I ran across a great article today. It was the first time I had heard mention of a grolar bear...the hybrid cross of a grizzly bear and a polar bear. They have done it in zoos, but in the wild? The first one seen in the wild was taken by hunters in 2006. Prior to this confirmation of a grolar bear in the wild, it was thought there were only 17 existing in zoos. This could be a concern on many fronts, but for those that don't think there is climate change going on, and that science doesn't know what it is talking about...no worries. For those of us that believe climate change is real...this is one to think about. A bear larger than a grizzly, without the morality or good taste shown by most griz in not eating humans is a frightening thought. Polar bears are known to hunt and eat humans given the opportunity...in their world, any protein is edible. With an expectation that there will be no summer ice flow in the Artic Sea by 2060, polar bears and grizzly bears will be sharing the same habitat, and the possibility and even probability of more of these grolar bears becomes more real. About time the grizzly found a way to even up the score. With increasing numbers of grizzlies in the lower 48, there is talk of them being removed from the Endangered Species Act. At least 45 grizzlies have been reported killed so far this year, mostly by hunters in self-defence or government wildlife officials. But wildlife officials estimate the true number is above 60. Two people have been fatally mauled, one in Montana and one in Wyoming.
The US National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Juneau, Alaska, found 34 possible hybridizations between discreet populations or species of large mammals living in or near to the Arctic. Loss of polar ice could become perilous for many of these populations.
In a previous blog, I had mentioned the decline of the honeybee in North America. The theories that have popped up to explain why the North American honey bee population has fallen off have included: electromagnetic radiation, malnutrition, and climate change. Now, these have all been pinpointed. A new article I read shows that the EPA allowed bee-toxic pesticides be used, while subsidizing honey on the agricultural market. Is this really a case of the government comitting genocide on honey bees while paying beekeepers for their honey...or just a "mistake" on the EPAs side?
"Clothianidin has already been banned by Germany, France, Italy, and Slovenia for its toxic effects. So why won't the EPA follow? The answer probably has something to do with the American affinity for corn products. But without honey bees, our entire food supply is in trouble."
Birds: This past week, I have sold several of my late hatches and have eggs in a couple of nests. Pictures will be coming soon.
Honey: Mixing the next batch of Mead...but a little discouraged about more in the future with the EPA's stance.
