2024-10-24
More than 1,300 pea-sized, critically endangered snails that were bred in a zoo have been set free to wander (very slowly) on a remote Atlantic island.
The release brings two species of Desertas Grande Island land snails back to the wild. Prior to this they were believed to be extinct – neither species had been spotted for a century.
When a team of conservationists found a small population surviving on the rocky cliffs of Desertas Grande island, close to Madeira, they mounted a rescue effort.
The snails were brought to zoos in the UK and France, including Chester Zoo, where a home was created for them in a converted shipping container.
The tiny molluscs are native to the windswept, mountainous island of Desertas Grande, just south-east of Madeira. Habitat there has been destroyed by rats, mice and goats that were brought to the island by humans.
It was thought that all these invasive predators had eaten the tiny snails to extinction. Then a series of conservation expeditions – between 2012 and 2017 – proved otherwise.
Conservationists discovered just 200 surviving individuals on the island.
Those snails were believed to be the last of their kind, so they were collected and brought into captivity.
At Chester Zoo, the conservation science team made a new home for 60 of the precious snails. The right food, vegetation and conditions were recreated in miniature habitat tanks.
1,329 snail offspring, bred at the zoo, have now been marked with identification dots – using non-toxic pens and nail varnish – and transported back to the wild for release.
“It’s a colour code,” said Dinarte Teixeira, a conservation biologist at Madeira’s Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests. “This will allow us to spot them and track where they disperse to, how much they grow, how many survive and how well they adapt to their new environment.”
A wild refuge has been restored for the snails on Bugio, a smaller neighbouring island in the Ilhas Desertas (Desert Islands) archipelago. Bugio is a nature reserve and invasive species have been eradicated there.
Gerardo Garcia from Chester Zoo said that the reintroduction was “a major step in a species recovery plan”.
“If it goes as well as we hope, more snails will follow them next spring. It’s a huge team effort which shows that it is possible to turn things around for highly threatened species.”
“These snails are such an important part of the natural habitat [on the islands they come from],” explained Heather Prince from Chester Zoo. As well as being food for other native species, she explained, snails break down organic matter and bring nutrients to the soil.
“They help plants grow. All of that is dependent on the little guys – the insects and the snails that so often get overlooked.”
[BBC]
India has mourned one of its longest-serving prime ministers, Manmohan Singh, with a state funeral in Delhi.
Singh led the country from 2004 to 2014 and was considered the architect of India’s economic liberalisation. He died on Thursday aged 92.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present at the ceremony on Saturday. He has called Singh one of the country’s “most distinguished leaders”.
Mourners turned out across the capital to pay their respects as Singh’s coffin, flanked by an honour guard, was taken through the city to the cremation grounds.
His eldest daughter lit his funeral pyre at the crematorium in front of Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and senior members of Singh’s Congress Party.
Foreign dignitaries such as the King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful were also in attendance.
Singh received full state honours in a ceremony that included a 21-gun salute.
Following his death on Thursday night, the government declared seven days of national mourning.
Paying tribute shortly after his death, Modi said Singh’s “wisdom and humility were always visible” during their interactions and that he had “made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives” as prime minister.
Opposition congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was also present at the funeral, said he had lost “a mentor and a guide”.
Among foreign tributes, US President Joe Biden said his country’s “unprecedented level of cooperation” with India would not have been possible without Singh’s “strategic vision and political courage.”
“He was a true statesman. A dedicated public servant. And above all, he was a kind and humble person”, Biden said in a statement.
Singh changed India’s economic growth trajectory during his time as prime minister and as the country’s finance minister in 1991.
He is remembered for saying in his first budget speech: “No power on Earth can stop an idea whose time has come”.
He continued to build on his economic reform measures as prime minister, lifting millions out of poverty and contributing to India’s rise as one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies.
[BBC]
News
Building a skilled workforce capable of meeting the needs of local and global labor markets is a key objective of the government’s development vision – Prime Minister
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized that building a skilled workforce capable of meeting the needs of both local and global labor markets is a key objective of the government’s development vision.
The Prime Minister made these remarks on 27th December at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall [BMICH] during the certificate awarding ceremony for students who completed diploma programs under the Sri Lanka Vocational Training Authority.
At the event, certificates were awarded to 761 young individuals who successfully completed diploma courses across thirteen subjects.
Speaking further, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated: “For a country, a nation, or a society to develop, it requires individuals with diverse skills. Our government is committed to ensuring that no one is left behind in the education system. Youth must acquire skills that are directly relevant to achieving full employment, and we must foster a workforce with entrepreneurial capabilities. This approach will help bridge the skills gap between the labor market and the youth community.
Our policy statement emphasizes providing technical and vocational education from school to tertiary levels, allowing broader access to education and training opportunities that align with labor market needs.
Every profession should be valued, and individuals entering any profession should feel recognized and important as members of society. Instilling confidence that they can thrive in their chosen careers is essential.
The youth of Sri Lanka possess immense potential to shape a better future for the country. To utilize this, we must prioritize the development of vocational and technical education, improve training infrastructure, enhance training quality through capacity development, and create diverse pathways for youth to pursue vocational education.
The government is dedicated to expanding opportunities for young people in the vocational and technical education sector to build a skilled workforce aligned with local and global demands.”
The Acting Chairman of the Vocational Training Authority Samanthi Senanayake, Director General Major General Priyantha Weerasinghe, and diploma recipients attended the event.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
1,329 tiny snails released on remote island
India mourns ex-PM Manmohan Singh with full state funeral
Building a skilled workforce capable of meeting the needs of local and global labor markets is a key objective of the government’s development vision – Prime Minister
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