Rarest mammal in the world caught on video in Indonesia

by Justin Delaney on

The Javan rhinoceros is widely considered the rarest mammal in the world. Flirting with extinction for decades, it is estimated that only forty of the beast remain on the island of Java in Indonesia and less than ten in southern Vietnam. Once the most widespread rhino species, poachers and human development have made life increasingly difficult for the small rhino. None exist in captivity.

The enigmatic creatures have eluded documentation, and this camera trap footage is a boon for conservationists. Separate cameras filmed two distinct adult and calf groups. This proves that the rhinos are mating and perhaps even increasing in numbers. According to National Geographic, the footage was shot at the western tip of Java – the most populated island in Indonesia. For rhinos, they sure are cute.

Big in Japan: Girls’ Day

by Matthew Firestone on

Today’s column is written in honor of Hina-matsuri (雛祭り) or Girls’ Day, an annual March 3rd celebration for those of us with two X chromosomes. The striking focal point of this event is the presentation of up to seven tiers of handmade dolls, which have a material history dating back more than a millennium.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of life in Japan is the near constant occurrence of special events and festivals. Many of these are steeped in ritual and tradition, yet retain a firm place in the modern world.

Case in point: despite the decreasing size of Japanese dwellings, Hina-matsuri is reason enough to clean out the apartment and make some extra space for dozens of elaborate dolls. As symbolic representatives of the royal court, they are said to capture evil spirits while simultaneously bringing luck and love to young women.

Want to know more about this strange spectacle? Sure you do…Girls’ Day has its roots in the Heian Period (794-1185), which is often referred to as the ‘Golden Age’ of classical Japanese arts. With the the royal court flourishing, and peace reigning supreme across the archipelago, there was ample time to devote to the pursuit of beauty and personal fulfillment.

According to custom, in the weeks leading up to March 3rd, Japanese households would prepare an elaborate display of handmade dolls. From top to bottom, they would run the gamut from representations of imperial officials to more utilitarian items such as ox-drawn carriages and palanquins.

On the morning of March 4th, families would immediately set the dolls afloat on miniature boats and send them off to the sea. Failure to comply would severely harm the marriage prospects of any female members in the household.

In the modern era, the price of acquiring new dolls each year became prohibitively expensive for such a practice to continue. Still, old customs die hard, and today savvy matrons are quick to pack away Hina-matsuri dolls in discrete boxes, and store them well out of sight.

If you happen to be in Japan right now, consider taking a break from your normal routine to visit a local temple or shrine. There is a good chance that there will be plenty of dolls on display. And if you happen to have a Y chromosome along with an X, fear not as Boys’ Day is just around the corner on May 5th.

** All images courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons Project **

Flight attendant weight restriction causes uproar

by Justin Delaney on

Thai Airways International imposed body mass index and waistline restrictions on its 6,000 flight attendants last June. According to the Bangkok Post, all flight attendants, both male and female, were given six months to comply with the weight restriction. For female attendants, a BMI of 25 and a waistline maximum of 32 inches was implemented. The male attendants had restrictions of 27.5 BMI and a 35 inch waistline. To compute BMI, check out this handy calculator.

Those that did not meet the standards are now limited to domestic flights and same day service. They will be further relegated to ground crew if they fail to comply within a year. 41 flight attendants, 28 of them male, did not meet the guidelines and have filed a complaint with the Thailand Labour Protection and Welfare Department for the regulation which “violated their human rights, hurt their feelings, and decreased their incomes.” Although less than 1% of the Thai Airways flight attendant work force was affected, the Draconian measure has stirred up a debate regarding weight restrictions for flight attendants.

The vice president of products and customer services for Thai Airways, Teerapol Chotechanapibal, had this to say about the restrictions:

“…the regulation was aimed at improving the personality of flight attendants, who were an essential part of boosting competitiveness with other airlines, while their health had an impact on services and the safety of passengers. Flight attendants had to be agile and able to evacuate passengers from a plane within 90 seconds in the event of an accident. He said airlines worldwide had implemented similar standards. Stewardesses who are 160cm (5’3″) tall must not weigh above 66kg (145 lbs) while stewards who are 165cm (5’5″) tall must not weigh over 74.8kg (165 lbs).”

Asian air lines are notorious for hiring tall and rail thin flight attendants. A couple years ago, Air India even fired ten employees for being fat. I recall walking through Incheon airport in South Korea and passing a group of Korean Air stewardesses striding along the auto-walk like a gaggle of graceful storks. While I do not mind the inherent rule that flight attendants should be fit enough to assist with potential emergency situations, seeing an explicit weight restriction (an unnecessarily strict one at that) makes the whole enterprise feel cold, calculating, and inhuman. What do you think?

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flickr image via kalleboo

Somali pirates anchor Danish family yacht, threaten death

by Chris Owen on

Now it’s a Danish family of five, including three children, that has been taken hostage by Somali pirates who vow to kill them should a rescue attempt be made. The pirated yacht, taken last week, was anchored off the shore of Somalia today.

The 43-foot sailboat was being piloted by Jan Quist Johansen along with his wife, their three children, ages 12 to 16 and two Danish crew members.

A Somali pirate going by the name of Muse Abdi said the family was transferred to another, larger pirated ship.

The decison to anchor smaller vessels then transfer hostages to a larger ship is a common practice by Somali pirates.

“They are safe. They were just transferred from the boat to the big ship,” said Abdi, who has provided information in the past. “They have been added to other nationals in another ship to avoid any possible attack.”

The Associated Press reports a Somali pirate warning that if any attempt was made to rescue them, they would meet the same fate as the four American yachters slain by their pirate captors last week. Like Scott and Jean Adam who were killed by pirates last week, the Johansen family was aware of the pirate-infested waters but believed warships patrolling the area would protect them.

Somalia has not had a functioning government in place since 1991, a situation that has allowed pirating to grow and become ever more dangerous as time has gone on. This is the first known incident where children were taken hostage.

Flickr photo by RubyGoes

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Largest mall in the world is a Chinese ghost town

by Justin Delaney on

Watch the full episode. See more POV.

While China recently announced 45 new airports due to booming travel growth, several of their development projects have been enormous duds. The New South China Mall is twice the size of Minnesota’s Mall of America, but hovers at around a 1% occupancy. The rows of empty shops are piped with serene elevator music, and guards police the empty halls with echoing footsteps.

Announced in 2005, the mall is located in Dongguan in the Guangdong province of southern China. The location is between Guangzhou and Shenzen in an area that may one day be considered the world’s largest mega city, estimated to have a population near 50 million. Today, the mall has yet to live up to any distinction associated with mega cities, and is a sobering example of what happens when idea implementation precedes growth. Separated into seven districts modeled after international cities, the mall boasts an Arc de Triomphe, Venice canals, and even a mini Egypt. Of the 2,350 leasable store spaces, around 50 are actually in use. Check out this award-winning video directed by Sam Green and Carrie Lozano for PBS that showcases this bizarre mall.