Going deep on the mysterious cichlids. Plus, a panda romp in the snow; a glimmer of hope on endangered eagles; can pig cells help cure epilepsy?
|  | Saturday, January 8, 2022 | | | | |
| In this newsletter, going deep on the mysterious cichlids. Plus, a panda romp in the snow; a glimmer of hope on endangered eagles … and can pigs help cure epilepsy? | |
 | PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANGEL FITOR
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By Rachael Bale, Executive Editor, Animals
One fish, mouthful by mouthful, carried 55 pounds of sand to create his stage on which he could shimmy and show off for the ladies.
Another fish (pictured above) opened her mouth and dozens of her offspring spilled out, eager to explore.
And a third fish (pictured below)—well, he’s defending his shell from a rival with mouth-to-mouth combat.
These fish are cichlids (SICK-lids), a hugely diverse group of fish of which the majority—at least 250 species—live in Africa’s Lake Tanganyika. They’re all extremely territorial but have evolved from a single ancestor over millennia to fill every niche in the continent’s second-oldest lake.
“Angel told me about this one species that insists on maintaining a large territory just for itself,” says Animals writer Natasha Daly about a conversation she had with photographer Angel Fitor. “It sits in the middle of its territory, inside its special shell, and attacks anyone—fish, human, otherwise—who dare encroach its space. A fish had never made me laugh like that before! I was immediately hooked on learning everything I could about these guys.”
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| Scientists think cichlids may hold a key to understanding evolution writ large. Their uniqueness earns them both major threats (like overcollection for people’s home aquariums) and special conservation attention (there’s nothing else like them on Earth). This group of fish need to be protected before they—and any secrets about evolution they may harbor—go extinct.
Fitor’s cichlid photos, which he’s been making for decades, are featured in Nat Geo’s February issue. See them, and read what Daly has to say about the fish, here. | | | |
| (Pictured above, a featherfin cichlid finishing building a 26-inch-wide circular bowler, where he will dance vigorously to attract a female. The two will mate on the sandy stage.)
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| Dam it: Thousands of beavers are waddling north to the Arctic as the tundra heats up, a result of global warming. The portly animals might be cute to watch, but there are concerns about the impact beaver dams are having on water quality, the numbers of fish downstream of the dams, and access for boaters. It’s unknown exactly how many beavers have settled in northern and western Alaska, but estimates range from 50,000 to 100,000, the Guardian reports.
Shot by hunters: Twenty of Yellowstone National Park’s renowned gray wolves were killed by hunters in recent months after roaming out of the park. The killings—the most in more than 25 years—“are a significant setback for the species’ long-term viability and for wolf research,” officials tell the Associated Press. About 94 wolves remain in Yellowstone.
A healer for the unhoused: Across the nation, 10 percent to 25 percent of the people experiencing homelessness keep pets. Veterinarian Kwame Stewart walks the streets of Los Angeles, medical bag in hand, providing free care to pets in need. “These people are struggling but still very generous,” Stewart tells Smithsonian magazine.
It’s a 10! The year’s first snowfall has wreaked havoc in Washington, D.C., but some animals are enjoying the white stuff. At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, 16-month-old panda cub Xiao Qi Ji galloped across the snow before falling into a somersault. Check out his athletic abilities on the zoo’s Instagram account.
Using DNA to track down ‘hidden’ animals: There’s a new weapon to detect rare, invasive, or other elusive animals. Two research groups report that tiny fragments of DNA in the air can be used to identify the presence of different species, an approach that could be particularly useful in places such as caves and burrows, Smithsonian reports. | | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTIE HEMM KLOK
| | Are humans next? Cronutt, a seven-year-old sea lion, was having several seizures a week and his health was rapidly deteriorating. But the animal went through surgery that involved transplanting healthy pig neurons into his damaged hippocampus. The success of the experimental brain surgery and others have led researchers to broaden efforts with an eye toward a similar surgery to help epilepsy and other issues in humans, Emily Mullin writes. (Pictured above, Cronutt at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California.)
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 | PHOTOGRAPH BY PATRICIO ROBLES GIL, NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY
| | Rescuing rare eagles: The Philippine eagle is one of the world’s most endangered raptors, facing continued intrusions on its habitat. In recent months, there has been a glimmer of good news. Rescues of the Philippines’ national bird are way up, including one save from a boar trap by a group of Indigenous rattan gatherers, Jhesset O. Enano reports for Nat Geo. “You have several injured birds, but at least you got to rehabilitate them—it means people have awareness,” says Juan Carlos Gonzalez, curator for birds at the nation’s Museum of Natural History. “It’s better to have the news of ten rescues in the past few months rather than ten dead Philippine eagles.”
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| This newsletter was curated and edited by David Beard, Monica Williams, and Jen Tse. Do you have an idea or a link for the newsletter? Let us know at david.beard@natgeo.com. If you want our daily newsletter, sign up here. Have a good weekend ahead. | |
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