by Loti | Apr 18, 2013 | Animals, Food, New Zealand
New Zealand. Green Lipped Mussels. Very pretty and it turns out really good for you, too. Unfortunately they are endemic to New Zealand, meaning they only grow in the coastal waters of New Zealand. No where else. They are, however, exported to many countries including the U.S. If you have a dog and feed him/her Greenies, then you may be enhancing your dog’s diet with powdered green lipped muscles. The Joint Care Greenies are made from the mussels and have been shown in studies to help alleviate signs of arthritis in dogs. Cool! And if they help our dogs, wouldn’t the same go for us humans? Well, yes. In limited studies, freeze dried green lipped mussels have helped people with improved joint mobility and pain (you can buy them in capsules and no, this is not a recommendation for them). They are very high in Omega 3 and may rival fish oil some day. But the great thing about these mussels-they are one of the most environmentally friendly of any food we can eat. They are grown from wild spat (mussel seed harvested from seaweed washed up on the beach) on long ropes suspended in the ocean. They eat plankton so no feed is needed and they have zero impact on our environment. So next time you are in a restaurant, look for these beautiful, healthy for you mussels. I know I will!...
by Loti | Apr 11, 2013 | Animals, Endangered Species, Tasmania
Tasmania. So who is this cute little guy? Well the Tasmanian Devil, of course. What? There really is a Tasmanian Devil and he/she lives in Tasmania? And it is not a Looney Toon cartoon (remember Taz?). Well first, let’s figure out where Tasmania is since I didn’t know until I visited there a couple of years ago. Tasmania is an island located 150 miles off the Australian coast to the South. It is the only place in the world where the Tasmanian Devil lives in the wild. Outside of Australia, the only place to see the devils is the Copenhagen Zoo where 4 were presented as a gift when the Crown Prince of Denmark, whose Mother is Tasmanian, was born in 2005. No other zoos outside Australia have them. Weird. Devils are the largest carnivorous marsupial (quite a mouthful). Think back to biology, marsupials are mammals that carry their young in a pouch including kangaroos, possums and wombats (which happen to be the devil’s favorite food). Being carnivorous, they consume all of their prey including bones, skin and flesh acting as a vacuum cleaner for the forests. And they are yet another endangered species with 85% of the population being wiped out by a contagious facial cancer that spreads when the devils bite each other through mating or feeding. Scientists are trying to develop a cure and also establish disease free colonies to prevent possible extinction in the next 20 years. Let’s hope it works so you can see a devil next time you are in Tasmania! ...
by Loti | Apr 3, 2013 | Animals, Malaysia
Malaysia. I am always interested in maps as I really don’t have a clue where many countries are located in relationship to other countries. Take Malaysia. It is split in 2 by a wide expanse of the South China Sea. News to me. So on our Eastern Oriental Express train ride we started in Singapore, traversed the entire country of Malaysia and then crossed over into Thailand, ending in Bangkok. Little did I know that we had only traveled through part of Malaysia and had not entered East Malaysia located on the Island of Borneo. Hmmm. Where have I heard of Borneo? Of course, Borneo Pygmy elephants, only found on the North east tip of Borneo. And I have since learned Borneo is the 3rd largest Island in the world and includes not only part of Malaysia, but also Indonesia and Brunei. > Just 3 months ago, in Jan 2013, 14 Pygmy elephants were found dead, believed to have been accidentally poisoned by palm oil farmers. A baby elephant survived and is now being raised by zookeepers. Only about 1200 pygmy elephants remain in the wild so let’s hope Baby Joe, as the baby was nicknamed, continues to thrive....
by Loti | Mar 29, 2013 | Animals, Thailand
Thailand. So I have been wondering more about the mirror test used with elephants and the 3 other species (which of course, you remember) to determine if they recognize themselves. How exactly is this done? Well a very large mirror, 8 x 8, is used which the elephant smells, touches and feels until he/she gets used to it. Then a large circle or X is painted on their forehead. If the elephant touches the painted spot on their body, using the mirror to see it, then they recognize themselves. This is part of the research being done with the elephant I am riding in the photo. And that is not all. I just read about an elephant that figured out how to use a box, to stand on, to get some fruit tied above his head, out of his reach. Wow! So an elephant can use a tool. And so can octopus, sea otters and rodents. Yes, even rats. So much to learn. More to follow!...
by Loti | Mar 22, 2013 | Animals, Food, Thailand
Thailand. Frogs for sale in a Northern Thailand market. I guess if I had grown up eating frogs instead of chicken, I wouldn’t be so put off by the thought of eating them. But wait, that may be a really good thing. How so? Frogs are amphibians (another cool word) living on both land and in the water, unlike reptiles that only live on land. And frogs are one of the most rapidly disappearing animal on Earth due to over harvesting and disease. Some reports indicate we could see up to one third of all amphibians go extinct in our lifetime, which would be the largest mass extinction since the dinosaur and have serious environmental impacts. Just think of all the Mosquitos they eat! Some are taking action. France has banned the collection and sale of all native frogs due to a declining population. Unfortunately, at the same time, they increased their imports making them one of the largest frog importers along with Belgium and the US. Most frogs are imported from Indonesia including Thailand, severely putting the frog populations at risk in the export countries. In the US, the famous San Francisco restaurant, Gary Danko, removed frog legs from their menu in 2010 (I have eaten there once and it was fabulous) and Wegman’s, the grocery chain, removed them from all their stores due to the environmental impact. So next time you are offered a frog leg, think twice. It is the small choices we make every day that make a difference. ...
by Loti | Mar 20, 2013 | Africa, Animals, Thailand
Thailand. While this photo is not Motty, it is of a very happy baby elephant crunching on sugar cane at The Four Seasons Resort. I am about a foot away from her with more sugar cane in my hand. Very fun! So who is Motty? Motty was the only known hybrid born from a African and Asian elephant mating. He was born in 1978 at The Chester Zoo in England and sadly died after 12 days from an umbilical infection despite intensive human intervention. Having characteristics of both parents he looks very cute in old photos. Normally African and Asian elephants are not in the same geographic area so they don’t have an opportunity to mate. And they are actually 2 different species so cross breeding is very difficult. Which got me to thinking, do other species cross breed? Well of course? There is the zebroid (zebra and horse), the cama (camel and llama), the pizzly (polar bear and grizzly) and no I am not making this up, the wholphin, a cross between a dolphin and killer whale. Wow, I continue to be amazed at this whole world out there just waiting to be discovered. ...
