UK zoo wants to save Yupi the 'Mexican' polar bear

A wildlife park in South Yorkshire wants to rescue a polar bear from a zoo in Mexico.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, has offered to rehome Yupi in a newly constructed 10 acre reserve but needs to raise £150,000 to do it.

A park spokesperson said Yupi was currently kept in a concrete enclosure in high temperatures, with "little shade and little stimulation".

She would be the first polar bear brought to England for 20 years.

The new home for Yupi would be like her natural Arctic habitat, with hills, valleys and a main lake with streams, pools and waterfalls.

Arctic-style grass, herbs, shrubs and heathers would be used to make it more like home.

Polar Bears

• Five nations have polar bear populations: the United States, Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway.
• Adult male polar bears can weigh up to 1,200lbs (550kg), while adult females may weigh as much as 650lbs (290kg)
• Biologists estimate there are 20,000 to 25,000 bears left in the wild

Source: Polar Bears International

The park, which is more than 5,500 miles (8,900 km) away from Mexico, is waiting for an official response to its offer to rehome Yupi.

According to the Save Yupi campaign's website, she is a 22-year-old polar bear who was brought to the Parque Zoológico Benito Juárez, in Morelia, Mexico, from Alaska way back in 1992.

A Yorkshire Wildlife Park spokesperson said the conditions she's living in aren't good for polar bears: "Her concrete enclosure has little shade, and little stimulation.

"The soaring temperatures are difficult for a polar bear to deal with as they easily overheat."

The only other polar bears in a UK zoo are at the Highland Wildlife Park, in Scotland.

Park Director John Minion said: "This is the ultimate project for Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

"Polar bears are an iconic species that are increasingly threatened in their native habitat and we need to fight their cause."

Worldwide ban on harmful PIB being dumped at sea

A chemical that killed thousands of seabirds off the coast of southern England earlier this year, can no longer be dumped at sea.

At last, some good news!

The substance called polyisobutene or PIB is an oil additive and until now ships were allowed to release it into the water as long as they were 12 nautical miles from land.

The International Maritime Organisation has now announced a worldwide ban on dumping PIB at sea. From now on ships will only be allowed to get rid of PIB when they are in port.

Campaign against PIB

Wildlife charities and campaign groups have been fighting for a ban since January and April 2013 when thousands of birds, including guillemots, auks and razorbills, washed up covered in the glue-like substance.

One group of school children even made a protest rapabout the incident.

Organisations like the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) have welcomed the new law.

Adam Grogan, RSPCA senior wildlife scientist, said: "Our staff worked around the clock washing and treating these poor birds in January and April and it was heartbreaking seeing the pitiful state they were in.

"Hopefully this will help stop incidents like these happening again, and save wildlife from suffering and dying like this in the future."

From CBBC newsround

Rhino deaths in SA more than double in last four years

The number of rhinos which have been killed in South Africa has more than doubled in the last four years!

What a shame!

Official figures show that 100 have been killed in the past month. Since January this year, 790 animals have been killed, compared to 333 in 2010.

The government declared rhino poaching a national security risk, and a national priority in 2011.

It says it is now working on an agreement with other African nations to help protect rhinos from poaching.

South Africa is home to around 80% of the world's rhino population, estimated at more than 25,000.

People kill rhinos for their horns which are worth a lot of money.

The horns are used in medicine or for decoration in some parts of the world - particularly south east Asia. But scientists say there's no evidence the horn has any medicinal benefits.

Conservationists have warned the increase in rhino poaching in South Africa is becoming critical.

From CBBC newsround

They say that now, with more rhinos being killed than born, there is a risk the species will start to decline.

Second rare giant fish found on beach in California

A second oarfish has been found on a beach in California - which scientists say is unusual because it's so rare to spot the creatures.

This latest fish measures 4.3 metres (14ft) and it was found on a beach in Oceanside; five days earlier a 5.5 metres (18ft) oarfish was found in South Catalina.

The experts are baffled because the creatures are usually found deep in the ocean, in fact they can dive to around 5,000ft.

Tests on the first fish show that it showed no signs of disease and had been eating well.

Scientists are going to study the creatures to try to find out what happened to them, and why they both ended up washed up.

From CBBC newsround

Brazil activists free 200 dogs used for drug tests

BRAZILIAN ACTIVISTS ARE said to have stormed a laboratory in the southeastern state of São Paulo and freed some 200 Beagle dogs used for drug testing.

Most of the animals had their skins shaven and one was found dead, frozen in liquid nitrogen and with signs of mutilation, according to reports carried by websites of the dailies Folha de São Paulo and O Estado de São Paulo.

Rat fetuses were also found during the operation which occurred at the Royal Institute lab located in Sao Roque, 60 kilometres from São Paulo. Police made no arrests.

The lab was not available for comment.

Giulana Stefanini, one of the animal rights protesters who took part in the action, was quoted as saying that one of the beagles “was found with no eyes.”

Ahead of their action, the activists went to police to complain of alleged mistreatment of animals at the lab, but they said no action was taken.

The lab cancelled a meeting with the protesters at the last minute and described the invasion as “an act of terrorism,” insisting that its activities are monitored by Brazil’s Health Surveillance Agency, according to O Estado.

Animal testing for scientific research is legal in Brazil and is regulated in line with international norms.

From

http://www.thejournal.ie/brazil-dogs-free-laboratory-1136817-Oct2013/