I just want to say something to Dystopian and wish you all well
Hi, there, I found this and thought it may make Dystopian happy to hear:
Rare native bird on the brink of extinction discovered on the slopes of Maui.
What amazes me about it:
Upon further inspection, Pezzillo discovered the male kiwikiu was part of a group of seven birds that were translocated to the Nakula Natural Area Reserve in 2019. He confirmed it was one of the birds by a yellow and black band on its left leg.
Researchers had previously moved the birds to newly restored forests in hopes to prevent their extinction.
However, their efforts ended in disaster.
Five of the birds were found dead, succumbing to avian malaria, which is spread by non-native mosquitos. Scientists said the disease has been especially rampant due to climate change bringing warmer weather.
How so? If avian malaria is spread through non-native mosquitos, I would assume that those non-native mosquitos came to the island through tourists' luggage and not because it is just warmer weather.
If the islands just had the guts to cut off the tourists messing around there. They should not come to the island at all for the time being.
Makes me mad. Is my thinking wrong?
Comments
avian malaria
Hi Mimi,
Thanks, almost a great story... I only know a little about this...
In general the worldwide mosquito movements have been in cargo, and particularly agricultural cargo (also what brought the introduced non-native Fire Ant here). When the Asian Tiger Mosquito showed up here in the U.S. it was in 'Lucky Bamboo', a nursery item. They were gassing containers at Port of LA, and did stop it there, but it got in at Houston and New Orleans and maybe Miami, and that was that. It is here now. I suspect the same thing happened in Hawai'i.
The other way avian malaria has moved around has been in cage or pet trade birds. It is possible it was brought there in say infected chickens or finches, then the local mosquitoes bit them, then back into the wild to bite natives and now it is out there.
I suspect the avian malaria has been the number one cause of extinction of the native bird species in Hawai'i in recent modern times. Of course prior, man exterminated 2/3's of their native species before the avian malaria problem. Which is largely just the last 50 years or less. It was absent, and why the natives species had no immunity to it.
Int'l Cargo is a major problem, it is how many of the destructive beetles especially have gotten here, like Emerald Ash borer, Asian Longhorn, etc.
be well Mimi!
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
many thanks for the explanations, one always can
count on your expertise and knowledge.
Just for fun, I admit, I hate bamboo. There is no lucky bamboo in my books. The evil-doer is the bamboo.
We have bamboo in our garden, (Northern Germany). My sister planted the bamboo around 30 years ago and the sticks pop up everywhere. You can't mulch them into something fertile. Where to bring the bamboo sticks? Sigh.
ok, lucky bamboo, bye, bye. I really, really, don't like you.
Have a good remainder of a hopeful lovely Sunday in your parts of the woods.
https://www.euronews.com/
Good morning mimi. Thanks for the post and
the good news.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --