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Huge iceberg descends on town in Canada

One Newfoundland town marked Easter in a slightly different way than usual this year when a special visitor turned up – in the shape of a giant iceberg. Ferryland, an hour south of St John’s on Canada’s east coast, became a magnet for camera-wielding locals and visitors over the long weekend when the giant blue iceberg appeared off-shore, dwarfing houses, cars and people on land.

inextricably-intertwined

Gorilla

by Wilhelm Friedrich Kuhnert (date unknown)

There are two species of gorilla, Western Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) and Eastern Gorillas (Gorilla beringei), and four or five sub-species.

Gorillas generally live in small, stable groups of between two and 30 individuals, which are held together by long-term bonds between adults rather than, say, territory. These bonds are reinforced during rest periods, where there is play, wrestling, and mutual grooming.

All species are critically endangered, mostly due to deforestation (habitat loss), poaching, and diseases, such as Ebola. However, civil war and mining for conflict minerals is having a major impact on at least one species, the Grauer’s gorilla, also known as the eastern lowland gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri). These animals are being killed by militia and miners for bushmeat.

In February, it was leaked that the White House may allow American companies to buy conflict minerals without disclosing that fact to the public, as is currently required. If this concept goes ahead, it will increase demand for lower-cost conflict minerals, and therefore increase mining activities and the numbers of miners that will hunt for bushmeat. African nations are also opposed to the White House move because it will increase terrorist activity and cross-border money laundering.

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Hirō Isono - Melt

Huge iceberg descends on town in Canada

Gorilla