Female Mountain Gorillas Reunite with Old Friends

New research from Rwanda shows that female mountain gorillas seek out familiar companions even after years apart. It’s a beautiful reminder that deep bonds and emotional memory aren’t just human traits—they’re woven into the natural world.

In the misty mountains of Rwanda, a quiet miracle unfolds—not in the form of dramatic rescues or scientific breakthroughs, but in the tender reunions of female gorillas.

Recent studies reveal that when female mountain gorillas move between groups—a common part of their social evolution—they actively seek out old friends from previous communities. These aren’t random encounters. They’re intentional, emotional reconnections that speak to the depth of gorilla memory and the importance of companionship.

One researcher described it as “a kind of social glue,” helping females integrate into new groups while preserving the comfort of familiar bonds. 

Why This Is Good News

• Emotional Intelligence in Nature: Gorillas show deep memory and emotional awareness, reminding us that connection is a universal language.

• Hope for Conservation: Understanding gorilla relationships helps conservationists protect not just individuals, but the social fabric of their communities.

• A Mirror to Ourselves: These reunions reflect something profoundly human—our longing to reconnect, to belong, and to be remembered.

In a world often marked by separation, this story offers a gentle truth: connection endures.

ARTICLE SOURCE

To See and Behold: Why Witnessing Wildlife Is a Radical Act of Hope

In a world often overwhelmed by loss—of habitat, of species, of ecological balance—there is something quietly revolutionary about seeing. Not just observing, but truly beholding the rare and the newly discovered. It’s a form of reverence. A way of saying: You exist. You matter. We will fight for you.

This month, two extraordinary sightings remind us why bearing witness to wildlife is more than a pastime—it’s a call to action.

The Regent Honeyeater, photographed by Jss367

The Regent Honeyeater Returns

In the Queens Lake Nature Reserve on the NSW Mid North Coast, a group of birdwatchers spotted not one, but two critically endangered regent honeyeaters—before they even left the car park. With fewer than 300 individuals left in the wild, these birds are considered ecological ghosts, flitting through fragmented habitats in search of flowering trees and safety.

What makes this sighting even more miraculous? These honeyeaters were wild-born, unbanded, and feeding among other species. Their presence suggests that nature, when given even a sliver of sanctuary, still dares to persist. It’s a reminder that conservation isn’t just about numbers—it’s about dignity, habitat, and the right to exist without vanishing.

A New Manta Ray Emerges

Meanwhile, off the coast of Florida, marine scientists have officially identified a new species of manta ray—Mobula yarae, named after a mythical water spirit from Brazilian folklore. This gentle giant, stretching up to 20 feet wide, becomes only the third known manta ray species in the world. Its discovery is the result of over 15 years of meticulous research, underwater photography, and genetic analysis.

Why does this matter? Because you can’t protect what you haven’t named. Formal recognition of Mobula yarae allows conservationists to track its population, assess threats, and advocate for its protection. It’s a triumph of curiosity, patience, and the belief that the ocean still holds secrets worth saving.

Why Seeing Matters

To witness an endangered species is to stand at the edge of extinction and say, I see you. To discover a new species is to affirm that the world is still unfolding, still capable of surprise. Both acts are deeply human—and deeply hopeful.

They remind us that conservation isn’t just about preserving the past. It’s about co-creating a future where biodiversity is not a luxury, but a legacy.

So the next time you walk through a nature reserve or dive beneath the waves, remember: your gaze is powerful. Your presence matters. And every creature you see is a story still being written.

Amazing Australian Animals

Australia is home to many unique species of fauna the best known being the kangaroo and the koala. A total of 379 species of mammals have been recorded in Australia and marsupials are a special type of mammal that carry their young in a pouch.  Besides well-known marsupials like the kangaroos, wallabies and the koala and possum, other marsupials include wombats, the Tasmanian devil, numbat, bandicoots, bettongs, the bilby, quolls, and the quokka. Have you heard of all or any of these amazing and distinctive animals? Do you have a favourite?

Numbat:
or walpurti, found in Western Australia, exclusively eats termites



Sugar Glider:
it's name refers to its preference for sugary foods
and ability to glide through the air

Wallaby:
smaller than kangaroos,
herbivores eating grasses, vegetables, leaves

Eastern Barred Bandicoot:
weighs less than 2 kg and has a short tail

Quokka:
is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal

Spotted-tail quoll sleeping at Sydney Wildlife World:
a carnivorous nocturnal, native to mainland Australia

Bettong: A nocturnal animal
that sleeps during the day in a domed nest. 

Mother koala with baby joey on it's back

The Tasmanian devil is a carnivorous marsupial
found only in Tasmania.

The common wombat is a marsupial that lives in a burrow
and eats mainly native grasses.

Koalas returned to wild

Just weeks after social media went wild over photos of baby koala Phantom hugging his mother Lizzy while she underwent surgery, the Australia Zoo announced that both koalas have returned to their natural habitat.


IMAGE: Australia Zoo Audio Visual Department

A dedicated group of wildlife veterinarians, a hospital manager, vet nurses and volunteers all work around the clock at The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital at Beerwah in Queensland, to provide first-class care for sick, injured and orphaned animals. The hospital team are also active in wildlife research to know more about koala diseases, migration patterns and wildlife health management.

 

Read the full story at TODAY

Pictures of cute animals actually improve our concentration

Looking at pictures of cute animals captures our attention and improves concentration as a result and mental dexterity. "For future applications, cute objects may be used as an emotion elicitor to induce careful behavioral tendencies in specific situations, such as driving and office work," wrote Hiroshi Nittono of Hiroshima University who with his colleagues researched cute animals.

South Sudan Expands Efforts to Protect Elephants

Released: 7/1/2013 3:40 PM EDT
Source Newsroom: Wildlife Conservation Society

Newswise — With expert assistance from the Wildlife Conservation Society and funding from USAID, South Sudan’s Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism (MWCT) has ramped up efforts to protect its last elephants by fitting individual animals with GPS collars for remote tracking, a critical practice in the fight against ivory poachers.

New Species of bird discovered in a capital city

Hiding in Plain Sight in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 

Newswise — A team of scientists with the Wildlife Conservation Society, BirdLife International, and other groups have discovered a new species of bird with distinct plumage and a loud call living not in some remote jungle, but in a capital city of 1.5 million people.

Called the Cambodian tailorbird (Orthotomus chaktomuk), the previously undescribed species was found in Cambodia’s urbanized capitol Phnom Penh and several other locations just outside of the city including a construction site. It is one of only two bird species found solely in Cambodia. The other, the Cambodian laughing thrush, is restricted to the remote Cardamom Mountains.

Read full story and see a picture of the bird

Source Newsroom: Wildlife Conservation Society

Discovering more about the silver dik-dik

Dik-dik (Madoqua)
(credit: Jack Cannon — Ostman Agency)

Little is known about the silver dik-dik (Madoqua piacentinii) population that roams the dense coastal bushlands of eastern Africa, but experts are working to learn more about the mysterious species

The silver dik-dik is a small antelope found in dense thickets along the coast of Somalia and in Shebelle Valley in southeastern Ethiopia. It is the smallest species of dik-dik, with only standing 30–33 cm (12–13 in). It is named for the sound it makes when frightened.

Read more

How is the Year of the Dragon going for you?

According to the Chinese Zodiac calendar, the Year of the Dragon  runs  from January 23, 2012 to February 9, 2013. The Dragon is a legendary animal considered to be unpredictable and untouchable so we might see some unexpected happenings this year.  The Dragon is said to be a deliverer of good fortune but this is more about if you were born in the year of the Dragon yourself: 

1904,  1916, 1928, 1940,  1952, 1964, 1976, 1988,  2000. 

  How you will fair this year depends on which of the 5 Chinese elements you are - Metal, Water, Wood, Fire or Earth - and which of the 12 Chinese animals you are and is quite complex.

I have just discovered I am a sheep and have found my career suggestions, according to Chinese wisdom and interestingly highlighted, in blue, the career options I have actually dabbled in.

"The following occupations best suit the Sheep personality. ARCHITECT ¤ CARTOGRAPHER ¤ TOWN PLANNER ¤ ART HISTORIAN ¤ ILLUSTRATOR ¤ ACTOR ¤ MUSICIAN ¤ DAYCARE WORKER ¤ FLORIST ¤ PEDIATRICIAN Some notable Sheep in these fields include Michelangelo, Buster Keaton, Laurence Olivier, Jane Austen and Mark Twain." (I am in good company!)

To learn more about the Chinese Horoscope:
The interesting information above is easy to discover at a wonderful site called ofesite.com just by clicking on your date of birth.
Find your Chinese Astrology Sign @ Astrology.com
An interesting site is: Helping Couples Get Together...And Stay Together: The Dragon

Discovery of the lesula

 

 

This amazing new species has recently been discovered in the Congo, Africa in the Lomami National Park which is being declared a protected area.

"The discovery of the lesula has extended our knowledge of the evolution and ecology of African monkeys, and in particular has confirmed the importance of a previously little-known region for primate diversity," Dr John Hart of the Lukuru Foundation, who led the project, told BBC Nature.
READ FULL STORY at BBC Nature News

King of the bush

Blue winged Kookaburra

In Australia we have a children's song that we learn in preschool:

 Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Merry, merry king of the bush is he.
Laugh, Kookaburra! Laugh, Kookaburra,
Gay your life must be.

This song instills in us a love of the kookaburra and the bush and all things Australian.

But we love the kookaburra because it is a strong looking, large bird, that is not scared of much, that visits us in our parks and sits on our verandahs and has an amazing laugh: kooo,kooo, kooo, kooo, kaaa, kaaa, kaaa, kaaa, kooo, kaaa, koo, kaaa......

CLICK TO HEAR THE KOOKABURRA LAUGH

A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE SONG:

It was written in 1932 for an Australian Girl Guides competition. Marion Sinclair's entry won the competition and it has been loved ever since. As children of course we also sang many different versions of the Kookaburra Song:

Kookaburra sits on electric wire,

jumping up and down with his pants on fire.

Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra.

Hot your pants must be!

National Parks

Cape Le Grande National Park, Western Australia

National parks are amazing places where you can relax and enjoy nature or be more active with walks, talks, tours, camping, hiking, riding, canoeing and swimming. They have a variety of natural resources to explore over large areas. Do you make the most of your National Parks?National Parks around Australia protect many landscapes - rainforests, bushland, marine wonderlands and deserts. Parks protect our unique biodiversity including flora such as lichen and mosses and trees and animals including frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals.

"Australia is home to more than one million species of plants and animals, many of which are unique. About 82 per cent of our mammals and 93 per cent of our frogs are found nowhere else in the world." NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service

The amazing kangaroo

• There are over 40 different species of kangaroo.


• The largest type of kangaroo is the Red Kangaroo.


• They come from the macropod family which means big foot.


• Kangaroos are herbivorous, eating a range of plants including grass.


• They can go without water for a long while.


• Most are nocturnal sometimes active in the early morning and late afternoon.


• Kangaroos have powerful back legs with long feet.


• Their tail is used to balance while hopping and as a fifth limb when moving slowly.


• Kangaroos can hop at up to 60kmh (40mph).


• They can also leap up to 3 metres (10ft) high.


• A male kangaroo is called a boomer.


• A female kangaroo is called a flyer.


• A baby kangaroo is called a joey.


• All female kangaroos have front-opening pouches. This is where the joey lives until it can survive outside the pouch.


• Female kangaroos usually have one baby a year.

If you are crafty you may like this tutorial in making the cutest felt kangaroos.

Helping the threatened brush-tailed rock wallaby

The conservation of threatened species is crucial for the maintenance of Australia’s unique biodiversity.
September is Biodiversity Month in Australia so we are showcasing what is being done to help the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby. Due to land clearing and introduced predators, such as the european fox, these beautiful marsupials are almost extinct with only a few small pockets remaining including East Gippsland and the Warrumbungles.

Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby: Petrogale penicillata at Featherdale Wildlife Park, Australia, photo May Wong

THE GOOD NEWS:

• The Australian Museum is helping to safe guard the almost extinct Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby. Work done by Dr Mark Eldridge, Senior Research Scientist at the Australian Museum, has identified three diverse populations of these wallabies which will help with conservation and re introduction of the species back into the wild.
• The Action Plan for Threatened Australian Macropods (kangaroo and wallaby families) outlines everything needed to recover our threatened species of kangaroo and wallaby, including locations, costs and required efforts. The WWF - World Wide Fund For Nature - designed the Action Plan to help recover 21 species of kangaroo and wallaby most at risk of extinction.
  
  

Brush-tailed rock wallaby, Australia

© Ben Bishop / WWF-Aus Some rights reserved.

• You can make a donation to WWF or you can adopt a rock wallaby - 100% tax deductible donation.
  

RESOURCES:
Victorian Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Recovery Team
Friends of the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby in the Shoalhaven area of NSW.
Help us find brush-tailed rock-wallabies
Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby profile
Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Recovery Plan (pdf1.01MB)
Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby page

Read good things about The amazing Kangaroo



Good craft

Interesting, earthy crafts and the really good thing is that these generous people post free tutorials on how to make all this good stuff:
Felt owl ornament with cut out - thanks Jessica
Sunny window star from Twig and Toadstool craft classes
Magic wands - thanks Shannon from Rhythm and Rhyme

Good things come in small packages

Making things with our hands is good for the soul
These things are just so cute and just ooze goodness. Little felt gnomes and pixies in purses and handmade felt animals.
Shannon also is generously good - showing us all how to create many of her good things: beautiful fleece birds
peg doll flowers