​Europe’s mammal biodiversity will be as rich as it was 8,000 years ago ● In Holland, wolves will be shot with paintballs ● India will close schools in New Delhi due to excessive pollution

Europe’s mammal biodiversity will be as rich as it was 8,000 years ago

A study conducted by several researchers from the University of York and published in the journal Global Change Biology gives us at least a surprising conclusion about the biodiversity of mammals in Europe. More precisely, despite all the studies that have shown not only the loss of natural habitats, but even the regional extinction of some species, English scientists claim that Europe is still doing well in terms of mammal biodiversity.

According to the study, conservation projects, the reintroduction of some extinct species like bison, beaver, lynx or wolves, had a significant factor in increasing biodiversity, and we would have even surpassed that 8,000 years ago. The quoted experts also say that they estimate that around 8,000 years ago there were approximately 198 species of mammals in Europe, so in 2020 the number will reach 211.

Even if their numbers fluctuated over time, the mammal species managed to stay within the same parameters, according to the study authors. As I said, the result of the study is at least surprising, because there are dozens of cases of mammals being declared extinct in Europe, some even in the 20th century, see the case of the Caspian tiger, the Caucasian elk, the Iberian ibex or the Portuguese, Irish elk, etc. Yet the cited researchers claim that only the wild ass or boer represent mammals that have finally disappeared in the last 8,000 years.

In conclusion, experts from York say, we should look to the future with optimism and pay more attention to the protection of wild species. We’re looking at it now, as they say, but it still seems like there’s a disconnect between their research and the reality on the ground.

Wolves in Holland will be shot with paintballs

If we mentioned the increase in the biodiversity of mammals, the Netherlands is already faced with the case of an increase in the population of wolves, as well as their proximity to human settlements. And when it seems that telling local residents to keep their distance didn’t work much, the authorities thought about teaching the animals to stay away from people. For this, the authorities came to the conclusion that the most profitable solution is to hire paintball specialists. Since wolves are protected animals and hunting them is prohibited, shooting them with balls filled with paint, according to the Dutch, is the only available solution.

Now don’t think that Holland is overrun by wolves. The data indicate the existence of only four flocks and 11 single individuals. The problem is that their habitat is limited and the animals had to attack several wet farms and in September alone they would have killed around 30 sheep.

It should also be said that wolves were hunted to extinction in the Netherlands more than 200 years ago. Since 2019, they have been released into the wild again, but it seems that the Dutch did not calculate quite right. Now, painting wolves purple or orange and chasing them away with paintball guns doesn’t seem like the happiest solution, but at least they say it’s environmentally friendly.

India to close schools in New Delhi due to excessive pollution

Primary schools in India’s capital New Delhi will be closed indefinitely due to smog, Indian authorities have announced. The level of pollution is 25 times higher than the maximum permissible norm, and it is a danger not only for children, but also for the entire population, which includes more than 20 million inhabitants.

In 2019 alone, 1.67 million people died from air pollution-related diseases in India, 17,500 of them in New Delhi. According to the World Health Organization, New Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and in terms of air quality, the capital of India ranks first in the world in terms of pollution.

The situation is all the more serious, Indian officials say, because every fall local residents in rural areas set stubble on fire, and the smokescreen exacerbates already existing levels of pollution. Even though Indian authorities have been facing this problem for decades, they have not yet found a viable solution to solve it.

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