UKC

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Genetta_genetta_felina_(Wroclaw_zoo).JP...

In reply to aln:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_genet

They aren't endangered.

In reply to Removed User:



Good.

In reply to aln: Pandas are a fussy, isolated and not very useful for biodiversity.

We should not base protection from extinction on the "cuteness" of an animal. It's the ugly ones that matter more!

"The panda is a species of bear that has gone herbivorous and eats a type of food that isn't all that nutritious, and that dies out sporadically. It is susceptible to various diseases, and, up until recently, it has been almost impossible to breed in captivity. They've also got a very restricted range, which is ever decreasing, due to encroachment on their habitat by the Chinese population"

Trees! Trees, rainforests and habitats. That's what we need to protect, then all the animals will be better protected, cute, average and ugly alike.

In reply to Fultonius:

Agreed. I liked the programme 'I bought a rainforest' on recently. Interesting. That brings me back to the need for forests in Scotland. We need to plant up Scotland before we can start persuading Brazil to do the same with the rainforest. Parts of it are just wasteland. I stopped overnight in Dunkeld. The trees and forests there were fabulous. Then drove south from Glasgow to Carlisle. What a nightmare.

In reply to Fultonius:

The Western Black Rhino seems to have had plenty of habitat. People just kept shooting it though.

In reply to aln:

Are the hideously ugly endangered animals less worthy of our attention?

In reply to Blue Straggler:


No.

In reply to Blue Straggler:

No, but the photogenic ones are fine to use for the fund raising.

If you give money to save Bitterns, or White-tailed Eagles, or Puffins, it doesn't just help them, it protects their whole ecosystem.

It's a pointless distraction to the whole point of conservation to worry about whether the animal is cute or not. It's more important that the charity doing the work is reliable. It's why I'm happy to give to wildlife charities but not to dog/cat/donkey rescue. These animals are bred and can be cheaply put down when abandoned or abused without wasting charitable donations.

The RSPB is moving its image more towards total nature conservation rather than just Birds by virtue of the fact their their conservation areas promote and protect all flora and fauna.

In reply to Philip:

Baby puffins are called pufflings

In reply to Removed User:

Where can I buy one!

In reply to Phil1919:


Much the forestry round there was established in the early 17th century by the Dukes of Atholl. The story goes that the plan was to grow larch and spruce for timber to meet the demand from the ship-building industry, as a replacement for oak which was rapidly being depleted. Unfortunately, by the time the timber was ready to harvest, maritime technology had progressed on to using iron & steel. (I'm not completely convinced that the maritime historical timescales match the growth rates of larch & spruce. Could it be that the story arose because people were reluctant to believe that the laird could ever behave philanthropically?)

There is at least one information panel in Dunkeld Cathedral which states that some of the planting was carried out by firing artillery shells containing seed in to the surrounding hillsides. Again, possibly apocryphal although it is worth remembering that the Duke of Atholl is the only individual in the UK who is allowed to have a private army.