Sneezing monkey among 200 new species discovered in Himalayas
Thimpu:A snub-nosed monkey that sneezes when it rains, a walking fish and a jewel-like snake are among more than 200 new species discovered in the fragile eastern Himalayas, according to a new report by WWF.
A report on wildlife in Nepal, Bhutan, the far north of Myanmar, southern Tibet and north-eastern India by The World Wildlife Fund said that discoveries in the past five years including 133 plants, 26 species of fish, 10 new amphibians, one reptile, one bird and one mammal. “Some of the most striking discoveries include a vibrant blue dwarf ‘walking’ snakehead fish, which can breathe atmospheric air and survive on land for up to four days, although moving in a manner much clumsier than a slithering snake.
“The report details an unfortunate monkey whose upturned nose leads to a sneeze every time the rain falls, and a living gem – the bejeweled lance-headed pit viper, which could pass as a carefully crafted piece of jewellery,” the report said.
The snub-nosed monkey – or “Snubby” as they nicknamed the species – from locals in the remote forests of northern Myanmar, who said it was easy to find when it was raining because it often got rainwater in its upturned nose, causing it to sneeze.
To avoid the problem, snubby spend rainy days sitting with their heads tucked between their knees, the report said.
“The discovery of 211 new species from one of the most biologically rich regions of the world is a celebration of the amazing gift of nature.
“With discovery, comes the important responsibility to continue protecting and caring for these precious gift that this world has been blessed with,” said Dechen Dorji of WWF Bhutan.
WWF is supporting countries in the region to develop “green” economies that value nature and the services it provides to millions of people living in the fragile Eastern Himalayas. (PTI)
Century-old human remains found from Chinese warship wreckage
Beijing: At least seven remains of bodies believed to be that of Chinese naval personnel have been found from a warship sunk by the Japanese navy during Sino-Japanese War 121 years ago.
“We believe the remains belonged to officers and soldiers aboard the warship,” said Zhou Chunshui, who leads the exploration mission organised by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
The Zhiyuan Warship, with a 50-meter-long hull, is located about 10 nautical miles southwest of Dandong Port in Northeast China.
More than 100 pieces of ship parts and belongings of the seamen have also been found, Zhou said.
“We will study those relics and try to find out what lives at sea were like more than a century ago,” state-run Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.
Coded “Dandong No.1,” the 1,600-tonne vessel was one of the four warships of the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911) imperial naval forces – Beiyang Fleet – which was defeated in 1894 by the Japanese navy in the Battle of Yellow Sea.
A total of 252 officers and soldiers were aboard. Only seven survived.
The four ships stated to be China’s most sophisticated vessels at that time, bigger and better armed than the Japanese ones but slower and short of ammunition, Xinhua said.
Zhou said further investigation is needed to decide whether to lift the ship, whose main structure has remained intact, out of the water.
History documents recorded that the ship captain Deng Shichang refused to abandon the ship after it was severely damaged earning him the reputation of patriot in China.PTI