The rhinoceros who survived the mutilation of his horn

At the beginning of 2012, Thandi was one of three rhinos found without his characteristic Horn in Kariega reserve, South Africa, having been the only â€" the only because it is "a" rhino â€" which survived.

Once found, Thandi a reserve team held nine surgical operations to try to close the cavity with skin grafts â€" three veterinarians and a plastic surgeon were involved in the operation.

The recovery of Thandi has been a miracle, according to his doctors.

In December 2013, during one of the operations, the doctor William Fowlds added blood tests to measure hormonal fluctuations and, shortly after, the team realized that Thandi was pregnant.

Today, explains The Dodo, Thandi is close to the end time of gestation â€" we rhinos is among the 485 540 days â€" and the miracle of their survival will give rise to other: motherhood.

"Thandi recovery was long and painful. Their resilience and determination eventually instill a new determination in the team that saved and protected the brutal attack, "explains The Dodo.

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African Buffalo threatened by hunters

Such as the Tigers, elephants, Lions, rhinos and other animals, also the African Buffalo is threatened by illegal trade in luxury. Several Trophy Hunters, in South Africa, are paying high amounts to kill the Buffalo with the biggest horns and many farmers willingly accept the money that allows the slaughter of these animals.

The hunters are so many suitors that farmers compete with each other to see who can create the Buffalo with the biggest horns and this can put the conservation of the African Buffalo at risk.

Many farmers are selling Buffalo with big horns to extortionate amounts and getting rich at the expense of the animals. The Dodo writes that in 2012 a South African farmer sold a Buffalo with horns of 1.4 meters by more than € 2,5 million.

In past centuries, the African Buffalo could have horns of 1.5 meters. However, the trophy hunters slaughtered the Buffalo with the biggest horns and, currently, an animal with horns of 90 cm is quite valuable.

In the 19TH century 90, the number of African Buffalo has decreased dramatically, according to the International Union for conservation of nature, but conservation efforts and private farmers resulted in the population of these animals grew to the current 900,000.

However, if private developers in the past helped save the African Buffalo, nowadays can be helping on their extinction by creating animals with horns too large. "These people are playing a dangerous game they jeopardize financial one of the biggest conservation success stories in the world", indicates Chris Niehaus, former Chief Executive of South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association.

A creation so targeted changes several behaviors and adaptations of animals â€" the domestication of chickens is the example of this. By favouring a distinct genetic trait animals â€" in this case the length of the horns-breeding programs threaten the characteristics that make the animals strong enough to resist drought and predators.

Outside of farms, the wild population of Buffalo is already shrinking and, in some areas, the animal disappeared already, due to disease and conflict, second indicates the African Wildlife Foundation.

Foto: Steve Rota/Creative Commons

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GM wants to sell electric car with autonomy of 320 kilometers in 2017

General Motors (GM) is expected to launch in 2017 a cheaper electric car and battery life up to 320 kilometres, according to The Wall Street Journal. The information, revealed also by AP, is expected to be announced today by the company itself, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the United States.

According to press reports, the car could cost up to € 25,000 ($ 80,000) in the United States and it's going to be called Chevrolet Bolt.

GM offers electrical level since the Chevrolet Volt, released in 2010, but this can only moved about 60 miles. Still, an improved version of the car will be presented this month.

In 2013, the global Vice President of product development at GM, Doug Parks, revealed that the company was working on an electric car with a range of 320 kilometers, revealing that this should be marketed from the € 30,000 ($ 92,000).

Foto: Camera Eye Photography/Creative Commons

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7 nutrition trends for this year

With the arrival of the new year, many wish to adopt a healthier lifestyle, the food takes on a leading role. Phil Lempert, food industry analyst and founder of SupermarketGuru.com Web site, published in The Huffington Post some food trends for this year. Meet them in full.

1. smoked Foods

According to Lempert, the demand for smoked foods increased after the chefs started smoking and roasting the ingredients to add flavor to vegetable and meat alternatives even to cocktails.

Fermented 2.Alimentos

The expert notes that this year also will gain popularity the fermented products, such as milk products low in fat, especially the yogurt. According to Lempert, these foods are rich in Probiotics that improve our digestive health, as they may change the structure of the intestinal flora and contribute to weight loss.

3. Geração from

The analyst also highlights the food preferences of demographic group born after 1995, which brings a new set of values. Having been exposed early on to a variety of tastes in comparison with previous generations, the collective attitude of the members of generation Z is to appreciate the simplicity and health food. For example, prefer to microwave stoves. A study by NPD Group indicates that some of his favorite foods are eggs, omelets, sausages, potatoes and chicken.

4. gluten-free diet

Jenna a. Bell, a specialist in nutrition and food director and Pollock's welfare Communications, said in turn that the diet without gluten (a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and oats) will continue to be in fashion this year. It should be noted that this type of diet involves the Elimination of all such grain products such as bread, cakes, cookies, pasta and beer.

Unsaturated 5.Gorduras.

Nutritionists say that, this year, finally, trans fats, which now abound in our food, will start to be replaced by the "good" fats such as monounsaturated fats and polinsaturadas that help to reduce levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. According to nutritionists, these fats are typically found in fish, nuts or olive oil.

6. preference for local products

Consumers increasingly value local products, that can be more assured that are authentic and fresh foods.

7. natural foods

Another big trend of nutrition that awaits us in 2015 is the replacement of processed food by natural foods. Nutritionists draw attention to the importance of traditional cuisine, which gives primacy to natural products and spices, helps improve the quality of life and reduce the risk of suffering from chronic diseases.

Foto: Alice Henneman/Creative Commons

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How to survive marine otters in icy waters without becoming hypothermic.

Many of the mammals that live in the ocean â€" and that during the winter have to face icy waters â€" turn to body fat to keep the internal temperature constant, as in the case of whales, walruses, dolphins, sea lions and many others.

The Sea Otter is also a mammal that swims in freezing waters in winter and not to die of cold has to maintain an internal temperature of about 37.7 degrees Celsius, almost twice the water temperature where nothing. But how does this animal to keep body temperature constant and avoid hypothermia?

Unlike the large mammals, the Otter is small, which means you're always losing heat. In evolutionary terms, the Otter is relatively recent, having only appeared there are 1.6 million years. Already the whales emerged there are 50 million years, the sea lions between 23 to 29 million years, which is enough time to adapt to life in the ocean.

The secret of the otters to cope with low temperatures is fur, which is the thickest of all the animals on the planet, about a million by 2.5 inches square, writes the TreeHugger. The hair, which is waterproof, lets still imprison air near the surface of the skin, which helps keep the temperature and gives the characteristic bright aspect of the otters when they're in the water.

It was also this hair that almost caused the extinction of the species. During the 19th century marine otters were hunted extensively almost to extinction, for the manufacture of hats and coats.

Although the population of otters have recovered gradually over the years, the International Union for conservation of nature continues to classify these animals with the status of threatened. Currently, the greatest danger for the otters is not hunting for the production of clothing, since the species is protected internationally, but oil spills.

The oil interferes with the impermeability of the hair, in addition to making the otters patients due to toxins that they ingest.

Marine otters play an important role in terrestrial ecosystem and mitigate some of the environmental impacts of human activity. The otters help protect the kelp-Kelp algae, an order large algae that belong to the class Phaeophyceae â€" of sea urchins, which in turn slow down global warming.

Thus, it is important to protect this animal, not only for not perish but also to mitigate global warming.

Foto: goingslo/Creative Commons

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Mysterious and legendary metal retrieved from the ship which sank in the 6th century BC.

Legend has it that, when Atlantis (pictured fictionalised) submerged in the ocean, took all the orichalcum can't. This metal, is quoted in various ancient texts, including the criticism of Plato, and considered the second most valuable metal after gold.

Now, a team of divers announced the discovery of 39 blocks of orichalcum on a ship that was wrecked in the 6th century BCE, near Sicily. According to Discovery News, the ship will have left Greece or elsewhere in Asia minor, and was carrying metal to Gela in southern Sicily, having been caught in a storm and wrecked the 300 metres from the harbour.

"Never found anything like it. We know the orichalcum of ancient texts and a few ornamental objects, "said Sebastiano Tusa, responsible for the Ministry of the sea of Sicily.

Experts claim that the orichalcum is a bronze alloy, developed by reaction of zinc ore, coal and copper metal. When the new bricks were analyzed by x-ray, explains the Discovery, it was discovered that the metal had 75 to 80% copper, 15 to 20% zinc and small percentages of nickel, lead and iron.

Currently, the team of Tusa's working in excavations related to the rest of the ship, which may reveal new findings about the work of artisans of antiquity.

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Most of the reserves of fossil fuels will have to be explored to avoid climate change

Most of the vast oil reserves of the former USSR, the United States, the Arctic and the Middle East, as well as coal from China and from the African continent may have to remain unfulfilled in order to avoid serious climate change. The conclusion of a new study that analyzed the fossil fuel reserves that cannot be exploited.

According to the study by two researchers at the University College of London, one-third of oil, half of the natural gas and more than 80% of the existing coal reserves will have to remain underground in order to avoid global warming more than two degrees Celsius by 2100. The study reinforces the idea that companies and investors should consider carefully the reserves of fossil fuels as financial assets. The idea also applies to countries whose economies rely heavily on these natural resources.

This is not the first research to calculate the amount of reserves that must be explored. However, the analysis of Christophe McGlade and Paul Ekins is the first to present a meticulous level of detail, indicating what could happen to the production of fossil fuels in the different areas of the globe.

"We now have tangible figures on the quantities and locations of fossil fuels that should be explored in an attempt to limit warming to two degrees Celsius," said Christophe McGlade to the Guardian.

Reservations must be indicated in the unexplored study result from the difference between the amount of greenhouse gases that would be released if all reservations were exploited and the maximum amount of these gases that can be released into the air so that the temperature does not increase by more than two degrees by the end of the century.

Foto: Gary Rides Bikes/Creative Commons

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