Racing Extinction: Empire State Building Lights Up For Endangered Species

Via NBC New York:

The landmark Empire State Building, known for its stunning light displays, shined brightly with digital light projections of the world’s endangered species Saturday evening. The show was billed as a first-of-its-kind live video projection and aimed to raise awareness about animals at risk of being lost forever. The display, a project conceived by “The Cove” filmmaker Louie Psihoyos, showed a looping reel of endangered animals over a 33-floor span of the southern face of the Empire State Building. In all, 160 species were shown, including a snow leopard, golden lion tamarin, birds, snakes, manta rays, and various mammals and sea creatures. "We're set to lose half the species on the planet by the end of the century," Psihoyos said at the event. At one point an image of Cecil -- a beloved lion in Zimbabwe that was shot and killed by a U.S. dentist during an allegedly illegal hunt in July -- was shown on the building. The killing sparked off a social media firestorm and led to calls for the hunter's extradition. Coincidentally, the uproar gained international attention just days before the light show.

Organizers called the show "a weapon of mass instruction." Their series Racing Extinction will debut on Discovery in the fall.

Headline Of The Day

Details. (Tipped by JMG reader David)

The Lion King: The Retribution of Cecil

A rip on the social media reaction.

Zimbabwe To USA: Send Us That Dentist

Reuters reports:

The American dentist who killed Cecil the lion was a "foreign poacher" who paid for an illegal hunt and he should be extradited to Zimbabwe to face justice, environment minister Oppah Muchinguri said on Friday. In Harare's first official comments since Cecil's killing grabbed world headlines this week, Muchinguri said the Prosecutor General had already started the process to have 55-year-old Walter Palmer extradited from the United States. Muchinguri, a 91-year-old veteran from President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party, described Cecil - a black-maned lion well-known to foreign tourists in the Hwange National Park - as an "iconic attraction". "The illegal killing was deliberate," she told a news conference. "We are appealing to the responsible authorities for his extradition to Zimbabwe so that he can be held accountable for his illegal actions."

Late yesterday the White House announced that it will respond to the petition created by JMG participant Scott Wooledge.

Feds Investigate Lion-Killing Dentist

But does Zimbabwe even want him? Via Reuters:

"What lion?" acting information minister Prisca Mupfumira asked in response to a request for comment about Cecil, who was at that moment topping global news bulletins and generating reams of abuse for his killer on websites in the United States and Europe. The government has still given no formal response, and on Thursday the papers that chose to run the latest twist in the Cecil saga tucked it away on inside pages. One title had to rely on foreign news agency copy because it failed to send a reporter to the court appearance of two locals involved. For most people in the southern African nation, where unemployment tops 80 percent and the economy continues to feel the after-effects of billion percent hyperinflation a decade ago, the uproar had all the hallmarks of a 'First World Problem'.

Perhaps the feds are acting because the petition launched by JMG participant Scott Wooledge has now exceeded the threshold that results in an official White House response.

Yesterday In Minnesota...

Lion-Killer Apologizes To His Patients

Lion-killing Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer, whose whereabouts are still unknown, has issued an apology to his patients. An excerpt:

To my valued patients: As you may have already heard, I have been in the news over the last few days for reasons that have nothing to do with my profession or the care I provide for you. I want you to know of this situation and my involvement In addition to spending time with my family, one of my passions outside dentistry is hunting. I’ve been a life-long hunter since I was a child growing up in North Dakota. I don’t often talk about hunting with my patients because it can be a divisive and emotionally charged topic. I understand and respect that not everyone shares the same views on hunting. [snip] Again, I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion. That was never my intention. The media interest in this matter – along with a substantial number of comments and calls from people who are angered by this situation and by the practice of hunting in general – has disrupted our business and our ability to see our patients. For that disruption, I apologize profoundly for this inconvenience and promise you that we will do our best to resume normal operations as soon as possible. We are working to have patients with immediate needs referred to other dentists and will keep you informed of any additional developments. On behalf of all of us at River Bluff Dental, thank you for your support.  Sincerely, Walter J. Palmer, DDS River Bluff Dental

RELATED: Local police have barricaded the street around Palmer's office in advance of a protest planned for this evening. A parody Twitter account pretending to belong to his dental practice is posting photos.

Headline Of The Day

As you can see, Teabagistan is ever so pissed about The Hill reporting on the lion-killer's donation to Romney.

Petition Of The Day

The petition was launched by LGBT activist and JMG participant Scott Wooledge.

Jimmy Kimmel Goes Off On Lion-Killer

"Is it that difficult for you to get an erection that you have to kill things?" Kimmel goes on to get choked up while suggesting that embarrassed Americans donate to the Zimbabwe wildlife researchers entrusted with Cecil's care. Kimmel's plea has crashed the group's site at this writing.

MINNESOTA: Dentist Goes From "Suburban Obscurity To Global Infamy"

PETA: Hang The Lion-Killing Dentist

Lion-Killing Dentist Goes On The Lam

Walter Palmer, the American dentist charged in the killing of Africa's "most famous lion" has reportedly gone into hiding.

Emmanuel Fundira, the president of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, confirmed at a news conference on Tuesday that Dr. Walter Palmer is wanted for the death of Cecil the lion but that his whereabouts were unknown. Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said 'we are looking for Palmer' who allegedly paid $55,000 (£35,000) for a big game permit and traveled from his home town of Minneapolis to Africa to kill the lion. Dr. Palmer's hunting colleagues, Zimbabwean hunter Theo Bronkhorst and local landowner Honest Ndlovu are due to appear in court this week on poaching charges for allegedly killing Cecil. "We arrested two people and now we are looking for Palmer in connection with the same case," said Charamba. The much loved big cat was wounded by an arrow after he was allegedly lured out of the national park by the hunter's bait. After spending two days tracking the injured beast, Cecil was eventually found and shot dead. The corpse was then skinned and the head hacked off as a trophy.

While Palmer's current location is unknown, this afternoon the Minneapolis Star-Tribune published his statement.

"In early July, I was in Zimbabwe on a bow hunting trip for big game. I hired several professional guides and they secured all proper permits. To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted. I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt. I have not been contacted by authorities in Zimbabwe or in the U.S. about this situation, but will assist them in any inquiries they may have. Again, I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion."

Palmer's accomplices face up to either ten or fifteen years in a Zimbabwean prison, according to conflicting reports. It's not clear what punishment Palmer would face should he be extradited back to Africa. An extradition treaty between the United States and Zimbabwe was signed in 1997 and went into effect in 2000.

ZIMBABWE: American Dentist Exposed As Killer Of Beloved Cecil The Lion

Via the Telegraph:

Cecil the lion – the most famous creature in one of Zimbabwe's national parks – was killed by an American hunter who has boasted about shooting a menagerie of animals with his bow and arrow, The Telegraph can reveal. Walter Palmer (above left), a dentist from Minnesota, is believed to have paid £35,000 to shoot and kill the much-loved lion with a bow and arrow. The animal was shot on July 1 in Hwange National Park. Two independent sources have confirmed the hunter's identity to the paper, which has also seen a copy of the relevant hunting permit. Conservation groups in Zimbabwe reacted angrily to the news that the 13-year-old animal had been killed: partly because the lion was known to visitors and seemingly enjoyed human contact, and partly because of the way in which he was killed. He was lured out of the national park and shot.

Palmer and the man who assisted him have been charged with poaching. At the link you'll find photos of Palmer posing with other killed animals including a leopard and a white rhino. He has previously been convicted of illegally killing a black bear in Wisconsin.

Candygram

The BBC reports:

An Australian surfer has made an incredible escape after encountering two sharks during a major competition in South Africa. Mick Fanning was competing in Jeffreys Bay, on the eastern Cape, when one of the sharks approached his surfboard. The final of the J-Bay Open had only just started when Fanning was knocked off his surfboard and into the sea. Fanning, the defending champion, escaped injury. The tournament was called off soon afterwards. "I was just sitting there and I felt something just get stuck in my leg rope, and I was kicking trying to get it away," Fanning told Fox Sports. "I just saw fins. I was waiting for the teeth."

NYC Bridges Get Baby Peregrine Falcons

Endangered peregrine falcon pairs have been nesting atop three New York City bridges and city environmentalists are tagging the twelve newborns with the help of the MTA.

Each year around the end of May research scientist Chris Nadareski, of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, climbs to the top of the three bridges and puts identifying bands on the falcon chicks. This helps wildlife experts keep track of the number of peregrines in the city, and identify them in case they become sick or injured. This year he was assisted by Barbara Saunders of the state DEC. The bandings took place on May 28 and May 29 when the falcon chicks were about three weeks old. Peregrine falcons were nearly wiped out in the 1960s as a result of pesticides in their food supply, and remain on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation endangered birds list. Urban falcons like to nest atop bridges, church steeples and high-rise buildings because they provide an excellent vantage point for hunting prey, including pigeons and small birds.

This clip was made at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

Mary Lee Shark Visits The Big Apple

Mary Lee is a tagged Great White shark currently prowling the surf just off Jones Beach. Gothamist calls her a "16-foot-long, 3,500 pound murder machine, with 300 teeth and a lust for the blood of your children." You can join Mary Lee's 37K followers on Twitter or track her exact location at OSEARCH. Candygram!

Headline Of The Day

It's not what you think. Or maybe it is. (Tipped by JMG reader Blair)

NEW MEXICO: Grasshopper Swarms Are So Dense They Show Up On Weather Radar

Via ABC News:

The worst grasshopper infestation in 20 years has become so thick around Albuquerque, N.M., that the airborne bugs are showing up on weather radar, officials said today. “Albuquerque has not seen these levels of grasshoppers since the early-mid 1990′s,” said John R. Garlisch, extension agent at Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension Service. The National Weather Service said the air is so dense with the bugs that they appear on its radar like rain. The swarm, the worst in two decades, is being blamed on the drought. “There wasn’t enough winter to kill the egg pots. Because of the dry winter the eggs survived, hence the outbreak of grasshoppers,” David B. Richman, professor emeritus at the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science, New Mexico State University said.

You know what else New Mexico has? Paging Cindy Jacobs...

Lion Cubs Pass National Zoo Swim Test

Today in Washington DC:

Four African lion cubs born to Shera on March 2 had their swim reliability test this morning. All lion cubs at the Smithsonian's National Zoo must take a swim test, carefully monitored by the animal care team, before going on exhibit. As part of the test they must prove that they can swim to land and pull themselves out of the water. All of the cubs passed. They are now one step closer to going on exhibit in a few weeks with their aunts and half siblings.