Deep in the lush mountain valleys of southern China lies the entrance to a mine shaft that once harboured bats with the closest known relative of the Covid-19 virus. The area is of intense scientific interest because it may hold clues to the origins of the coronavirus that has killed more than 1.7 million people worldwide. Yet for scientists and journalists, it has become a black hole of no information because of political sensitivity and secrecy.
Ng Han Guan/AP
A worker wearing a mask peeps out behind construction barrier with a notice depicting a bat and advocating for people not to eat wild animals at the airport in Kunming in southern China s Yunnan province.
2020/12/30 19:52 A group claiming to be local villagers blocks access to a bat cave in Yunnan Province, China A group claiming to be local villagers blocks access to a bat cave in Yunnan Province, China (AP photo) MOJIANG, China (AP) Deep in the lush mountain valleys of southern China lies the entrance to a mine shaft that once harbored bats with the closest known relative of the COVID-19 virus. The area is of intense scientific interest because it may hold clues to the origins of the coronavirus that has killed more than 1.7 million people worldwide. Yet for scientists and journalists, it has become a black hole of no information because of political sensitivity and secrecy.
What’s killing killer whales? Orca report covering a decade of necropsies identifies threats
Tuesday PM (SitNews) - Pathology reports on more than 50 killer whales stranded over nearly a decade in the northeast Pacific and Hawaii show that orcas face a variety of mortal threats many stemming from human interactions.
A study analyzing the reports was published today in the journal
PLOS ONE. The study findings indicate that understanding and being aware of each threat is critical for managing and conserving killer whale populations. It also presents a baseline understanding of orca health.
Southern resident killer whale J50 follows her mother, J16, in the Salish Sea in August 2018.