Animal Stories
Animal led features.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
Churchill is a town on Hudson Bay in the far north of Manitoba, Canada. It's best known for the polar bears that inhabit the area in Autumn waiting for the ice to form so that they can hunt for seals.
Two sub-adult males play together on the ice.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
A mother protects her two cubs which are small for their age.
A hungry male stalks them, waiting for an opportune moment to strike. He will have to overcome the ferocious defence of the mother bear for his attack to be successful.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
A bear rubs itself on the ice to dry itself after going into the water of Hudson Bay.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
A mother bear and her cub wait patiently as the ice begins to form on Hudson Bay. She waits on the pack ice while just behind her is the edge of the waters of Hudson Bay which has just started to freeze over.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
A male bear waiting for ice to form on Hudson Bay. Global warming has caused the ice pack to get smaller and smaller and the ice forms much later with every year.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
The sunset sun shines off water on Hudson Bay at as a male bear walks across the ice.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
Churchill relies heavily on tourism. A polar bear stands on it's back leg to get close to a Tundra Buggy tourist guide. The bears are highly intelligent and this one had not stretched to it's full height. Having let the guide relax, the bear suddenly lunged further upwards to try to grab the guide..... who thankfully was alert.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
Bear cub sniffing out a meal of photographer!
Nawlaparasi, Nepal.
Numbers of vultures in India, Pakistan and Nepal have been in catastrophic decline in the past fifteen years, with scientists estimating a staggering 40 million birds have died in this period.
Four species are now critically endangered. The latest survey in 2007 indicates that numbers of Oriental white-backed vultures have declined by 99.9% over the preceding 15 years. Long-billed and slender-billed vultures have decreased by 97% over the same time. It is feared that efforts to save these species may be too late.
The cause of the decline was identified in 2003 as the drug Diclofenac, which was given to cattle by farmers as an anti-inflammatory and pain-killer. The drug has now been banned.
Vultures feeding off the carcass of a cow.
Nawlaparasi, Nepal.
Within this predominantly Hindu region cows are sacred, so when a cow dies it is usually taken to a carcass dump to be consumed by vultures. It is estimated that India alone produces 15 million tons of carcasses per year.
Vultures squabble over the carcass.
Nawlaparasi, Nepal.
With the decline in vultures, feral dogs are increasingly overtaking these dumps. With this, there are major implications for the potential risk of both human and animal diseases, including diseases such as anthrax, brucellosis and TB.
Vultures feast on the carcass.
Nawlaparasi, Nepal.
Of major concern is the likelihood that the increasing dog population is furthering the spread of rabies in the region. India has the highest incidence of rabies in the World (c. 60% of all documented cases) and of the 20,000 cases each year 96% of these are a result of dog bites.
As vultures squabble over the carcuss a feral dog arrives on the scene.
Nawlaparasi, Nepal.
Dog and vultures start to fight over the carcuss.
Nawlaparasi, Nepal.
The feral dog starts to get the upper-hand on the vultures.
Nawlaparasi, Nepal.
Dog and vultures fight.
Nawlaparasi, Nepal.
Dog and vultures fight.
Nawlaparasi, Nepal.
33 minutes after the vultures first swoop down on the carcuss most of the meat is gone and just a few weaker vultures tare away at the offal and scraps.