Rare Sri Lanka primate caught on camera

Agence France-Press reports on the sighting and photograph of an extremely rare and thought-to-be extinct Sri Lankan primate.

The nocturnal loris, a 6 inch primate with small ears and large eyes, was last sighted on the island-nation in 2002 and scientists thought it had since died out. Its interior Sri Lanka jungle habitat is being razed in favor of tea plantations. This has created divisions of the shy mammals territory making it difficult for them to seek out mates and breed.

[Field] researchers, working with the Zoological Society of London, managed to track down the mysterious creature in the forests of central Sri Lanka.

In a world first, they were able to take pictures of an adult male slender loris sitting on a tree branch.

The field team was able to capture one of the creatures and give it a physical examination, the first time that has ever been done, before releasing it back into the wild.

Read the full story: Wide-eyed primate caught on camera for first time

Photo from France 24

Global search for temp panda handlers

Agence France-Press reports on the Chinese panda center's search for six temporary panda handlers.

The Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base in the southwest of China says it will have a worldwide contest to pick six panda enthusiasts who will then help look after the black and white mammals for a month. The winners will get to blog their experiences and bring awareness to the pandas' plight.

Huang Xiangming, head of the animal management department at the base, says that when it first opened in 1987, the centre only had six pandas, rescued starving from the wild. It now counts 84 permanent residents.

He says panda keepers are especially needed at times of mating in spring and birthing, which starts during the summer. These rituals are vital, as the animals' notoriously low libido has frustrated efforts to boost their numbers.

Details on the search have not yet been released.

Read the full story: China launches global search for panda keepers

Photo from France 24

Solar plane takes off in Switzerland

Agence France-Press reports on the historical solar plane flight that took off this morning in Switzerland.

Star Impulse (picture right) set off to fly on a 25 hour trip from Payerne, Switzerland. The ground crew will see if it can take in enough electrical charge during daylight hours to continue overnight.

The round-the-clock flight by the prototype built last year is the first major hurdle for the project since it started seven years ago, with the aim of flying around the world by 2013 or 2014.

The speed is only 22 miles per hour with a single pilot. This is much slower than a small aircraft like a Cessna that reaches over 100 mph.

Read the full story: Solar plane sets out on historic flight

Photo from France 24

Bangladesh rare leopard captured and released

There have been many news reports about a rare clouded leopard cub captured in Bangladesh last month.

The species was thought to be extinct in the wild with the last known sighting in 1992 and 2005 according to Agence France-Press.

The cub, along with its mother and another cub, was sighted eating a monkey by villagers in the Chittagong hill tracks region of Bangladesh near the Myanmar border. They captured the cub after the others ran away.

This news gives conservationists hopes for the survival of the clouded leopard of which only 100,000 remain.

The cub was released back into the wild after it was deemed that it could survive on its own.

Read more:
Bangladesh leopard renews hopes for species survival
Bangladesh rare leopard cub freed

Solar powered rickshaws in New Delhi

AFP reports on the new solar powered rickshaws in New Delhi.

The "soleckshaw" runs on either a motor powered by a solar battery or pedalled as usual using only foot power

India has an estimated eight million rickshaw drivers.

"'The most important achievement will be improving the lot of rickshaw drivers,' said Pradip Kumar Sarmah, head of the non-profit Centre for Rural Development."

Read the full story: India's humble rickshaw goes solar

Tokyo: consumers and proud of it

Agence France-Presse reports that residents of Tokyo are least willing to sacrifice their consumer lifestyles to help save the environment:

"More than four in 10 Tokyo residents -- 41.6 percent -- said they "don't want to sacrifice a convenient lifestyle to prevent global warming," according to the poll results published recently by Japanese advertising agency Hakuhodo."

Although this may seem bad, because the Japanese do love their elaborate packaging, they do tend to drive smaller and more fuel-efficient cars, take more public transportation and eat less beef than do Americans.

Read the full story: Tokyoites least eco-minded of rich city dwellers: poll