Welcome to The Realm of Nature's July 2008 Newsletter! A lot has been going on on the forum over the last month but firstly I'd like to start by offering a warm welcome to all the new members who have joined us over the last month!

The 6th issue of our online magazine, The Realm, is out now and in this issue we have:

Nature News - Catch up with the lastest news from the natural world
UK Dolphin Stranding - Read about the stranding of common dolphins in the UK and explore the potential causes
The Invertebrates - Armoured Warriors - Enter the world of one of the most successful creatures on the planet, the beetles
Grow your own salad - Read about my attempts to grow my own salad and find out how you can do the same
DVD Review - Tiger: Spy in the Jungle - A review of this BBC Tiger documentary
Photo Gallery: Sunny Walk - A beautiful gallery of photos
ACT NOW! - The lastest campaigns
The Realm of Nature Forum's 3rd Birthday! - Let's celebrate!
Comments & Letters - Have your say on this issue of The Realm

Check it out today here -

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As always, contributions for the next issue are most welcome!

Meanwhile on the forum...

The IWC meeting was held this month and resulted in Greenland being denied the right to add humpback whales to their quota. However, the meeting ended with the promise of compromise at next years meeting. This could result in the end of Japan's scientific whaling, but allow limited commercial whaling.

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The ancent Tuatara of New Zealand could soon be wiped out by climate change. The last survivor of a lineage of reptiles that lived during the reign of the dinosaurs, the sex of baby tuataras is temperature dependant. As global warming pushes up the temperatures, more and more males are being born and fewer females.

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While tigers in Nepal are being decimated by poachers leaving just 6-14 tigers when there were once 20-50 (http://thenaturalworld.forumup.com/viewtopic.php?t=4568&mforum=thenaturalworld) India has begun attempt to reintroduce tigers to a reserve where tigers were eradicated through poaching and encroachment (http://thenaturalworld.forumup.com/viewtopic.php?t=4561&mforum=thenaturalworld). This comes at a time though when the trade in tiger parts is still rife with tiger farms in China found to be selling a wine made from tiger bones (http://thenaturalworld.forumup.com/viewtopic.php?t=4446&mforum=thenaturalworld).

The unusual life cycle of a chameleon that lives on the island of Madagascar has been revealed. Unlike the life cycle of most reptiles, these chameleons have a life cycle more like that of insects living for just a few months, mating and then dying.

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Half of the bears recently rescued from a Chinese bear bile farm where the contents of the bears bile are drained to make traditional medicine have died. Many were riddled with cancer from where the tube was inserted.

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A flourishing wetland in Kenya is to be destroyed to make way for sugarcane in order to produce biofuels. Home to 350 species of birds and a variety of reptiles, mammals and fish including lions, sharks and elephants thje crop will force these animals out of this rich habitat along with the people that also shared this land.

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The Loch Garten Ospreys have continued to entertain the public, but there was some sad news last month as the youngest chick died. Both parents have been providing the chicks with fish, and driving away rival ospreys that stray into their territory.

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The Caribbean Monk Seal, last seen in 1952, has been officially declared extinct. Though there have been a few suspected sightings of the seals it is thought that these were other species.

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Tuna fishing by large vessels in the Mediterranean is to be banned this year following the illagal activities of several fleets of tuna fishing boats.

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There is much, much more going on at the forum so come and pay us a visit and catch up on the goings on in the natural world.

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