Leopard Responsible For 15 Deaths In Nepal

by Kraig Becker on

A remote district of Nepal is being terrorized by a man-eating leopard that officials believe is responsible for more than 15 deaths in 15 months. Worse yet, the creature is expected to continue preying on small villages that border its habitat unless steps are taken to exterminate the animal.

The big cat’s latest victim was a 4-year-old boy whose remains were discovered in the jungle, not far from his village, this past weekend. According to CNN, two-thirds of the leopard’s victims thus far have been children under the age of 10. Most of the rest were older children, although the cat has killed a 29-year-old woman who had wandered into the forest alone.

Officials from Baitadi, the district in which the kills have taken place, believe that they are dealing with a solitary cat or possibly two leopards at most. They also fear the number of human deaths may be greater than 15 as the animal’s habitat falls along the border with India, where similar leopard attacks have been reported in recent months as well.

The hunting of wild animals is strictly prohibited in Nepal, which means villagers in Baitadi can’t normally go hunting the leopard. But specialists from the Department of Parks and Wildlife Conservation in Kathmandu have admitted that this particular animal will have to be put down. Its continued preying on humans over a prolonged period of time indicates that it is a dangerous animal that isn’t likely to discontinue its unusual hunting practices. To that end, CNN reports that a bounty worth about $300 has been put out on the animal, whether it is captured dead or alive.

Typically thoughts of Nepal conjure images of snow-capped peaks and high mountain passes, which makes it easy to forget that the country also has some very wild lowland areas too. Those areas are home to a wide variety of wildlife species, including elephants, rhinos, monkeys and even tigers. That abundant wildlife has made those regions popular with tourists, who can get an unexpected safari while visiting the Himalayan country.

[Photo credit: Rute Martins of Leoa’s Photography via WikiMedia]

Photo Of The Day: Buffalo In Yellowstone

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Yellowstone National Park is among our country’s most famous, and arguably most beautiful, natural wonders. In addition to dramatic scenery, the park is home to an impressive array of wildlife, including elk, wolves, bears and that most iconic of symbols from the American Plains: the buffalo. I love the lighting, the idyllic setting and most importantly, the herd of buffalo grazing in today’s photo of Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley, courtesy of Flickr user Max Waugh Photography.

Taken any great photos of our nation’s national parks? Why not add them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

[Photo credit: Flickr user Max Waugh Photography]

Alaskan Town Invaded By Record Number Of Polar Bears

by Kraig Becker on

The 250 residents of the remote town of Kaktovik, Alaska, have grown accustomed to living on the edge of the wilderness, but even they had to be a bit surprised at all the ursine visitors that came calling last month. In mid-September, the sleepy little community found itself over run with a record number of polar bears who came looking for food while they wait for the return of the pack ice.

Located above the Arctic Circle, the people of Kaktovik routinely supplement their meager supplies with an annual whale hunt, which provides meat for the lean winter months. Following the hunt, the carcasses of the whales are left on the beach for predators and scavengers to pick clean. Typically this attracts numerous polar bears that are looking for an easy meal, but this year there were far more bears than normal. On September 13, observers counted 80 polar bears in total, which broke the old record for the most spotted in a single day. The previous record of 65 was set back in 2004.

Researchers believe that it could be more than just the promise of a free meal that brought so many polar bears together at the same place and time. This summer saw the Arctic ice melt at an unprecedented level, which may have forced more of the creatures to head to solid ground while they waited for temperatures to drop and the ice to return. Unlike most animals, polar bears actually eat more regularly in the winter and look to their fat stores to get them through the leaner summer months. Any time they can get an easy meal it is a cause to congregate.

Lucky for the bears, the ice began to form once again on September 16 and now has started to thicken and spread across the Arctic Ocean. That means the animals will soon be able to head north once again, leaving Kaktovik behind for anther year.

[Photo credit: Loren Holmes]

Brazen Poaching Of Rare Rhinoceros Species In India

by Sean McLachlan on


Two recent poaching incidents reveal the dangers faced by India’s rare animals, even when they are supposedly under protection.

The BBC reports that a one-horned rhino was shot in Assam when it wandered out of Kaziranga National Park. Poachers took its horn but the animal did not die. Park staff are now trying to save it. The park is home to about two-thirds of the world’s population of one-horned rhinos, which number in total fewer than 3,000 individuals. Thirteen of the animals have been poached in the park in the past nine months.

On the same day, the BBC reported the poaching of a tiger in a zoo. Poachers entered the Itanagar zoo in Arunachal Pradesh and hacked a female tiger into half a dozen pieces before being scared off by the security guards, who had been away eating dinner.

The Times of India reports that several employees have been fired over the zoo incident. No arrests have been made in either crime.

Poaching is a major problem in many countries because of the high demand for animal parts as trophies and for use in traditional medicine.

[Photo courtesy Mandeep Singh]

Snowkiting Harmful To Reindeer, Scientists Say

by Sean McLachlan on


Snowkiting is becoming big in Norway. At first glance it looks like some extreme fun in harmony with nature. After all, you’re just zipping across the snow while being dragged by a kite. It looks environmentally friendly.

Not true, says a new scientific study. The BBC reports that Norwegian scientists have discovered the kites spook reindeer and may have a negative impact on their population.

The scientists studied the response of reindeer to skiers and snowkiters and found that the reindeer showed a much greater fright response to snowkiting. They theorize that it’s the swooping kite that scares the animals. Because the kite is visible from farther away than someone on skis, reindeer are running far away. This may limit their feeding and breeding grounds.

The study concludes that controls need to be put in place to ensure reindeer aren’t harmed by this new craze.