Could drones be the key to supporting other conservation efforts in remote locations?
Source: Euronews Living | Drones help monitor the birthplace of polar bears in Arctic Russia
‘My toy walrus waited 25 years in the Arctic’; Juliet Rix; BBC
Julia spent 25 years dreaming of her first home. Eventually she returned – and found a long-lost toy.
Polar Bear Land: Wildlife Wonders on Russia’s Wrangel Island; Juliet Rix; Wanderlust
Source: Polar Bear Land: Wildlife Wonders on Russia’s Wrangel Island
The Last Woolly Mammoths On Earth Lived On This Tiny Russian Island; Trevor Nace; Forbes
This is Wrangel Island, a small island to the north of Eastern Russia that was the last home to living woolly mammoths.
Source: The Last Woolly Mammoths On Earth Lived On This Tiny Russian Island
Russia: Over 200 Polar Bears Filmed Feasting on Whale Carcass in Bowhead Banquet; Kristin Hugo; Newsweek
Russia – Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve
Last week, tourists and scientists aboard a Russian tourism ship were thrilled to see a dead whale—because where there are dead animals, there are also likely to be live animals. But the site they stumbled upon greatly exceeded any wildlife-watching tourist’s expectations.
From a distance, the dark grey hillside that the tour boat approached looked like it was covered in white, roaming sheep. The distant animals had been drawn to the spot by the remains of an enormous bowhead whale. But they weren’t sheep—they were polar bears. Hundreds of them.
The sight was incredibly unusual. Polar bears are typically solitary animals, traveling either by themselves or as a mother-cub unit. They don’t hunt in packs. But just like many tourists, they also apparently enjoy a free buffet.
High stakes in the high north; Hannah Hoag; Cosmos
Russia – Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve
A remote island that harbored the world’s last mammoths is once again becoming a holdout for Arctic wildlife in a changing world. Hannah Hoag reports.
A stiff wind buffeted the helicopter as it set down near the gravel shore of Wrangel Island, a remote spot of land 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Russia’s extreme Far East. After flying two and a half hours from Pevek, Russia, mostly over open water, the aircraft smelled of vodka and gasoline from the extra fuel cans secured inside. Joel Berger peered up at the white hills that rose around him and spotted several black flecks on the slopes: his quarry, muskoxen.
These shaggy, horned creatures are one of the many archetypal Arctic species that thrive on Wrangel Island, a little-known hotspot for polar biodiversity.
13 Best Wildlife Photos Of 2017 Have Been Announced, And They’re Truly Remarkable; Andrius; Bored Panda
Russia – Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve
We’ve recently witnessed the harsh side of nature with Hurricane Irma reeking havoc in the Pacific, so the announcement of the finalists of the 53rd annual ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ couldn’t come at a better time to remind us of the beauty that nature has in store.
This year the Natural History Museum of London has selected 13 entries out of 50,000 submissions from 92 different countries. The judges picked a balanced variety of shots, from incredible close ups to the cover photos for the very real issues that need attention right now.
The winners will receive a ticket to London for the awards ceremony as well as cash prizes up to £10,000 (about $13,000). But before the winner is announced, let’s do our own little competition by casting the votes below and picking our very own winner.
#1 Arctic Treasure By Sergey Gorshkov, Russia
First look at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017 finalists; David Sim; IB Times
Russia – Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve
A snarling tiger cub, playful brown bears and a tiny seahorse clinging to a cotton bud are among the beautiful photos on this year’s shortlist.
The first images by finalists in the 2017 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition have been revealed. Now in its 53rd year, the contest attracted almost 50,000 entries from professionals and amateurs across 92 countries. The 100 finalists will go on show from 20 October at the Natural History Museum in London, which runs the annual competition.
Finalist, The Wildlife Photojournalist Award, Single Image: Sewage Surfer by Justin Hofman, USA. Seahorses hitch rides on the currents by grabbing floating objects such as seaweed with their delicate prehensile tails. Justin watched with delight as this tiny estuary seahorse ‘almost hopped’ from one bit of bouncing natural debris to the next, bobbing around near the surface on a reef near Sumbawa Island, Indonesia.
Amid fears for local environment, UNESCO makes first ever mission to Russia’s remote Arctic island of Wrangel; Atle Staalesen; The Independent Barents Observer
Russia – Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve
Expanding oil industry and military activities could harm the UNESCO-protected island, experts say.
The mission headed by Francesco Bandarin, the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, arrived to the east Arctic island on 12 August, the UN agency informs.
The mission’s task was to assess the state of conservation of the area, as well as potential threats to its status as World Heritage site. Included in the mission were also two high-ranking officials from the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and State nature protection authority Rosprirodnadzor, the Russian Ministry informs.
The visit came after the World Heritage Committee in its 40th session in 2016 «expressed its utmost concern» over increased human presence and ongoing construction of facilities on the island. These activities could have a serious impact in the sensitive Arctic environment in the area, the organization makes clear in a report.
Reactive Monitoring Mission to the Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve; Unesco
Russia – Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve
On 12 August 2017, a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission arrived on Wrangel Island (Russian Federation). Together with Herald Island and a vast ocean territory, Wrangel Island forms part of the World Heritage property “Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve”, which is the northernmost site inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Francesco Bandarin, Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO headed the mission at the invitation of the Russian Federation. In line with the request made by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016 (Decision 40 COM 7B.98), the mission’s task was to assess the state of conservation of the property, as well as potential threats to its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).
The mission consulted the relevant Russian authorities and will prepare recommendations for review by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and IUCN.
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