Three bottlenose dolphins were released into the open sea in Indonesia Saturday after years of being confined for the amusement of tourists who would touch and swim with them. As red and white Indonesian flags fluttered, underwater gates opened off the island of Bali to allow Johnny, Rocky and Rambo to swim free. The trio were rescued three years ago from their tiny pool in a resort hotel to which they had been sold after spending years performing in a traveling circus. They regained their health and strength at the Bali sanctuary , a floating pen in a bay that provided a gentler, more natural environment. Lincoln O’Barry, who worked with the Indonesian government to set up the Umah Lumba Rehabilitation, Release and Retirement Center, said dolphins are wild animals that should live free. “It was an incredibly emotional experience to see them go,” O’Barrry said. The center was initiated in 2019 by the Bali Forestry Department and the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry. “Umah lumba” means “dolphin” in Indonesian. For some time after the gates opened, the dolphins looked at the opening, uncertain of their next move. But after about an hour, they were on their way, sometimes jumping over choppy waves. The Associated Press watched their release through an online livestream. O’Barry is documenting the release with drones and underwater footage for a film. The Indonesian government supported the dolphins’ rescue, working with Dolphin Project, founded by Lincoln’s father Ric O’Barry, who was also at the release. Ric O’Barry had been the dolphin trainer for the 1960s TV show “Flipper,” but later came to see the toll exacted on the animals. He has since devoted his life to returning dolphins to the wild. Center workers clapped as the dolphins swam out. Wahyu Lestari, rehabilitation coordinator at the center, said she was a bit sad to see them go. “I’m happy they are free, and they are going back to their family,” she said. “They should be in the wild because they are born in the wild.” The freed dolphins will be monitored out at sea with GPS tracking for a year. They can return for visits to the sanctuary, although it’s unclear what they will do. They may join another pod, stay together, or go their separate ways. Dolphins in captivity are carted from town to town, kept in chlorinated water, held in isolation or forced to interact with tourists, often leading to injuries. Read: Sick dolphin calf improves with tube-fed milk, helping hands Johnny, the oldest dolphin, had teeth that were worn down to below the gum line when he was rescued in 2019. Earlier this year, dentists provided him with dolphin-style dental crowns so that he can now clamp down on live fish. Johnny was the first of the three dolphins to swim out to sea. Ric and Lincoln O’Barry have spent half a century working on saving dolphins from captivity in locations from Brazil to South Korea and the U.S. Saturday’s release was their first in Indonesia. The Indonesian government’s decision to rescue the dolphins followed a decade-long public education campaign that included billboards, artwork, school programs and a drive asking people not to buy tickets to dolphin shows. A government minister was at hand to raise the gate at the sanctuary Saturday. Lincoln O’Barry said the Indonesian sanctuary will continue to be used for other captive dolphins. Similar sanctuaries are in the works in North America and Europe, as more dolphin shows close. With virtual reality and other technology, appreciation of nature doesn’t have to involve a zoo or a dolphin show, he said. Yet dolphin shows are still popular in China, the Middle East and Japan. In Japan, the father and son have drawn attention to the dolphin hunt in the town of Taiji, documented in the 2010 Oscar-winning film “The Cove.” Every year, fishermen frighten and corral dolphins into a cove, capture some to sell to dolphin shows and kill others for food. Whale and dolphin meat is considered a delicacy in Japanese culinary tradition. But Taiji has prompted protests by conservationists for years, including some Japanese. The three dolphins released in Indonesia were soon miles (kilometers) away in the waters. But before their departure, they circled around the sanctuary. “They turned back around and came back to us one more time, almost to say thank you and good-bye. And then they headed straight out to open ocean and disappeared,” Lincoln O’Barry said.   “Where they head next, we don’t know. But we wish them a good long life.”

The artists have taken a swipe against the recent "attacks" on films such as "Hawa" and "Saturday Afternoon." At the press conference "Golpo Bolar Swadhinata Chai" at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital Thursday, they questioned the lawsuit for allegedly violating wildlife conservation laws by the Forest Department's Wildlife Crime Prevention Unit against “Hawa” Director Mejbaur Rahman Sumon and demanding a proper explanation for why Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s much-anticipated film "Saturday afternoon" is stuck at the Bangladesh Film Censor Board. The artists put forward a five-point demand. A large number of artists joined the press conference, uniquely designed with barbed wire-fenced tables, organized by the country's entertainment industry's producers, artists, and associates. They demanded freedom of expression for Bangladeshi entertainment content, as well as justice for the two films - "Saturday Afternoon" and "Hawa." Popular artists and content makers, including Nasir Uddin Yousuff, Jaya Ahsan, Chanchal Chowdhury, Morshedul Islam, Tariq Anam Khan, Afsana Mimi, Shampa Reza, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, Zahid Hasan, Nurul Alam Atique, Masum Reza, Kamar Ahmad Simon, Piplu R Khan, Gias Uddin Selim, Gousul Alam Shaon, Iresh Zaker, Afran Nisho, Azmeri Haque Badhan, Zakia Bari Momo, Nazifa Tushi, and singer Shibu Kumer Shill among others, joined the press conference on Thursday. The five demands are immediate withdrawal of the case against "Hawa" under wildlife conservation laws, a well-justified explanation from the censor board on why "Saturday Afternoon" is not cleared by the censor board and not getting a clearance certificate, the abolishment of the censor board alongside the implementation of an updated and inclusive film certification law with the participation and consultation of all stakeholders, establishment of an updated and inclusive OTT policy with the participation and consultation of all stakeholders and assurance of prior notice before filing any case related to film or content, which must be discussed with the relevant authority. Expressing concerns against the ongoing situations, artists and content makers opined that visual arts, such as film, cannot be created with passion and perfection if such barriers are put forward. “Saturday Afternoon” Director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki said, “It’s been three years, yet I did not receive any logical explanation on why “Saturday Afternoon” is not cleared by the censor board. We have appealed against the decision from time to time, yet the situation is not resolved and our film did not get the censor certificate.” “Films are like the headlights of society, and society cannot move forward nor progress if the headlights are forcefully turned off. We sincerely demand the release of our film from the censor board,” Farooki added. Echoing the same, Jaya Ahsan said, “We don’t understand why this film is not cleared for this long. Didn't the Holey Artisan event take place in reality? A novel has been published on the incident, why can't we get the release of “Saturday Afternoon” about the same issue? This film has been unnecessarily put under the fire for no logical reason at all.” Demanding justice against “Hawa,” she added: "Personally, I am known for being an animal advocate. In our surroundings, if we look at the pet market in the capital’s Nilkhet-Kataban area, animals are being treated inhumanely. What is the concerned authority doing in this regard? Films are fiction, should we stop making films?" The artists and content makers expressed their aspiration to see prompt actions from the concerned authorities to resolve the issues and fulfilment of their five-point demands.   Also read: Legal notice seeks complete ban on screening Hawa

A seven-foot long python was rescued while people were fishing in a pond in Barishal on Saturday. The residents of ward 26 of Barishal city handed over the python to the Forest Department on Sunday noon, said Gazi Mohammad Abul Bashar, Forest Officer of Barishal Sadar upazila. Jayanata Shil, a local, said while fishing in a pond at Natunhat area a youth named Abul Kalam caught the python thinking it was a fish. Also raed: Rescued python released in Sundarbans “These local species of python usually live in the Sundarbans. This one might have come here through the rivers,” said forest officer Gazi Mohammad. The python, aged around 8 years, will be released in the Sundarbans as the wildlife department of Khulna has been informed, he said. Also raed: Python released in Kaptai National Park  

The government has taken a plan to create mangrove forestry in 17000 hectors of land during 2021-22 to 2023-24 fiscal aiming to protect and preserve forestry and wildlife, according to an official document. Besides, an updated version of Climate Fiscal Framework will be published in line with Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 and SDGs. Addressing climate change towards maintaining sustainable environment and optimum forest coverage is a priority for the government. The Bangladesh Climate Fiscal Framework 2020 has been developed as an updated version of Climate Fiscal Framework 2014 by Finance Division with support from its Inclusive Budgeting and Financing for Climate Resilience (IBFCR) Project. The project is financed by Government of Bangladesh and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Bangladesh Delta Plan (BDP) 2100 is a long-term, integrated, and holistic vision of water and land management throughout Bangladesh. It aims to support the country’s long-term development in the face of the opportunities and risks that emerge from the interface between water, climate change, and human activity. Bangladesh has made great strides in development under the Sixth Five Year Plan (FY2010–FY2015), and aspires to build on this momentum to reach upper middle-income country status and eliminate extreme poverty. Bangladesh is also the sixth most vulnerable country in the world to natural hazards such as flooding and cyclones. The frequency and intensity of these natural hazards will increase with climate change. In medium term, as per the document, initiatives will be taken to implement projects or programmes for adaptation to, and mitigation of, climate change, reduction of environment pollution, improvement of biodiversity and enhancement of mangrove forest in coastal areas. Moreover, the target of distributing dividends among the beneficiaries involved in social forestry has been set Tk 93 crore for the fiscal year of 2023-24. The ministry of water resources is managing integrated water resources management and thus complying with its responsibility of ensuring sustainable water supply in the country. The ministry has given highest importance to excavation and re-excavation of rivers and canals, constructing and maintenance of infrastructures and development of Haors and Baors. As part of Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, the official document stated, initiatives have been taken to reconstruct small rivers, canals and water bodies in 64 districts. “Steps have already been taken to establish Climate Smart Integrated Coastal Resource Database (CSICRD).” CSICRD includes raising the navigability of rivers by dredging to prevent river erosion. This will also ensure supply of water during the lean season. Read Kuakata Sea Beach, Bangladesh: Magnificent sunrise, sunset views to remember  

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin said on Tuesday that the government is working to take a zero tolerance policy to prevent killing of elephants and other wildlife. “Elephant killing should be stopped at any cost. The government took legal action against those involved in the killing of wild elephants in recent times,” said the minister. The minister said at a view-exchange meeting with local administration and people's representatives on elephant conservation and resolving elephant and human conflict and handing over compensation checks to the people affected by elephants in Chattogram. Read: Father, son land in jail for killing elephant in Chattogram He said the government is committed to prevent killing of elephants, tigers or any other wildlife. Referring to various initiatives taken by the government for protecting the elephants, the minister said punishment of elephant killers and compensation for the victims of elephant attack is being ensured along with creating public awareness.  “Arrangements are being made to train the staff of the forest department concerned for resolving the elephant-human conflict, returning the elephants to forests when they enter localities and raising awareness among people,” he said. Moreover, the conventional roads and corridors for elephant movement are being restored, he said adding that banana trees and other herbaceous plants will be cultivated  to ensure supply of elephant feed, he added. The family of a person who was killed in the elephant attack was given Tk 3 lakh and  two others were given Tk 45000 each for crop damage as compensation.  Read:Another elephant found dead in Chattogram Earlier on Nov 22, the High Court directed the government authorities to take prompt action against elephant killings in the country. The court also issued a rule and directed the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to spread awareness on preventing elephant killings.

Animals play a significant role in the ecosystem by maintaining the balance of the environment. In addition to the country's sanctuaries, the zoos are supposed to take proper measures to provide food for the health of the animals. Even then, it is often seen that visitors at the zoo try to feed the animals their own food, which can have detrimental effects on both animals and visitors. Let's find out the reasons not to feed the animals your food at the zoo. Why you shouldn’t feed the animals your food at the zoo Breaking dietary control You will be surprised to know that animals are kept on a specific diet based on their species at the zoo. Generally, critters’ digestive system is very sensitive as they take time to evolve with the food they are given. At the zoo, they are trained to systematically cope with the food they are given. Therefore, human food, in this case, becomes a new thing for them to adapt to. Eventually, they can keep rejecting their daily food due to random taking in despite the timetable. This can lead to a decline in their ability to survive. Moreover, some human food is full of additives including sodium and sugars. You often take high processed fried and spicy food, sugary drinks, sausages, and alcohol at the zoo. These are very poisonous to critters. This would cause some severe health issues. A deformity called "angel wing" is often seen in geese and ducks who are regularly fed white crackers, bread, and popcorn. Moreover, a diet that is good for you can pose a serious risk to animals, especially young ones, who need certain nutrients as they grow older. Read:Post pandemic wanderlust list: Best international destinations to travel Damaging reproduction system Everyday artificial feeding can push animals into unbalanced reproduction. By stopping feeding, you can cut off the supply of those artificial foods to the animals. This may prevent the animal from relying on natural resources for additional breeding. Reproductive imbalances affect not just one species, but an entire ecosystem, leading to unintended environmental consequences. In the case of pregnant animals, it is difficult to give birth. In many cases, the baby critter may even die at birth. Suffering from various diseases The zookeepers may have to deal with various diseases which lead them to emergency treatment for animals. Starting from a general bad feeling to a big disease like diarrhea even death in the ultimate case can occur. Like a human, critters also have stomach bugs. It can happen from any type of inappropriate food you give them. The horrible thing is that a health issue named bloat happens to Ruminate species of animals like Giraffe that eat too many wrong types of foods. It happens when the rumen pH inside them becomes inconsistent. Accordingly, the foods in their stomach are getting fermented. Foods then start to be foam which in turn can’t pass the gases away. As a result, diarrhea and sometimes even death can occur within a few hours if it is in an acute state. Read UAE becomes world’s most vaccinated nation against COVID-19: Bloomberg's Vaccine Tracker Moreover, a stick or leaves can also be harmful to animals. You must know that plants have tannins, a natural compound that helps protect them from prey. Tannic acid, produced by these plants in huge quantities, can lead to nausea, stomach irritation, liver damage, and vomiting.

With climate change threatening the sea ice habitat of Emperor penguins, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday announced a proposal to list the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. “The lifecycle of Emperor penguins is tied to having stable sea ice, which they need to breed, to feed and to molt,” said Stephanie Jenouvrier, a penguin ecologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Read:Study: Northwest heat wave impossible without climate change Research published Tuesday in the journal Global Change Biology found that by 2100, 98% of Emperor penguin colonies may be pushed to the brink of extinction, if no changes are made to current rates of carbon emissions and climate change. Around 70% of colonies will be in danger sooner, by 2050. The new study looked at overall warming trends and the increasing likelihood of extreme weather fluctuations due to global warming. And it noted that extremely low levels of sea ice in 2016 led to a massive breeding failure of an Emperor penguin colony in Antarctica’s Halley Bay. That year, seasonal sea ice broke up before penguin chicks had time to develop waterproof adult feathers, and about 10,000 baby birds drowned, Jenouvrier said. The colony did not recover afterward. Read:120,000-year-old fossils in Israel link to human family tree Emperor penguins breed exclusively in Antarctica during winter. They endure temperatures of minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 40 degrees Celsius) and wind speeds approaching 90 miles (144 kilometers) per hour by huddling together in groups of several thousand birds. But they can’t survive without sufficient sea ice. “These penguins are hard hit by the climate crisis, and the U.S. government is finally recognizing that threat,” said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity. The U.S. government has previously listed species outside the country as threatened, including the polar bear, which lives in Arctic regions and is also imperiled by climate change and sea ice loss. Emperor penguins — the world’s largest penguins — currently number about 270,000 to 280,000 breeding pairs, or 625,000 to 650,000 individuals. The proposed listing will be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday to open to a 60-day public comment period. Read:NASA sends squid from Hawaii into space for research Listing the bird provides protections such as prohibition against importing them for commercial purposes. Potential impacts on penguins must also be evaluated by U.S. marine fisheries currently operating in Antarctica. “Climate change, a priority challenge for this Administration, impacts a variety of species throughout the world,” said Martha Williams, principal deputy director of the wildlife service. “The decisions made by policymakers today and during the next few decades will determine the fate of the Emperor penguin.”

The nation’s largest wildfire torched more dry forest in Oregon and forced the evacuation of a wildlife research station Monday as firefighters had to retreat from the flames for the ninth consecutive day due to erratic and dangerous fire behavior. Firefighters were forced to pull back as flames, pushed by winds and fueled by bone-dry conditions, jumped fire-retardant containment lines and pushed up to 4 miles into new territory, authorities said. The destructive Bootleg Fire in south-central Oregon is just north of the California border and grew to more than 476 square miles (1,210 square kilometers), an area about the size of Los Angeles. READ: Wildfires rage in Russia’s Siberia, cause airport to close Fire crews were also rushing to corral multiple “slop fires” — patches of flames that escaped fire lines meant to contain the blaze — before they grew in size. One of those smaller fires was already nearly 4 square miles (10 square kilometers) in size. Thunderstorms with dry lightning were possible Monday as well, heightening the dangers. “We are running firefighting operations through the day and all through the night,” said Joe Hessel, incident commander. “This fire is a real challenge, and we are looking at sustained battle for the foreseeable future.” On Monday, the fire reached the southern edge of Sycan Marsh, a privately owned wetland that hosts thousands of migrating birds and is a key research station on wetland restoration.The blaze, which was 25% contained, has burned at least 67 homes and 100 buildings while threatening thousands more in a remote landscape of forests, lakes and wildlife refuges. At the other end of the state, a fire in the mountains of northeast Oregon grew to nearly 19 square miles (49 square kilometers). READ: Huge Oregon blaze grows as wildfires burn across western US   The Elbow Creek Fire that started Thursday has prompted evacuations in several small, rural communities around the Grande Ronde River about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Walla Walla, Washington. It was 10% contained. Natural features of the area act like a funnel for wind, feeding the flames and making them unpredictable, officials said. In California, a growing wildfire south of Lake Tahoe jumped a highway, prompting more evacuation orders, the closure of the Pacific Crest Trail and the cancellation of an extreme bike ride through the Sierra Nevada. The Tamarack Fire, which was sparked by lightning on July 4, had charred about 36 square miles (93 square kilometers) of dry brush and timber as of Monday. Crews were improving a line protecting Markleeville, a small town close to the California-Nevada state line. It has destroyed at least two structures, authorities said. About 500 fire personnel were battling the flames Sunday, “focusing on preserving life and property with point protection of structures and putting in containment lines where possible,” the U.S. Forest Service said. Meteorologists predicted critically dangerous fire weather with lightning possible through at least Monday in both California and southern Oregon.“With the very dry fuels, any thunderstorm has the potential to ignite new fire starts,” the National Weather Service in Sacramento, California, said on Twitter. Extremely dry conditions and heat waves tied to climate change have swept the region, making wildfires harder to fight. Climate change has made the West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. Firefighters said in July they were facing conditions more typical of late summer or fall. Northern California’s Dixie Fire roared to new life Sunday, prompting new evacuation orders in rural communities near the Feather River Canyon. The wildfire, near the 2018 site of the deadliest U.S. blaze in recent memory, was 15% contained and covered 39 square miles. The fire is northeast of the town of Paradise, California, and survivors of that horrific fire that killed 85 people watched warily as the new blaze burned. Pacific Gas & Electric equipment may have been involved in the start of the Dixie Fire, the nation’s largest utility reported to California regulators. PG&E said in a report Sunday to the California Public Utilities Commission that a repair man responding to a circuit outage on July 13 spotted blown fuses in a conductor atop a pole, a tree leaning into the conductor and fire at the base of the tree. The Dixie Fire has grown to nearly 47 square miles (122 square kilometers), largely in remote wilderness. The utility said investigators with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection have collected equipment from the location. READ: Fires threaten Indigenous lands in desiccated Northwest PG&E equipment has repeatedly been linked to major wildfires, including a 2018 fire that ravaged the town of Paradise and killed 85 people. At least 16 major fires were burning in the Pacific Northwest alone, according to the Forest Service.

A rare red coral kukri snake was spotted again in Kajoldighi union of Panchagarh on Tuesday night.This time, it was rescued by a local name Md Shahiduzzaman Shahid.The snake was released at a suitable habitat at Natunhat area in Boda Upazila at the advice of Wildlife Inspector of Forest Department Abdullah Sadiq. Also read: Tk75 crore snake venom seized in DhakaShahid said, "Many people gathered to see the snake at a neighbouring house when it entered there. I rescued it and kept it with me before handing it over to the experts."Wildlife photographer and conservationist Feroz Al Saba was among the three people who took the snake from Shahid and brought it to forest department officials. He said, "This rare species of snake has been spotted in Panchagarh three times in a row." Read Crocodile lays 44 eggs at Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Centre"As these snakes cannot bear sunlight, the rescued snake was released at a suitable place at night," he added.According to researchers, the mild venomous snake was seen no more than 30 times in the world.It has been spotted thrice in Bangladesh -- in Panchagarh on every occasion. The last time the snake was seen was in February this year. It was spotted the first time in the district last year. Read Tortoise lays 21 eggs in Sundarban’s Karamjal

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged governments, businesses and people everywhere to scale up efforts to conserve forests and forest species, and to support and listen to the voices of forest communities.