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Which Birds Can You See by the River?

Friday, 10 June 2016

OK, this is meant for kids but like many clever and entertaining things created specifically with younglings in mind this is just as much of a treat for us olduns too. Animator Will Rose has created this charming animation to educate us about five species of birds which congregate around British rivers. In the space of just under two minutes you will learn to recognise swallows, blackbirds, swifts, kingfishers and goldfinches. Lovely!

The Giant Ichneumon Wasp – Stump Stabber Extraordinaire

Friday, 3 June 2016

What is the fastest, tallest, heaviest, lightest? We love to compare members of the animal kingdom in these terms. One word you may hear too is longest but when it appears in a question it is normally asked in terms of total length. In that case, the Giant Ichnuemon Wasp (Megarhyssa macrurus), found in the USA, is nothing much to write home about being just two inches long. However, if the question was “which insect has the longest ovipositor known to science?” then the female of this species would be the answer. And holy egg laying organs, it’s some length.

Image Credit
So, yes. That long thing extending from the wasp, twice the length of its body, is not a stinger or a rear antenna (which might be unusual and interesting). It’s the wasp’s ovipositor, and is used to lay its eggs: but that’s not all. It’s also a drill.

Ivory Burn

Look at the picture to the left – it looks like a huddle of huts or some kind of haystacks: whichever way, the structures are certainly man-made. Yet when you realize that these structures are made from the tusks of elephants slain for their ivory the true horror of what you are seeing finally sinks in. That’s no bad thing as it’s difficult to get a grip on the sheer scale of the ivory poaching problem in countries like Kenya. These are the last remains of over 7,000 elephants. This April the Kenyan authorities burned these tusks, worth up to US$100 million to send a message – that the only value of ivory is the tusks on a live elephant. Ivory Burn was created by filmmaker Austin Peck.

Crabspawn 2016

If birds had festivals then one of the highlights of their calendar would be Crabspawn. As it is, it may not be organised but it is certainly chaotic. This remarkable film was taken by Murray N Hadley at Fortescue Bay, New Jersey.

When the horseshoe crabs spawn they fill the sea with their eggs. Why the numbers is not a mystery for long as shorebirds go in to a feeding frenzy and gobble up as many as their bellies will take while the opportunity is there.

So by laying so many, the crabs assure that at least some of the eggs will go on to hatch. Yet for birds such as the red knot this is a feast and they will often double their weight during this stopover on their way to their arctic breeding grounds. You can almost imagine them mulling over the excitement later on in the year. “Did you go to Crabspawn 2016?” “Yeah, man. It was awesome.” But we don't anthropomorphize on this site...

The Indian Giant Squirrel – Secret Supersize Squirrel on Steroids

Sunday, 29 May 2016

If you are not a particular fan of squirrels then perhaps you had better leave the page right now. Whoever gave the Indian Giant Squirrel its name was not joking. It makes the European and North American squirrel look like dormice in comparison. This is no ordinary squirrel – secretive and shy, it is indeed a giant among its kind.

Image Credit Rakesh Kumar Dogra

Before you start to lock your windows and gaze worriedly at the canopy as you pass beneath, be assured that you may only come across one of these if you live in Peninsular India or you happen to be visiting a zoo.

They live in the evergreen and mixed deciduous forests there as far north as Madhya Pradesh in isolated ranges.

The Sea Turtle Hospital

The population of American sea turtles is dwindling. So, it is more important than ever that injured and sick turtles get the treatment that they deserve so they can be rehabilitated and set free, back in to the wild. This short documentary showcases the work of the Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys. The work that the medical staff there does is exemplary – such a shame that most of the problems they encounter are down to humans.

Wild Galápagos

The Galápagos Islands are home to some of the most unusual creatures on earth, explored here in this 3-minute ambient destination video from Galaxiid. Your job? Just sit back and take it all in! Discover a treasure trove of endemic species, natural wonders and unique wildlife. Darwin's studies of the plants and animals there played a pivotal role in the development of his theory of natural selection.

Deep Dance

A world without light, a world dominated by darkness and threatening silence: the deep sea. Driven by their instincts, we pursue two contradictory characters and witness a struggle for life and death. We become victims of the illusion of light. Deep Dance is an animated short set in the deep sea. It's a story about survival created by Marco Erbrich. This film was part of the diploma at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg.

Jellyfish Lake – Daily Migration of Millions

Sunday, 15 May 2016

Image Credit Wikimedia

Every day millions of golden jellyfish migrate – no big surprise there. However, you might not expect them to migrate horizontally across a lake. Still, a visit to Jellyfish Lake on Eil Malk, an island in Palau, in the Pacific Ocean, will confirm just that. Yet just how on earth did these jellyfish get to the lake in the first place?

Image Credit Flickr User Tobze

Image Credit Wikimedia

Thank You!

Wednesday, 6 April 2016

Thank you for your donation to help keep the Ark in Space up and running.

We look forward to bringing you lots more features and videos about the natural world in all its glory.

Thank you again – and enjoy the site!

Image Credit

The Secret Life of Mountain Lions

Monday, 28 March 2016

The Secret Life of Mountain Lions provides a rare glimpse into the family and social bonds of mountain lions. It affirms their rightful place in nature and the importance of protecting them for generations to come. Narrated by Chris Morgan (PBS, BBC, National Geographic), this video contains extraordinary footage captured with motion-triggered cameras from Panthera's Teton Cougar Project.

Through the Thick: Preserving the Rhino in South Africa - a Documentary

Director of Photography Nino Leitner and his crew recently spent time in the Shamwari Game Reserve, in the Eastern province of South Africa. This documentary is about about their efforts to tackle illegal rhino poaching. As well as containing some of the most spellbinding nature film-making that is currently possible, the documentary draws attention to the current onslaught on the rhino in South Africa.

The Scottish Fold – Owl Cat Extraordinaire

Sunday, 20 December 2015

The Scottish Fold is something of a special breed of cat. Seeing one for the first time you are drawn to its round facial features and, in the back of your mind, a thought nags you that something seems to be missing. Then you realize – it’s all about the ears.

Image Credit Flickr User Junnn

Galapagos

Have you ever wanted to travel to the Galapagos and witness for yourself all the marvel of natures to be found on those (not so these days) isolated islands? Well, courtesy of Tom Pinsard, now you don’t have to. Just sit back and enjoy this serene and gorgeous tour of the Galapagos Islands. It may not be quite the same as going there yourself, but it’s the next best thing.

In Between: The World of the Musk Ox

In between refers to the fact that although most consider the Ice Age over, it is really still dying out – not quite disappeared for good. Yet many of the animals we associate with it, the saber-toothed cats and the woolly mammoth have long since gone the way of the dinosaur. One creature still persists in the Arctic – the Musk Ox. This beautiful short, photographed by Rolf Steinmann, shows a world unknown to most of us.

Dolphin Army

Sunday, 29 November 2015

A huge pod of Common Dolphins (Delphinus delphis) makes its way up the East African Coast each year in the search of Sardines. Follow them for a short part of this journey to see what they find in this wonderful short by Simon Buxton. It was filmed off the Wild Coast Region - an unforgiving area with big seas and cold water. Thank goodness sardines come in cans for us!

Hey! A Dog isn't just for Christmas - it's for Halloween Too!

Saturday, 31 October 2015

Image Credit Mccun 1994

Every year on October 31 the ghouls and ghosts rise - and people make fools of themselves all over the world by wearing ridiculous outfits. Well, Halloween isn't just for humans, you know! Here we bring together some wonderful shots of pets of all sizes (OK, dogs - they are the only ones who seem to be able to put up with it!) in their Halloween outfits. Enjoy this great set of pictures of the dogs of the world dressing up in their Halloween costumes.

Image Credit Flickr User istolethetv

Nico and the Turtle

Saturday, 10 October 2015

The times when you can pinpoint the actions that you made which changed your life forever are sometimes hard to pinpoint. Not so for Australian conservationist and filmmaker Jase Kovacs and his partner Jolene, both of Team Labyrinth. They sail around south east Asia, investigating ecological issues and bringing attention to small and underrepresented community conservation organisations.

During their journey they came across young Nico who had rescued an incredibly rare hawksbill turtle from his father’s fishing nets at Dahican Beach, Mindanao, Philippines. So far, so good but the events which unravel over the next few days might actually make you believe in fate.

Watch as Ants Attack a Large Millipede and Use Amazing Team-work to Drag it Away

Sunday, 6 September 2015

This is something else. Belgian freelance photographer and environmental engineer Stephane De Greef captured this footage in Cambodia. A group of Leptogenys ants decide to attack a recumbent millipede. What happens next is astonishing.

They surround it (in what can only be called a militarily disciplined fashion), then go in for the attack with one of their number attacking the head (surely the most vulnerable part). The millipede's reaction is immediate and desperate. However, the ants soon have the upper hand and drag their hapless victim away by assembling chains made up of themselves.

There is no music or narration here, but if you are in a certain mood then you can use the on-screen notes as visual prompts to become your very own David Attenborough. "Deep in the jungle of Cambodia..."

Whale Haven: Where Whales find Sanctuary

Off the shore of Campania Island in Canada’s British Columbia is a place where whales of many species find sanctuary. Northern resident killer whales, the fish-eaters, come together to form superpods.

On some days more than fifty individuals follow the salmon migration into the mainland fjords of the Great Bear Rainforest. The transient killer whales, the marine-mammal eaters, are forever travelling between seal and sea lion haul-outs, teaching the young how to hunt.

Yet there is trouble in this resplendent, tranquil ocean paradise. This short film by Pacific Wild shows us what the future may hold in store for these magnificent creatures. Click on the HD symbol at the bottom right of the video for its full awesomeness (if your device will take it!).

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