#animal-intelligence — Public Fediverse posts

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet 187

The mind replays what the heart wants to heal

Iconoclast and Rebel Peaches opens up her mind on Amoeba’s channel

One of the most singular and outre artists in the world Peaches visits the Amoeba shop and picks out her fav albums and films. This was interesting because she has some pretty wild choices including a strange film with Kate Blanchett in it that I’ll need to check out. Also I’ve never heard of Eartha Kitt but I will be looking into that further.

https://youtu.be/nL2b-4PkjZ0?si=Vv0n4tvE5ejswlhx

Intricate papercut art by Elsa Mora

Paper-cut artwork by multimedia artist Elsa Mora, who was born and raised in Cuba before moving to the US in 2001. Via Alabandine on BlueSky

Junghofstraße Trance Classics | OMEN Frankfurt Tribute Mix

Take a trip back to the ecstatic heart of 90’s trance.

https://youtu.be/cD2FcICGmio?si=uI2ogz8i-vGHjQgE

Title

Animal agents who can shape their own lives and the course of history

Via Aeon

Plato’s attempt 2,500 years ago to define the human as ‘a featherless biped’ had to be swiftly qualified –‘with broad flat nails’ – when Diogenes presented him with a plucked chicken. Many subsequent attempts at human self-definition have faced similar problems in relation to exceptionality. Yet lately, scholars have begun to conclude that while the difference between humans and other animals is great, it is one of degree, not kind. Steadily, the notion that humans were uniquely created in the image of the divine is dropping out of the Western world view, as it becomes clear that characteristics once thought to be unique to our species – tool use, language, culture – are found to occur among other species. Even so, one aspect of humanity has seemed indisputably ours alone: our capacity for self-conscious agency; that is, our ability not just to act on and influence the world, but to do so deliberately and reflectively.

Self-aware animal protagonists have always existed within the human world. Usually, however, they’ve been imaginary, and mostly they’ve appeared in the pages of children’s stories. Characters such as the talking animals in The Chronicles of Narnia (1950-56) by C S Lewis, for example, were relatively simple. For all their animal appearance, their thoughts, actions and emotions were largely indistinguishable from those of humans. Other stories have exploited differences in human and animal experience to teach moral or ethical lessons, by precept or example. In some cases, this involved close exploration of the inner lives of animal protagonists – the gradual civilisation of the wolf-dog in Jack London’s White Fang (1906), for example, or the mature suffering of the horse in Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty (1877). But more often than not, the author’s aim was to use the animal to explore the human, and humane.

T H White’s Merlyn transformed the wart (the young King Arthur) into (variously) a hawk, an ant and a badger so that the regent in The Once and Future King (1952) could learn more about the governance of human nature; the altruistic friendships in Charlotte’s Web (1952) by E B White gradually shaded into the conscious acceptance of individual mortality. Animals have also been deployed allegorically, to explore relationships between people (often depending on animals to say things that humans found hard to hear). Such childhood stories frequently acquire resonance as their readers grow. For example, when read in adulthood, Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows (1908) provides just as devastating a critique of the shift from an agricultural to an industrial society as George Orwell’s Animal Farm (1945) does of the transition from capitalism to socialism.

Of course, animal allegories and stories featuring animal narrators are not confined to children’s literature. Books such as Felidae (1993) by Akif Pirinçci, The Plague Dogs (1977) by Richard Adams or Only the Animals (2014) by Ceridwen Dovey use nonhuman protagonists to explore aspects of human inhumanity to animals, while Carmen Dog (1988) by Carol Emshwiller and Pig Tales (1997) by Marie Darrieussecq specifically explore inhumanity to women. Yet within these accounts writers can also make intriguing efforts to explore what it might be like to view the world from the animal’s perspective, as in Pig Tales where the protagonist shifts from pig to person, and back again. The detective sheep of Three Bags Full (2005) by Leonie Swann retain an ovine logic throughout (just as the narrator of Felidae remains feline). The Many Selves of Katherine North (2016) by Emma Green examines the consciousness of a ‘phenomenaut’, someone who can project herself into the mind of a lab-grown animal body, unravelling the devastating and addictive impact of animal senses on human awareness.

In The Inheritors (1955), William Golding embarked on a sustained novelistic attempt to imagine a nonhuman consciousness among Neanderthals. Golding shows us a world where ego is integrated at the community, rather than individual, level. Understanding is based on collective experience, intense proximity and abiding empathy, while knowledge, concept and communication are kinaesthetic rather than cerebrally based. Golding’s Neanderthals are not self-conscious in the human sense – since they are not ‘human’. They are, however, active subjects and agents making their own histories and influencing those of others. Reading that novel is a breathtaking and disturbing exercise in trying to understand, rather than analyse, awareness.

The Inheritors presaged a new way of thinking that would spread among animal behaviourists, evolutionary scientists and eventually historians in the latter part of the 20th century. It turns on there being a difference between agency and consciousness – and between agency and subjectivity, or agency and individuality. Humans have the capacity to act as agents, because they are considered to know what they are doing and why they are doing it. But even though nonhumans possess individuality and consciousness, too, the absence of self-consciousness among them has generally been taken to preclude agency. However, as scholars and artists adopt less anthropocentric approaches to understanding how histories (and futures) are made, in the manner that Golding did in 1955, such thinking is now being challenged. Put another way, do literary efforts to create an embodied but nonhuman consciousness have any purchase in reality?

Read more

Frankie’s cultural observations: Gen Z

https://youtu.be/GnjBlxeUFbw?si=7NDOsTN4kziSGLzE

Hedge Hearth and Witch resists with beautiful AI-free art

I love that she called out how shitty AI is for artists but even more so how it stifles creativity and originality for everyone. She goes into detail about how art is a form of witchy resistance for her. Now full transparency I have posted AI art on this blog in the past but I now realise how soulless it is.

https://youtu.be/xvZZMeT8OIk?si=xprG2BvHDIlXTkjN

Villa Saraceni, a digital rendering by designer Charlotte Taylor and 3D artist Riccardo Fornoni

Polynesian Origins: DNA, Migrations and History

I am fascinated about the history of my own ancestors in Polynesia and so this was so on point for me!

https://youtu.be/ahfPbDLDu38?si=W7jnrRCodmq7uRlI

Art by Rebecca Vincent

Rebecca Vincent is a printmaker and artist from Northumberland, UK whose expressive, colourful landscapes bring nature, light, and joy into any space. Finding solace in the the English countryside, she manifests fields, hills, trees, flowers, and coastlines into richly layered compositions filled with movement and depth. Her intricate two-plate etchings and painterly monotypes reveal a mastery of technique and a deep connection to the natural world. Rebecca has exhibited widely across the UK and built a loyal following of collectors worldwide. She brings the soul of nature from the outdoors in, read more.

Did you enjoy this collection? let me know what you think of it below. Thank you for reading my dear friends!

Content Catnip

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet 187

The mind replays what the heart wants to heal

Iconoclast and Rebel Peaches opens up her mind on Amoeba’s channel

One of the most singular and outre artists in the world Peaches visits the Amoeba shop and picks out her fav albums and films. This was interesting because she has some pretty wild choices including a strange film with Kate Blanchett in it that I’ll need to check out. Also I’ve never heard of Eartha Kitt but I will be looking into that further.

https://youtu.be/nL2b-4PkjZ0?si=Vv0n4tvE5ejswlhx

Intricate papercut art by Elsa Mora

Paper-cut artwork by multimedia artist Elsa Mora, who was born and raised in Cuba before moving to the US in 2001. Via Alabandine on BlueSky

Junghofstraße Trance Classics | OMEN Frankfurt Tribute Mix

Take a trip back to the ecstatic heart of 90’s trance.

https://youtu.be/cD2FcICGmio?si=uI2ogz8i-vGHjQgE

Title

Animal agents who can shape their own lives and the course of history

Via Aeon

Plato’s attempt 2,500 years ago to define the human as ‘a featherless biped’ had to be swiftly qualified –‘with broad flat nails’ – when Diogenes presented him with a plucked chicken. Many subsequent attempts at human self-definition have faced similar problems in relation to exceptionality. Yet lately, scholars have begun to conclude that while the difference between humans and other animals is great, it is one of degree, not kind. Steadily, the notion that humans were uniquely created in the image of the divine is dropping out of the Western world view, as it becomes clear that characteristics once thought to be unique to our species – tool use, language, culture – are found to occur among other species. Even so, one aspect of humanity has seemed indisputably ours alone: our capacity for self-conscious agency; that is, our ability not just to act on and influence the world, but to do so deliberately and reflectively.

Self-aware animal protagonists have always existed within the human world. Usually, however, they’ve been imaginary, and mostly they’ve appeared in the pages of children’s stories. Characters such as the talking animals in The Chronicles of Narnia (1950-56) by C S Lewis, for example, were relatively simple. For all their animal appearance, their thoughts, actions and emotions were largely indistinguishable from those of humans. Other stories have exploited differences in human and animal experience to teach moral or ethical lessons, by precept or example. In some cases, this involved close exploration of the inner lives of animal protagonists – the gradual civilisation of the wolf-dog in Jack London’s White Fang (1906), for example, or the mature suffering of the horse in Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty (1877). But more often than not, the author’s aim was to use the animal to explore the human, and humane.

T H White’s Merlyn transformed the wart (the young King Arthur) into (variously) a hawk, an ant and a badger so that the regent in The Once and Future King (1952) could learn more about the governance of human nature; the altruistic friendships in Charlotte’s Web (1952) by E B White gradually shaded into the conscious acceptance of individual mortality. Animals have also been deployed allegorically, to explore relationships between people (often depending on animals to say things that humans found hard to hear). Such childhood stories frequently acquire resonance as their readers grow. For example, when read in adulthood, Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows (1908) provides just as devastating a critique of the shift from an agricultural to an industrial society as George Orwell’s Animal Farm (1945) does of the transition from capitalism to socialism.

Of course, animal allegories and stories featuring animal narrators are not confined to children’s literature. Books such as Felidae (1993) by Akif Pirinçci, The Plague Dogs (1977) by Richard Adams or Only the Animals (2014) by Ceridwen Dovey use nonhuman protagonists to explore aspects of human inhumanity to animals, while Carmen Dog (1988) by Carol Emshwiller and Pig Tales (1997) by Marie Darrieussecq specifically explore inhumanity to women. Yet within these accounts writers can also make intriguing efforts to explore what it might be like to view the world from the animal’s perspective, as in Pig Tales where the protagonist shifts from pig to person, and back again. The detective sheep of Three Bags Full (2005) by Leonie Swann retain an ovine logic throughout (just as the narrator of Felidae remains feline). The Many Selves of Katherine North (2016) by Emma Green examines the consciousness of a ‘phenomenaut’, someone who can project herself into the mind of a lab-grown animal body, unravelling the devastating and addictive impact of animal senses on human awareness.

In The Inheritors (1955), William Golding embarked on a sustained novelistic attempt to imagine a nonhuman consciousness among Neanderthals. Golding shows us a world where ego is integrated at the community, rather than individual, level. Understanding is based on collective experience, intense proximity and abiding empathy, while knowledge, concept and communication are kinaesthetic rather than cerebrally based. Golding’s Neanderthals are not self-conscious in the human sense – since they are not ‘human’. They are, however, active subjects and agents making their own histories and influencing those of others. Reading that novel is a breathtaking and disturbing exercise in trying to understand, rather than analyse, awareness.

The Inheritors presaged a new way of thinking that would spread among animal behaviourists, evolutionary scientists and eventually historians in the latter part of the 20th century. It turns on there being a difference between agency and consciousness – and between agency and subjectivity, or agency and individuality. Humans have the capacity to act as agents, because they are considered to know what they are doing and why they are doing it. But even though nonhumans possess individuality and consciousness, too, the absence of self-consciousness among them has generally been taken to preclude agency. However, as scholars and artists adopt less anthropocentric approaches to understanding how histories (and futures) are made, in the manner that Golding did in 1955, such thinking is now being challenged. Put another way, do literary efforts to create an embodied but nonhuman consciousness have any purchase in reality?

Read more

Frankie’s cultural observations: Gen Z

https://youtu.be/GnjBlxeUFbw?si=7NDOsTN4kziSGLzE

Hedge Hearth and Witch resists with beautiful AI-free art

I love that she called out how shitty AI is for artists but even more so how it stifles creativity and originality for everyone. She goes into detail about how art is a form of witchy resistance for her. Now full transparency I have posted AI art on this blog in the past but I now realise how soulless it is.

https://youtu.be/xvZZMeT8OIk?si=xprG2BvHDIlXTkjN

Villa Saraceni, a digital rendering by designer Charlotte Taylor and 3D artist Riccardo Fornoni

Polynesian Origins: DNA, Migrations and History

I am fascinated about the history of my own ancestors in Polynesia and so this was so on point for me!

https://youtu.be/ahfPbDLDu38?si=W7jnrRCodmq7uRlI

Art by Rebecca Vincent

Rebecca Vincent is a printmaker and artist from Northumberland, UK whose expressive, colourful landscapes bring nature, light, and joy into any space. Finding solace in the the English countryside, she manifests fields, hills, trees, flowers, and coastlines into richly layered compositions filled with movement and depth. Her intricate two-plate etchings and painterly monotypes reveal a mastery of technique and a deep connection to the natural world. Rebecca has exhibited widely across the UK and built a loyal following of collectors worldwide. She brings the soul of nature from the outdoors in, read more.

Did you enjoy this collection? let me know what you think of it below. Thank you for reading my dear friends!

Content Catnip

How animals prepare for war
#AnimalBehavior #Wildlife #Science #Nature #Evolution #War #Biology #AnimalIntelligence #AnimalConflict #Ecology #Research #Animals
https://the-14.com/how-animals-prepare-for-war/

How animals prepare for war
#AnimalBehavior #Wildlife #Science #Nature #Evolution #War #Biology #AnimalIntelligence #AnimalConflict #Ecology #Research #Animals
https://the-14.com/how-animals-prepare-for-war/

Dogs can tell if you’re scared or sad

"fMRI scans show happiness, fear, anger, and sadness have distinct brain activity patterns in doggy brains."

By Jennifer Ouellette / via ArsTechnica

#research #dogs #AnimalIntelligence #science
#patternRecognition

https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/08/dogs-can-tell-if-youre-scared-or-sad/

Dogs can tell if you’re scared or sad

"fMRI scans show happiness, fear, anger, and sadness have distinct brain activity patterns in doggy brains."

By Jennifer Ouellette / via ArsTechnica

#research #dogs #AnimalIntelligence #science
#patternRecognition

https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/08/dogs-can-tell-if-youre-scared-or-sad/

🐬 TIL: A dolphin named Kelly figured out how to run a scam on her trainers.

At the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Mississippi, dolphins got a fish for every piece of trash they turned in. Kelly noticed the payout was the same no matter the size, so she hid trash under a rock and tore off small pieces to redeem one at a time.

Then she escalated. Turning in a stray seagull earned a bonus fish payout, so Kelly started saving one of her fish, using it as bait to lure gulls, and cashing in the bigger reward. She later taught the trick to her calf, and it spread through the pod until gull-baiting was, in the words of one account, a hot game among the dolphins.

Trainers only found her stash when they drained the pool for repairs and discovered a pile of garbage hidden under the rocks. Kelly survived Hurricane Katrina and was relocated to the Bahamas, where she was still going strong in her 40s as of 2018.

Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2003/jul/03/research.science
https://hakaimagazine.com/features/kelly-the-sassy-dolphin/

#TIL #dolphins #AnimalIntelligence

🐬 TIL: A dolphin named Kelly figured out how to run a scam on her trainers.

At the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Mississippi, dolphins got a fish for every piece of trash they turned in. Kelly noticed the payout was the same no matter the size, so she hid trash under a rock and tore off small pieces to redeem one at a time.

Then she escalated. Turning in a stray seagull earned a bonus fish payout, so Kelly started saving one of her fish, using it as bait to lure gulls, and cashing in the bigger reward. She later taught the trick to her calf, and it spread through the pod until gull-baiting was, in the words of one account, a hot game among the dolphins.

Trainers only found her stash when they drained the pool for repairs and discovered a pile of garbage hidden under the rocks. Kelly survived Hurricane Katrina and was relocated to the Bahamas, where she was still going strong in her 40s as of 2018.

Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2003/jul/03/research.science
https://hakaimagazine.com/features/kelly-the-sassy-dolphin/

#TIL #dolphins #AnimalIntelligence

The “mirror test” has been used to assess some cognitive skills associated with intelligence in species other than humans, and individuals of fish species have passed it. 🐟

Find out more ⬇️
https://veganfta.com/blog/2026/07/02/can-a-fish-pass-the-mirror-test/

#fish #cognition #animalintelligence

RE: https://mastodon.social/@theperpetuallycurious8/116234438078617313

Animal communication becomes even more fascinating when we stop measuring it against our own.

A parrot’s mimicry, a whale’s song, a bee’s dance, and an elephant’s rumble each point to a different way of sensing, signaling, and sharing a world.

✍️ Listen closer: https://TPC8.short.gy/6CfCLLKF

#AnimalCommunication #Biology #AnimalIntelligence

RE: https://mastodon.social/@theperpetuallycurious8/116234438078617313

Animal communication becomes even more fascinating when we stop measuring it against our own.

A parrot’s mimicry, a whale’s song, a bee’s dance, and an elephant’s rumble each point to a different way of sensing, signaling, and sharing a world.

✍️ Listen closer: https://TPC8.short.gy/6CfCLLKF

#AnimalCommunication #Biology #AnimalIntelligence

Pigeons are often considered pests. But their smarts and visual recognition skills can save lives.

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/pigeons-smarts-and-visual-recognition-skills-can-save-lives/

Pigeons are often considered pests. But their smarts and visual recognition skills can save lives.

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/pigeons-smarts-and-visual-recognition-skills-can-save-lives/

Belugas join a rare animal kingdom club—they can recognize themselves in a mirror https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/beluga-whales-mirror-recognition 🐋 #Cetaceans #MarineMammals #MarineLife #MarineBiology #Whales #Science #AnimalIntelligence

Belugas join a rare animal kingdom club—they can recognize themselves in a mirror https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/beluga-whales-mirror-recognition 🐋 #Cetaceans #MarineMammals #MarineLife #MarineBiology #Whales #Science #AnimalIntelligence

Crows are incredibly smart. Here’s how to make friends with one in four easy steps.

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/rp-are-crows-smart/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rp-are-crows-smart

Crows are incredibly smart. Here’s how to make friends with one in four easy steps.

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/rp-are-crows-smart/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rp-are-crows-smart

Little by little, Homo sapiens is coming down from its pedestal. We are discovering that many species use forms of communication just as sophisticated as our own.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/15/sperm-whales-alphabet-vocalizations-similar-humans

#whales #spermwhales #communication #animalintelligence

Little by little, Homo sapiens is coming down from its pedestal. We are discovering that many species use forms of communication just as sophisticated as our own.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/15/sperm-whales-alphabet-vocalizations-similar-humans

#whales #spermwhales #communication #animalintelligence

#AnimalIntelligence

"Quick Take

• Cleaner wrasses used mirrors to locate and scrape marks placed on their bodies.

• Experiments suggest fish can link reflections with sensations on their own bodies.

• Findings challenge assumptions that only large-brained animals recognize themselves in mirrors.

• Research raises questions about animal intelligence and how scientists interpret mirror tests.

For decades, scientists used a mirror experiment to explore whether animals could recognize themselves. In that test, researchers placed a mark on an animal’s body where it could only be seen in a mirror. If the animal used the mirror to investigate the mark on its own body, scientists interpreted the behavior as self-recognition. Only a small group of species seemed to pass the test. These included great apes, dolphins, elephants, and a few birds.

New experiments with a small reef fish have complicated that picture. Researchers studying the bluestreak cleaner wrasse discovered that this species can use a mirror to locate marks placed on its own body. The fish scraped at the marked spot when it saw the reflection. When the mirror was removed, the scraping stopped. These observations suggest the fish used the mirror to guide its actions.

The results have sparked debate among scientists. Some believe the fish demonstrates a form of self-related awareness. Others think the fish simply learned to associate the reflection with sensations on its skin. Either way, the findings are prompting researchers to reconsider how the mirror test should be interpreted."

https://a-z-animals.com/articles/scientists-thought-only-great-apes-were-this-smart-but-a-tiny-fish-proved-them-wrong/

#AnimalIntelligence

"Quick Take

• Cleaner wrasses used mirrors to locate and scrape marks placed on their bodies.

• Experiments suggest fish can link reflections with sensations on their own bodies.

• Findings challenge assumptions that only large-brained animals recognize themselves in mirrors.

• Research raises questions about animal intelligence and how scientists interpret mirror tests.

For decades, scientists used a mirror experiment to explore whether animals could recognize themselves. In that test, researchers placed a mark on an animal’s body where it could only be seen in a mirror. If the animal used the mirror to investigate the mark on its own body, scientists interpreted the behavior as self-recognition. Only a small group of species seemed to pass the test. These included great apes, dolphins, elephants, and a few birds.

New experiments with a small reef fish have complicated that picture. Researchers studying the bluestreak cleaner wrasse discovered that this species can use a mirror to locate marks placed on its own body. The fish scraped at the marked spot when it saw the reflection. When the mirror was removed, the scraping stopped. These observations suggest the fish used the mirror to guide its actions.

The results have sparked debate among scientists. Some believe the fish demonstrates a form of self-related awareness. Others think the fish simply learned to associate the reflection with sensations on its skin. Either way, the findings are prompting researchers to reconsider how the mirror test should be interpreted."

https://a-z-animals.com/articles/scientists-thought-only-great-apes-were-this-smart-but-a-tiny-fish-proved-them-wrong/

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

In an astonishing discovery, two marsupial species believed to be extinct for 6,000 years have been rediscovered alive and well in the remote rainforests of West Papua. The pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider were located with the crucial assistance of local indigenous Vogelkop clans. However, their survival remains precarious as their habitats are increasingly threatened by logging and the expansion of the palm oil colonialism in West Papua. Laws and native title to protect this region is essential for indigenous land defenders. We musn’t let them disappear again #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Two #extinct #marsupials in #WestPapua found alive! The #marsupials highlight the need to protect #Papuan forests or they are gone for good! Resist for them and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife when you shop 🌴🙊🔥☠️🚫 @palmoildetect #Boycott4Wildlife https://wp.me/pcFhgU-iOH

Two #possums thought extinct for 6000 years are alive in #WestPapua! The pygmy #possum and sacred ring-tailed #glider are #nature’s battlers who deserve a break from #palmoil ecocide. Stand with #indigenous defenders against palm oil #colonialism! 🌴🚫 @palmoildetect #BoycottPalmOil https://wp.me/pcFhgU-iOH

https://youtu.be/T1uWC5ZE4KI

Two extraordinarily rare marsupials, entirely believed to have been extinct for over six thousand years, have been discovered alive in the remote, Vogelkop mountain forests of the Bird’s Head peninsula in West Papua. This remarkable rediscovery of the pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider was confirmed by Australian scientist Professor Tim Flannery, alongside a team of local indigenous experts and university researchers.

“More important than finding a living thylacine in Tasmania.”

Scott Hucknull from Central Queensland University describes the magnitude of the discovery.

These species are rare examples of “Lazarus taxa”. Animals who disappear from the fossil record only to be found alive centuries later. Flannery noted that the likelihood of finding even one lost mammal was almost zero, let alone two.

“It’s unprecedented and groundbreaking, really, to find two Lazarus taxa,” Flannery says. “We’ve been able to finalise two pieces of work that are incredibly important from a biological and a conservation perspective, documenting the existence of rare marsupials in an area under threat. It’s sort of a crowning glory in my career as a biologist.”

The first of the resurrected species is the pygmy long-fingered possum, Dactylonax kambuayai. This tiny, striped marsupial possesses an extraordinary evolutionary trait: an elongated fourth finger on each hand that is double the length of other digits. Flannery explains that they use this finger to extract grubs from timber.

“They’ve got a whole lot of specialisations in their ear region as well, which seem to be related to detection of low-frequency sound. So presumably they’re listening for wood-boring beetle larvae, and they then rip open the rotting wood and use that finger to fish out the grub,” Flannery says.

The second species, the ring-tailed glider (Tous ayamaruensis), features unfurred ears and a strong, prehensile tail used for gripping branches. Flannery calls it “one of the most photogenic animals, most beautiful marsupials you’ll ever see.”

Crucially, the rediscovery of these elusive creatures was entirely dependent on the profound ecological knowledge of the local Tambrauw and Maybrat clans. These indigenous communities view the ring-tailed glider as deeply sacred, believing them to be manifestations of their ancestors’ spirits, and actively protect them from hunting. Rika Korain, a Maybrat woman and co-author of the research, emphasised that identifying the species relied entirely on traditional owners. “This connection has been essential,” she says.

“I’m very proud that Papuan researchers contributed to these landmark discoveries, and want to thank the people of the Misool, Maybrat and Tambrouw regions who supported us in the field,”

Dr Aksamina Yohanita of the University of Papua said.

“The Vogelkop is an ancient piece of the Australian continent that has become incorporated into the island of New Guinea. Its forests may shelter yet more hidden relics of a past Australia,”

Tim Flannery

To protect the remaining populations from the illegal wildlife trade, researchers are keeping their exact locations highly classified. Flannery delivered a stark warning to potential poachers regarding the animals’ survival in captivity: “They would be incredibly difficult to keep in captivity. because their diet is so highly specialised. Advanced warning for anyone who’s thinking of keeping one as a pet: it won’t live long,” he says.

While their rediscovery is a triumph, their future is highly uncertain. The proximity of power-hungry corporates intent on razing the rainforest for palm oil and timber casts a dark shadow over the region.

David Lindenmayer, an ecologist at the Australian National University, who was not involved in the study said “I am also hugely concerned about the extent of logging and land clearing happening in New Guinea,” he says. “It also makes me wonder what might have been lost in Australia as a result of all of the land clearing that has taken place here.”

The findings underline strong calls from scientists, environmentalists and indigenous rights advocates for Native Title legal land rights and indigenous-led protections of West Papua and its imperilled Vogelkop rainforest where these delightful marsupials are found.

Further information

Lam, L. (2026, March 6). Tiny possum and glider thought extinct for 6,000 years found in remote West Papua. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyg6p8g6yjo

Morton, A. (2026, March 6). Marsupials previously thought extinct for millennia discovered in New Guinea. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/05/marsupials-discovered-new-guinea

Woodford, J. (2026, March 5). Two marsupials believed extinct for 6000 years found alive. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2518082-two-marsupials-believed-extinct-for-6000-years-found-alive/

ENDS

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 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)

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.

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• WordPress
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• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

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2. 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.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. 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

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

In an astonishing discovery, two marsupial species believed to be extinct for 6,000 years have been rediscovered alive and well in the remote rainforests of West Papua. The pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider were located with the crucial assistance of local indigenous Vogelkop clans. However, their survival remains precarious as their habitats are increasingly threatened by logging and the expansion of the palm oil colonialism in West Papua. Laws and native title to protect this region is essential for indigenous land defenders. We musn’t let them disappear again #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Two #extinct #marsupials in #WestPapua found alive! The #marsupials highlight the need to protect #Papuan forests or they are gone for good! Resist for them and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife when you shop 🌴🙊🔥☠️🚫 @palmoildetect #Boycott4Wildlife https://wp.me/pcFhgU-iOH

Two #possums thought extinct for 6000 years are alive in #WestPapua! The pygmy #possum and sacred ring-tailed #glider are #nature’s battlers who deserve a break from #palmoil ecocide. Stand with #indigenous defenders against palm oil #colonialism! 🌴🚫 @palmoildetect #BoycottPalmOil https://wp.me/pcFhgU-iOH

https://youtu.be/T1uWC5ZE4KI

Two extraordinarily rare marsupials, entirely believed to have been extinct for over six thousand years, have been discovered alive in the remote, Vogelkop mountain forests of the Bird’s Head peninsula in West Papua. This remarkable rediscovery of the pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider was confirmed by Australian scientist Professor Tim Flannery, alongside a team of local indigenous experts and university researchers.

“More important than finding a living thylacine in Tasmania.”

Scott Hucknull from Central Queensland University describes the magnitude of the discovery.

These species are rare examples of “Lazarus taxa”. Animals who disappear from the fossil record only to be found alive centuries later. Flannery noted that the likelihood of finding even one lost mammal was almost zero, let alone two.

“It’s unprecedented and groundbreaking, really, to find two Lazarus taxa,” Flannery says. “We’ve been able to finalise two pieces of work that are incredibly important from a biological and a conservation perspective, documenting the existence of rare marsupials in an area under threat. It’s sort of a crowning glory in my career as a biologist.”

The first of the resurrected species is the pygmy long-fingered possum, Dactylonax kambuayai. This tiny, striped marsupial possesses an extraordinary evolutionary trait: an elongated fourth finger on each hand that is double the length of other digits. Flannery explains that they use this finger to extract grubs from timber.

“They’ve got a whole lot of specialisations in their ear region as well, which seem to be related to detection of low-frequency sound. So presumably they’re listening for wood-boring beetle larvae, and they then rip open the rotting wood and use that finger to fish out the grub,” Flannery says.

The second species, the ring-tailed glider (Tous ayamaruensis), features unfurred ears and a strong, prehensile tail used for gripping branches. Flannery calls it “one of the most photogenic animals, most beautiful marsupials you’ll ever see.”

Crucially, the rediscovery of these elusive creatures was entirely dependent on the profound ecological knowledge of the local Tambrauw and Maybrat clans. These indigenous communities view the ring-tailed glider as deeply sacred, believing them to be manifestations of their ancestors’ spirits, and actively protect them from hunting. Rika Korain, a Maybrat woman and co-author of the research, emphasised that identifying the species relied entirely on traditional owners. “This connection has been essential,” she says.

“I’m very proud that Papuan researchers contributed to these landmark discoveries, and want to thank the people of the Misool, Maybrat and Tambrouw regions who supported us in the field,”

Dr Aksamina Yohanita of the University of Papua said.

“The Vogelkop is an ancient piece of the Australian continent that has become incorporated into the island of New Guinea. Its forests may shelter yet more hidden relics of a past Australia,”

Tim Flannery

To protect the remaining populations from the illegal wildlife trade, researchers are keeping their exact locations highly classified. Flannery delivered a stark warning to potential poachers regarding the animals’ survival in captivity: “They would be incredibly difficult to keep in captivity. because their diet is so highly specialised. Advanced warning for anyone who’s thinking of keeping one as a pet: it won’t live long,” he says.

While their rediscovery is a triumph, their future is highly uncertain. The proximity of power-hungry corporates intent on razing the rainforest for palm oil and timber casts a dark shadow over the region.

David Lindenmayer, an ecologist at the Australian National University, who was not involved in the study said “I am also hugely concerned about the extent of logging and land clearing happening in New Guinea,” he says. “It also makes me wonder what might have been lost in Australia as a result of all of the land clearing that has taken place here.”

The findings underline strong calls from scientists, environmentalists and indigenous rights advocates for Native Title legal land rights and indigenous-led protections of West Papua and its imperilled Vogelkop rainforest where these delightful marsupials are found.

Further information

Lam, L. (2026, March 6). Tiny possum and glider thought extinct for 6,000 years found in remote West Papua. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyg6p8g6yjo

Morton, A. (2026, March 6). Marsupials previously thought extinct for millennia discovered in New Guinea. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/05/marsupials-discovered-new-guinea

Woodford, J. (2026, March 5). Two marsupials believed extinct for 6000 years found alive. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2518082-two-marsupials-believed-extinct-for-6000-years-found-alive/

ENDS

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 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)

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.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. 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.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. 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

Scherzi della Natura
#natura #animalintelligence #esotici

https://www.alojapan.com/1450271/foreign-tourists-stunned-by-this-incredible-deer-crossing-nara-park-deer-in-japan/ Foreign Tourists Stunned by This Incredible Deer Crossing | Nara Park Deer in Japan ##animalIntelligence #AmazingMoment #AnimalManners #BowingDeer #DeerCrossing #ForeignTourists #ForeignTouristsStunnedByThisIncredibleDeerCrossing|NaraParkDeerInJapan #incredible #interaction #JapanDestinations #JapanTour #JapanTravel #JapanTrip #JapanVacation #NaraDeer #NaraPark #NaraSightseeing #NatureVlog #RoadSafety #shika #stunned #TrafficRules #UniqueJapan #wildlife

🐮🌟 Cow intelligence shines! Veronica the cow cleverly uses a brush for grooming—a rare tool-use feat astonishing scientists & revealing hidden smarts in farm animals. Nature’s surprises keep coming! Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj0n127y74go

@goodnews

#GoodNews #CowToolUse #AnimalIntelligence #ScienceDiscovery #NatureWin

Hackaday Links: February 1, 2026 https://hackaday.com/2026/02/01/hackaday-links-february-1-2026/ #animalintelligence #HackadayColumns #Hackadaylinks #hackadaylinks #spacetourism #BelkinWeMo #Artemis #telnet #nasa #snow #WeMo

Hackaday Links: February 1, 2026 https://hackaday.com/2026/02/01/hackaday-links-february-1-2026/ #animalintelligence #HackadayColumns #Hackadaylinks #hackadaylinks #spacetourism #BelkinWeMo #Artemis #telnet #nasa #snow #WeMo

Hackaday Links: February 1, 2026

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/01/hackaday-links-february-1-2026/

Hackaday Links: February 1, 2026

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/01/hackaday-links-february-1-2026/

World’s First Tool-Using Cow Shocked Cognitive Scientists - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq3odE3OuGA

#Animals #Cows #AnimalBehavior #AnimalIntelligence

World’s First Tool-Using Cow Shocked Cognitive Scientists - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq3odE3OuGA

#Animals #Cows #AnimalBehavior #AnimalIntelligence

Testing The World's Smartest Crow - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpg3VvoIVfA

#Animals #Birds #Crows #AnimalIntelligence

Testing The World's Smartest Crow - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpg3VvoIVfA

#Animals #Birds #Crows #AnimalIntelligence

The meat industry could appeal to vegetarians by breeding intelligent livestock that are able to consent to being killed.
#meat #meatindustry #animalrights #animalslaughter #livestock #vegetarians #vegans #animalintelligence #livestockbreeding #artificialselection #slaughterhouses

The meat industry could appeal to vegetarians by breeding intelligent livestock that are able to consent to being killed.
#meat #meatindustry #animalrights #animalslaughter #livestock #vegetarians #vegans #animalintelligence #livestockbreeding #artificialselection #slaughterhouses

Back-scratching bovine leads scientists to reassess intelligence of cows https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/19/back-scratching-cow-veronika-bovine-intelligence 🐮 #AnimalIntelligence #GoVegan

Back-scratching bovine leads scientists to reassess intelligence of cows https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/19/back-scratching-cow-veronika-bovine-intelligence 🐮 #AnimalIntelligence #GoVegan

Cows Can Use Sophisticated Tools

https://nautil.us/the-far-side-had-it-all-wrong-cows-really-can-use-sophisticated-tools-1262026/

#HackerNews #Cows #Tools #AnimalIntelligence #Innovation #Nature #Science

Cows Can Use Sophisticated Tools

https://nautil.us/the-far-side-had-it-all-wrong-cows-really-can-use-sophisticated-tools-1262026/

#HackerNews #Cows #Tools #AnimalIntelligence #Innovation #Nature #Science

🌟🐶 Gifted pups eavesdrop like toddlers! New study shows some dogs learn object names by overhearing casual chats—no training needed, mirroring human kids. A brainy bond bridging species! Read more: https://thedebrief.org/some-gifted-dogs-learn-words-by-overhearing-conversations-like-human-toddlers-study-finds/

@goodnews

#GoodNews #SmartDogs #EclipseLikeToddlers #AnimalIntelligence #ScienceWin

🌟🐶 Gifted pups eavesdrop like toddlers! New study shows some dogs learn object names by overhearing casual chats—no training needed, mirroring human kids. A brainy bond bridging species! Read more: https://thedebrief.org/some-gifted-dogs-learn-words-by-overhearing-conversations-like-human-toddlers-study-finds/

@goodnews

#GoodNews #SmartDogs #EclipseLikeToddlers #AnimalIntelligence #ScienceWin

Jaguars and Pumas Eat More Monkeys in Damaged Forests

Study finds that in fragmented forests of #Mexico, #bigcats like #jaguars and pumas find it difficult to find traditional prey animals like #ungulates. Instead they focus on harder to catch prey like tree-dwelling #monkeys, forced out of the trees by #palmoil, #soy and #meat #deforestation. This spells bad news for many #primate species of Central and South America and highlights why urgent forest protection is needed. Help species survive and be #Vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife to protect forests and forest animals.

In #Mexico, big #cats like #jaguars 🐆 and #pumas can’t find ungulate prey due to #palmoil #mining #meat #deforestation. They’ve switched to a diet of #monkeys, putting them in peril. Help them, be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-92D

#Primates like #howler 🐒and spider #monkeys in #Mexico 🇲🇽 are declining due to overhunting by big cats: #pumas and #jaguars. They’re forced by #deforestation 🌳 into smaller areas. Help them survive! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-92D

Written by Aralisa Shedden, Postdoctoral Researcher in Conservation, Bournemouth University. Originally published as ‘Big cats eat more monkeys in a damaged tropical forest – and this could threaten their survival’. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Monkeys aren’t normally that popular with Jaguars and Puma but wide-spread logging robs primates of hiding places, drastically reducing their numbers.

Monkeys are not usually a popular menu item for big cats. Primates are, after all, hard to catch: living in the canopies of large trees and rarely coming down to the ground. Jaguar and puma have varied diets and will normally hunt the species that are most common where they live, such as deer, peccary (a type of wild pig) and armadillo.

https://youtu.be/jg-7kOpHtys

But jaguar and puma living in southern Mexican forests with a high human footprint (where wood and other resources are regularly harvested and there are large clearings for farms or expanding settlements) seem to be changing their feeding preferences to include more monkeys, according to new research.

Other studies have already found that when there is less of their usual prey around, big cats turn to alternatives. The changes in jaguar and puma diets that my colleagues and I recorded may indicate that the populations of these normal prey are shrinking, or that something in the environment has changed to make catching and eating primates easier.

This change in the diet of large cats could make the disappearance of primate populations in tropical forests like this one in southern Mexico more likely. This would, in turn, make the disappearance of large cats themselves more likely due to a lack of food, threatening the stability of an entire ecosystem.

https://youtu.be/m5VDG5lAEtM

On the trail of big cats

When forests are cut down or altered by loggers and hunters, primates are particularly affected, as many species depend on tall trees for food, shelter and to chart paths through the forest. Globally, more than 60% of primate species are threatened with extinction.

https://youtu.be/X-brmypUfJY

These changes to forests have also put large predators at risk. Understanding what is happening in these areas can inform more effective conservation measures, which may prevent species from disappearing.

The Uxpanapa valley in southeastern Mexico is one of the last relicts of tall evergreen forest in the country, and is classified as one of the most biodiverse areas in both Mexico and the world. It is home to jaguar, puma and many other species, including two endangered primates: howler and spider monkeys.

I led a research team that studied the distribution of primates in the Uxpanapa Valley for the first time. We recorded the number of primates and where they were found, as well as the type of forest they preferred.

Another team looked for large cats with the help of a dog which could detect their faeces, otherwise known as scat. Scat was collected to obtain DNA and determine the species that left it, whether it had any parasites, and what its diet was like. The team found out what prey these large cats were eating by using microscopes to study the hairs left in each scat. Special identification guides can link each kind of animal to its hair – each has a particular colour, pattern and shape.

Large carnivores maintain biodiversity and the functioning of an ecosystem by controlling populations of certain species – for example, herbivores that might otherwise harm trees or prevent forests regrowing. The presence of such predators can indicate an ecosystem’s health. Knowing what top predators are eating can tell us even more about how an ecosystem is functioning.

What we found

When we combined the data and information we collected, we began to understand that something out of the ordinary was happening.

Primates were the most frequent prey found in jaguar and puma scats, making up nearly 35% of the remains. Primate remains were also more likely to be found in scats collected from areas with less forest. Spider monkey remains, for example, were more likely to be found in scats collected in areas with more villages, and in forest that was regrowing after being disturbed.

A possible explanation is that where there are more villages, it is likely that there is more hunting and tree-cutting taking place. Where there is more hunting, the prey that jaguar and puma usually prefer might not be as plentiful. And regrowing forests do not offer primates the same protection as tall, untouched forests. These two factors may explain why large cats are eating spider monkeys more often here.

Jaguar and puma will usually eat the prey that is more abundant. If their preferred prey is scarce, they will hunt the species they encounter most. Similar to what we observed with spider monkeys, in areas where there was less tall forest, howler monkey remains were more likely than non-primate prey to be found in the scats, possibly as big cats found it easier to reach primates.

Less tree cover and overhunting of other prey (combined with general habitat loss) could explain the high rates of primate predation we discovered. Nevertheless, we need to continue monitoring these sites to fully understand these changes in large cat diets.

Our results highlight the importance of maintaining tall forest cover to ensure primates and other forest-dependent species can survive. They also raise the urgent need for conservation, before the negative effects of human activities on both primate and large cat populations become irreversible, and the ecosystems they live in are lost.

Written by Aralisa Shedden, Postdoctoral Researcher in Conservation, Bournemouth University. Originally published as ‘Big cats eat more monkeys in a damaged tropical forest – and this could threaten their survival’. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

ENDS

Jaguar Panthera onca

Jaguars, currently deemed Near Threatened, face a substantial habitat reduction of up to 25% in just over two decades. This decline stems from rampant deforestation for palm oil, soy, and meat, as well…

Keep reading

Brown Howler Monkey Alouatta guariba

You will hear a Brown Howler #Monkey before you sere one. Heard from several kilometres away these monkeys have a haunting howl that penetrates and rustles the forest canopy. They live in groups…

Keep reading

Colombian Red Howler Monkey Alouatta seniculus

Red howlers are the largest of the howler monkey species. They have dense and vividly coloured fur that ranges from brown to dark red, with gold or bright orange undersides – the colour…

Keep reading

Brown Spider Monkey Ateles hybridus

The enigmatic blue-billed curassow (Crax alberti – local name “Paujil”), endemic to the tropical humid forests of northern Colombia, is the cracid species most threatened with extinction in the wild from #deforestation

Keep reading

Yucatán Black Howler Monkey Alouatta pigra

Their range is being rapidly destroyed for palm oil and sugar cane deforestation and mining. They are also facing human persecution and hunting pressures. Yucatán Black Howler Monkeys have been classified as endangered…

Keep reading

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Keep reading

Saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis

Keep reading

Tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis

Keep reading

Frill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii

Keep reading

Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum

Keep reading

Ecuadorean Viscacha Lagidium ahuacaense

Keep reading

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 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)

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.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. 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.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. 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

#animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalCommunication #animalCruelty #animalExtinction #animalIntelligence #animalRights #bigcats #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #cats #deforestation #howler #Jaguars #meat #Mexico #mining #monkeys #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Primate #primates #pumas #soy #ungulates #vegan

Jaguars and Pumas Eat More Monkeys in Damaged Forests

Study finds that in fragmented forests of #Mexico, #bigcats like #jaguars and pumas find it difficult to find traditional prey animals like #ungulates. Instead they focus on harder to catch prey like tree-dwelling #monkeys, forced out of the trees by #palmoil, #soy and #meat #deforestation. This spells bad news for many #primate species of Central and South America and highlights why urgent forest protection is needed. Help species survive and be #Vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife to protect forests and forest animals.

In #Mexico, big #cats like #jaguars 🐆 and #pumas can’t find ungulate prey due to #palmoil #mining #meat #deforestation. They’ve switched to a diet of #monkeys, putting them in peril. Help them, be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-92D

#Primates like #howler 🐒and spider #monkeys in #Mexico 🇲🇽 are declining due to overhunting by big cats: #pumas and #jaguars. They’re forced by #deforestation 🌳 into smaller areas. Help them survive! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-92D

Written by Aralisa Shedden, Postdoctoral Researcher in Conservation, Bournemouth University. Originally published as ‘Big cats eat more monkeys in a damaged tropical forest – and this could threaten their survival’. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Monkeys aren’t normally that popular with Jaguars and Puma but wide-spread logging robs primates of hiding places, drastically reducing their numbers.

Monkeys are not usually a popular menu item for big cats. Primates are, after all, hard to catch: living in the canopies of large trees and rarely coming down to the ground. Jaguar and puma have varied diets and will normally hunt the species that are most common where they live, such as deer, peccary (a type of wild pig) and armadillo.

https://youtu.be/jg-7kOpHtys

But jaguar and puma living in southern Mexican forests with a high human footprint (where wood and other resources are regularly harvested and there are large clearings for farms or expanding settlements) seem to be changing their feeding preferences to include more monkeys, according to new research.

Other studies have already found that when there is less of their usual prey around, big cats turn to alternatives. The changes in jaguar and puma diets that my colleagues and I recorded may indicate that the populations of these normal prey are shrinking, or that something in the environment has changed to make catching and eating primates easier.

This change in the diet of large cats could make the disappearance of primate populations in tropical forests like this one in southern Mexico more likely. This would, in turn, make the disappearance of large cats themselves more likely due to a lack of food, threatening the stability of an entire ecosystem.

https://youtu.be/m5VDG5lAEtM

On the trail of big cats

When forests are cut down or altered by loggers and hunters, primates are particularly affected, as many species depend on tall trees for food, shelter and to chart paths through the forest. Globally, more than 60% of primate species are threatened with extinction.

https://youtu.be/X-brmypUfJY

These changes to forests have also put large predators at risk. Understanding what is happening in these areas can inform more effective conservation measures, which may prevent species from disappearing.

The Uxpanapa valley in southeastern Mexico is one of the last relicts of tall evergreen forest in the country, and is classified as one of the most biodiverse areas in both Mexico and the world. It is home to jaguar, puma and many other species, including two endangered primates: howler and spider monkeys.

I led a research team that studied the distribution of primates in the Uxpanapa Valley for the first time. We recorded the number of primates and where they were found, as well as the type of forest they preferred.

Another team looked for large cats with the help of a dog which could detect their faeces, otherwise known as scat. Scat was collected to obtain DNA and determine the species that left it, whether it had any parasites, and what its diet was like. The team found out what prey these large cats were eating by using microscopes to study the hairs left in each scat. Special identification guides can link each kind of animal to its hair – each has a particular colour, pattern and shape.

Large carnivores maintain biodiversity and the functioning of an ecosystem by controlling populations of certain species – for example, herbivores that might otherwise harm trees or prevent forests regrowing. The presence of such predators can indicate an ecosystem’s health. Knowing what top predators are eating can tell us even more about how an ecosystem is functioning.

What we found

When we combined the data and information we collected, we began to understand that something out of the ordinary was happening.

Primates were the most frequent prey found in jaguar and puma scats, making up nearly 35% of the remains. Primate remains were also more likely to be found in scats collected from areas with less forest. Spider monkey remains, for example, were more likely to be found in scats collected in areas with more villages, and in forest that was regrowing after being disturbed.

A possible explanation is that where there are more villages, it is likely that there is more hunting and tree-cutting taking place. Where there is more hunting, the prey that jaguar and puma usually prefer might not be as plentiful. And regrowing forests do not offer primates the same protection as tall, untouched forests. These two factors may explain why large cats are eating spider monkeys more often here.

Jaguar and puma will usually eat the prey that is more abundant. If their preferred prey is scarce, they will hunt the species they encounter most. Similar to what we observed with spider monkeys, in areas where there was less tall forest, howler monkey remains were more likely than non-primate prey to be found in the scats, possibly as big cats found it easier to reach primates.

Less tree cover and overhunting of other prey (combined with general habitat loss) could explain the high rates of primate predation we discovered. Nevertheless, we need to continue monitoring these sites to fully understand these changes in large cat diets.

Our results highlight the importance of maintaining tall forest cover to ensure primates and other forest-dependent species can survive. They also raise the urgent need for conservation, before the negative effects of human activities on both primate and large cat populations become irreversible, and the ecosystems they live in are lost.

Written by Aralisa Shedden, Postdoctoral Researcher in Conservation, Bournemouth University. Originally published as ‘Big cats eat more monkeys in a damaged tropical forest – and this could threaten their survival’. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

ENDS

Jaguar Panthera onca

Jaguars, currently deemed Near Threatened, face a substantial habitat reduction of up to 25% in just over two decades. This decline stems from rampant deforestation for palm oil, soy, and meat, as well…

Keep reading

Brown Howler Monkey Alouatta guariba

You will hear a Brown Howler #Monkey before you sere one. Heard from several kilometres away these monkeys have a haunting howl that penetrates and rustles the forest canopy. They live in groups…

Keep reading

Colombian Red Howler Monkey Alouatta seniculus

Red howlers are the largest of the howler monkey species. They have dense and vividly coloured fur that ranges from brown to dark red, with gold or bright orange undersides – the colour…

Keep reading

Brown Spider Monkey Ateles hybridus

The enigmatic blue-billed curassow (Crax alberti – local name “Paujil”), endemic to the tropical humid forests of northern Colombia, is the cracid species most threatened with extinction in the wild from #deforestation

Keep reading

Yucatán Black Howler Monkey Alouatta pigra

Their range is being rapidly destroyed for palm oil and sugar cane deforestation and mining. They are also facing human persecution and hunting pressures. Yucatán Black Howler Monkeys have been classified as endangered…

Keep reading

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Keep reading

Saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis

Keep reading

Tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis

Keep reading

Frill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii

Keep reading

Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum

Keep reading

Ecuadorean Viscacha Lagidium ahuacaense

Keep reading

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 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)

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.

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2. 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.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. 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

#animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalCommunication #animalCruelty #animalExtinction #animalIntelligence #animalRights #bigcats #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #cats #deforestation #howler #Jaguars #meat #Mexico #mining #monkeys #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Primate #primates #pumas #soy #ungulates #vegan

Songbirds Socialise Mid-Flight During Migration

Songbirds Socialise Mid-Flight During Migration | A study from the University of Illinois reveals that migrating songbirds communicate with different species during nocturnal flights, potentially sharing vital information about navigation and stopover habitats. This challenges the traditional view of solitary migration, highlighting the importance of social interactions in avian journeys. Help them to survive and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

🕊️ #News: Fascinating #research finds #song #birds 🦉🦅🐦 communicate mid-flight with other species, possibly sharing navigation tips. This challenges the view of solitary migration. #Bird #communication #Animals #Migration #Avian Protect them and #BoycottPalmOil 🌴💩🔥❌ @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9OK

University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. (2025, January 15). Songbirds socialize on the wing during migration. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 17, 2025, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250115125116.htm

https://youtu.be/ZNIUITfUHlc

Migrating Songbirds Engage in Mid-Flight Social Communication

Recent research led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has uncovered that migrating songbirds engage in vocal interactions with other species during their nocturnal flights. Analysing over 18,300 hours of recorded flight calls, the study suggests that these birds may form social connections and possibly exchange critical information about their migratory routes.

Traditionally, songbird migration has been viewed as a solitary endeavour, guided primarily by innate behaviours. However, this study challenges that notion, proposing that social cues play a significant role even during night-time flights. Lead author Benjamin Van Doren, assistant professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, stated, “We can’t be sure what they’re saying, but birds might broadcast calls during flight to signal their species, age, and sex. And we can certainly speculate that these flight calls could relate to navigation or finding suitable stopover habitat.”

The research team utilised acoustic recordings from 26 sites over three years in eastern North America. Employing machine learning tools, they detected the flight calls of 27 species, including 25 well-sampled songbirds. The analysis revealed stronger-than-expected associations between different species’ calls, indicating interspecies communication during flight.

Birds of a Feather Do Indeed Flock Together!

Further examination showed that species with similar wing lengths and call similarities were more likely to associate. Van Doren explains:

“Species with similar wing sizes were more likely to associate, and wing length is directly linked to flight speed. If you imagine two species flying at similar speeds because they have similar wings, then it’s much easier for them to stick together.”

This study opens new avenues for understanding the complexities of avian migration, emphasising the potential for social interactions to influence migratory success. The findings suggest that conservation efforts should consider the social dynamics of migratory birds to better protect these species during their extensive journeys.

For more detailed information, read the full study on ScienceDaily.

University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. (2025, January 15). Songbirds socialize on the wing during migration. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 17, 2025, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250115125116.htm

ENDS

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Tucuxi Sotalia fluviatilis

Keep reading

Frill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii

Keep reading

Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum

Keep reading

Ecuadorean Viscacha Lagidium ahuacaense

Keep reading

Southern Pudu Pudu puda

Keep reading

Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

Keep reading

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 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)

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.

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• Mail
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Enter your email address

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2. 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.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. 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

#animal #animalBehaviour #animalBiodiversityNews #animalCommunication #animalCruelty #animalExtinction #animalIntelligence #animalRights #animals #avian #biodiversity #bird #birdOfParadise #birds #birdsong #boycott4wildlife #boycottpalmoil #communication #deforestation #endsongbirdtrade #migration #news #palmOil #palmOilDeforestation #research #song #songbirds

Watching an African Grey Parrot torment a human being with the sound of an alarm, ....they know what they are doing.

#AfricanGreyParrot #AnimalIntelligence

Watching an African Grey Parrot torment a human being with the sound of an alarm, ....they know what they are doing.

#AfricanGreyParrot #AnimalIntelligence

🐙 Scientists observe octopuses cycling through active sleep, their skin displaying hunting patterns while unconscious. With 500M neurons distributed across nine brains, these solitary prodigies master puzzles and wield tools, each discovering the world alone.

✍️ Discover their distributed intelligence in the article here: https://TPC8.short.gy/1CZ8p8ML

🌊 Nine brains, zero teachers.

#Octopus #MarineBiology #Biodiversity #AnimalIntelligence #Ocean #Neuroscience #Cephalopods #Science #TPC8

🐙 Scientists observe octopuses cycling through active sleep, their skin displaying hunting patterns while unconscious. With about 500M neurons distributed across nine neural centers, these solitary prodigies master puzzles and wield tools, each discovering the world alone.

✍️ Discover their distributed intelligence in this article: https://TPC8.short.gy/1CZ8p8ML

🌊 Eight-armed poetry in motion.

#Octopus #MarineBiology #Biodiversity #AnimalIntelligence #Ocean #Neuroscience #Cephalopods #Science #TPC8

Protecting Peru’s Grasslands Vital for Spectacled Bears

Protecting Peru’s Grasslands Vital for Spectacled Bears | A recent study highlights the importance of conserving Peru’s high-altitude puna grasslands to support the foraging habits of the vulnerable Andean bear AKA Spectacled Bear. The research reveals that these bears prefer young bromeliad plants in specific grassland areas and tend to avoid regions impacted by livestock. Conservation efforts focusing on these habitats could enhance the bears’ survival prospects.

https://youtu.be/Bt72GFvO05c

#News: 🐻🌿 Protecting #Peru’s grasslands vital for #vulnerable Spectacled #bear. #Research finds bears prefer foraging areas with negative impact of #meat #soy and #palmoil agriculture. #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🥩⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-9OQ

PLOS. (2024, December 18). Conserving high-elevation grasslands in Peru is key to protect Andean bears. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241218174935.htm

The Andean bear, also known as the spectacled bear due to distinctive facial markings, is native to the Andes Mountains and currently classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). A study published on December 18, 2024, in PLOS ONE emphasizes the critical role of high-elevation puna grasslands in Peru for the species’ foraging activities.

Researchers conducted extensive surveys in and around Manu National Park, focusing on two bromeliad species: Puya leptostachya and Puya membranacea. They observed that Andean bears selectively foraged in approximately 16.7% of available bromeliad patches, showing a preference for young plants located on east-facing, steep slopes at the forest’s edge. Notably, the bears avoided areas with active livestock grazing but were found in regions where livestock had been absent for several decades, indicating a potential for habitat recovery and reoccupation by the bears.

The study suggests that the cessation of livestock grazing can lead to the restoration of puna grasslands, making them more suitable for Andean bears in a relatively short timeframe. This finding underscores the need for targeted conservation strategies that mitigate human disturbances, particularly livestock grazing, to preserve these essential habitats.

Lead author Nicholas Pilfold from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance stated, “Using the largest collection ever of field data on the feeding behavior of Andean bears in high elevation grasslands, we found that the bears actively selected for specific food resources within the grasslands, indicating that these areas are of nutritional importance to the bears.”

The findings advocate for conservation managers to prioritize the protection and restoration of high-altitude grasslands bordering cloud forests, considering the adverse impacts of livestock on these ecosystems. Implementing such measures is vital for the sustenance and recovery of Andean bear populations in Peru.

PLOS. (2024, December 18). Conserving high-elevation grasslands in Peru is key to protect Andean bears. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241218174935.htm

ENDS

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Frill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii

Keep reading

Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum

Keep reading

Ecuadorean Viscacha Lagidium ahuacaense

Keep reading

Southern Pudu Pudu puda

Keep reading

Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

Keep reading

Blonde Capuchin Sapajus flavius

Keep reading

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 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)

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.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. 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.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. 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

#Andes #animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalCommunication #animalCruelty #animalExtinction #animalIntelligence #animalRights #Bear #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #deforestation #meat #News #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #Peru #research #soy #SpectacledBearTremarctosOrnatus #vulnerable

I follow this rad #engineering dude on YouTube because he shares really cool & interesting content. I love this recent video where he bought an #octopus from a seafood market, brought it home & taught it how to play an underwater #piano that he invented.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PcWnQ7fYzwI

#AnimalIntelligence #cephalopod #mollusc #octopoda #MarineBiology #SeaCreatures #CoolStuff #nature #wildlife #intelligence #OceanAnimals

I follow this rad #engineering dude on YouTube because he shares really cool & interesting content. I love this recent video where he bought an #octopus from a seafood market, brought it home & taught it how to play an underwater #piano that he invented.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PcWnQ7fYzwI

#AnimalIntelligence #cephalopod #mollusc #octopoda #MarineBiology #SeaCreatures #CoolStuff #nature #wildlife #intelligence #OceanAnimals

🌟🧠 Chimps show human-like rationality! Breakthrough study reveals they revise beliefs with new evidence, shedding light on evolution of thought. Not unique to us—exciting for understanding animal minds! Read more: https://www.404media.co/chimps-are-capable-of-human-like-rational-thought-breakthrough-study-finds/

@goodnews

#GoodNews #ChimpStudy #RationalThought #AnimalIntelligence #ScienceWin

🌟🧠 Chimps show human-like rationality! Breakthrough study reveals they revise beliefs with new evidence, shedding light on evolution of thought. Not unique to us—exciting for understanding animal minds! Read more: https://www.404media.co/chimps-are-capable-of-human-like-rational-thought-breakthrough-study-finds/

@goodnews

#GoodNews #ChimpStudy #RationalThought #AnimalIntelligence #ScienceWin

Beef, Palm Oil and Timber: How Wealthy Nations Fuel Deforestation

A major #research study reveals that demand for #beef #palmoil, and #timber in wealthy nations is driving mass deforestation and species extinction in tropical regions. Habitat destruction mainly for agriculture accounts for 90% of all tropical #deforestation. Countries like the US, UK, and Germany are main drivers of rainforest destruction in the #Amazon, #Indonesia, and #Africa, displacing indigenous communities and sending many rare species of animals towards #extinction. Advocates call for a boycott of deforestation-linked products to stop this crisis such as meat and #palmoil. Every time you shop you can resist and fight for them when you #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife and go #Vegan.

https://youtu.be/DAlTg6eVUQk

News: 🌍 #research finds 90% of wild animal #extinction caused by habitat loss mainly for #agriculture: #beef #palmoil, #timber, soy and cocoa. Reduce demand when you shop and fight back! Be #Vegan 🥦🍅 and #BoycottPalmOil 🔥🌴🙊⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife https://wp.me/pcFhgU-alG

Study Confirms Wealthy Nations’ Demand for Palm Oil, Beef & Timber is Driving Global Deforestation

A major new study has revealed that the world’s richest nations are directly responsible for mass deforestation and biodiversity loss through their consumption of palm oil, beef, timber, soy, and cocoa. The research confirms that these industries are fuelling habitat destruction, species extinction, and displacement of indigenous communities.

The study found that high-income countries account for 13% of global forest loss occurring beyond their own borders. The biggest culprits are:

• Beef 🐄 – The leading cause of global deforestation, responsible for nearly 60% of all forest loss. Rainforests in the Amazon and Central America are burned and cleared to make way for cattle ranching.
• Palm Oil 🌴 – Found in 50% of supermarket products, palm oil plantations have destroyed vast rainforests in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Africa, pushing orangutans, tigers, and hornbills to the brink of extinction.
• Timber and Paper 📄 – Logging for furniture, construction, and paper production is wiping out old-growth forests across South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Many so-called “certified” or “sustainable” wood products still drive illegal deforestation.
• Soy 🌱 – Vast areas of the Amazon and Cerrado are destroyed for soy production, most of which is used to feed animals in factory farms.
• Cocoa 🍫 – Chocolate production is linked to widespread deforestation in West Africa, where rainforests are illegally cleared to grow cocoa.

https://youtu.be/GNYH-yWC7ug?si=xv62Njdgrl7KD4oX

Exporting Extinction: The True Cost of Consumption

The study warns that wealthy nations are effectively outsourcing biodiversity destruction. The US, UK, Germany, and China import massive amounts of these deforestation-linked products, making them directly responsible for the loss of critical ecosystems.

• Thousands of species at risk 🦧🐅 – Around 90% of global biodiversity loss is caused by habitat destruction, most of which comes from agriculture.
• Indigenous communities under threat – Land grabs and deforestation for commodities like palm oil and beef displace indigenous peoples, violating their rights and destroying their traditional ways of life.
• Carbon emissions rising – Forest destruction is worsening climate change, eliminating the world’s most important carbon sinks.

Read the full article here in The Guardian

Weston, P. (2025, February 14). Richest nations ‘exporting extinction’ with demand for beef, palm oil and timber. The Guardian. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/14/richest-nations-exporting-extinction-with-demand-for-beef-palm-oil-and-timber-aoe.

ENDS

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum

Keep reading

Ecuadorean Viscacha Lagidium ahuacaense

Keep reading

Southern Pudu Pudu puda

Keep reading

Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

Keep reading

Blonde Capuchin Sapajus flavius

Keep reading

Savage’s Glass Frog Centrolene savagei

Keep reading

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 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)

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.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. 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.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

Read more

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

Read more

3. 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

#Africa #Agriculture #Amazon #animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalCommunication #animalCruelty #animalExtinction #animalIntelligence #animalRights #AnimalCruelty #animalrights #beef #biodiversity #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #deforestation #extinction #Indonesia #palm #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #research #timber #vegan

Do Lobsters and Crabs Feel? We’ve Had the Answer for Years https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/minds-unknown/202507/do-lobsters-and-crabs-feel-weve-had-the-answer-for-years 🦞 #MarineLife #MarineBiology #AnimalWelfare #Science #AnimalIntelligence #Vegan #GoVegan

Chimps Treat Wounds, Showing Compassion Beyond Humans

Scientists in Uganda observed chimpanzees treating the injuries of unrelated chimps in the wild, including those caught in hunting snares. This rare act of mutual care suggests compassionate care might be more widespread in the animal kingdom than previously thought.

@goodnews

#GoodNews #Conservation #WildlifeWednesday #AnimalIntelligence #ChimpResearch
https://e360.yale.edu/digest/chimps-medicinal-leaves-study

🐙Octopuses are among the smartest creatures in the ocean, but now they face torture at an industrial farm planned in Spain. Octopuses deserve freedom, not factory farms. Add your voice to help #BanOctopusFarming in Europe: https://action.wemove.eu/petition/2024-09-ban-octopus-farming-in-the-eu-petition-EN?akid=s6187871..XSrf5F 📝 #Octopus #Cephalopod #AnimalIntelligence #AnimalWelfare #AnimalAbuse #AnimalCruelty #Petition