Environmental Graffiti

Photo: Günter Leitenbauer

On the one hand, being a wildlife photographer sounds like the greatest job in the world. Travelling to far-flung destinations in search of amazing fauna, then getting all outdoorsy as you prepare to take the perfect animal shot. On the other hand, however, one might foresee certain risks attached to the profession, not least for those trying to take pictures of the larger, more aggressive or carnivorous of our creature kin – and particularly when going in for a close-up.

Jaws says cheese: Shark appears to attack the camera

Photo: thehousenextdoor

This shot of a great white showing off its pearly whites is a reminder that once we humans get in the water with this beast, we’re way out of our depth. Underwater, these massive predatory fish are often snapped from inside the safety of a steel cage – though it won’t stop them taking an inquisitive lunge if lured by some bait. You only hope the shark doesn’t confuse man and chum meat next time round.

Open wide: Black mamba strikes

Photo: Tad 20D

The photographer who captured this black mamba striking wasn’t even prepared for it making its sudden move. When the mamba decided to strike, he unslung his camera, turned it on, and took the shot. Quick Draw Mcgraw. This snake looks like it’s had its fangs removed – but you wouldn’t want to prove it. One of Africa’s most dangerous snakes, the mamba bites with deadly precision when disturbed.

Boxing clever: Kangaroo punches female photographer

Photographer unknown via: Blogs24

The photographer in the frame took at least two good shots: one of the kangaroo and one to the face. Ouch. Kangaroos are of course well known for their pugilistic skills. They box one another in the wild and have a history of being forced into bouts with humans in what’s now seen as a cruel spectacle. Yet it’s the roo’s raking kicks all comers have to be really on guard against. This woman may have been lucky.

Close one: Alligator shows what it’s packing

Photo: JohnsonEarth Photography (www.johnsonearth.com)

This next shot is enough to keep anyone on their toes entering gator country – like this bayou, a body of water found in low-lying areas like those of Louisiana. As with some of the other creatures featured on our list, the American alligator is an apex predator; it will eat any animal in or coming near the water that gets too close, including Florida panther, American Black Bear – and pesky photographers.

Read my lips: I am hungy: Brown bear baring its teeth

Photo: Günter Leitenbauer

This brown bear doesn’t look happy, but the pain it must be feeling with that broken tooth can’t help. The photographer promises the nuts he gave it weren’t responsible, which brings us to an interesting point. The saying “a fed bear is a dead bear” popularises the idea that wild bears allowed to scavenge human garbage and other food sources may become too bold – both for our safety and their own.

S’wan good headline: My camera was attacked by a swan

Photo: My Beautiful Oblivion

Now don’t stick your neck out by claiming there was no risk attached to this next assignment. The photographer makes apologies for the blurriness as he “was trying to get away from the swan before it did any damage to my camera”. With the knowledge that angry swans protecting their nesting grounds are formidable birds, capable of breaking an arm when in a flap, we’ll forgive him just this once.

Here kitty kitty: Rare white Bengal tiger diving for food

Photo: Briana Taylor

Okay, this photo is a bit of a cheat because its photographer was safe behind a glass wall in a Californian zoo. It’s a good thing too. A bengal tiger might not pose so serenely for the camera if it was met face to face in the wild – and that includes water environments, which it just loves. Still, however much we might fear these big cats making mincemeat out of us, it’s they who’ve been brought to the brink of extinction.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

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Doikiki
They are cream while others are cocoa; they are chalk while others are (exceptionally dark) cheese – these reptilian oddities are the albinos of the cold-blooded world. But how are albinos different from animals which are simply ‘white’, and does their condition cause them to perform differently in the great Darwinian game of life-and-death?

Oliver Tupman

Put simply, albinism is the lack of any colour pigment, not the presence of white pigment. Certain enzymes critical for the formation of the pigment melanin in particular are absent in albinos, resulting in this rare condition. Melanin ordinarily defines the colour of an animal’s eyes, skin and fur. Scientists have identified the gene thought to be responsible for making this happen – the TYR gene. If the TYR gene is damaged, the animal will be born without the ability to reliably form melanin. Other side-effects of this process include pink or red eyes, as the lack of pigment allows the blood vessels behind them to be seen.

Ryan E. Popline

Albinos are even less likely to occur in the animal world as they are among humans, which is partly what makes these alligators so rare. They, like albino humans, carry the recessive albinism gene. This means that both parents must carry the gene for the offspring to exhibit the trait. However, another effect of albinism being a recessive gene is that both parents may be carriers without actually exhibiting the trait themselves. This means that two ordinarily-coloured parents may give birth to a creamy-white albino offspring.

Rosemary Bliss

According to some, albinos face unique challenges in the struggle for life. A straightforward example is an animal that normally relies on its colouring to disguise itself within its environment. While albinism may not put out the polar bear too much, prey animals in darker habitats will be at risk if their instinct tells them to freeze in the hope that they will be camouflaged when this is not the case. Of course, this is not an issue that will particularly concern an alligator. But there are other factors associated with this condition that may…

Frank Kehren

In non-albinos, melanin forms a barrier within the skin that limits damage from UV rays, and the presence of sunlight against their skin itself triggers the production of more melanin. Those without hue are at risk from the burning sun. This problem is exacerbated in the case of reptiles, as they lack the ‘central heating’ system of mammals, and must rely on their external environment to regulate their body temperature. In practise, this often means that reptiles must lie in the sun for long periods of time in order to reach a sufficiently high temperature to facilitate their day-to-day activities. This is not always an option for the easily-scorched albino, which is quick to acquire hideous blistering and burns. Again, their own instinct is compelling them to act in a way which will result in their own demise.

Kakofanous

These factors are amongst the reasons why albinos are rare amongst animals – they don’t often survive long enough to perpetuate their genes, and as mentioned above, two carrier parents are required for the phenotype to manifest itself. Like all wondrous and rare creatures, mankind has had a long history of hunting them in order to preserve their uniqueness for the world to see. Fortunately, we now have photography instead…

Sources: 1,2, 3.

Tsu Nellis

Sources: 1,2, 3.

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A Tarim Basin mummy photographed circa 1910 Photo: Aurel Stein

The door creaked open, and there in the gloom of the newly opened room, perfectly preserved despite the passing of thousands of years, a red-haired mummy with Caucasian features stared back. It was a life-changing moment for archaeologist Professor Victor Mair, and ten years on it still gave him chills. Mair had stumbled upon the recently discovered corpses of a man and his family in a museum in the Chinese city of Ürümqi, but the shock waves of the find would be felt far and wide.

The 3000-year-old Cherchen Man discovered with his family

Mair had encountered the Cherchen Man, one of dozens of 3000-year-old Caucasian mummies to have been unearthed in remote parts of the Tarim Basin in what is now the Xinjiang region of China. The fact that the remains of people of Indo-European origin could be found so far east flew in the face of received wisdom about the lack of cultural exchange between early European and Chinese populations. Equally amazing was the fact that the mummies had withstood the rigours of time so well.

Tocharian man with red blond hair and visibly European features

Photo via Meshrep

In the early 20th Century, European explorers such as Aurel Stein recounted their discoveries of desiccated bodies found in their journeys through Central Asia. Since then, many more mummies have been dug up and examined, with the late 1980s a high point for this archaeological eye-opening. The bodies were preserved so well not due to deliberate mummification – these were no elite class like those entombed in Ancient Egypt – but simply because they were buried in parched, arid desert where they rapidly dried out.

The Beauty of Loulan, the oldest mummy found in the Tarim Basin

Photo via Meshrep

The earliest of these long-dead corpses have been shown to be Caucasoid in their physical make-up. One of the most famous, the so-called Beauty of Loulan, discovered at the eastern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, was alive as early as 2000 BC. A mummified one-year-old boy believed to have been a sacrificial victim was found buried alongside a female with long blonde hair in 1989. And a man with red-blonde hair and clearly European features visible after almost 3500 years is another of the best preserved.

Tocharian Nordic mummy found in 1989: Disfigured female with blonde hair

Photo via Meshrep

So what were a group of Indo-Europeans doing so many thousands of miles east of their established territory? From their full beards, deep-set eyes and high noses – as well as associated texts and artefacts found with the mummies – it is thought they were Tocharians, herders who travelled east across the Central Asian steppes and whose language was Indo-European in kind. Some speculate that these Tocharians may have profited from prehistoric trade along a route that would later become the Silk Road.

Mummified boy, roughly one year of age, found in the same grave

Photo via Meshrep

Tocharian people might thus be credited with helping spread inventions to China such as the saddle and even the wheel, as well as certain metal working skills. Professor Mair is an advocate of the idea that ancient communities were much more interrelated than was previously believed. For him, the evidence suggests that the first people to roam the Tarim Basin were Europoid, and that with the arrival of settlers from the east, a connection was made. Whether this is true or not, one thing is certain: many of the mummies of the Tarim Basin look like they were buried years, not millennia, ago.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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Image: David Cartier
Magnetic storm over Lake LaBerge in Yukon Territory on Feb. 28, 2007

The Sun is the centre of our universe and most solar activity has an effect on the Earth. Geomagnetic storms are very visible effects of this solar activity that can cause power outages and disrupt satellites. No doubt, solar activity requires more research so that we can better prepare for it. But relax, though solar storms affect the way we live, especially our modern technology, they do not harm life on Earth. Get ready for a spectacular light show.

Magnetic storm over Hrútfjallstindar mountain in Iceland on April 13, 2008:

Image: Örvar Atli Þorgeirsson

Incredible angle of the Aurora australis caused by a geomagnetic storm:

Image: R. Overmyer, NASA

During coronal mass ejections (CMEs) for example, solar particles are ejected from the Sun’s corona and blasted through the Sun’s outer atmosphere towards the Earth at speeds of thousands of miles per second. The solar particles or plasma consist primarily of electrons and protons. Outside the Earth’s magnetosphere, CMEs can affect communication satellites and astronauts on missions negatively.

A CME simulation:

Image: NASA

CMEs are just one solar phenomenon that can cause solar wind shock waves that affect the Earth’s magnetic field. Other events are coronal holes, areas of the Sun’s corona that are darker, colder and have lower-density plasma than average. They are linked to unipolar concentrations of open magnetic field lines that attract the fast-moving components of solar winds.

A third type of event are solar flares, large explosions in the Sun’s atmosphere releasing vast amounts of energy.

A simulation of how solar activity affects the Earth:

Image: National Observatory of Athens

Whatever the cause of these solar wind shock waves, if they travel in the direction of the Earth, they will strike its magnetic field 24 to 36 hours later and cause a magnetic storm that can knock out power. On March 13, 1989 for example, a severe magnetic storm caused the collapse of the Hydro-Quebec power grid and therefore a nine-hour power outage for six million people, as well as auroras as far south as Texas – a phenomenon usually only seen near the poles.

The magnetic storm of September 10, 2005 over Quebec:

Image: Gilles Boutin

Then in August 1989, another solar storm affected microchips and caused a halt of all trading on Toronto’s stock market. Since then, power companies worldwide have started evaluating the risks of geomagnetically induced currents so that contingency plans can be put in place to deal with any power outages.

A ghostly looking magnetic storm:

Image: NASA

Other intensive solar storms occurred on June 4, 1991, September 24, 1998 and July 2000.

Auroral light show after the July 2000 solar storm:

Image: Jim Hannigan

Since 1995, NASA and ESA monitor geomagnetic storms and solar flares jointly through the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite. The first coronal mass ejection was detected on December 14, 1971 by the Naval Research Laboratory.

Magnetic storm over a lake:

Image: NASA

On August 14, 2000 plasma from the Sun and debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet both collided with the Earth, causing the spectacular magnetic storm captured below. A coronal mass ejection on August 9 added spectacular auroras.

Magnetic storm seen from the Mount Megantic Popular Observatory in Quebec, Canada:

Image: Sebastien Gauthier

Predicting the severity of a solar storm and its effects on Earth is tricky. Explains Bill Stuart from the British Geological Survey: “Observations of a solar flare do not reveal the sort of radiation and particles that it will discharge, nor their direction of travel.”

The picturesque effects of a solar storm over Saskatchewan on Oct. 3, 2008:

Image: Space Ritual

If only we could harvest all that power – magnet storm and antennas:

Image: NASA

That means apart from capturing breathtaking events like geomagnetic storms and aurorae, a whole lot more research is needed here on Earth to understand the phenomena fully.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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Image via Writehanded

It’s amazing what being ticklish can do for your billing. From relative obscurity, the lowly loris recently became animal A-list material. One in particular of these wide-eyed primates shot to fame for its cutesy performance in some footage that’s pure, aww-inspiring dynamite. While the web watched, Sonya the slow loris simply looked loveable. So what’s the story with the loris – as a species and a starlet?

Introducing: Sonya…

We know this clip of Sonya has done the rounds on the old intertubes, but when we saw it, being – occasionally in some cases – cute and cuddly types here at Environmental Graffiti, it was just too adorable for us to pass up on posting. The dejected lowering of the arms, and that priceless forlorn look at the camera. A star had been born; who were we to ignore it?

When clingy is OK: A female slow loris clinging strongly to a human arm

Photo: Lionel Mauritson

Of course, when you make it to the top there are always people queuing up to knock you down. There were those all too keen to comment that the slow loris can excrete a toxin from elbow glands that it mixes with saliva in its mouth, giving these listless animals a painful, not to say venomous bite. It’s even been known to be fatal to humans because it can bring on anaphylactic shock.

Grub eat-athon, also starring Sonya

Adding to the cries of “It’s poisonous!”, some were clearly concerned about the ethics of keeping one of these creatures captive. Hence, Sonya’s owner Dmitry Sergeyev pointed out that “It is NOT ILLEGAL in Russia to own this animals,” and that “Our Sonya was born in a slow loris nursery and we have bought her in a local pet-shop. She never was in the wild. Thats why she is so tame and friendly!” So there.

Bright eyes: Slow loris spotted near Kampung Labohan, Malaysia

Photo: Daniel Chong Kah Fui

In the wild, slow lorises are found throughout much of Southeast Asia and beyond, but are endangered and actually hunted for their large eyes, which are prized in traditional medicines. As well as insects, these primates feed on lizards, small birds – pretty much anything they can get their hands on. And it’s those hands that are part of what makes the loris so endearing to us, blessed as they are with opposable hands not unlike our own. The hands and those big cute peepers. Aww.

Sources: 1, 2

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Image via likecool

If you are one of those people who get sweaty palms just thinking about roller coasters, stop right here and by all means don’t read any further! We’ve found five extreme uses for roller coasters that’ll make the hearts of true adrenaline junkies leap. We’re not going to say much more, just that they involve bikes and skates…

5. Roller Coaster Motorbiking

Image: Joe Schwartz

Oh, if only! Motorcycle fans would flock from everywhere to ride their bikes over a specially designed roller coaster track. After all, wouldn’t that be the ultimate test of stamina and guts?

Well, those wishing to come a bit closer to the dream can board the MotoCoaster, a unique roller coaster model where the usual roller coaster seats are swapped with individual ones that riders straddle like a motorbike.

Riding a motorcycle down the roller coaster:

Image via ultimaterollercoaster

Notice that there are no seat belts, and especially no overhead protection, so riders cannot do loops.

MotoCoaster track in Darien Lakes Amusement Park near Buffalo, NY:

Image: Michael Greiner

Darien Lakes were really smart and entered into a sponsorship agreement with Orange County Choppers, making the most of the motorcycle craze to promote their new ride. This ride opened in 2008 but there are many similar ones around the world.

4. Roller Coaster Mountain Biking

Image via coolhunting

Now here’s the bike and roller coaster idea taken a step further: the mountain bike roller coaster! Swedish artist and designer Anders Jakobsen created this bicycle roller coaster for “The Dutch Bicycle” exhibition in Eindhoven last October.

Though the installation might simply look like a huge “8” from the top, it is quite impressive on the ground – with hairy bank turns and a highest peak of nearly two meters. The narrow installation was “open to anyone willing to risk life and limb for a thrill ride” but apparently not many daredevils were able to even complete one circuit.

A daredevil in Eindhoven:

Image via coolhunting

Time to hit a bike skills park like the Colonnade in Seattle, WA for practice:

Image: Jason van Horn

3. Extreme Roller Coaster Cycling

Image via mistere9

The image above is a favourite on the Internet and no doubt Photoshopped – much to the relief of parents the world over. We simply love it, training wheels and all, because it encapsulates our thirst for adventure that no doubt is even bigger at an early age. “What if I could go down a roller coaster on my bike?” the little girl may be thinking. Or the image might be a clever ad for wearing a bicycle helmet, always. We’ll never know.

2. Tandem Roller Coaster Cycling

Image: John Griffiths

The Skycycle is the Japanese version of those tandem cycles one can rent for getting around – only that this one is on a roller coaster track high above the city of Okayama in Washuzan Highland Park. Scenic with the Shimotsui-Seto Bridge in the background and green because it’s pedal-powered – but definitely not for those with a queasy stomach.

The tandem cycle with simple seat belts and pink basket for picnic supplies:

Image: John Griffiths

Off you go, pink or blue cycle?

Image: John Griffiths

Wow, this is high up! Step on the brakes and no overtaking please:

Image: John Griffiths

1.Extreme Roller Coaster Skating

Image via likecool

Adrenaline junkie Dirk Auer took in-line skating to new heights – literally – when skating down an 860m wooden roller coaster at Stuttgart fun park Tripsdrill in just a minute. In his custom-made skate, he reached speeds of up to 86 km/h.

Dirk Auer while going down:

Image via likecool

“The roller coaster is wooden and so unlike rides made from iron and steel there was always a chance of the odd nail or screw that would not be entirely flat. If the skates were to catch a stray nail then I could have fallen and I would almost certainly have died.”

Well, we do hope he didn’t approach his world record quite so casually. We’re sure the engineering student devoted some of the two months of planning and 110 hours of work to checking for stray nails.

The young German was already well-known for his in-line skate stunt in 1997, when he reached a speed of 307 km/h clinging on to a Porsche GT II:

Image: Joerg Wiessmann

A few years later, he was in the news again for skating continuously for 24 hours – 512 km from Frankfurt to Munich. Afterwards, his body and mind were so tired that he forgot words and couldn’t speak at all for some time. It took six weeks for his muscles and brain to recuperate. Maybe he should’ve just taken the train like everyone else?

His current goal? Being the first human on in-line skates to break the sound barrier. Good luck Dirk!

Last but not least, a stomach-churning video of Auer going down:

Inspired? Well, there are do-it-yourself roller coaster kits for the backyard out there. Or, you could simply visit your nearest amusement park.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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Image: Tomatina2009

The official website of La Tomatina says it all: tomatofight.es. That what it’s all about, a tomato fight that involves many tourists and the whole city of Buñol in the province of Valencia in eastern Spain. Held every last Wednesday in August, it’s tremendous fun for young and old. But there are rules and it’s okay even from an environmental standpoint. Find out why.

Swimming in tomatoes:

Image: Tomatina2009

This year’s Tomatina took place on Wednesday, August 26th and involved 45,000 ketchup-hungry participants and 125 tons of tomatoes. “What a waste!” we hear the environmentally conscious scream but be reassured that the town of Buñol is by now a pro at organising the festival. Only the worst tomatoes possible were used, specifically grown in Extremadura for this festival and never intended to be eaten or sold. Phew!

Here’s a video that captures the atmosphere minutes before the festival got started – a mixture of carnival and football game. Don’t miss the houses protected by huge plastic sheets!

But now, for the rules. Despite what the pictures make one believe, La Tomatina is not a day-long tomato-throwing orgy. At around 10 in the morning, the first task is for one of the participants to succeed in removing a piece of ham that sits atop a thoroughly greased pole. Not an easy feat as one can imagine but determination pays off. Only when someone has brought the house, er, ham down can the festival begin.

Thorough greasing of the pole:

Image: Yongxinge

A clean tomato face, clearly before:

Image via 2camels

Step aside for the tomato truck:

Image: Tomatina2009

A shot is fired and then all hell breaks loose: participants throw tomatoes at each other and bystanders run for cover, not forgetting their cameras. Participants can throw tomatoes and tomatoes only at each other and need to squash them to make being hit messy but not painful. After exactly one hour, another shot is fired, signaling the end of the tomato fight.

A video during the fun – makes you see all red:

Then, the water cannons come into action to wash the streets clean again. Even here, water comes from a Roman aqueduct and not from the town’s drinking water supply. Visitors sticky with squashed tomatoes in their hair, faces, t-shirts, pants and er, everywhere are just as eager to be washed, so helpful residents will hose them down.

Professional Tomatina fighters don goggles, bathing caps and gloves:

Image: James O’Brien II

No soap is needed – for the roads at least – as the acidity of the tomatoes works as a natural cleaner. What luck they’re not throwing eggs!

As for the beginnings of the festival, various theories exist. The only thing clear is that it started in the summer of 1945. Some say disgruntled townspeople threw tomatoes at councilmen during a celebration, some blame youngsters, and some a bad musician during a parade who got a volley of tomatoes instead of applause. Others believe an accidental lorry spill got a bit out of hand. Personally, we think that after the war years, people just needed to let go and have some messy fun.

Say Tomatiiiiina:

Image: Aaron Corey

Fact is, whatever it was, it caught on so that the Tomatina got bigger and wilder year by year. Initially, people simply brought their own tomatoes and threw till their stock ran out, often to then participate in random acts of vandalism. After trying – unsuccessfully – to prohibit the festival in the ‘50s, the City of Buñol finally realised that if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, and decided to make the festival official in 1957.

During the Franco period, it was forbidden again due to a lack of religious significance but was revived after Franco’s demise in 1975. Today, the festival is celebrated in honour of the town’s patron saint, St. Louis Bertrand, and the Mother of God of the Defenseless, another title of the Virgin Mary.

Since 1980, the City of Buñol has taken over the tomato supply and the organisation of the clean-up. Nothing like a good old organised food fight!

One reveler sums it up best:

“I would recommend the experience to anyone with a mischievous side. After an hour of watching by the sidelines, my friends and I tried to slide nearer to the action and were immediately accosted by a group of young Spanish lads covered in tomatoes. Seeing that we were completely clean, they relished hammering us with tomatoes but we held our own for the last few minutes of battle. Such a bizarre but immensely-fun tradition, it must be seen to be believed!”

Sources: 1, 2, 3

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Last Thylacine yawning: Note the unusual extent to which it was able to open its jaws
Photo: Photographer unknown

From panthers and pandas to rhinos and tigers, dwindling animal numbers speak of the need to step up conservation efforts – if it’s not already too late. As a kind of wake-up call, we decided to take a look at seven extinct megafauna species captured on camera. With modern photography having only been invented in the 1820s, these snapshots are visible testament to just how recently the creatures shown were wiped out – and a jarring reminder of the precarious situation for many species still left on the planet.

1. The Tarpan

Tarpan at the Moscow Zoo, published 1884
Photo: Scherer

The last Tarpan died on a Ukrainian game preserve at Askania Nova in 1876. A prehistoric type of wild horse that once roamed from Southern France and Spain eastwards to central Russia, the Tarpan died out in the wild in the late 1800s. Reasons for its extinction include the destruction of its forest and steppe habitat to make room for people; hunting by farmers averse to their crops being eaten and mares stolen; and absorption into a growing domestic horse population. There have been various attempts to recreate the Tarpan through re-breeding, resulting in horses that do at least resemble their extinct forebears.

2. The Quagga

Quagga at London’s Regent’s Park Zoo, 1870
Photo: F. York

Another extinct equine beast – this time a subspecies of zebra – the last wild Quagga was probably shot in the late 1870s, while the last specimen in captivity died in 1883 at Artis Magistra Zoo in Amsterdam. Once abundant in southern Africa, the Quagga fell victim to ruthless hunting for its meat and hide, and because it was seen by settlers as a competitor to livestock like sheep. It was the coat of the Quagga that distinguished it best, with only the front part of its body showing the zebra’s vivid striped markings. As with the Tarpan, projects to breed back the Quagga have produced favourable results, visually at least.

3. The Javan Tiger

Live Javan Tiger, taken in 1938 at Ujung Kulon
Photo: A. Hoogerwerf

The Javan Tiger was a subspecies of tiger found only on the Indonesian island of Java, until it died out as recently as the 1980s. In the early 19th century, the Javan Tiger was common all over the island, but rapid human population increase led to the destruction of its forest habitat. The Javan Tiger was also mercilessly hunted, so that by the 1950s it is thought fewer than 25 remained in the wild. Following in the tracks of the Bali Tiger, which was wiped out in the 1930s, the fate of the Javan Tiger speaks for the precarious position of the tiger species as a whole. Sightings of the subspecies persist but hopes for its survival are fading.

4. The Caspian Tiger

A captive Caspian Tiger in Berlin Zoo, 1899
Photo: Photographer unknown

Another tiger to vanish in the last century was the Caspian Tiger, the last confirmed reports of which date back to before the 1950s. Recent research suggests the Caspian Tiger was largely identical to the Siberian Tiger, but even if not a distinct subspecies, it yet had its own range and habitat. Found in the sparse forest and river basin corridors of Central and Western Asian, this big cat succumbed to intense hunting by the Russian army, who were told to exterminate it during a huge land reclamation programme in the early 1900s. Farmers followed, clearing forestland, and the loss of the Caspian Tiger’s primary prey, the boar, spelled its demise.

5. The Syrian Wild Ass

Syrian Wild Ass in London Zoo, 1872
Photo: Frederick York

The last member of this species died at Schönbrunn Zoo, Vienna in 1928. Formerly occupying the mountains, deserts and steppes between Palestine and Iraq, the Syrian Wild Ass disappeared from the Syrian desert during the 18th century, not helped by war between Palestine and Syria. It was eradicated in Northern Arabia during the 19th century, and then became most seriously threatened with World War I, when its remaining habitat was overrun with fighting forces. The rest is history. This smallest of all recent members of the horse family stood just over 3 feet high at the shoulder and was generally light in colour.

6. The Bubal Hartebeest

Female Bubal Hartebeest that lived in London Zoo from 1883 until 1897
Photo: Lewis Medland

The Bubal Hartebeest was a species of antelope that became extinct in 1923, when a captive female died in Jardin des Plantes in Paris. It was once found over much of North Africa, at least as far east as Egypt, where it was a mythological and sacrificial beast. However, by the 1900s its range was limited to Algeria and the Moroccan High Atlas mountains. Hunting throughout the 19th century drastically reduced the Bubal Hartebeest’s numbers, sealing its fate. A fawn-coloured animal that stood almost 4 feet at the shoulder, the Bubal Hartebeest was characterised by lyre-shaped horns that almost touched at the base. A beautiful beast, sadly missed.

7. The Thylacine

Thylacinus in Washington D.C. National Zoo, c. 1906
Photo: E.J. Keller

It was 1936 when the last Thylacine took its final breath in Hobart Zoo, Tasmania. Or so we think. Extremely rare if not extinct on the Australian mainland by the time of European colonisation, the Thylacine survived on the island of Tasmania alongside close cousins like the Tasmanian Devil. There, this distinctive, large-jawed beast found itself with a price on its head, as settlers blamed it for attacks on their sheep. The Thylacine was hunted to extinction by bounty hunters and farmers, though other factors such as disease, the introduction of wild dogs, and human encroachment into its habitat may have also played a part in the tragedy.

Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine) photographed in a cage with a chicken
Photo: Henry Burrell

Although commonly known as the Tasmanian Tiger or Tasmanian Wolf, the Thylacine was neither feline nor canine: while striped like a tiger and sharing various features with large dogs, this marsupial carnivore was wholly unrelated – and with the pouch to prove it. A favourite in cryptozoological circles, there have been numerous sightings of the Thylacine since 1936 – which continue to this day – though none have yet been confirmed. It will be a rare coup for Mother Nature if another Thylacine is ever discovered; otherwise its most vivid memory will sadly survive in little more than photographic form – another dead hero of the natural world.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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Image: Eflon

What’s not to love about the Finger Lakes, a series of 11 glacial lakes oriented like the fingers on a pair of hands? There’s fishing, boating, camping, biking, hiking, ballooning and not to forget the many scenic wineries. We’ve found some lake reflections that make already beautiful scenery even more stunning.

Perfect mirror at Honeoye Lake:

Image: Jules Zysman

The Finger Lakes originated as a series of northward-flowing rivers and were formed over the last two million years by glacial carvings of old stream valleys. The longest ones, Lake Seneca and Lake Cayuga, are among the deepest in North America and go below sea level, to 618 feet (188 m) and 435 feet (133 m), respectively.

View to the bottom of the sky at Canandeigua Lake:

Image: Lauren Mackson

One wouldn’t necessarily connect New York State, known for its harsh winters, with wine production. But the Finger Lakes are an ideal local for wineries because of their mild climate, even in winter when the lake effect causes warmer lake water to reduce the chill for surrounding areas. This residual summer warmth protects the grapes from spring frost and early frost before the harvest. A similar phenomenon can be observed in Long Island, also a surprising location for wineries, as it profits from the ocean effect.

The Glenora outlet at Seneca Lake:

Image: Eflon

Burkett Mills behind the Main Bridge in Penn Yan:

Image: vincenzooli

The individual lakes of the Finger Lakes are named after Native American tribes, most of them belonging to the Iroquois. Here are the lakes from west to east and their meanings:

1. Conesus – “Always Beautiful”
2. Hemlock – the only lake not named by the Native Americans
3. Canadice – “Long Lake”
4. Honeoye – “Finger Lying”, the shallowest of the lakes
5. Canandaigua – “Chosen Spot”
6. Keuka – “Canoe Landing”, the only lake that forks

Sunset at Keuka Lake:

Image: Mary Witzig

And a beautiful Keuka Lake morning:

Image: Mary Witzig

7. Seneca – “Place of the Stone”
8. Cayuga – “Boat Landing”, the longest of the lakes
9. Owasco – “Floating Bridge”
10. Skaneateles – “Long Lake”, the third deepest at 315 feet
11. Otisco – “Waters Dried Away”

The breathtakingly beautiful shore of Otisco Lake:

Image: Matt Champlin

Onondaga (“People of the Hills”) is the unofficial 12th Finger Lake and Oneida Lake, technically not part of the Finger Lakes, is often referred to as the thumb.

Kayaking on Conesus Lake in the fall:

Image: Matt Champlin

Below is an image of the Finger Lakes taken from the International Space Station. One can clearly make out how the snow cover cannot persist along the largest lakes, Cayuga and Seneca, because their shorelines are slightly warmer due to lake temperatures being higher than air or land temperatures.

The Finger Lakes as seen from Space:

Image: NASA

For those inspired to make a trip, a great way to experience much of the Finger Lakes’ wildlife and natural beauty is to stay at a campground in one of the many state parks. Hiking trails start in front of your tent and lead you to the region’s many gorges and waterfalls.

Emerson Park at Owasco Lake:

Image: Lida Rose

Sources: 1, 2, 3

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Mouro Lighthouse, Spain
Image: Rafael G. Riancho

From Cuba to Wales, coastal regions around the world are exposed to their fair share of storms. Yet while coastal residents get cozy inside with a good book and a hot thermos, what if “inside” meant being stuck in a lighthouse? Nothing more than a few bricks in a ferocious sea really. Tirelessly guiding those stuck in bad weather, lighthouses suffer silently, maybe slightly creaking in the wind and braving any storm like true pillars of strength. See for yourself.

Speaking of pillars of strength, it’s interesting how many websites with a religious touch use lighthouses in storms as a metaphor for their message. It’s probably because it’s easy to grasp: haven’t we all felt as if we were being pounded by big waves while still standing our ground? Oh, got it, guess the lighthouse would be a metaphor for God. Righto. But undoubtedly, when waves as big as the one in the next picture loom large, anyone would start praying for help.

Kereon Lighthouse in Brittany, France:

Image: Jean Guichard

One would think that the most spectacular images of lighthouses being pounded by a fierce storm would be those battling it out in the ocean. Residents of Lake Michigan, however, will disagree as they can’t complain of not having their fair share of spectacular lakeshore action. The frequent storms draw spectators happy to get drenched as long as their cameras get away unscathed.

South Haven Lighthouse – don’t miss the huge icicles on the bridge:

Image: Sarah Spaulding

Sheboygan Lighthouse on Lake Michigan, clearly weather beaten:

Image via University of Wisconsin

Lake Michigan’s Grand Haven lighthouse pounded by the waves:

Image: Lori Niedenfuer Cool

And here, totally frozen over and in a storm – can’t beat this image:

Image: Michigan Travel Bureau via EPA

Here’s the Oswego Lighthouse on Lake Ontario in New York state:

Image via lakeshoreimages

And the lighthouse keepers? Do they have to fear for their lives as the waves crash around them, often engulfing the lighthouse completely? Well, most of the lighthouses pictured here are unmanned even though they may have a house-like structure attached to them. People still need to check on the machinery once in a while, especially the lamps, but in most locations, there’s no need for anyone living in a lighthouse year-round.

The lighthouse in Seaham, Durham County, UK being dwarfed by the waves:

Image: NNP

And another lighthouse in the North Sea getting pounded by waves and 130 km/h winds:

Image: maessive

The lighthouse in Porthcawl on the South Wales coast getting swallowed by the waves:

Image: Nick Russill

In La Jument, Brittany, in France, however, one lighthouse keeper got the shock of his life when he was waiting for a rescue helicopter during a fierce storm in 1989. Upon hearing the sound of an approaching helicopter, he went outside, ready to be picked up. Only it wasn’t his rescue ‘copter but photographer Jean Guichard’s. Guichard was out to get some amazing shots of the picturesque lighthouse in the storm when he captured the lighthouse keeper as well in a photograph that went around the world.

The photograph that made La Jument in Brittany famous:

Image: Jean Guichard

The lighthouse keeper who investigated was able to retreat back inside before the big wave crashed around the lighthouse. Phew! Brittany is a region that seems especially storm-prone. The peninsula in northwestern France is situated between the British Channel and the Bay of Biscay and its coastline is dotted with lighthouses.

The lighthouse of Ar-Men in Brittany engulfed by a wave:

Image: Jean Guichard

Three lighthouses braving the storm in Tempete, Brittany:

Image: Alain Feulvarch

The video below shows how much those lighthouses have to withstand the elements:

Given these kind of dangers, it is not surprising that the last manned lighthouse was built in the US in 1962. Modern lighthouses are automated structures in inaccessible locations where functionality matters more than aesthetics. Lighthouse structures directly constructed in the water are called wave-washed lights because they have to withstand the constant impact of the water.

A fair bit of wave washing at El Malecon, Havannah’s famous seaside walkway:

Image: kayugee

Mouro Island is a marine nature reserve in the province of Cantabria in northern Spain, just off the port of Santander. Though the region profits from the Gulf Stream bringing warmer water, the coastline is exposed to the Atlantic and does see pretty fierce storms, especially in the winter. Our very first and very last image show the walls of water that the Mouro Lighthouse has to withstand.

Dramatic – Mouro Lighthouse, Spain:

Image: Marina Cano

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

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