Our world of nature

Zealandia arrivals, rare birds, dog websites…

Bushfire victims. The impact of Australia’s wildlife has been tragically massive, with even conservative figures placing the loss of life at around the one billion mark. In some places where the fire has torn through animal rescuers are now faced with another grim reality – the lack of food for those that escaped. Thousands of kilos of potatoes and carrots have now been air-dropped to help reach these animals in the hope of averting further deaths. You can donate to the cause here.

Dad steps up. Back here in Wellington the Zealandia Wildlife Sanctuary delivered some excellent news with reports their only nest of hihi chicks have successfully fledged despite the death of their mother – one of only 20 females in the park. The father of the three chicks had risen to the occasion and raised the birds successfully. Zealandia director Danielle Shanahan said it was unusual for a male bird to take on full responsibility of his chicks but this one was a “champion”.

Hidden treasures. It’s believed that approximately 86% of the existing species on earth (and 91% in the ocean) have yet to be formally scientifically described. While this may at first seem like good news there’s actually great fears that many wondrous species will never be found before they go extinct. That’s why the discovery of ten new songbird species and subspecies on the remote Indonesian islands of Taliabu, Peleng and Batudaka is one worth celebrating. It’s the largest discovery of its kind in over a century.

Does the dog die? If the worst movie scene you’ve experienced recently is in John Wick (you’ll know if you’ve seen it), then we have just the review website for you. Doesthedogdie is a crowd-sourced site with over 4000 movies searchable, from Old Yeller to Marley and Me and beyond.