“Cambodia has welcomed 60 baby Siamese crocodiles – a hatching record for the endangered species in this century… a ‘real sign of hope’, after more than 20 years of efforts to revive the reptile’s numbers in the remote Cardamom Mountains,” reports the BBC:
The olive green freshwater reptile has a distinct bony crest at the back of its head… it can grow up to nearly 10ft. Locals discovered five nests in May and the baby crocs were born at the end of June…Siamese crocodiles were once widespread throughout much of South East Asia. But decades of hunting and habitat loss have turned them into a ‘critically endangered’ species. There are just 400 of them left in the world – and most of those are in Cambodia.
Given their dwindling population in the wild, “the hatching of 60 new crocodiles is a tremendous boost,” said Pablo Sinovas, who leads the Cambodia programme of conservation group Fauna & Flora….Since 2012, the programme has successfully let 196 Siamese crocs back into the wild. In May locals discovered nests in an area where the crocodiles had not been released before, suggesting that the species have been breeding in their natural habitat.
Crocodiles are flourishing in Australia after previously coming close to extinction there. The river near the Australian city of Darwin is full of hundreds of crocodiles that will kill you if you jump in. On the bright side, the region also has crocodile farms that produce useful leather for prestigious brands such as Hermes and Louis Vuitton.
Florida’s manatee population has rebounded. Sea turtles are multiplying in Florida, with sea turtle nests tripling.
Fish species are rebounding off the coast of California due to their young finding a sanctuary in abandoned oil rigs.
Scientists recently discovered that the world’s coral reefs are more plentiful than previously thought.
A baby beaver was recently born in London, the first beaver birth there in 400 years. Recently, carnivorous plants were reintroduced to English wetlands.
A dog recently discovered a species of mole long thought to be extinct, De Winton’s golden mole.
A mutant tomato could save harvests around the world. Farmers have found they can increase crop yields by using electrical stimulation on their crops.
Scientists recently developed genetically-modified bananas to keep the principal variety of banana from being wiped out by a dangerous blight. They also engineered bionic silkworms that spin fibers six times stronger than Kevlar.
