port of Leith, but the quality was poor and so much of it leaked out of wood and leather pipes that it could never slake the thirst of that town.
Ice Skating on Lochend in 1818 by James Skene. © Edinburgh City LibrariesThe loch was formerly bigger and deeper than it is now, a combination of water extraction and improved drainage having lowered the surface. In 1876 the surface is recorded by the Ordnance Survey at 83.4 feet above sea level. In 1894 it was 78.54 feet and in 1944 it was 77.99 feet. That’s a drop of 5.4 feet or 1.64m.
Lochend Loch and House in the early 19th century when the water level was significantly higher. This is a picture credited as Duddingston Loch, but is very definitely Lochend, with Whinny Hill of Arthur’s Seat in the background. By Hugh William Williams, CC-by-NC National Galleries Scotland.An old postcard of the Loch, late 19th century, showing how much lower the water level is than in the above painting. Of interest are the row of supports sticking out of the water and mud, these would have carried the water inlet pipe to the pump house from when it was the public water supply for Leith.It can be seen on the map below that in 1817 the loch edge is near to the old dovecot – the round building at the top of the map. The water pumping house, just next to the fold in the page, is well within the loch. Both of these structures are now some distance from the loch edge, so the shoreline has retreated significantly since then.
Kirkwood’s Town Plan of Edinburgh and Leith, 1817.The 1817 survey gives the depth as 23.75 feet at its maximum. Local legend held that it was bottomless, and that a horse and card had been driven in never to be seen again. This may be influence somewhat by the tail of an accused witch, Bessie Dunlop, who was burned at the stake in 1576. Bessie was convicted on the grounds that she had consorted with a man named Tam Reid, who had died at the battle of Pinkie 30 years previous. Tam had conferred healing powers on her. On one occasion, while riding near Lochend Loch she had stopped to water her horse and with Tam had watched an apparition of a company of fairy horse riders charge into the loch to disappear.
When the Corporation built large housing estates in the area; at Lochend, Craigentinny and Restalrig, in the 1920s and 30s, the loch and surrounding grounds was purchased from its historic owners – the Earls of Moray – and formed into a new civic park to serve the neighbourhood. Between 1928-30 the park had been shut and 3,000 lorryloads of spoil from excavating the foundations of the housing schemes had been tipped in around the edges to form pathways. The loch and its grounds were tidied up and became the central feature of the park as a duck pond.
Lochend Loch in the park in 1955. © Edinburgh City LibrariesBy 1958 the loch was unfenced except for a section kept partitioned off as a bird sanctuary. On Aug 19th, John French, 10, from Piershill was playing with 2 friends, took off his socks and shoes and waded a few yards in. He slipped, fell below the surface and his friends never saw him again. It took 4 days for his body to be found; volunteer members of the Scottish Sub-Aqua Club Search & Rescue team had worked around the clock to try and find him, but he was finally recovered just a few yards from where he had disappeared from view, 10 yards from shore. The Corporation immediately formed a sub-committee headed by the Superintendent of Parks and the City Engineer to come up with proposals to make the park safer. They reported back the following month, their preferred option was infilling the loch to a safe depth of 2.5 feet. The Civic Amenity Committee approved this course of action, which they were told would take 3 years, with “complete drainage rejected”. At this point there were not too many dissenting voices as the tragedy of young John’s death was still fresh in peoples minds.
Lochend park and loch in 1957, Edinburgh Evening News photographThe Corporation got to work and lorryloads of demolition rubble from the city’s slum clearances began to arrive. But they soon ran into problems as land reclamation at Leith Docks was paying a premium for rubble and most of it was being diverted there. In 1961, they made the decision to declare the loch a general landfill site for “clean waste“. But the lack of infill material wasn’t the only problem; the City Engineer reported they were “finding it increasingly difficult to maintain the water level“. The loch was fighting back. Once people saw what was happening to it, there was increasingly vocal local outrage at what was being done. “Official Vandalism” wrote one to the Evening News. “The ruination of one of the best bird sanctuaries in Edinburgh… What once was a delight to the eye is today a very sad sight” wrote another. In June 1961 it was reported that the landfill tipping into the loch had polluted it with oil, and the resident swans and cygnets covered. James Christison of Albert Street wrote to complain of the “stench of rotting weeds and freshwater shellfish” hanging over the water.
The City Engineer was called to account and now recommended complete infill and asked for 3 more years. Labour councillor for Craigentinny, Joe Mackaill, was having none of it “it is a beautiful park and a beautiful pond and I will fight all the way to keep it that way“. In July 1961, another letter to the Evening News observed “Lochend appears now to provide a convenient dumping ground for the debris from demolition sites and other waste materials which are possibly difficult to dispose of on account of lack of facilities“. Local residents complained from all the dust coating their washing and windows, and of the smoke cloud that hung over the neighbourhood as the site had a permanent bonfire to burn off wooden furniture and garden waste that could not be tipped in the loch. But the tipping continued, the Corporation countered that they were obliged to take any waste they were provided with now that the Loch was an official landfill site. It seemed that the “best” waste, rubble and soil, was sorted and diverted to Leith Docks while Lochend kept the worst.
The Evening News sent a photographer, who took a picture behind a rickety barbed wire fence showing the loch 3/4 full of “old tyres, empty tea chests, kitchen sinks and house doors… And an enormous quantity of builders’ rubbish“. The loch’s strongest defender in the Corporation, councillor Mackaill, died unexpectedly in March 1962. His cause was taken up by Councillor (later Baillie) Marion Alexander who noted the “disquiet, indignation and even disgust” at the situation
Edinburgh Evening News 14/9/62 “City Beauty Spot Now a Rubbish Dump”There was an increasing discontent now that the loch should never have been in-filled, and that course had been an over-reaction. Letters were sent to the Evening News that the safety of children was the responsibility of their parents, “not the ratepayers“. “It is time the councillors for South Leith woke up to the desecration of this beauty spot and did something about the matter” wrote Peter Robertson of Easter Road. The pressure paid off. In November 1962 Councillor A. D. Jameson (Progressive – Portobello), chair of the Civic Amenities Committee, announced that they were relenting and that the loch would now be restored to its original (surface) size once the infill was settled at the safe depth.
I’ve overlaid some snippets of aerial photographs through the ages on a modern image to show the rise and fall (or rather, the fall and rise again) of the Loch level. The papers now went quiet on the issue, but 3 years later in 1965 it was observed that “Edinburgh Corporation, at the [Scottish Wildlife Trust]’s suggestion, have successfully improved Lochend Loch.” These improvements had included planting an artificial island in the centre of the loch with trees. The island has been subsiding ever since, built up from unstable waste that has rotted and settled and decomposed over time. This explains why the park these days has a spooky, mangrove-like, sunken forest of half-dead trees in the middle.
The remains of the failed attempt to fill in Lochend loch CC-BY-SA 2.0 Richard WebbThe below animation shows the loch surface over time.
#NowAndThen at Lochend loch, 1945 to present. You can see in the still from 1961 that the infill started in the northwest corner of the loch – a road through the park is obvious, leading onto the spoiltip where it was simply being driven onto the loch and dumped.Sadly there was a further tragedy at Lochend in April 1997, when 13 year old Arron Duffus fell off a raft he and his pals had made from abandoned foam insulation and wood sheets. Arron lost his life and eleven others ended up in hospital who also fell in or had tried to save him. The fencing around the loch – which had broken down – was replaced and heightened. The park was also given a clear up to remove the various abandoned cabins and sheds that had once been used as pigeon lofts and greyhound kennels from where the raft materials were taken. A local “friends” group has been trying their best, with some success, to make sure the park and its loch is better maintained and cared for in more recent years..
Photo of makeshift rafts at the edge of Lochend loch, The Scotsman. Saturday 12 April 1997Note to readers: unfortunately in April 2026, a third-party plug-in more than exceeded its authority and broke many of the image links on this site. No images were lost but I will have to restore them page-by-page, which may take some time. In the meantime please bear with me while I go about rectifying this issue.
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#Lochend #Logan #Restalrig #StMargaret -
Fern says, oh hey pal you look a little sad perhaps you'd like so many slobbery kisses with a focus on your nose holes and eyelids and I'll bring you my favorite toy which is currently a giant plastic stalk of asparagus and in the process my waggy tail will knock everything off the table isn't that the best thing you've ever heard of is that okay with you or I could just go eat some kibbles or something or bork at the cat or the door or Fox or something your call
#dogsofmastodon -
Fern says, oh hey pal you look a little sad perhaps you'd like so many slobbery kisses with a focus on your nose holes and eyelids and I'll bring you my favorite toy which is currently a giant plastic stalk of asparagus and in the process my waggy tail will knock everything off the table isn't that the best thing you've ever heard of is that okay with you or I could just go eat some kibbles or something or bork at the cat or the door or Fox or something your call
#dogsofmastodon -
Fern says, oh hey pal you look a little sad perhaps you'd like so many slobbery kisses with a focus on your nose holes and eyelids and I'll bring you my favorite toy which is currently a giant plastic stalk of asparagus and in the process my waggy tail will knock everything off the table isn't that the best thing you've ever heard of is that okay with you or I could just go eat some kibbles or something or bork at the cat or the door or Fox or something your call
#dogsofmastodon -
Fern says, oh hey pal you look a little sad perhaps you'd like so many slobbery kisses with a focus on your nose holes and eyelids and I'll bring you my favorite toy which is currently a giant plastic stalk of asparagus and in the process my waggy tail will knock everything off the table isn't that the best thing you've ever heard of is that okay with you or I could just go eat some kibbles or something or bork at the cat or the door or Fox or something your call
#dogsofmastodon -
Showy roadside wildflower displays along the Lake county Napa line in the hot interior coast ranges. These are called farewell-to-spring because they bloom at the tail end of spring. #bloomscrolling #NativeFlowers
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Unexplained #HeatWave ‘#Hotspots’ Are Popping Up Across the Globe
Kevin Krajick
November 26, 2024"Earth’s hottest recorded year was 2023, at 2.12 degrees F above the 20th-century average. This surpassed the previous record set in 2016. So far, the 10 hottest yearly average temperatures have occurred in the past decade. And, with the hottest summer and hottest single day, 2024 is on track to set yet another record.
"All this may not be breaking news to everyone, but amid this upward march in average temperatures, a striking new phenomenon is emerging: distinct regions are seeing repeated heat waves that are so extreme, they fall far beyond what any model of global warming can predict or explain. A new study provides the first worldwide map of such regions, which show up on every continent except Antarctica like giant, angry skin blotches. In recent years these heat waves have killed tens of thousands of people, withered crops and forests, and sparked devastating wildfires.
"'The large and unexpected margins by which recent regional-scale extremes have broken earlier records have raised questions about the degree to which climate models can provide adequate estimates of relations between global mean temperature changes and regional climate risks,' says the study.
"'This is about extreme trends that are the outcome of physical interactions we might not completely understand,' said lead author Kai Kornhuber, an adjunct scientist at the Columbia Climate School’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. 'These regions become temporary hothouses.' Kornhuber is also a senior research scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria.
"The study was just published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."
"The study looks at heat waves over the past 65 years, identifying areas where extreme heat is accelerating considerably faster than more moderate temperatures. This often results in maximum temperatures that have been repeatedly broken by outsize, sometimes astonishing, amounts. For instance, a nine-day wave that hammered the U.S. Pacific Northwest and southwestern Canada in June 2021 broke daily records in some locales by 30 degrees C, or 54 F. This included the highest ever temperature recorded in Canada, 121.3 F, in Lytton, British Columbia. The town burned to the ground the next day in a wildfire driven in large part by the drying of vegetation in the extraordinary heat. In Oregon and Washington state, hundreds of people died from heat stroke and other health conditions.
"These extreme heat waves have been hitting predominantly in the last five years or so, though some occurred in the early 2000s or before. The most hard-hit regions include populous central China, Japan, Korea, the Arabian peninsula, eastern Australia and scattered parts of Africa. Others include Canada’s Northwest Territories and its High Arctic islands, northern Greenland, the southern end of South America and scattered patches of Siberia. Areas of Texas and New Mexico appear on the map, though they are not at the most extreme end.
"According to the report, the most intense and consistent signal comes from northwestern Europe, where sequences of heat waves contributed to some 60,000 deaths in 2022 and 47,000 deaths in 2023. These occurred across Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and other countries. Here, in recent years, the hottest days of the year are warming twice as fast the summer mean temperatures. The region is especially vulnerable in part because, unlike places like the United States, few people have air conditioning, because traditionally it was almost never needed. The outbreaks have continued. In September, new maximum temperature records were set in Austria, France, Hungary, Slovenia, Norway and Sweden. Well into October, many parts of the U.S. Southwest and California saw record temperatures for the month more typical of midsummer.
"The researchers call the statistical trends 'tail-widening'―that is, the anomalous occurrence of temperatures at the far upper end, or beyond, anything that would be expected with simple upward shifts in mean summer temperatures. But the phenomenon is not happening everywhere; the study shows that maximum temperatures across many other regions are actually lower than what models would predict. These include wide areas of the north-central United States and south-central Canada, interior parts of South America, much of Siberia, northern Africa and northern Australia. Heat is increasing in these regions as well, but the extremes are increasing at similar or lower speed than what changes in average would suggest.
"Climbing overall temperatures make heat waves more likely in many cases, but the causes of the extreme heat outbreaks are not entirely clear. In Europe and Russia, an earlier study led by Kornhuber blamed heat waves and droughts on wobbles in the jet stream, a fast-moving river of air that continuously circles the northern hemisphere. Hemmed in by historically frigid temperatures in the far north and much warmer ones further south, the jet stream generally confines itself to a narrow band. But the Arctic is warming on average far more quickly than most other parts of the Earth, and this appears to be destabilizing the jet stream, causing it to develop so-called Rossby waves, which suck hot air from the south and park it in temperate regions that normally do not see extreme heat for days or weeks at a time."
#RossbyWaves #Rossby #GlobalWarming #GlobalBurning #Wildfires #GlobalHotSpots #Heatwaves #ExtremeHeat #ClimateChange #ExtremeHeatwaves #ExtremeWeather
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Unexplained #HeatWave ‘#Hotspots’ Are Popping Up Across the Globe
Kevin Krajick
November 26, 2024"Earth’s hottest recorded year was 2023, at 2.12 degrees F above the 20th-century average. This surpassed the previous record set in 2016. So far, the 10 hottest yearly average temperatures have occurred in the past decade. And, with the hottest summer and hottest single day, 2024 is on track to set yet another record.
"All this may not be breaking news to everyone, but amid this upward march in average temperatures, a striking new phenomenon is emerging: distinct regions are seeing repeated heat waves that are so extreme, they fall far beyond what any model of global warming can predict or explain. A new study provides the first worldwide map of such regions, which show up on every continent except Antarctica like giant, angry skin blotches. In recent years these heat waves have killed tens of thousands of people, withered crops and forests, and sparked devastating wildfires.
"'The large and unexpected margins by which recent regional-scale extremes have broken earlier records have raised questions about the degree to which climate models can provide adequate estimates of relations between global mean temperature changes and regional climate risks,' says the study.
"'This is about extreme trends that are the outcome of physical interactions we might not completely understand,' said lead author Kai Kornhuber, an adjunct scientist at the Columbia Climate School’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. 'These regions become temporary hothouses.' Kornhuber is also a senior research scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria.
"The study was just published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."
"The study looks at heat waves over the past 65 years, identifying areas where extreme heat is accelerating considerably faster than more moderate temperatures. This often results in maximum temperatures that have been repeatedly broken by outsize, sometimes astonishing, amounts. For instance, a nine-day wave that hammered the U.S. Pacific Northwest and southwestern Canada in June 2021 broke daily records in some locales by 30 degrees C, or 54 F. This included the highest ever temperature recorded in Canada, 121.3 F, in Lytton, British Columbia. The town burned to the ground the next day in a wildfire driven in large part by the drying of vegetation in the extraordinary heat. In Oregon and Washington state, hundreds of people died from heat stroke and other health conditions.
"These extreme heat waves have been hitting predominantly in the last five years or so, though some occurred in the early 2000s or before. The most hard-hit regions include populous central China, Japan, Korea, the Arabian peninsula, eastern Australia and scattered parts of Africa. Others include Canada’s Northwest Territories and its High Arctic islands, northern Greenland, the southern end of South America and scattered patches of Siberia. Areas of Texas and New Mexico appear on the map, though they are not at the most extreme end.
"According to the report, the most intense and consistent signal comes from northwestern Europe, where sequences of heat waves contributed to some 60,000 deaths in 2022 and 47,000 deaths in 2023. These occurred across Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and other countries. Here, in recent years, the hottest days of the year are warming twice as fast the summer mean temperatures. The region is especially vulnerable in part because, unlike places like the United States, few people have air conditioning, because traditionally it was almost never needed. The outbreaks have continued. In September, new maximum temperature records were set in Austria, France, Hungary, Slovenia, Norway and Sweden. Well into October, many parts of the U.S. Southwest and California saw record temperatures for the month more typical of midsummer.
"The researchers call the statistical trends 'tail-widening'―that is, the anomalous occurrence of temperatures at the far upper end, or beyond, anything that would be expected with simple upward shifts in mean summer temperatures. But the phenomenon is not happening everywhere; the study shows that maximum temperatures across many other regions are actually lower than what models would predict. These include wide areas of the north-central United States and south-central Canada, interior parts of South America, much of Siberia, northern Africa and northern Australia. Heat is increasing in these regions as well, but the extremes are increasing at similar or lower speed than what changes in average would suggest.
"Climbing overall temperatures make heat waves more likely in many cases, but the causes of the extreme heat outbreaks are not entirely clear. In Europe and Russia, an earlier study led by Kornhuber blamed heat waves and droughts on wobbles in the jet stream, a fast-moving river of air that continuously circles the northern hemisphere. Hemmed in by historically frigid temperatures in the far north and much warmer ones further south, the jet stream generally confines itself to a narrow band. But the Arctic is warming on average far more quickly than most other parts of the Earth, and this appears to be destabilizing the jet stream, causing it to develop so-called Rossby waves, which suck hot air from the south and park it in temperate regions that normally do not see extreme heat for days or weeks at a time."
#RossbyWaves #Rossby #GlobalWarming #GlobalBurning #Wildfires #GlobalHotSpots #Heatwaves #ExtremeHeat #ClimateChange #ExtremeHeatwaves #ExtremeWeather
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Unexplained #HeatWave ‘#Hotspots’ Are Popping Up Across the Globe
Kevin Krajick
November 26, 2024"Earth’s hottest recorded year was 2023, at 2.12 degrees F above the 20th-century average. This surpassed the previous record set in 2016. So far, the 10 hottest yearly average temperatures have occurred in the past decade. And, with the hottest summer and hottest single day, 2024 is on track to set yet another record.
"All this may not be breaking news to everyone, but amid this upward march in average temperatures, a striking new phenomenon is emerging: distinct regions are seeing repeated heat waves that are so extreme, they fall far beyond what any model of global warming can predict or explain. A new study provides the first worldwide map of such regions, which show up on every continent except Antarctica like giant, angry skin blotches. In recent years these heat waves have killed tens of thousands of people, withered crops and forests, and sparked devastating wildfires.
"'The large and unexpected margins by which recent regional-scale extremes have broken earlier records have raised questions about the degree to which climate models can provide adequate estimates of relations between global mean temperature changes and regional climate risks,' says the study.
"'This is about extreme trends that are the outcome of physical interactions we might not completely understand,' said lead author Kai Kornhuber, an adjunct scientist at the Columbia Climate School’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. 'These regions become temporary hothouses.' Kornhuber is also a senior research scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria.
"The study was just published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."
"The study looks at heat waves over the past 65 years, identifying areas where extreme heat is accelerating considerably faster than more moderate temperatures. This often results in maximum temperatures that have been repeatedly broken by outsize, sometimes astonishing, amounts. For instance, a nine-day wave that hammered the U.S. Pacific Northwest and southwestern Canada in June 2021 broke daily records in some locales by 30 degrees C, or 54 F. This included the highest ever temperature recorded in Canada, 121.3 F, in Lytton, British Columbia. The town burned to the ground the next day in a wildfire driven in large part by the drying of vegetation in the extraordinary heat. In Oregon and Washington state, hundreds of people died from heat stroke and other health conditions.
"These extreme heat waves have been hitting predominantly in the last five years or so, though some occurred in the early 2000s or before. The most hard-hit regions include populous central China, Japan, Korea, the Arabian peninsula, eastern Australia and scattered parts of Africa. Others include Canada’s Northwest Territories and its High Arctic islands, northern Greenland, the southern end of South America and scattered patches of Siberia. Areas of Texas and New Mexico appear on the map, though they are not at the most extreme end.
"According to the report, the most intense and consistent signal comes from northwestern Europe, where sequences of heat waves contributed to some 60,000 deaths in 2022 and 47,000 deaths in 2023. These occurred across Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and other countries. Here, in recent years, the hottest days of the year are warming twice as fast the summer mean temperatures. The region is especially vulnerable in part because, unlike places like the United States, few people have air conditioning, because traditionally it was almost never needed. The outbreaks have continued. In September, new maximum temperature records were set in Austria, France, Hungary, Slovenia, Norway and Sweden. Well into October, many parts of the U.S. Southwest and California saw record temperatures for the month more typical of midsummer.
"The researchers call the statistical trends 'tail-widening'―that is, the anomalous occurrence of temperatures at the far upper end, or beyond, anything that would be expected with simple upward shifts in mean summer temperatures. But the phenomenon is not happening everywhere; the study shows that maximum temperatures across many other regions are actually lower than what models would predict. These include wide areas of the north-central United States and south-central Canada, interior parts of South America, much of Siberia, northern Africa and northern Australia. Heat is increasing in these regions as well, but the extremes are increasing at similar or lower speed than what changes in average would suggest.
"Climbing overall temperatures make heat waves more likely in many cases, but the causes of the extreme heat outbreaks are not entirely clear. In Europe and Russia, an earlier study led by Kornhuber blamed heat waves and droughts on wobbles in the jet stream, a fast-moving river of air that continuously circles the northern hemisphere. Hemmed in by historically frigid temperatures in the far north and much warmer ones further south, the jet stream generally confines itself to a narrow band. But the Arctic is warming on average far more quickly than most other parts of the Earth, and this appears to be destabilizing the jet stream, causing it to develop so-called Rossby waves, which suck hot air from the south and park it in temperate regions that normally do not see extreme heat for days or weeks at a time."
#RossbyWaves #Rossby #GlobalWarming #GlobalBurning #Wildfires #GlobalHotSpots #Heatwaves #ExtremeHeat #ClimateChange #ExtremeHeatwaves #ExtremeWeather
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CW: APRS-IS, bicycle mobile
Operated APRS-IS through APRSDroid on my bike ride home from downtown #AnnArbor. See the track from W8EMV-9 on aprs.fi
https://aprs.fi/#!mt=roadmap&z=15&ts=1668816000&te=1668902400&call=a%2FW8EMV-9
The route I took (to avoid Michigan home game football traffic, #goblue ) took 19 minutes, and I got home just before sunset at 510p.
I heard the tail end of a QSO on #Fedihams via my Pi-Star hotspot from about a block away, but it ended before I got a chance to check in.
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#TimeTravelAuthors 06/11 #Harmony
#TimeTravelingGhost Part 12Once inside, we were surrounded by partygoers in costumes that would have put modern cosplayers to shame: tigers in rich yellow and black outfits, a peacock woman with a full peacock’s tail, pirates flashing gold teeth, and costumes that would get you canceled today. The whole thing moved in a Folies Bergère harmony of silk and chaos.
“We are fashionably late,” my mystery date said. Her Hungarian accent made it hard to understand her. My French was already weak; add a dash of Eastern Europe and full comprehension was dicey.
The woman continued, “But we are in time for Sidney Bechet’s sweet harmonies. Shall we sit and have a cocktail or dance?”
“Sit. I don’t seem hip to any of that jive rug cutting,” I said, immediately unsure if I’d used that right.
Indeed, the dancers dansaient comme des diables, cutting loose with spins, flips, Charleston shakes, and Black Bottom hip grinds.“Dancing is for the young, is it not? There was nothing like this when I grew up,” the Countess said. (For want of another name, I shall call her that.)
“Has Bechet shot that woman yet?” I asked.
“Oh, will he shoot someone? Divine. I must try to be there. No one tells you how dull life is if you live too long.”
A server in a risqué sequined dress arrived, and we promptly had Champagne cocktails, along with a tin of black Russian cigarettes for the Countess. She removed her mask, but I only got a hint of her appearance. The veil, appropriate for her costume, was fine black lace studded with red droplet stones; blood and shadow in perfect harmony. I could just make out her face, pale, almost as pale as the mask.
“Order what you like. I meet so few ghosts, and believe me, you are more intriguing than most. Dreadfully dull, always bent on revenge or hanging on to what they had in life. They should have worried about that when they were alive.”
She waved for two more cocktails and continued, “Mademoiselle Baker is best appreciated after a few cocktails.”
(To be continued)
#MicroFiction #NMPrompts #NMTTA #SidneyBechet #JosephineBaker #CountessElizabethBáthory #Jazz #roaring20s
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The frightening specimen is called a ratfish, a relative of the shark, which dates back 300 million years. Its Latin name, Chimaeras Monstrosa Linnaeus, stems from the mythical Greek creature that had a head of a lion and a tail of a dragon. It feeds on crustaceans like crabs and is considered non-threatening to humans - despite its ability to induce nightmares.
Gefunden auf #Geraspora*
https://pod.geraspora.de/posts/10665094 -
Is fishing the new whaling?
Stop whales getting tangled in fishing ropes and nets on their whale migration routes."At least 45 whales were entangled by fishing ropes and line on the east coast in 2024, and experts are calling for better management of fishing gear in Australia to prevent marine suffering...Only about 15 whales were successfully disentangled in 2024.The constant drag of rope and floats over time slowly causes a whale to succumb to exhaustion. When they are on their migration … they would have to travel thousands of kilometres. Even the smallest float around the tail would mean, over several weeks, a loss of all energy reserves. It’s probably the worst way of dying for any marine … animal. It takes weeks to several months until they actually die."
"Preventing entanglements required better management of fishing gear."
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/11/scientists-urge-coordinated-effort-to-stop-whales-getting-tangled
#Fishing #FishingGear #fish #bycatch #food #whales #humpbacks #entanglement #CMS #migration #ocean #waste #plastic #entanglement -
I spent the tail-end of last week defining a new tech stack called TERN. Well, it didn't take long to swap the "M" in #MERN to a "T" for #Tigris 😊
It didn't take much longer to port the existing MERN stack example over to TERN ⚡️
Here's the write-up https://www.tigrisdata.com/blog/tern-stack/
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"A plan so cunning. you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel." #Blackadder #ToriesOut #JeremyHunt #Baldrick #TonyRobinson
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A Moment But Forever (念无双) recaps and analysis
Note: This has all the spoilers and lots of details about A Moment But Forever episodes. If you just want a less spoilery overview and review, do read my A Moment But Forever review.
During the gods-demons war, the artifact “God’s Left Hand,” used by Heavenly God Taihe to seal demons, was severed and fell to the Mortal Realm, causing Taihe and the gods to fall into eternal slumber.
The Youhu fox clan seized the artifact, using it to defeat their enemies, the War Demons, and establish dominion over the world, becoming its new gods.
The goddess Wu Shuang is sent to reclaim the artifact, which would kill its host, Youhu Clan’s high priest Yuan Zhong. Disguised as maid Ji Tanyin, she infiltrates the clan but discovers Yuan Zhong is not the villain he’s believed to be.
- Episodes 1-6
- Episodes 7-10
- Episodes 11 and 12
- Episodes 13-15
- Episodes 16-20 (The weapon spirits)
- Episodes 16-20 (Yuan Zhong’s big plan)
- Episodes 21-24
- Episodes 25 and 26
- Episodes 27-30
- Episodes 31-33
- Episodes 34 – Hanvu
- Episodes 36 (Ending)
Episodes 1-6
Quick summary of plot: Our hero, Yuanzhong (Liu Xueyi) is both reviled and revered as the High Priest of the Fox clan (Youhu). Due to the disappearance of the gods, the Youhu are now the “gods” of the world, and he’s among the most powerful. Yuanzhou is reputed to be debauched, violent and basically not a nice demigod. (But of course he’s the opposite)
(So far, so Kill Me Love Me. Murong Jinghe, is this your new life?)
Anyway, Yuanzhong is powerful because of this artifact of the former deities, The Left Hand of the former god Taihe. The goddess Wushuang (Ji Tanyin) who made it, is sent to wrest it back from Yuanzhong.
So far:
✅ Upcoming massive misunderstanding
✅ Torture of male lead
✅ Evil “Good” Sect
✅ Flimsy excuse for a kiss
✅ But very logical excuses for undressing male lead a few times
✅ Bath scene(s)
Hilariously, A Moment But Forever trended on Weibo for Liu Xueyi’s bath scene (okay, his bare naked chest trended, and to quote one Weibo-er: “Better to trend for something than nothing”.)
First, don’t be fooled by the promos!
A Moment but Forever is one drama that I can 100% say that the promos did it dirty. Because when the first promo came out, I went: “Meh, another xianxia.” I barely even registered that Liu Xueyi was in it. And when it did, I went: “Tis a pity, I don’t think I can endure this factory-line xianxia for him.”
(Fortunately, I came across a random post ranting about how the promo didn’t do the script justice; I found out more about the story and was intrigued. And the rest was history.)
Anyway, the expectations for this drama were so abysmal that most people said it would be a failure. So, I was bracing myself for a tepid xianxia. Who knew that I ended up being surprised by:
- the coherent storytelling.
- how funny it was
- the couple’s unique dynamic
- the colour grading. The trailers made it look so washed out filtered to death that I’m glad it’s actually pleasing to the eye!
- the careful world-building
- the addictiveness of the episodes!
Hilariously, on xiaohongshu, most of the comments I saw were: “I didn’t intend to watch the drama, but I ended up binging all six episodes and now I’m going to office with panda eyes”.
Well, I almost did the same but I was on leave the next day, flying off to a tropical island, so that’s perfect!
My favourite highlights of episodes 1-6
You think your life sucks? Oh man, wait till you get tricked into putting on a heavy fugly gold necklace that seals your powers and then get shoved into a cave for 40 years, lose your mind, and start talking to your alternate selfs. (That said, dayum, another tour de force performance by Liu Xueyi. You really feel Yuanzhou’s agony, self-recrimination, regret and hatred in that scene.)
That moment when you realize that the Youhu clan, especially the sect leader, is using Yuanzhou as a blood bag and pharmacy. 💀
Liu Xueyi, I don’t know how you do it, not only can you look good in that wig *and* still look great when you’re half dead. That’s why you’re paid the big bucks.
Darling, I know you pride yourself for your impeccable logic but I think you’re a little off with this thesis🫠
Is there a reason for her to kiss him? Something to do with unsealing his gold chain? How? Does it matter? Many females around the world are now happy. Mission accomplished.
So far, my radar is picking up vibes that Tang Hua is UP TO SOMETHING and is probably behind the whole demon possessing thing. Did he orchestrate it to liberate his former bestie from the clutches Evil Youhu Sect Leader With the Eyebrows of Doom? Probably!
My big question is whether Yuanzhong is also in on it, knows Tang Hua is on his side or … really believes that his former best friend is his enemy like the rest of the sect?
Episodes 7-10
I’m dying. DYING. I just finished episode 10, and I’m like, NO DON’T END HERE. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME??
At this point, I feel that this is going to be a drama that will keep me up at night; it’ll probably kill my sleep for a couple of weeks. Luckily I’m doing this on a tropical island. (I’m on vacation.)
It’s so rare for a Cdrama to do that to me. (But please god don’t break my heart at the end though.)
Anyway, on to some highlights from the episodes!
Tanyin’s Groundhog Day
Lawd I did not expect to laugh as hard as I did in episode 8 when Tanyin was repeatedly killed like some NPC in a video game! And then poor Yuan Zhong trying to bury/cremate/freeze her again and again each time she died!
Her explanation to Yuan Zhong about her resurrections though ;D
Tanyin, I think you better stick to science and leave the lying to politicians lol.
But poor Yuan Zhong, he thought he was getting a handmaiden, but he got a clingy stalker who could be a zombie instead.
War Demons – not so bad, not so good either
I really love that they showed the War Demons as a race that was made up of, well, normal people that joked, laughed and had families. But they have a really cruel social system that emphasizes increasing their numbers.
This forces families apart, and this is where we meet our new antagonist Qian Lian, a man eager to find the mother who was separated from him due to said system. He has now stolen a special dagger given to the tribe by a mysterious deity to kill Yuan Zhong so that he can be reunited with his mother.
Again, I really like that the writer has given the villains understandable motivations. For example, as evil as the Youhu elders were in sealing and imprisoning Yuan Zhong, they had a cold logic for it: How do you control someone as powerful as Yuan Zhong? How do you ensure he doesn’t enslave the clan?
Likewise, Qian Lian is rather likeable and has an earnest wish to reunite with his mother. A part of me wants him to succeed, but I like Yuan Zhong more, so …
The mysterious deity
I wonder if the War Demons were as nasty as they were supposed to be during that war and that they were nearly wiped out? And seeing how devilish the Elders of the Youhu clan are, I can really see them being the true devils of the war. Or maybe the deity had something to do with it.
But this drama has been surprising me with the unique paths it has taken, so I bet there’s a surprise waiting for us about the war.
Flying ships!
NGL, I felt like a little girl again when I saw that steampunk flying ship. I love that in this universe, the humans have their abilities. And their most defining strength is to invent machines.
We are no longer besties
I’m trying to decide if Yuan Zhong is talking about Tang Hua or Tanyin lol
As I suspected, Tang Hua had a hand in deceiving Yuan Zhong and eventually getting him imprisoned. It was amusing at first to see Yuan Zhong being all bitchy about Tang Hua, but later, after the attempted assassination, Yuan Zhong bluntly said, “We are no longer friends.”
And twisted the dagger by vividly describing the suffering he endured for 40 years. It was sad to see Tang Hua walk away dejectedly, but honestly, he deserved it. It’s going to take a lot more to mend their friendship … if it can even be mended because …
There’s something off about Yuan Zhong
Is he evil? Good? A bit of both? Or just crazy? It was something we, the viewers and Tanyin, were trying to figure out throughout the episodes.
Seeing Yuan Zhong just stare at a man being pecked to death by one of those Grudge Birds was chilling. Seeing him just casually walk away from people screaming around him was jaw-dropping. Oh noes, all this while we thought he was misunderstood! Maybe he’s just evil.
Like he told Tang Hua – after 60 years of suffering, nothing can reach his heart anymore, and our fox may not be “right in the head”.
Man, Liu Xueyi is just so good at playing morally grey characters I can’t tell what he is right now!
The attack
To be honest, I had a tiny bit of worry when the plot slowed down a tad in episode 9 when they boarded the ship and Tanyin and Yuan Zhong played this cat-and-mouse game with each other. Loved that Yuan Zhong realised almost immediately that Xue was Tanyin in disguise. I wondered if this he-knows-she-knows-he-knows game would be dragged out, but I shouldn’t have worried. Because Qian Lian stabs Yuan Zhong with the deity’s demon dagger, and then the ship was blown up by terrorists and—
And they left us there, just like that, wondering if Yuan Zhong is just going to watch everyone die. EURGH
Some other thoughts
I thought the criticisms against the special effects and styling were overblown. You young’uns try watching Cdramas during my time, where there were neon spandex hanfu and styrofoam demon spiders. A Moment But Forever’s special effects feel like award-winning special effects to me lol. (ok fine, not award-winning, but it doesn’t take me out of immersion.)
OMG Tanyin and that whip were amazing. Surely by now Yuan Zhong suspects that she is something powerful, you know, like a god??
Episodes 11 and 12
We get a lull of sorts (surprisingly!) after the intense flying ship fracas. Our little fox finally gets to fall in love at last. And it’s shown in such subtle ways.
What’s with Yuan Zhong’s expression on the ship?
Question: How do you interpret Yuan Zhong’s expression? It’s bugging me. Is he resentful? Just indifferent? Full of suspicion? A bit of everything? I can’t put a finger on it and it’s driving me nuts. What is your interpretation of his expression here?
Anyway, I’m glad that he ends up saving everyone, even if he didn’t seem very happy about it.
What followed that scene is more iciness from Yuanzhong as he continues to doubt her motives; he tries to shake her off as he goes to the mountain where one of his weapon spirits are sealed, but then that ice is thawed when she blocks a heavenly lightning strike for him.
See, girls, that’s what you need to do to win a guy’s heart – get struck by lightning.
Tang Yin dies. Again.
Look at that boy run
LMAO. Seriously, woman. Stop dying! I don’t think Yuan Zhong can take another round of this lol.
But Yuan Zhong’s reaction is so hilarious! (And how fox-like of him to try to smell to see if she has “gone off”.)
This, at the heels of such a serious moment on the boat, is amazing. It’s honestly fascinating how this drama knows how to balance super angsty moments with laugh out loud moments.
But on a more serious note, he is frankly confused, and like he told Mengshan, he can’t figure it out. Poor fox doesn’t understand why anyone wants to do anything good for him. Oh gawd the upcoming Misunderstanding is gonna hurt so bad, isn’t it?
Also, it’s nice to see Teng She again
To all you Love and Redemption fans, did you have a hoot watching Meishan annoying Yuan Zhong, because I did! (The actor for Meishan, Bai Shu, played Teng She, the sserpent god who constantly annoyed Bai Lin in Love and Redemption. There’s even this little scene where Yuan Zhong pushed Meishen down, a little callback to that scene between Hao Chen and Teng She.
Yuan Zhong falls hard
You were totally peeking, Yuan Zhong!
Our man completely falls for her in this scene, and it’s really wonderful to see Liu Xueyi just act this with his eyes. (It’s honestly wonderful to watch good acting. And er, beautiful men doing it.).
Seriously, that scene with Tang Yin and the crane was incredibly magical. And for the first time, in more ways than one, I feel as if I’m finally watching a classic xianxia.
The compassion and love shining from Tang Yin’s eyes for the crane, the crane dancing for the goddess… Immortals often ride heavenly cranes, so I’m pretty sure the crane knew who she was. It was just goose-bump inducing for me, as it reminded me of the xianxia of my childhood.
You see, in xianxias of old, it’s always emphasized that immortals are there to care for humanity and all creatures. After all, one needs to cultivate good virtues and values to become gods, after all.
So, usually, it’s the most virtuous that become gods, though in modern xianxias that’s often brushed aside and simplified into cultivating some kind of mystical spell/energy. Also, in far too many modern xianxias, human beings and creatures are not even a consideration, so it’s delightful to watch a goddess showing delight and love for a “lower” creature for once.
Tang Hua is the ultimate “did you do something with your hair” guy
Imagine spending all that time looking for a magical sword and sacrificing a bright future to be a handmaiden on a mountain full of immortals only to have the object of your affection not remember your time together. And the only memory you have of her is her cleaning your room.
Tang Hua, I get that you’re busy and all but are your eyes and brain cells only for Yuanzhong LMAO ?
Glad our girl decided to quit her obsession, but Tang Hua’s is just beginning bwahaha
Episodes 13-15
Yuan Zhong meets his father-in-law
I mean, despite what he thinks, Xie You is essentially that, even if he thinks that a 1,000-year-old man is his romantic competition (and even if Yuanzhong would rather die than admit he has the hots for Tanying lol.)That said, it’s such a hoot to see both of Tanyin’s favourite men bitch at each other like a pair of teenage mean girls. I guess when it comes to her favourite men, Tanyin has a type.
I’m pretty sure if Tanyin knew that Yuan Zhong thought that she and her teacher had a romantic relationship, she would’ve died (again). And Xie You would’ve totally murdered him for real.
Pretty sure Xie You was bitchy to Yuan Zhong because not only was he ordering his disciple around like, well, a handmaiden, he doesn’t think he deserves her. Like any father!
How is Xie You 1,000 years old?
Some of you may wonder how Xie You managed to live a millennia if he’s a human. I don’t think it’s explained very clearly in the drama, but in the novel, a human’s obsession can be so great they can ascend to immortality. (That’s how Tanyin and Hannu became immortals – they were so obsessed with their craft that their godlike abilities made them gods.)My theory: In Xie You’s case, while his obsession is great, he is unable to ascend to godhood because he never solved the last puzzle (which Tanyin solved). That obsession to solve the problem kept him alive; in a stasis of sorts.
In a way, it’s a miserable way to be; obsessed about a problem he cannot solve instead of the craft itself.
Once a master, always a master
You know, in a typical xianxia, Xie You would’ve tried to rob/kill Tanyin or something, but instead, he’s more obsessed over the fact that he couldn’t solve a problem his student did. He felt so unworthy of his craft that he abandoned it to take up another craft, but he couldn’t let go of his obsessive love for it no matter what he did.
I was super moved by the whole conversation Xie You and Tanyin had about their teacher-student relationship. Xie You believed that Tanyin should be his teacher now and bowed to her, but Tanyin said that he would always be her teacher, and bowed back to him.
If you’re not Chinese, you may not understand the deep reverence for teachers in Chinese culture. But this whole scene is the epitome of that value (and many Chinese netizens were moved by that scene).
I thought Xie You’s death was a great gift from Tanyin, even if it made her tearful to do it. Being stuck in stasis for so long was a miserable existence for her master, and it was time he was released from it.
Context: In Buddhism, obsession or attachments is said to be the cause of life’s suffering. Unresolved obsessions, especially.
Zhi Dai’s obsession
Zhi Dai’s obsession was more tragic than I thought. I had assumed that she had learned to preserve her youth through some magic she learned on the Youhu mountain, but it turned out that she actually grew old! This really drums in the tragedy that she wasted her entire life on a man who barely remembered her.
I’m glad she got a second chance, but who was the deity who returned her youth? I’m quite certain it’s Hannu, and I have a big feeling there’s no free lunch and she’s going to demand something in return soon.
Truth or dare
“I never approached anyone with ill intentions…”
And Yuan Zhong’s look of deep disappointment when Tanyin hesitated, and when she said, “what if it’s for the good of the world?”
Our fox is totally demanding to know what her true intentions were, and she kinda failed the test….
Then: “I never had a crush” -> Yuan Zhong, you’re totally lying and you’re fishing! lol And that little pout he gave her when he asked if she had, and then she asked what it feels like.
Yuan Zhong, how did you go from sad to cute in a few seconds??There’s no time
Poor Yuan Zhong having to relive his worst moment and to be cruelly taunted by the image of his dead father rescuing him. That’s an ‘easy’ puzzle compared to the rest.Never in a million years did I think I’d have to think about the theory of relativity in a xianxia, but there we go.
Okay, Theory of Relativity aside, I’m psyched that Yuan Zhong was the one who solved the time puzzle, but at the same time I was so sad: How many years must he have thought about the idea of time, stuck in that cave for decades?
To me, his “wisdom” about time was borne through that awful period, and I think he must’ve convinced himself that time was an illusion to keep himself sane during all those decades of imprisonment.
Hunt for the weapon spirits
I really like this little adventure Yuan Zhong is going on, seeing the world, freeing his weapon spirits. Kai Shan is such a cutie! He’s not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but he seems to be the sweetest weapon (and hungriest) spirit.
I can’t wait to meet the other weapon spirits. I saw an image of all of them together, and they look so cool!But of course readers of the book will agree >!that things will get very exciting once Yuan Zhong gets all his spirits together …!<
Tang Hua is … kinda forgiven?
It’s more like Yuan Zhong has decided to 50% forgive him rather than be best buds, I think. I was very delighted to find out that Tang Hua’s two men who were involved in the whole “pretending to be possessed by war demons” campaign are still alive!So despite his deep hatred and anger for Tang Hua’s betrayal, there’s still a smidgen part of his heart that cares for Tang Hua.
This is especially confusing to me, who have read the novel, knowing what Yuan Zhong is planning!!
Episodes 16-20 (The weapon spirits)
(From left: Zhi Fei, Kai Shan, Lu Chen, Ling Yao and A Xiu)
The weapon spirits are 100% super cool. It’s like Yuan Zhong has his own band of Power Rangers.
I’m going to do something different. Because these episodes is essentially several long arcs in one, and instead overwhelming you with a girnomous essay, I’m going to cover the same episodes in different posts, but focusing on different arcs.
In this post I want to cover the arc of the weapon spirits.
Hunt for the weapon spirits
I really like this little adventure Yuan Zhong is going on, seeing the world, freeing his weapon spirits.Speaking of character writing. I love how the writer has infused each weapon spirit with such distinct personalities. In fact,
what continues to amaze me is how the writer has fully fleshed out almost every character in this story, no matter how minor.Zi Fei – ah loyal Zi Fei, we know him well, but I think he may not be the most powerful of the lot.
Kai Shan our foodie is such a cutie! He’s not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but he seems to be the sweetest weapon (and hungriest) spirit.
Pei Jiu/Lu Chen is my favourite yet. And I think he may be the most powerful (and serious) of the lot.
Ling Yao – a female weapon spirit that Kai Shan and Zi Fei obviously has a crush with??
A San – a weapon spirit that likes to eat … gold? (according to the previews.) Man, he has expensive taste.
What do you think the weapon spirits represent?
Some say they represent the five sins. Some say each represent a finger of the Divine Hand. What do you think?Pei Jiu/Lu Chen
I have to admire this actor. He is able to distinguish himself as Pei Jiu, the simple, happy-go-lucky constable, from the powerful, serious Lu Chen. I really enjoyed his performance and the story.The whole arc of Yuan Zhong trying to take Pei Jiu as his disciple was hilarious! What tickled many Chinese viewers was that conversation Pei Jiu pooh poohing Yuan Zhong’s idea of a great life: That of a wandering swordsma His greatest ambition was to be a civil servant instead!
Knowing what we now know of the real Lu Chen’s personality, this must have been so infuriating to Yuan Zhong who took a special joy in trying to beat some sense into the man lol.
The innkeeper’s marriage
Ah, I really feel for Yunniang and Pei Jiu (Lu Chen). I’m pleased that she survived it all, but what surprised me was Lu Chen obviously does remember their time together.
I loved that Tanyin, Zi Fei and Kai Shan attended Pei Jiu’s pre-marriage dinner … even if they know that he’d probably never get married. That sad look Zi Fei threw Pei Jiu each time he mentioned the marriage was so sad.
Such a beautiful, painful arc for the unlucky innkeeper who once again loses her groom. When Yunniang started the fireworks in broad daylight, it’s probably her way to say goodbye to him. I like how un-hysterical she is about this painful loss, even if it obviously very painful.
Is there one tiny hope that Lu Chen will survive what’s coming and reunite with her one day?
I can’t wait to meet the other weapon spirits and to see them get together. But of course readers of the book will agree that things will get very exciting once Yuan Zhong gets all his spirits together.
Episodes 16-20 (Yuan Zhong’s big plan)
Ever felt so disappointed in the world that you think the only solution is to burn everything down and start over on a clean canvas?
Okay, I hope you are not like that but well, that’s Yuan Zhong in a nutshell.
—
What do you think about Yuan Zhong’s ‘five sins’ plan??Remember what I said about not being interested in this drama initially, and then I got sucked in by discussions online about how it’s actually a fantastic script? It was this clip that made me realise – oooh, another powerful performance by Liu Xueyi! That’s worth seeing at least!
This scene turned out to be so damn heartbreaking I can’t bear to see it again. Especially with that little basket of noodles and vegetables descended into his prison.
Seriously, Youhu clan! Is this how you repay the hero who not only saved your clan but made it one of the most powerful in the world??
Tanyin’s heartbreaking plea to Yuan Zhong to rest though … to imagine that this is really how his inner psyche is like, constantly turning over this theory of “five sins” over and over again …
I find Yuan Zhong’s “Thanos” turn very understandable. To him, it was the only way to keep sane, to have a light at the end of the tunnel, the only way to justify his imprisonment. It was all a grand experiment, to make him realise the “reality” of what is. He can fix it! He can still be a hero. He’s not a useless discard. The Five Sins is also his way of understanding why he was imprisoned: It’s some heroic quest to make him realise that he had to save the world by destroying it.
Well, he’s just well and truly mad.
Were you shocked by the reverse uno card?
At the end of episode 20, I love how they revealed how powerful and insane he was at the end, when he suddenly overpowered the demon effortlessly. And when the demon realised that Yuan Zhong was an even bigger demon that he was!
That scene made my jaw drop because I DID NOT EXPECT IT.
A standard xianxia would probably had Tanyin rescue him or something. Instead, Yuan Zhong kicked her out and burnt the demon alive. Gah!
And we the audience realised that Yuan Zhong was the real demon here.
To be honest, I’m not sure how I’ll see the funny cute scenes he’ll have with Tanyin now, knowing that he’s secretly planning the world’s death.
The Mute Lady
In episode 16, we learn about Xie You’s “other disciple”, the Mute Lady. We later discover that this was Ji Tanyin when she had just emerged from her long sleep. Because of her injuries, she couldn’t talk much but she left a mark everywhere she went, building schools, teaching the villagers science and turning bandits into good people. She ended up being worshipped till this day.I’m also quite pleased that by end of episode 17, Yuan Zhong quickly figured out that Tanyin was the Mute Lady. His fury made a lot of sense, not just because he was tricked but because he really wanted to believe that she followed him because she liked him, and that he was special somehow. Instead, he’s just one of the many people she helped, because that’s her nature, and he’s not special at all.
On top of that, he believes that she has ulterior motives in approaching him.
Zi Feng said something very important to him: That she’s distracting him from his true plans, and that’s the real danger.
Episodes 21-24
Yuan Zhong’s gradual turn to the light
Again, I really love how the show doesn’t really spoonfeed us information, but shows rather than tells us things.
Probably the most significant development is Yuan Zhong’s gradual thawing. This scene is especially moving because here we see Yuan Zhong in his sea of consciousness, in dark robes, possibly on the way to becoming a demon, but as he remembers Tanyin’s words asking him to travel the world, he literally begins to see the light.
And right after that scene we see Taihe’s body disintegrating. It’s as if each time Yuan Zhong heads towards less dark places, Taihe suffers. Hmm! I wonder what’s up with that?
Oh yes, there’s this strange scene where Yuan Zhong is standing in the middle of town and he is surrounded by blue light. I didn’t understand that until I got on to Chinese social media, and those who have read the script said that it was Yuan Zhong extending his senses to feel/see the life in town. Feeling the joy of life for the first time in a long while, he ran back home to read Tanyin’s travelogue, suddenly eager to experience how it’s like to travel the world.
But just as Yuan Zhong starts to soften to Tanyin, she starts to get cold…
One can’t blame her really, because Qian Lian’s remark that “he’s becoming a demon” and what she saw in his sea of consciousness are making her really wary. Remember, her sole purpose for taking back the Divine Hand from Yuan Zhong was because he was considered evil, thus not worthy of the hand. If he has truly become evil, she would have no choice but to kill him.
And we know that Tanyin has started to love him in her own way, and she doesn’t want to do this at all.
The back and forth between them was riveting to watch and it’s going to get helluva more intense in the next episodes!
Is Yuan Zhong possessed or demonised?
I’ve seen discussions online – some say Yuan Zhong is getting possessed by a demon, some say he’s becoming a demon. There’s a distinction between the two, and I think it’s the latter.
What do you think?
Personally, I think it’ll cheapen Yuan Zhong’s journey if he was possessed by another entity. It makes more sense that his tortured decades had twisted him to darkness, and it’s more gratifying to see him fight his way out of that rather than be rescued from possession by Tanyin.
Fu Jiuyun
I’m sure fans of the charming, flirty nearly thousand-year-old immortal Fu Jiuyun from Love of Thousand Years are delighted to see him here.
At first, we think that he’s just here for comedic relief and to be Yuan Zhong’s love rival, but I think he’s here to prod (or tease) Yuan Zhong and Tanyin about their relationship.
Also, if you know about his origins, you’d realise that he was actually being very literal, but because of the way he said it, it came off as smutty double entendre! Hilarious!
There is a connection between Tanyin and Fu Jiuyun, as we’ll come to find out.
Qian Lian’s gift is to be knocked out every episode
… apparently. I couldn’t believe that he was once again knocked out in episode 20 lol
I’ve taken to call him Mr. Third Wheel. Not that he’s much competition to Yuan Zhong at all! I’m really not sure why he’s here, to be honest lol
To be honest, I found the War Demons arc mostly snoozeworthy. They seem not as well fleshed out as other races, just evil sidekicks right now. Besides Qian Lian, no one else seems to have a redeemable, 3-dimensional quality…. well, until the end of episode 20, when we find out that the War Demon that seemed semi-kind to Qian Lian was actually his half-brother.
And that’s about time, to show that War Demons are people too, like Tanyin said to Qian Lian when she rescued him from the slave traders.
I continue to be bored by Tang Hua
Tang Hua and Zhi Dai are doing something, and I’m really bored lol. Each time they come onscreen I have to fight the urge to push the fast-forward button. I’m sure their plot has something to do with Wushuang Society and I’m certain that Zhi Dai’s brother is involved with them, but at this point of the story I just want to focus on our main couple, is that too much to ask?
Raising a child is really expensive
As a fellow fire sign, my favourite weapon spirit has been replaced by A Xiu!
That said, I really love this little interlude between Yuan Zhong, Tanyin and A Xiu because it gave Yuan Zhong a taste of a life beyond the Grand Plan.
When Tanyin told him that he could travel the world once he freed the weapon spirits, it’s as if this thought had never occurred to him before.
You see a sense of wonder slowly descending on him, and a gradual reluctance to execute his Grand Plan. (Him not feeding A Xiu gold to hasten his growth is one big sign.)
As he starts to love life again, he begins to doubt his Grand Plan …
I really love this arc, that’s all I can say, and I wish they could stay like this forever, being pseudo-parents to the precious A Xiu, just worrying about raising an expensive kid …
Episodes 25 and 26
You know what I think? Nobody has the right to be this beautiful when destroying the world lol.
Anyhoo, this is going to be a short one because I just landed from my week-long vacation. (And I swear this is the best thing, being able to chase this drama on a beautiful tropical island.) Also, I feel that these episodes don’t need much exposition because we all know what happened here: Yuan Zhong and Tang Yan are suspicious of each other, and there are full of emotional scenes between the two of them.
Anyway, these episodes were Ah-mahzing! I keep rewatching the emotional scenes in these episodes because They. Are. So. Good!
This is mostly because I like to watch Liu Xueyi suffer I love Liu Xueyi’s Shakespearean scenes. It’s incredibly hard to do monologues in general, and he did two in these episodes.
If he wasn’t this good of an actor, those scenes would’ve been hammy and awkward, but he was able to imprint different emotions just through his voice, at times!
The one when Tanyin entered his sea of consciousness and he had this major blow out demanding, “Why should I forgive them?” I really felt his fury. And I wanted to go, you know what, don’t forgive them Yuan Zhong! They don’t deserve it. Burn them all!
And yet I understand Tanyin’s POV as well. There’s so much beauty in the world too, and she wanted him to emerge from this terrible darkness.
But my favourite scene has to be that pivotal moment when he was about to unleash hell on the world. He started out reverent, almost, as he talked to Wushuang. Then it slowly turned bitter, then menacing as wrathful. And then through a series of expressions, Liu Xueyi conveyed Yuan Zhong’s pain as he hesitated, remembering the beauty of this world. His simple declaration, “Never mind”, was like a bomb going off (emotionally speaking).
I love that he was the one who “saved” himself, and that he flinched for the first time when the orb showed him the terror that he was about to unleash. I like romance like the next person, but despite liking our couple very much I want Yuanzhong to be the one making the decision to turn away. I don’t want him to turn away because the heroine declared her love for him, or if she was in danger. I want him to come to the realisation that he didn’t need to destroy the world.
The scriptwriter is brilliant.
It makes their eventual embrace on the bridge so meaningful. Tanyin was relieved that Yuan Zhong chose not to destroy the world, and that he did this himself. And Yuan Zhong smiled and was relieved as well, because Tanyin didn’t turn away from him after seeing him at his darkest; a literal demon. Instead, she was running towards him.
Some folks online complained that they wished there was more love demonstrated between the two of them, that it took so long for them to even show any kind of affection towards each other, but I thought it was just perfect. This is how two people from very different, polarising positions, can fall in love. And I am happy they didn’t take the short cut by giving us skinship or accidental kisses and embraces (bleargh) so rife in xianxia, even if there was one kiss at episode 6, but that was for totally logical reasons!
So which emotional scene did you prefer? The one in the sea of consciousness or the tower when he was about to unleash hell?
Episodes 27-30
Seriously, the problem I have with express episodes is how do I balance discussions for those who have watched the express episodes and those who have not? So what I’ll be doing is to follow the current non-Express airing episodes and hope you guys are patient, I will be releasing the discussion on the finale at the end of the week. So, do be patient, Express viewers!
By the way, those who have seen the Express episodes: PLEASE PUT ON SPOILER TAGS WHEN YOU COMMENT ABOUT EPISODES BEYOND 30. Those who do not will get their comments removed. All right then, let’s go ahead with the discussion.
So, did you like the kissing scene? hehe
I want to say that watching Yuan Zhong and Tanyin being all sweet with each other, and THAT KISS OMG was the highlight of these episodes.
Of course we know that the writer is giving this sweet moments before drowning us in bittergourd juice, sigh.
Also OMG please make Liu Xueyi do more kissing scenes. Honestly, I just tolerate most kissing scenes in Cdramas, but with LXY, I literally savour them because they’re just so natural that you feel that you’re spying on a couple! The best kisser in CDramaland, that’s for sure.
BTW (some melon gossip) It’s said that he’ll be the male lead in a Ming dynasty costumed drama with Tan Songyun drama soon and omg my girl cannot reciprocate if you know mean. So, if it films, I wonder how the kissing scenes will look like (if there’s any lol).
Two ways to exist in the worldOne of the themes that resonated with Chinese audiences about A Moment But Forever, but would probably make us international audiences blink, is that they see China’s geopolitical situation reflected in the drama.
I’m not going to much detail into this as I don’t want to turn this into a political post, but I can at least talk about how episodes 26-31 offer a glimpse at two ways to exist in the world:
a) At A-Xue’s house, did you notice that a deity, War Demon, Youhu fox spirit and a human being sat down together to have meals and watch fireworks together?
b) However, this idyll is shattered when, in a bid to help the Youhu clan, Yuan Zhong is brutally attacked by War Demons, the Youhu clan (seriously, if Yuan Zhong eventually cuts all ties and stop helping them they 100% deserve it), humans and yes, even deities (Hanvu)
These two sets of people exists at the same time in the world:
We can either treat each those alien to us as equals and have meals with them to forge friendships.
Or we can scheme and manipulates and destroy and kill instead.
I’m so proud that Yuan Zhong is of the first group now; it was really lovely to see his development after he gave up destroying the world.
Instead of isolating Qian Lian, he helps heal him and develop into a Perfect War Demon. Of course he couldn’t resist sliding in a few barbs and petty moments, but that Yuan Zhong for ya.
Despite seeing Dingxu spying on him, he lets him go. (Though I wouldn’t have mind if he made an exception, ya know?)
I also loved A Xue, how accepting and grounded she is despite having powerful people in her house!
The attack on Yuan Zhong was brutal to watch 😦Oh gawd, seriously why is anyone in the Youhu clan still listening to Dingxu and the parasitic elder cohorts?? Please someone tell me why. The Youhu elders are a bunch of moronic, ungrateful, lazy bunch and seeing them literally betray Yuan Zhong, who came to help them is just …! (Seriously Tang Hua, I know it’s not your fault but you did drag Yuan Zhong from his peaceful life to this mess, ugh. Could you like, stop.)
This whole sequence was so distressing to watch. Imagine, after sparing the world destruction, everyone conspires to kill him. (It was gratifying to watch Qian Lian come to his rescue though! What a cool guy.)
Yet, despite using the Divine Hand, it wasn’t deadly enough to annihilate everyone – Yuan Zhong held back when he could’ve easily used it to level the city. And that scene when Tanyin swoops in and catches him, and two flowers land on his blood stained hands and he tells Tanyin that such beauty exists in this flithy place? (EUHGH)
He paid dearly for his kindness but this time, he did not destroy the world. This is a lot of growth because old Yuanzhong would’ve just unleashed hell on the world. (And I would’ve secretly cheered him on a little.)
Also loved Tanyin’s little trick of shrinking the city and flicking it thousands of miles away. Wait, does that mean Yandu is now at a different part of the world?? Did it move back later?? lol
All in all exciting episodes even if it was brutal to watch Yuan Zhong so seriously injured and Tanyin desperately trying to bring him to safety as they are chased by his enemies …
Episodes 31-33
Now that Yuan Zhong is safe, Tanyin has to leave to deal with Hanvu in the Divine Realm. Yuan Zhong takes desperate actions, triggering a cascade of events…
The Green Tea Fox
(PS: “Green tea” is slang for someone who pretends to be innocent, pure, and sweet on the outside but is actually manipulative and calculative.)
Tanyin had no choice but to leave physically this time because all access to the Divine Realm is barred to her now that she’s no longer a goddess, and Hanvu closed the ascension platform.
However, she discovers one more way: use Juanjuan’s spatial magic technique—but she needs to do it physically, not via spirit like before.
Never did I expect Yuan Zhong to pretend to be blind, frail, and worsen his injuries just to keep Tanyin around. But he’s a fox after all (specifically a green tea fox!). I love this, though.
I like that they didn’t outright show he was faking his injuries and blindness immediately. Instead, we get a clue at the start of Episode 32 when they’re stargazing: as Tanyin gently guides his hand to “see” the stars, he sneaks a glance at her. This cunning fox!
But we don’t know why he did it until much later.
By then, Yuan Zhong suspects she’s more than just the immortal Mute Lady—she’s a goddess. Fu Jiuyun’s words must echo in his head: that they’re mere passersby in her life, and her path lies beyond mortals like them.
I deeply empathize with Yuan Zhong when he asks Tanyin (paraphrased): “Do you know what it’s like to wait for someone without any clue where they’re going or when they’ll return?”
And when all tactics fail, he demands to marry her—his way of forcing proof that she truly loved him. Desperate actions, unfortunately. Not exactly my ideal proposal! Lmao.
Though these scenes were sweet, they felt “heavy”, steeped in doom. I couldn’t fully enjoy them knowing what was coming.
I’m Mad at Zhi Dai
Tanyin’s inability to confess her love (thanks, Heavens, and your stupid Three Oaths—ugh) leads to Yuan Zhong’s extreme reaction when Zhi Dai, under Hanvu’s orders, reveals that Tanyin is the goddess he’s worshipped for years.
Like, woman! I thought you’d gained brain cells after your second life, but you regressed the moment Tang Hua flashed a smile. Okay, fine, you were possessed by Hanvu—but you didn’t have to lead her to him!
I get her motivations, but I loathed her hesitance and selfishness. Surely she knew there’d be catastrophic consequences, especially after what happened with her brother.
Are You Annoyed at Yuan Zhong?
Many on Chinese social media were furious at Yuan Zhong’s actions in these episodes. They called him silly for being so insecure that he forced Tanyin to stay, fell for Hanvu’s schemes, and sparked a chain reaction…
Frankly, I see their point. I, too, groaned: “Yuan Zhong, must you? Couldn’t you just cherish your time with Tanyin, even if she had ulterior motives?”
But our fox isn’t mentally healthy. Turning away from world-destruction doesn’t mean instant recovery. Darkness still surrounds him—his clan, war demons, and even the gods want him dead. How much can one man take?
Though he chose to spare the world, Tanyin became his only light (especially after Yandu’s cruelty). That’s… not ideal.
Nightmare Wedding: Why Did Yuan Zhong Do It?
“I have never been this afraid in my life.” —Yuan Zhong
Did you dread the wedding as much as I did? With Tanyin’s nightmare vision of Yuan Zhong in red, how couldn’t we? Alas, her fear came true.
Why?
- He wanted to be special to her. Not just one of many loved by a goddess.
- He believed Tanyin stayed only for Taihe’s mission—no love involved. If his Divine Hand kept her from leaving, he’d rather give it to her and end the farce.
- The Hand symbolized a lifetime of pain. This was the final straw.
Was it understandable? Yes. Maddening? Also yes.
Could Yuan Zhong have been “reasonable”? Maybe. But consider: a man imprisoned for 60 years by the clan he protected, who finally finds hope in a woman’s devotion—only to learn it’s conditional.
In his mind, their marriage was just a means for her to retrieve the Hand. Why endure that toxicity? With his limited understanding of her mission and his fractured mental state, he saw no other way out.
And she was leaving—perhaps forever. That’s why he said, “I let you go.”
Novel vs. Drama: A Key Difference
In the novel, Yuan Zhong only considered cutting off his hand:
“He imagined cutting off his left hand in a fit of rage… hoping to fill the void with her tears and regret.”
But drama Yuan Zhong actually did it!
While the novel’s pear-tree scene felt tepid (Tanyin’s reaction was oddly muted), the drama’s version made Yuan Zhong seem unstable—but it was earned. His mental decline was well-foreshadowed.
That said, drama Tanyin’s agony over his death sold their love better than the novel’s more detached portrayal.
Episodes 34 – Hanvu
One of the problems the show had toward the end, and when it truly stumbled, was explaining the motivations of its archvillain, the seemingly saintly Hanvu.
This is where the book did it better. In the book, every god goes through tribulations in the world, and it often revolves around Obsessions. Hanvu being trapped in her obsessive hatred for her sister was her tribulation. To “pass” her tribulation, she had to rise above it.
(Obviously, she couldn’t in the end. The book vividly portrayed her ‘stuckness’ when Tanyin saw her ‘true form’ – that of a woman still burning alive in that fire. I always remember her saying that Tanyin had been in that firepit for centuries, unable to move away. In that sense, Hanvu was suffering for centuries with that pain.)
It’s All About Obsessions
Personally, I don’t think the show explained the magic system of this world very well.
The Buddhist philosophy that obsessions lead to suffering gets a twist in the story.
In this universe, one’s obsession can result in great feats, immortality, and even divinity. But on the other side of the coin: it can also lead to great misery and demonization.
- Yuan Zhong was obsessed with judging the world based on the five sins.
- Hanvu was obsessed with the betrayal of her sister, which led to her violent death.
That’s why Yuan Zhong said: “Gods and demons are just a thought apart.”
What obsession makes you a god? What obsession makes you a demon?
Hanvu and Yuan Zhong were on the same journey, but they responded differently.
Hanvu’s hatred had no outlet
Like Yuan Zhong, Hanvu was deeply wronged when she was alive. Despite being a caring sister, she was framed by her sibling and ended up being burned alive by a mob.
Like Yuan Zhong, she had a guide to lead her to a better path: Taihe. However, unlike Yuan Zhong, Hanvu couldn’t absorb Taihe’s guidance. (This is partly due to Taihe’s lack of empathy—a result of his “ruthless path”—where he only taught her to suppress her desires.)
When her sister died, her opportunity for revenge slipped away from her because, as a goddess, she couldn’t interfere with the cycle of reincarnation or enter it like her sister.
She wasn’t able to let go of her grudge as a result, and as she said, “Where can my grudge go? Forgive? I cannot forgive!”
So, instead of feeling gratitude for Taihe, she ended up hating him. She poisoned Taihe by unleashing all the darkness he was suppressing, which turned into a literal demon. She blamed the world for her unjust death, and she used Taihe as her weapon, and later, Yuan Zhong.
A lot of people on social media couldn’t understand her motivations. It may seem lame—to destroy the world based on something you suffered thousands of years ago—but think of it as hatred morphing into something “alive.” In Hanvu, we see the destructive force behind an Obsession; because she couldn’t let go, she needed an outlet for her hatred. She chose a new target: the world.
Yuan Zhong could say, “Never Mind”
Like Hanvu, Yuan Zhong’s target was also the world. But unlike Hanvu, he learned to love his guide, Tanyin, who was gentle and empathetic and gave him love in return. Unlike Hanvu, he could let his grudge go and say, “Never mind.”
That’s why I loved that little scene so much. Just two words, and it said so much—Yuan Zhong was able to let go of his obsessive need to destroy the world and justify his suffering. Hanvu wasn’t.
(PS: That’s why some fan theories say he had already attained godhood then, because he passed his tribulation right there—but it’s complicated, haha, since he replaced this Obsession with Tanyin.)
Unfortunately, Hanvu used Yuan Zhong’s love (or rather, Obsession) for Tanyin against him, resulting in this:
The Problem Lay in the Direction and the Script
The director, Guo Hu, has a rather spotty track record. While he was responsible for The Mysterious Lotus Casebook, he was also responsible for the really poorly received Only for Love.
So, I was holding my breath for most of the drama. On the whole, while he may struggle with some camera angles, etc., I thought he executed the story very well. But then he started stumbling after Episode 31.
And when Hanvu agreed to give Tanyin a “presentation” about why she was doing what she was doing, I could only facepalm. Really, director? You decided to turn Hanvu into the “villain who monologues her plan”? Until then, the drama had been pretty strong in the “show, don’t tell” department.
Of course, not all the blame can be placed on the director. I’d say the scriptwriter shares a fair bit of it. And that puzzled me because the writing had been consistently strong until the last arc, which leads me to conclude that another scriptwriter probably took over (the style is just too different) or… there was interference from above.
Probably a combination of both. Producers and the studio (and this is an iQIYI production) are notorious for dictating story direction, and all I can say is: something happened to the last few episodes.
I also read that originally, Hanvu’s motivation was that she was jealous Tanyin had Taihe’s attention in the past. The director nixed that plot, and I’m glad he did!
However, if only he could’ve laid out more foreshadowing for Hanvu to hint at her Obsession, her world-destroying motivations would’ve been more understandable—just like Yuan Zhong’s.
By the way, if you want to discuss the finale next, head over to the finale thread, which was originally for express viewers.
I have one more post coming explaining my opinion about the ending, and why I think it’s actually a good ending, even one leading towards happy.
Episodes 36 (Ending)
Evil Taihe is cool, I guess?
A lot of people were impressed with Evil Taihe/Yuan Zhong combo but I thought it was not Liu Xueyi’s strongest performance in the drama. (I thought it was rather cheesy, forgive me.) But I was super impressed that he used a totally different voice for him!
Did Evil Taihe die too easily? Yeah, weirdly for such a much-feared demon! haha
Why did Hanvu self-destruct?
Hanvu’s death was very confusing. What prompted her to self-destruct into a tapestry again? Someone explain to me.
Zhi Dai and Tang Hua’s ending was appropriate
Honestly, I’m suprrised Tang Hua got to live, his anime and novel version – he didn’t survive lol. Anyhoo, that relationship was doomed from the begginning and tbh I didn’t feel anything for this ‘ship, so it’s fine to me ;P
Is Meishan dead?
I think he’s in the same state Tanyin was, his body dead, but unless his primordial spirit is irrevocably destroyed, he could return. But, unfortunately, we do not know for sure.
Why did Yuan Zhong inherit Taihe’s powers?
Personally, I think it’s because he finally passed his tribulation and was deemed worthy enough to become Taihe version 2. (In xianxia, gods ascend to a new level after much suffering, but they need to overcome them to do so.) But again, they didn’t quite explain.
So, will Yuan Zhong accept the deity’s invitation to cultivate the ruthless path and be Taihe version 2?
I swear, if he does, he has learned nothing from his 60 years of confinement by the Youhu and deserves a tight slap from Tanyin when she returns.
The entire conversation was way too similar to Dinxu’s appeal that “he can become a god”. He’d be an utter fool to be tricked again just so that he can see Tanyin. So, no I doubt it. Being a god is no longer appealing, all he wants is Tanyin and yes, it’s a dirty tactic that the deity used Tanyin as bait but I’m confident Yuan Zhong is wise and smart enough to know that the ruthless path will only prevent him from reunited with Tanyin (because he has to supress his emotions).
Also, surely he knows that Taihe’s path wasn’t as pristine and pure as they made it out to be. So I doubt Yuan Zhong will fall for this scheme.
But he smiled because he finally have hope (after years grieving for her loss) that Tanyin can return one day.
But won’t he die before Tanyin returns?
It’s said that the Youhu foxes only live up to 500 years (if I’m not mistaken). I doubt that’s Yuan Zhong’s lifespan, being a host to the Divine Hand. Remember, Dinxu used to drain Yuan Zhong to make elixers to prolong his life. With that blood in his body, I’m sure his life is extended by a lot, and now that he has “inherited” Taihe’s full powers, his already god-like. He just chose not to ascend officially and take his place in the Divine Realm. And I doubt he’d ever do that.
The final question: Will Tanyin return?
Yes, to me she will. Reasons below.
Dashed expectations … only if you are a modern xianxia viewer with ‘love conquers all’ expectations
I firmly believe A Moment But Forever ended happily—but this depends on how you interpret the drama’s central themes. Modern audiences, especially newcomers to xianxia, often expect fairy-tale romances where love conquers all.
However, classic xianxia (the one I grew up with) was never solely about romance. Instead, it explored philosophical themes— what is good? What’s evil? What is the true nature of a deity? The immortals in more classic xianxia were far more concerned with mortal welfare than their own love lives.
And if they have some romance, they will prioritise their mission to care for mortals and sacrifice their love lives. That’s the nature of gods, and that’s how they became gods in the first place. Well, at least in old xianxia. Not so, modern xianxia, unfortunately. (They’d rather wreck the world for love!)
Over the years, the xianxia genre came to be dominated by the idol factory, so young actors and romance-heavy plots have became its trademark, almost.
This shift explains why A Moment But Forever faced the ageist criticism in China as “middle-aged xianxia.”
Anyway, if you watch A Moment But Forever expecting a modern xianxia, alas your expectations will be sorely dashed.
But if you approach it as a classic xianxia tale—centred on moral redemption, the responsibilities of the divine for humans—the ending will be logical … albeit unsatisfactory.
But to me, the ending is not just good but happy
Okay, happy-ish.
The core narrative about the drama isn’t about Tanyin and Yuan Zhong’s love story. It’s about Yuan Zhong’s redemption—a man destined to seemingly commit great evil. It’s also the story of a benevolent deity (Taiyin), who acts as his guide to sway him from this dark path.
The story’s “mission” completes when he chooses light over darkness, and saves the world.
Tanyin’s sacrifice—breaking heavenly laws to save him (the ultimate sacrifice for a goddess)—earns her a reprieve from judgement and a chance to live again.
A bad ending would be Yuan Zhong going completely evil and Tanyin dead!
I also liked the fact that Yuan Zhong and Tanyin several years as husband and wife. Tang Hua mentioned that he spent a few years travelling the world, and then we see Yuan Zhong and Tanyin at the tail end of their six-month travels.
I like that Yuan Zhong got to have this time with Tanyin, really truly love each other and lived as husband and wife before they parted.
To quote a Weibo-er, “our fox is no longer a virgin in the world and is now a right and proper widower.”
So what does it mean that she’s in the world, in a blade of grass etc?
The drama hints strongly that Tanyin survives as sentient energy and is able to influence creatures around her or even reincarnate into them – butterflies, dragonflies. Think of it as a higher level of existence.
In the novel, all gods who “die” reunite with a ‘central hub’ of primordial energy. So gods who ‘die’ become this energy, but Tanyin didn’t reunite with this central hub because she was granted the reprieve, and got to be free to rejoin the world.
But it will take time.
I firmly believe she will eventually return, mirroring the novel’s resolution where she reforms in a new body after centuries.
Why I’m convinced Taiyin will return:
- The Deity’s Revelation: The god at the end confirms Taiyin’s primordial spirit lingers between heaven and earth, and Yuan senses her presence.
- 2. Foreshadowing:
- The fortune teller’s prophecy: Yuan will have “joy with his descendants.”
- Taiyin gave Yuan Zhong her divine energy in episode 6. In the novel this is the key to her return. Her body is remade with immortal lotus, her teacher gave Yuan Zhong the “lotus gift”. I feel that he probably wanted to protect her too, and I think this “lotus energy” will facilitate her body’s reformation.
- Novel Parallels: In the source material, Taiyin returns after centuries, her energy merging with a lotus to recreate her body. The drama’s open ending implies the same outcome.
But I get why you want a kissy reunion
Let me ask you: Why should all “happy endings” be about a wedding and babies?
For a classic xianxia tale, a “happy ending” means evil was thwarted, and our heroes ascend their tribulations, ofter after great sacrifice.
I get it though. Modern xianxia viewers are so used to the idea of a romantic conclusion that they get furious when it’s thwarted, but classic xianxia prioritizes the themes I mentioned.
Yes, the frustration stems from mismatched genre expectations. But also, well, I get it. After the many tribulations we just want our couple to cuddle their babies and snog!
Why is it the ending ‘unsatisfying’ then?
Partly because we want to see Tanyin fulfill her promise that “she will definitely return, I promise you.” But didn’t get to see that (even if it’s heavily hinted).
Also, the drama was amazing up to episode 33. I felt that the drama jumped the shark after the Red Wedding (lmao). It’s as if they ran out of money or was told to hastily cut down lots of scenes.
That’s why it’s unsatisfactory to me – the drama was excellently plotted, the logic very solid until episode 33. Then after that it was a return to xianxia cliches. (I wasn’t super enthused with the demon lord arc.)
So many things were left lightly hinted at towards the end. For example, many people didn’t catch that the Weapon Spirits are still alive! Little A Xiu is back at the last episode.
A definite ending for many of our beloved characters would’ve made so many people happier.
Well, at least we understand why the Chinese title of the drama is 念无双 (Thinking/Longing for Wu Shuang). It sure lived up to it!
In the end, all of us know exactly how Yuan Zhong felt at the final scene. LOL
PS: Apparent the scriptwriter said an extra scene was filmed but never allowed to release. There’s some confusion about whether it’s filmed or not. But there was indeed a happy ending, either as an extra episode or a happy ending, but they decided to lop it off so that it has a more open ending instead. Make it make sense, c-ent!
So what are your theories?
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Hairy curtain crust mushroom (Stereum hirsutum) sometimes called false turkey tail is a small mushroom with colorful caps, no stipe and a smooth poreless undercap. Here I have a photo of a clump of wet caps showing the color striation, and a photo of one just growing out of the dead branch, showing its coarse hairs.
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