Iriomote but not an Iriomotean

A new cat in the garden…

Come any closer and I'll hiss

Sakura: What do you call him?

Haruko: Iriomote.

Sakura: But he’s not an Iriomotean.

Haruko: Well, he’s a wild cat and he looks a bit like an Iriomote cat.

Sakura: Wild?

Haruko: Sure. The only time he speaks is to hiss. Even when I give him food.

Sakura: You don’t give him much.

Haruko: I supplement his rats, frogs, birds and lizards diet.

wildcatsmagazine.nl

Sakura: His markings are not quite Iriomotean.

Haruko: No, he’s sort of mottled grey and brown coloring like an Iriomote cat. But his ears, they’re more pointed and the Iriomote cat’s ears are rounded, like a leopard’s.

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Voice-over

Something of a feline curiosity looking like a Felis catus domesticus but sharing characteristics with wild cats like leopards, the Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis is a critically endangered species.

Endangered Orchids

Dr Eric Danell summarises what is needed to protect endangered orchids.

Q: How do we go about implementing procedures for protecting endangered  orchids?

ED: Five things are needed.

We need national parks.

We need good laws and law enforcement.

We need to fight poverty.

We need a good education system so everybody in society is aware of their native flora and fauna.

And we need responsible orchid collectors.

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Voice-over

Dr Eric Danell is working in Northern Thailand to foster awareness of the native flora and fauna among both Thais and overseas visitors. His knowledge is encyclopedic and his explanations clearly lay out biological processes and what needs to be done to protect our heritage. His work is important not only in his local area but is a global issue affecting life on Earth.

See Endangered Orchids, 2013 at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhFVv9EdsTk

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