Nightingales Depart

According to the British Trust for Ornithology, the nightingale population in Britain has declined by nearly 90 percent in the past 40 years. Nightingales are hailed for their pretty songs. They build ground-level nests in dense shrubbery and have seen their habitat destroyed by an ever-growing population of hungry deer. The nightingale spends winters in West Africa where scientists believe that the Sahara desert’s expansion has also claimed significant portions of their habitat.

Source: The Guardian

Disease Plagues Siberian Tigers

A disease is impairing the ability of Siberian tigers to hunt. The tigers are found in Russia’s far east. The disease is leading the tigers into human civilizations in search of an easy meal. Once they loose their fear of humans, they pose a threat and are put down.

The Wildlife Conservation Society has been tagging and tracking tigers for years. The last tagged tiger, Galya, was recently put down for repeatedly harassing the town of Terney. The necropsy revealed that the cat had nothing in its stomach, which is highly unusual. Since scientists have been unable to define the disease they are worried that it could wipe out the entire tiger population in the area.

Source: Guardian