ANIMALS

Australian Animal Sanctuary Races To Rescue Animals After Heavy Rain-induced Sudden Floods

The situation in Australia keeps swinging between extremes. Following several months of relentless bushfires, rain has finally arrived to douse the vast areas that were consumed by flames. However, sadly, what was expected to bring an end to the crisis swiftly transformed into yet another catastrophe – sudden and overwhelming floods.

Just a few days ago, the Australian Reptile Park, located north of Sydney, was deeply concerned about the safety of their animals because of the destructive wildfire. But now, they find themselves compelled once more to move the vulnerable wildlife to safer places, as heavy rain has flooded many parts of the sanctuary.

“This is incredible! Just last week, we were having daily meetings to discuss the imminent threat of bushfires, just 8km away from the Park,” the director at the sanctuary, Tim Faulkner said. “Today, we’ve had the whole team out there, drenched, acting fast to secure the safety of our animals and defend the Park from the onslaught of water. We haven’t seen flooding like this at the Park for over 15 years!”

The park also posted a dramatic video on Facebook, revealing the extensive flooding. In the footage, we can witness the staff’s urgent efforts to secure the animals’ safety, while the fast-flowing water almost demolishes a bridge.

The Australian Reptile Park has temporarily shut down to the public. However, according to the director of the sanctuary, the situation is currently managed and under control. “At present we feel we can handle the massive clean up and have all hands on deck,” director Faulkner wrote in a Facebook post. “If it rains again like this and more damage is sustained we will take up your generous offers.”

Unbelievable – after the smoke haze that has engulfed our city some parts of Melbourne have received a month’s worth of rain in half an hour this afternoon @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/0klFgaQgRG

— Jo Hall (@Jo_Hall9) January 15, 2020

“The contrast between the current bushfire crisis and this sudden flooding is striking. But we are well aware that a huge part of Australia is still burning, and millions of animals are still under threat. The rain doesn’t replace the millions of hectares of habitat that has been lost over the last few months,” Mr. Faulkner also said.

Source: Facebook

ANIMALS

Amazing Video of Unseen Ocean Creatures in the Ningaloo Canyons

The Schmidt Ocean Institute recently explored the Ningaloo Canyons on the western coast of Australia using a robotic underwater vehicle called the ROV Sebastian. Check out the amazing video of what they discovered in the deep parts of the Indian Ocean.

More info: Youtube

ANIMALS

These Pics Are Art and the Artists Are Insects

Flying insects move so quickly that they are hard to follow, but new technology and some smart ideas have helped Spanish photographer Xavi Bou do just that. After spending 10 years focusing on birds in flight for his Ornithographies project, he turned his attention to insects.

For Entomographies, he uses high-speed video footage taken by Adrian Smith, an insect expert at North Carolina State University, to study and record how insects move. Bou then picks multiple frames and combines them into single images that show the fast movements of one or more insects through space and time.

With Smith’s help, Bou has captured the aerial tricks of wasps, the jumps of leafhoppers, and the fluttering of butterflies in amazing detail. He hopes that by doing this, he can make people more aware of the decline in important insect populations around the world.

1. Zebra longwing

This butterfly, which is common in many areas of the Americas, really fits its name. It can fly very high with just a few flaps of its large wings.