Hurricane Matthew, one of the most powerful storms in recent years, is expected to hit the Bahamas early Thursday morning and move on to Florida by Friday. People are already preparing for its landfall in the United States, while those in the wake of the storm deal with the aftermath.
Planes designed to fly into dangerous weather got some incredible aerial shots of the developing hurricane.
Hurricane Matthew as it develops
And of the eye of the storm as it headed towards Cuba.
Matthew over Cuba
As everyone rushes to prepare, basics like bread and water are disappearing from store shelves.
Empty shelves in Florida
More empty shelves
People hoping to get gas face massive lines as everyone tries to fill up their cars and backup generators.
Gas line
Video of gas line
Gas lines
Other stations are already empty.
Empty gas station
People on the coasts of Haiti and Cuba were in a similar situation earlier in the week. Flooding started well before the hurricane landed.
Flooding begins
A wall of rain, clouds, and wind hit Haiti and Cuba on Tuesday.
Matthew hits the Haiti
In Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. Navy set up emergency response stations in preparation for the storm.
Emergency prep in Guantanamo
Cuban and Haitian cities were obliterated as Matthew hit shore, leaving residents wandering through rubble-strewn streets and flooding.
Destroyed city
Flooding
Flooding in the streets
Roadside flooding
Mother helping child in flood
Expect much more from the Bahamas and Florida as Matthew develops over the next few days.
Image copyrightUniversity of GroningenImage caption Innovations have included this nano car, produced by Bernard Feringa's team
The 2016 Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded for the design and synthesis of the world's smallest machines. The work has overtones of science fiction, but holds huge promise in fields as diverse as medicine, materials and energy.
All grand endeavours start small.
This is especially true of efforts to develop nano-scale machines (1,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair), which are always destined to remain tiny however big our ambitions for them grow.
It's difficult to trace the development of molecular machines to one person or scientific step.
But a 1959 lecture by the celebrated physicist Richard Feynman is as good a point as any.
His talk, given at an American Physical Society meeting in California and titled Plenty of Room at the Bottom, laid the conceptual foundations for nanotechnology.
In it, he also anticipated one of the most widely discussed applications for molecular machines - in nano-robotic surgery and localised drug delivery.
"Although it is a very wild idea, it would be interesting in surgery if you could swallow the surgeon," Feynman told the audience.
"You put the mechanical surgeon inside the blood vessel and it goes into the heart and 'looks' around. It finds out which valve is the faulty one and takes a little knife and slices it out."
Image copyrightScience Photo LibraryImage caption In his 1959 lecture, Richard Feynman outlined the founding concepts of nanotechnology
This concept didn't take long to appear in science fiction, including the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage, in which a submarine crew are miniaturised and injected inside the body of a scientist in order to save him.
Fifty years on, we haven't succeeded in turning this particular fiction into reality. But the promise is still very much alive. It is hoped, for example, __that tiny mechanical delivery systems could one day be injected into the body to deliver toxic chemotherapy drugs directly to the tumour, without harming healthy tissues.
But, as one of the three 2016 chemistry laureates, Sir Fraser Stoddart, told the BBC: "This doesn't happen overnight; it takes a very long time and hundreds of very talented postdocs."
At the time Richard Feynman was thinking about manipulating matter at tiny scales, chemists were already laying the groundwork.
In the 1950s and 60s, they were trying to link chemical ring-shapes together in chains, in a bid to come up with new advanced molecules. But early progress faded as scientists struggled to produce enough of these molecules to justify the complex methods.
Image copyrightScience Photo LibraryImage caption Medical nano-robots remain science fiction, for now
In 1983, a French research group led by Jean-Pierre Sauvage - another of this year's trio of laureates - made a significant step forward.
Sauvage meshed two molecules together around a central copper ion, forming the first link in a chain. Using this method, the French team was able to increase the yield substantially on previous attempts to create linked molecules.
Fraser Stoddart moved the field on when he synthesised a nano-scale rod with stoppers at the end - called a dumbell - and wrapped a ring-shaped molecule around it.
"The ring can be made to move back and forth between two sites. You have an on switch and an off switch and the switch can be built up into a machine," Sir Fraser explained.
These molecules, known as rotaxanes, have been the basis for a variety of nanomachines produced by Sir Fraser and his colleagues.
These have included a nano-lift, which can raise itself 0.7 nanometres above a surface, and a tiny artificial muscle, where rotaxanes bend a thin lamina made of gold.
"We've worked hard to find practical applications in molecular electronics," added Sir Fraser.
Working with Jim Heath at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), he set about developing a tiny computer chip. Moore's Law predicts the doubling of transistors on electronic circuits every two years or so.
But there has been speculation __that the law might be reaching its limits, so molecular transistors could offer a way of extending the growth of processing power in our electronic devices.
"By 2007, we had a 160 kilobit memory. The only problem with it is it is not robust. Today we're looking at how we can increase the longevity of the switches," Sir Fraser told the BBC.
"We have just recently submitted a paper for publication on this topic, so that's still very much alive."
The third laureate, Ben Feringa, from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, developed the first molecular motor - considered a landmark in this field.
Normally, molecules' movements are governed by chance; on average, a spinning molecule moves as many times to the right as to the left. But in 1999, using a series of clever molecular tricks, Prof Feringa and his colleagues succeeded in designing a molecule that would spin in a particular direction.
Image copyrightCaltechImage caption A tiny chip with 160 kilobits, produced by Sir Fraser Stoddart and Jim Heath
In 2011, they put this to use by building a four-wheel-drive "nanocar": consisting of a molecular chassis which held together four motors functioning as wheels. Spinning the wheels drove the tiny automobile forward across a surface.
Today, many other teams are building on and extending the work of the last five decades. In 2013, a team led by David Leigh at the University of Manchester built a nano-robot that could grab amino acids - the building blocks of proteins - and connect them - just like the ribosomes in our cells.
These remain lab-based demonstrators, but researchers foresee potentially game-changing applications in the real world.
"The world is so aware of the Nobel Prizes and they influence the research. It will make the area blossom; more scientists will move into the area and it will attract more funding. You can expect the applications to appear much more rapidly now," Prof Donna Nelson, president of the American Chemical Society (ACS), told the BBC News website.
Drugs could be activated to work in the body using a molecular switch, and then inactivated via the same mechanism. This could be advantageous in the case of cancer treatments, which are harmful to healthy tissues; and where antibiotics have to be used.
Image copyrightScience Photo LibraryImage caption Molecular machines could help tackle antibiotic resistance in future
"One of the biggest challenges these days is fighting antibiotic resistance developing in bacteria," said Tibor Kudernac, who completed his PhD under the guidance of Ben Feringa, and is now an assistant professor at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.
"This could be one way - to activate the antibiotics only for transient amounts of time when they need to be active in our bodies. But by the time they leave our bodies, they would already be inactive."
Another use might be in light-driven molecular actuators, which convert energy into mechanical motion. These could have uses in the field of soft robotics, which eschews metals for lightweight, flexible materials.
"If you need to manipulate fragile or sensitive objects - including humans' internal organs in the future - you don't want a robotic arm grabbing on them. You would rather have a very soft touch. Molecular-based systems are ideal for these kinds of future applications," Dr Kudernac told the BBC News website.
A longer-term aim is to mimic some of the biological machinery inside the cell, such as that used when cells divide.
This could potentially find uses in the burgeoning discipline of synthetic biology, which aims to redesign life, or even build artificial organisms.
"One of the main characteristics of life is cellular division. We would really like an artificial cell that can self-divide," said Dr Kudernac.
"We have no idea how to do this in synthetic systems, so that is the next challenge. We can use these artificial cells to learn how life came about, but also to synthesise complicated chemical compounds."
Image copyrightScience Photo LibraryImage caption Artwork: The scientists are rewarded for their ability to control at the molecular level
The 2016 Nobel Prize for Chemistry has been awarded for the development of the world's smallest machines.
Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir Fraser Stoddart and Bernard Feringa will share the 8m kronor (£727,000) prize for the design and synthesis of machines on a molecular scale.
They were named at a press conference in Sweden.
The machines conceived by today's laureates are a thousand times thinner than a strand of hair.
They could slip inside the human body to deliver drugs from within - for instance, applying pharmaceuticals directly to cancer cells.
This field of nanotechnology could also yield applications in the design of smart materials.
I feel a little bit like the Wright Brothers who were flying 100 years ago
The prize recognises their success in linking molecules together to design everything from motors to a car and muscles on a tiny scale.
"They have mastered motion control at the molecular scale," said Olof Ramström, from the Nobel Committee.
Reacting to the award, Prof Feringa said: "I don't know what to say, I'm shocked. And my second remark was: 'I'm a bit emotional about it'."
Donna Nelson, president of the American Chemical Society (ACS) said she was "thrilled" by the Nobel Committee's decision.
"It's wonderful. I've done work in nanoscience for a while - though not in micromachines - so I think I have enough background to appreciate the difficulty of the work they did and its magnificence," she told the BBC News website.
The professor of chemistry at the University of Oklahoma added: "I'm also interested in the public perception of science and this topic is perfect for capturing the imagination of schoolchildren."
The world is so aware of the Nobel Prizes and they influence the research
"The world is so aware of the Nobel Prizes and they influence the research. It will make the area blossom; more scientists will move into the area and it will attract more funding. You can expect the applications to appear much more rapidly now."
The celebrated physicist Richard Feynman is often credited with inspiring the concept of molecular machines.
In a lecture at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1959, titled "There's plenty of room at the bottom", he considered the possibility of the direct manipulation of matter at the atomic scale.
It was also in this lecture __that he introduced the idea of "swallowing the surgeon".
Image copyrightReutersImage caption Jean-Pierre Sauvage receives congratulations on Wednesday morning
Jean-Pierre Sauvage was born in 1944 in Paris, France. He is currently emeritus professor at the University of Strasbourg and director of research emeritus at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).
His work provided early breakthroughs in the area of molecular machines. He had been researching the use of sunlight to drive chemical reactions but this work helped him work out __that he could link different molecules together in a chain.
This was the first step towards building molecular machines. In 1994, Prof Sauvage's research group succeeded in making one molecule rotate around the other in a controlled manner when energy was applied.
Image copyrightNORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITYImage caption Fraser Stoddart works at Northwestern University in Illinois, US
Sir Fraser Stoddart was born in 1942 in Edinburgh, UK. He is currently affiliated to the Northwestern University, in the US.
The Briton made a key advance by threading a molecular ring on to a rod-like structure that acted as an axle.
Sir Fraser then made use of the ring's freedom to move along the axle. When he added heat, the ring jumped forwards and backwards - like a tiny shuttle.
His group later built on this discovery to build numerous molecular machines, including a lift, a muscle and - in partnership with other researchers - a computer chip.
"It's a recognition of fundamental chemistry and I think that should be celebrated today," Sir Fraser told the BBC.
But he condemned the outcome of the Brexit vote, saying international collaboration had been "absolutely critical" to his successes.
"Today I am distressed that the UK is looking at a situation where it would cut off that supply. This is not good news... I would hope that this whole business of Brexit would just go away or had not happened."
He said this placed British science "in jeopardy" and said politicians in the current government had "gone off the rails".
Bernard Feringa was born in 1951 in Barger-Compascuum, in the Netherlands. He is a professor in organic chemistry at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Image copyrightUniversity of GroningenImage caption Innovations have included this nano car, produced by Bernard Feringa's team
In 1999, Prof Feringa led the first research to produce a molecular motor that continually spins in the same direction.
In 2011, his group built a four-wheel-drive nanocar: a molecular chassis holding together four motors that functioned as wheels.
Commenting on the award, he said: "I feel a little bit like the Wright Brothers who were flying 100 years ago for the first time and people were saying why do we need a flying machine and now we have a Boeing 747 and an Airbus.
"The opportunities are great."
Follow Paul on Twitter.
Previous winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Image copyrightThinkstockImage caption The DNA molecule is inherently unstable, but a host of mechanisms monitor and repair it
2015 - Discoveries in DNA repair earned Tomas Lindahl and Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar the award.
2014 - Eric Betzig, Stefan Hell and William Moerner were awarded the prize for improving the resolution of optical microscopes.
2013 - Michael Levitt, Martin Karplus and Arieh Warshel shared the prize, for devising computer simulations of chemical processes.
2012 - Work that revealed how protein receptors pass signals between living cells and the environment won the prize for Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka.
2011 - Dan Schechtman received the prize for discovering the "impossible" structure of quasicrystals.
2010 - Richard Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki were recognised for developing new ways of linking carbon atoms together.
2009 - Discovering the structure and function of our cells' "protein factories", earned the chemistry Nobel for Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas Steitz and Ada Yonath.
Image caption The question of synthetic rhino horn has been discussed at the Cites meeting in Johannesburg
The man behind attempts to develop synthetic rhino horn has told the BBC __that he hopes to have a "bio-identical" product ready to market in two years.
Matthew Markus, CEO of Pembient, believes __that introducing a highly similar but manufactured horn could help stem the rhino-poaching crisis.
Here at the Cites meeting the plans have been condemned by conservationists as "too risky".
Campaigners want the species body to ban synthetics from endangered animals.
Rhino start-up
Over the years, the development of human-made alternatives to some natural species has seen some success.
Orchids produced in the laboratory have served as an alternative for collectors while a synthesised version of the chemical that's found in bear bile has been accepted in traditional Chinese medicine.
Now, a number of start-ups are seeking to develop alternatives for rhino horn and elephant ivory.
The most advanced is said to be a company called Pembient who believe they are very close to producing solid, horn-like material.
"Earlier this year, we produced low fidelity prototypes, they are solids but they don't have all the properties of rhino horn and we are working now to produce these high quality bio-identical solids," CEO Matthew Markus told BBC News at the Cites meeting.
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption The price of rhino horn can range up to $60,000 per kg
"The higher fidelity prototypes may take two years and that's unless all this flak scares investors off."
The "flak" that Mr Markus is talking about is the opposition from conservationists and wildlife campaigners to his ideas.
They are concerned about anything that could make the current rhino poaching surge worse.
The number of rhinos killed for their horns has risen dramatically over the past nine years. In 2007, just 13 rhinos were killed in South Africa. Last year, that number was 1,175.
At a side event here in Johannesburg, campaigners vociferously denounced the synthetic rhino idea.
"We are very concerned that these synthetic products would provide a cover for illegal trade," said Lee Henry from WWF.
"How are enforcement officers on the ground supposed to distinguish between the two?"
Illicit market
But for Mr Markus, that inability to readily differentiate between his product and the real thing is exactly what he's hoping to achieve.
"This is an illicit market, these people are not supported by states, so here counterfeits especially if they are exactly the same should have a very disruptive effect.
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Rhino horns are sometimes trimmed for safety in transport
"The only thing that guarantees that you are getting the product you think you are getting is the product itself, if you can destroy the uniqueness of that product through bio-fabrication, I think that's a win."
Mr Markus acknowledges that his approach is not without risk - but he maintains that the synthetic model has been well scrutinised and is less of a threat than his opponents maintain.
But campaigners are not convinced. They are concerned that the synthetic materials could inspire new markets and make the situation for the rhino even worse.
"In traditional medicines, people prefer wild products, that's seen as more valuable - they don't want products from farms or synthetic markets," said Lee Henry.
"For a species like rhino that are being decimated by poaching for their products, do we want to test this now? I think its too big a risk to take, history has shown that when you create alternative products it doesn't reduce demand for the genuine article."
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Rhino poaching has soared over the past nine years
Here at Cites some countries have argued that synthetic products derived from endangered species should come under the regulations of the Convention.
So if something is made from the DNA of a rhino that is on Appendix I, then all trade in those synthetic products should be banned as well.
The Cites secretariat will assess the position but it will be next year before there is any clarity on whether they have the power to regulate or not.
Matthew Markus says he will accept any outcome based on science and impartial regulation. But banning his products, if they ever reach the market, would be a mistake he says, if people are serious about stopping rhino poaching.
"The fastest way to shut a market down is to support counterfeiters and not prosecute them."
Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathBBC and on Facebook.
Last week, the headlines were particularly frightening. 'Massive Earthquake Along the San Andreas Fault Is Disturbingly Imminent’, ‘Risk of big earthquake on San Andreas fault rises after quake swarm at Salton Sea’, all related to a swarm of earthquakes in the Salton Sea __that researchers feared might trigger an epically large earthquake in the area. That earthquake hasn’t materialized (yet) but it raises the question: how well can we actually predict earthquakes?
The swarm in an area known as the Brawley Seismic Zone featured over 96 earthquakes in four days, in an area right near a portion of the infamous San Andreas fault. That particular section of the San Andreas hasn’t moved in about 330 years, which researchers say makes it long overdue for a major quake. Last week, the U.S. Geological Survey stated __that the possibility of a 7.0 or larger earthquake in the area was raised to between one and 3,000 and one in 100, much higher than the background risk of about one in 10,000.
The increase in risk triggered an earthquake warning from the California Office of Emergency Services, which led to San Bernardino shutting down its earthquake-vulnerable City Hall , and a lot of anxiety from residents and visitors alike.
Why Was There So Much Concern?
Even though a major earthquake didn’t materialize this time, given the public response, it’s worth looking into why the researchers thought that there was a heightened risk.
Ken Hudnut is a geophysicist and the Science Advisor for Risk Reduction for the USGS, and has been studying the area for decades, in particular a 1987 earthquake sequence, known as the Elmore Ranch-Superstition Hills sequence, which was one of the influences for raising the risk of a big earthquake happening in the area last week.
In that case, a quake along a smaller fault happened first, shaking the area. Then, 11 hours later, the larger Superstition Hills fault released, causing a much larger earthquake. The smaller fault was perpendicular to the Superstition Hills fault, a structure known as a cross fault. The sequence of the two faults located so close to each other both in time and place, led researchers like Hudnut to predict that the smaller earthquake had led into the larger one.
“It was an understandable pre-shock, and it made sense. Then, we applied that knowledge to the future and we said ‘If in the future if we have a cross fault earthquake, that might unclamp the San Andreas fault, and you could have a similar pre-shock with a delay'” Hudnut says.
Because of that, when a swarm occurs on a cross fault of the San Andreas, like it did last week, seismologists sit up and take notice, even when the swarms are much smaller than the quake that set off the 1987 quake. They also were paying close attention in November of 2001 and March of 2009, when similar swarms struck the area. But no large quake has been born out of the shaking swarms.
“We’re seeing that kind of behavior repeatedly without escalation to a bigger event on the San Andreas. In a way, we’re becoming a little less concerned each time now because we’ve seen it back off three times.” Hudnut said.
“It’s not like we’re on the brink of being able to actually predict earthquakes.” Hudnut says. Despite decades of research, seismologists are still in the very beginning stages of understanding earthquake processes. They’re still looking at case studies like the 1987 quake, gathering data, observing, and doing their best to understand the complicated physics of major earthquakes, but it isn’t enough to be able to forecast earthquakes like you would a hurricane.
“It’s not like we can say for sure something more is going to happen, this sequence is going to escalate, or not. Unfortunately, we don’t have that ability. We don’t have that crystal ball all polished up and ready to see the future” Hudnut says.
Just because the huge quake didn’t happen right after the swarms doesn’t mean that it isn’t going to happen at all. It could happen tomorrow. It could happen right after we publish this article. It could happen several years from now. But the bottom line is that we still don’t know exactly when ‘The Big One’ will hit.
Earthquake Warning Systems vs Earthquake Prediction
While panic is never productive, it probably made a lot of sense for the Southern California region to stay alert, and take the opportunity to prepare for a large quake while the risk was raised. While the risk has since declined to almost normal levels, being prepared for an earthquake is never a bad idea in Southern California. There is always a chance of a large earthquake happening in this area, even on a normal day without a recent swarm.
Precautions to take vary depending on whether or not you're at the individual, community, or city level. On an individual level, the best way to prepare for an earthquake is to participate in drills, and make sure that your home is earthquake ready, with enough supplies to last all family members a few days. At a community level, Hudnut says that the recommendations are to talk with your neighbors and have a plan to check in with each other if an earthquake occurs. The city and state levels get much more complicated, and involve retrofitting infrastructure like buildings, roads, and water and electricity supplies to withstand severe shaking.
Because earthquakes can happen so suddenly, and can be so devastating to human communities, researchers are actually moving away from trying to predict earthquakes and towards preparing for them.
“Most empirical, observational, trying to detect precursors, that kind of work has really died out, at least in this country.” Hudnut says. Instead, investments have gone into sophisticated seismic sensors and a GPS network that can track movement of the plates. The seismic sensors measure vibrations in the ground, and the GPS measures the location of the Earth as it moves.
“We’re processing huge amounts of data in real time, all the time. As soon as something happens we’re on top of it.” Hudnut says. “That’s really where we’re going with the technology right now, is towards having a fully functional earthquake early warning system that’s capable of observing earthquake ruptures as they grow in real time.”
Unlike earthquake prediction, earthquake early warning systems are considered to be an achievable goal. The heavy tremors of an earthquake moving through the rock and soil and debris of the Earth’s crust travel more slowly than text messages or other communications. If one of the sensors that Hudnut and his colleagues monitor notices a large quake, it could in theory give people living miles away a precious few seconds to drop, cover, and hold on.
Earthquake early warning systems are catching hold in Japan, and last week, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that directed funding towards California’s nascent earthquake early warning system.
When a large earthquake strikes California, it is extremely unlikely that we we would know about it a week in advance, but in the future, California residents will at least be prepared, and might even have a few seconds of warning to take cover before the big one arrives.
Media captionThe British police targeting bird poachers in Cyprus
The UK authorities in Cyprus are doubling the number of officers targeting illegal songbird trapping on British military territory.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of birds are killed on the bases, mostly sold for food in what has become a multi-million pound black-market trade.
The crime team is being increased from a squad of six to 11.
Conservationists welcomed the move but point out __that they must patrol a base __that sprawls over 100 square miles.
They warn the problem is getting "worse and worse".
Image copyrightBirdLife CyprusImage caption 900,000 birds were killed on British territory in Cyprus in one year according to most recent figures.
It's before dawn on Cape Pyla, not far from the party resort of Ayia Napa. A British police unit is scouting for signs of illegal bird poaching.
This is part of "Operation Freedom," a fresh effort by the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) authorities here to stop the trapping and killing of songbirds on British territory.
Despite the expansion in personnel, the area they must cover is massive - a key resting place for millions of migratory birds crossing the Mediterranean.
Vehicles rammed
The three-car convoy suddenly stops when one of the officers hears the sound of a bird - a blackcap.
But these birds don't sing at night. A short distance from the road the officers find what they expect to find: an MP3 player powered by a car battery, with a speaker balanced in the branches.
This fake birdsong signals to other birds that it is safe to rest here: it lures them into the bushes.
Image caption Officer Adamou finds an imitating bird device playing the call of a blackcap Image caption Most nights, dozens of lures can be heard across the base areas each competing to attract victims
This means that the poachers are operating nearby. The police unit will not be welcome. Sergeant Andy Adamou warns: "I've had officers assaulted, shotguns pointed at us, vehicles rammed."
As dawn breaks all of a sudden the convoy picks up speed. It is during this brief period of first light that the poachers put up "mist" nets. They then throw stones at the roosting birds to get them to fly into the trap.
Sgt Adamou points through the open window: "Can you see it? The pole?"
Just visible above the acacia bushes is the top of the mist net. The officers jump from the vehicles.
Just a few metres from the track, they find almost 70 birds struggling in the fine mesh. There is no sign of the poachers although there is an MP3 player nearby.
It is silent, having done its job of luring birds to these bushes. The team works to free them, gently untangling and cutting the fibres from around their throats, wings and legs.
Image caption "Softly softly": the officers work to free the trapped birds
Officer Andreas Eleftheriou has a trembling songbird cupped in his hands. "It's like seeing a person in captivity," he said. The bird is in captivity too. He lifts his hands and opens them and the bird flutters up in to the sky.
"Back in the nature where it belongs," Mr Eleftheriou commented.
Sgt Adamou is using scissors to carefully cut netting away from around the belly of a blackcap. "It's an experience, when you hold one of these birds, you can literally feel the heartbeat in your hand."
A net can hold 400 birds - and this is just one site. Every night during the spring and autumn seasons, well over a hundred traps are set all over the territory.
Officer Eleftheriou says he finds it difficult to deal with the extent of the poaching. "I cannot be in a million places at once. You are in one place you know in one place else still some place else and you can't do anything about it," he said.
Death toll
Each autumn, hundreds of millions of songbirds fly south from Britain and Europe to winter in Africa. They concentrate along "migration highways" - but around the Mediterranean, an estimated 25 million are killed by hunters.
Nearly half of the migratory bird species from Europe, Africa and the Middle East are thought to stop to rest on Cape Pyla.
The most recent figures from the conservation group BirdLife Cyprus estimate that almost 900,000 were killed on this British land over the course of one year.
Image copyrightBirdLife CyprusImage caption A bee-eater struggles in a mist net set by poachers on the British base
Most of the birds are eaten. The local dish "ambelopoulia" is a delicacy. The songbirds are pickled or roasted or fried and eaten illegally in secret.
The Cypriot owner of an olive grove in the British base area near Ayios Nikolaos tells us that the meal is "delicious". He says that people eat it in private in their homes rather than in restaurants.
"Now it's difficult to find so it makes it better when you get it!"
He added: "When people who are against it try it, then they change their minds."
Image copyrightBirdLife CyprusImage caption A plate of 'Amebelopoulia'. It is illegal under Cyprus and the EU Birds Directive.
A meal of twelve birds can cost up to £60. A poacher can demand £1 a bird: it is a lucrative tax-free income.
If caught, a first-time trapper could be imprisoned for up to three years, or fined up to 17,000 euros. In reality, the average fine is 400 euros and only a handful of people have gone to prison.
James Guy is Divisional Commander of the SBA Police. He said: "The greatest challenges are cultural and political, because for some section of society here it's an accepted practice.
"The argument is that this goes back to their roots when a few birds were taken for the family table - when people were poor and when it was used to subsidise families in a purely eating sense. Now it has become commercial, there's no doubt about it."
Kicking off
It is a multi-million pound black-market trade and investigating it can be risky.
When three anti-poaching activists from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) approach the house of a known poacher, there are two men on the front porch and one of them yells and expletive at them and tells them: "I'm going to go and get my shotgun. Right now!"
Even as he continues to shout, the plucky group continues and ensure that the area is free from traps before leaving.
This is the second year running that Andrew Rose has come from England to volunteer. When undertaking surveillance operations at night furious trappers regularly chase after him through the undergrowth.
One of his colleagues was beaten with an iron bar. He says his time in the army infantry was "perfect training".
He has a lot of respect for the police officers patrolling out on the ground but says: "I don't think that they are resourced properly. We talk about trapping, but it's organised crime. It's a dangerous job they do and I don't think they get the support they deserve."
Image copyrightBirdLife CyprusImage caption The trade in songbirds is thought to be worth around 15 million euros a year Image copyrightBirdLife CyprusImage caption Amebelopoulia being served in a restaurant. It is illegal both under Cypriot law and the EU Birds Directive and Bern Convention
BirdLife Cyprus welcomes the beefing up of the police patrol teams. Clairie Papazoglou is Chief Executive of the organisation that has been monitoring illegal trapping for 14 years.
She said that support for tackling the poachers was now finally coming from the "highest level." She says: "We've seen that the bases want to make a difference and want to make this stop. They have been putting a lot of effort in."
But she points to evidence showing that the problem is getting worse and worse. "Having more people on the ground is an important element," she says, "but it's not enough. If you just take a mist net away then they probably have ten at home."
There are no fences ringing the territory and farmers cultivate some of the land so it can be difficult to spot where the trappers harvest the birds.
Ms Papazoglou says removing the bushes that the poachers use to hide their mist nets is the best way forward. Acacia is an invasive species that spreads like a weed.
It is the right height and density to make an inviting roosting spot. Getting rid of the bushes would make it very difficult to set effective traps.
Image copyrightBirdLife CyprusImage caption Acacia bushes provide an ideal roosting spot for migrating birds Image copyrightBirdLife CyprusImage caption The mist nets can hold up to 400 birds and are almost invisible when strung between poles in the bushes. Image caption This traditional trapping method is still used: "limesticks" are twigs coated in a type of glue. It's almost impossible for birds to escape
Divisional Commander James Guy says that they are trying. He estimates that they have spent half a million euros in removing 50 acres of the 200 that exist.
However, they have been hampered by local protests. In July, contractors arrived to remove some of the acacia and they found the road blocked by several excavators and around eighty 4x4s. Some two hundred locals and six MPs successfully disrupted the operation - so far the SBA authorities haven't tried again.
Andrea Rutigliano, from CABS, says: "We were always disappointed by the performance of the SBA authorities and by the lack of political will. Basically we've seen an attitude of tolerance and them trying to turn their eyes away from the problem."
Image copyrightBirdLife CyprusImage caption Trapping dates back to a time when bird were needed to supplement the family table - to provide protein
Cotton is comfortable, but when wet from sweat, it gets clammy. Self-wicking polyester is a good fix. But in wind or a temperature drop, it wicks away sweat so quickly, you get uncomfortably cold. Polartec’s engineers have figured out the right balance.
Polartec created its new Delta—a mechanical wicking fabric—to hold sweat close to the skin. It mimics the body’s natural cooling process before sweat evaporates through the fabric and into the air. Its secret: a water-receptive synthetic called Lyocell is knit into fins, similar to those in a car radiator, __that absorbs and spreads out perspiration. Polyester between the fins pulls moisture from the fabric and disperses it into the air to limit sogginess. Added odor control and UPF make it ideal for indoor or outdoor training.
This article was originally published in the September/October 2016 issue of Popular Science, under the title “A Shirt For Goldilocks.”
Image copyrightPEWImage caption Thresher sharks are often found entangled in fishing lines or nets
Known for its long whip-like tail, the threatened Thresher shark is among a number of marine species given extra protection at the Cites meeting.
Devil rays and Silky sharks have also been given additional safeguards.
These shark species have seen huge population falls over the past decades, due to the demands of the shark fin trade.
Devil rays are valued for the gill plates which are used in Chinese medicine.
Campaigners believe the safeguards under Cites will make a real difference to these species survival.
Few sharks protected
It's estimated __that around 100 million sharks of all types are killed in commercial fisheries - with their fins often destined for markets in China and Hong Kong.
Despite the scale of the fishing, there are just eight species given some protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).
At the previous Cites meeting in Thailand in 2013, hammerhead, oceanic whitetip and porbeagle sharks were added to Appendix II as well as all species of manta rays.
Appendix II means __that trade is allowed but it has to be shown to be sustainable.
Image copyrightPEWImage caption Devil rays congregate in large groups which make them vulnerable to fishermen
Now the silky and thresher sharks have also acquired this same level of protection.
Thresher sharks are at the highest risk of extinction among all pelagic sharks and are described as vulnerable by the IUCN.
"These are incredible animals, with their long whip like tails they're referred to as the Indiana Jones of the sea," said Luke Warwick with Pew Charitable Trusts.
"They stun the fish with their tails and can pick them up easily. These are species that divers want to see but they are being driven to extinction by unsustainable trade.
"Cites now has a chance to stop that because if countries want to continue to trade thresher shark fins they will have to make sure those fisheries are sustainable."
Smooth operator
Silky sharks, named for the smooth texture of their skin, are found all around the world in warmer, tropical waters. In much of the Atlantic and Pacific ocean their populations are decreasing, with estimates of a 70% reduction in numbers in almost every area where these sharks are found.
The silky is known for its strong sense of hearing which helps it to hunt tuna, octopus and squid - However this taste for tuna often causes their demise, as they chase their prey at speed and don't see fishing nets until it is too late.
Devil rays, also known as mobula rays, can jump from the water and reach heights of up to 2 metres, staying airborne for several seconds. But these flat fliers are also deep divers. Experts say they can go down to around 2km below the surface for 60-90 minutes.
One big vulnerability for devil rays is their tendency to aggregate in large numbers, making them very easy prey for targeted fishing.
What's driving the market for these large brained curious creatures is traditional Chinese medicine. The dried gill plates are used in a soup that's supposed to treat fever and help nursing mothers.
"These are very vulnerable animals, nine different species, only one young every two to three years," said Dr Andy Cornish from WWF.
Image copyrightPEWImage caption Silky sharks have also come under pressure from the fin trade
"When they are targeted by fishermen the available evidence is that the decline very rapidly."
Despite opposition from Japan and Iceland, the votes for all these species were won with very large majorities of between 70% and 80%. This is very different from three years ago at the last Cites Conference of the Parties in Thailand when the vote to protect three shark species gained the necessary majority with just one vote to spare. There is a possibility that the votes could be overturned in the plenary session of the Conference on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"Assuming these decisions stand, this is a big win for all these species of sharks and rays as governments around the world will now have to act to reduce the overfishing that threatens them," said Dr Cornish.
"Countries have now bought into the idea of listing sharks and rays, they are increasingly convinced that Appendix II listing leads to better data, improved management and a more sustainable trade - that's a real breakthrough."
Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathBBC and on Facebook.
The first Nobel Prize of 2016 has been awarded to Japanese biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi for his work looking into the inner workings of cells.
Specifically, the award was given to Ohsumi in recognition of his work in the early 1990's looking into the autophagy of cells. Autophagy is a word meaning self-eating, and refers to the process by which cells can break down damaged or less useful components and turn them into building blocks or food for other parts of the cell.
Ohsumi studied autophagy in yeast cells, and identified 15 genes __that are essential for autophagy to occur in a cell, and also set the stage for additional research into how autophagy works in humans, not just yeast.
Autophagy plays a key role in the response of cells to infections and stress, allowing the body to recover. Disruptions to the autophagy process or to the genes __that control the process have been linked to diseases like diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and some forms of cancer. Declines in autophagy have also been theoretically linked with issues related to aging.
The Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry will be announced later this week, along with the Nobel Peace Prize, which will be announced on Friday. Ohsumi joins a small company of Nobel laureates--since the awards were established in 1901, 900 people have become Nobel laureates with the awarding of 573 prizes (there can be multiple winners per prize).
Image caption The illegal trade in ivory has seen elephant numbers plummet
Elephant populations in Africa have declined by around 111,000 over the past 10 years according to a new study.
The African Elephant Status report says __that poaching is the main driver of the fall, the worst losses in 25 years.
However the authors say __that long-term issues such as the loss of habitat also pose a significant threat.
The report has been presented at the Cites meeting which is considering new proposals on elephant protection.
War on elephants - Alastair Leithead, Africa correspondent
Image caption The growing demand for ivory in Asian markets means the illegal trade continues to threaten the future of elephants in Africa
Every year in Africa between 30,000 and 40,000 elephants are poached for their ivory, and it's thought there are only 400,000 left.
Even accounting for the newborns, this rate of killing calls into question whether these amazing creatures will still be around in a generation, especially as Africa's ever-increasing population is reducing the space for them.
Organised crime runs the ivory industry.
Extract from The War on Elephants; article on how the very existence of Africa's elephants is threatened by poachers
More from Alastair:
Why elephants are seeking refuge in Botswana
Shocking reduction in Africa's elephant numbers
Wide range of sources
Figures published earlier this year in the Great Elephant Census indicated that African elephant populations had declined by around 30% over the past seven years.
This new study from conservation group IUCN incorporates this information but also uses data from elephant dung counts and individual observations amongst other sources.
The authors say the overall total for elephants in Africa is now around 415,000, although there may be an additional 117,000 to 135,000 in areas not systematically surveyed.
This represents a decline of some 111,000 from the report carried out in 2006.
Annual elephant population change, 2010-14
Poaching is the main driver of the drop. East Africa, the region most affected by killings for ivory, has experienced around a 50% reduction in numbers.
However it is not the only cause of concern to the authors.
"We are particularly concerned about major infrastructure projects that are cutting up the elephant ranges, this is a particular problem for road development in central and east Africa," said Dr Chris Thouless, one of the report's authors.
"These are all major issues that will have to be dealt with once the poaching crisis is over."
Community conservation
While report highlights the losses there are also some gains.
Elephant populations in South Africa, Namibia and Uganda have all increased. Elephant ranges have expanded in Kenya and Botswana, with community based conservation showing real success in Northern Kenya.
While these are positives, the overall picture is one of dramatic decline, fuelled by criminal activity that would decimate these giant creatures, if continued.
"Larger quantities of illegal ivory are leaving Africa than ever before," said Ginette Hemley from WWF.
"The transnational crime syndicates driving the slaughter must be dismantled, and consumer demand for ivory cannot persist if we hope to secure a safe future for elephants."
The report comes as the Cites meeting here in Johannesburg is facing significant division on how to handle the poaching crisis.
Talks on extra protections for elephants will begin on Monday with a number of countries led by Kenya seeking extra protection.
Others, including Namibia and Zimbabwe, are seeking to liberalise the safeguards and open up a trade in ivory. Another proposal here, which might garner more support, is aimed at ending all domestic markets in ivory. The meeting continues until 5 October.
Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc and on Facebook.
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Elephant numbers in many parts of Africa have declined rapidly over the past seven years
Attempts to give the maximum level of international protection to all African elephants have foundered at a key species conference in Johannesburg.
A proposal put forward by Kenya was strongly supported but failed to gain the two-thirds majority required.
The opposition of the EU, which voted as a block, was pivotal in the defeat.
Other proposals __that would have opened up new ivory markets were also rejected.
Proponents of the increased protection say it is a missed opportunity to safeguard the future of the species and end the current poaching crisis.
Continental divide
African nations have been split on the best approach to conserve elephant populations __that have been reduced by around 30% over the past seven years, mainly due to poaching for ivory.
If it hadn't been for the EU we'd have had elephants on Appendix I by now and that would send a massive signal to the world
Many range states that have suffered big losses backed a resolution at this meeting that would see all elephants in every African country elevated to Cites Appendix I, meaning no trade at all is possible in these animals.
Four Southern African countries, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe have their elephants listed on Appendix II but with an annotation that prevents any trade in their ivory.
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Human elephant conflicts in many parts of Africa arise when communities don't feel the benefits of conserving the species
Three of them resolutely opposed the idea of an up-listing as they argue that their elephant populations are doing well and they want to renew the trade in ivory at some point in the future.
In a passionate debate, proponents of the uplisting said it was critical to send the strongest signal possible to poachers that all elephants in Africa were off limits.
Lee White, from Gabon, told the meeting that his country was "haemorrhaging" about one tonne of ivory per month as a result of poaching.
He said that one thousand African park rangers had lost their lives over the past decade in fighting against the illegal trade.
Uplisting all African elephants would send an "absolutely clear" message that the trade must stop.
Sound science
Botswana made a dramatic intervention, suggesting that they would give up their Appendix II status and rejecting the idea that a trade in ivory could raise funds to protect the species.
"We now realises that we can no longer support sales, we can no longer deal with this in a vacuum," said Tshekedi Khama, Botwana's minister for the environment, wildlife and tourism.
Other southern African states didn't agree. They argued that uplisting depended on science, and that most of the populations in the Appendix II states were growing and not deserving to be on Appendix I.
"Parties must uphold the integrity of the Convention," said South African minister Edna Molewa.
The EU also took this line, stating that the southern African elephant populations didn't meet the biological criteria for uplisting.
This opposition proved crucial: the vote was 62 in favour with 44 against and 12 abstained.
With the EU voting as a block, this meant that their 28 votes went against the proposal and denied the two thirds majority that would put all populations on Appendix I.
Some delegates were not impressed by the European Union approach.
"The fault's at the EU door here, in my view they have the blood of elephants on their hands," said Dr Roz Reeve, senior adviser to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.
"I'm deeply frustrated and ashamed, if it hadn't been for the EU we'd have had elephants on Appendix I by now and that would send a massive signal to the world."
Other proposals to open up ivory markets by Namibia and Zimbabwe were also soundly defeated.
These countries argued that their elephant populations were robust and that their communities were not benefitting from these populations.
"If people are able to benefit from the ivory, they will not poach, they will protect - give us a reason to protect, not fear them," said Charles Jonga, a rural community representative from Zimbabwe.
Following a secret ballot, the Convention decided not to support the proposals.
Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathBBC and on Facebook.
Image copyrightSPLImage caption The survival of the helmeted hornbill is threatened by demand for its bill
An Asian bird species under threat for its ivory like helmet has gained extra protection at the Cites conference in Johannesburg.
Numbers of the helmeted hornbill have plummeted in recent years as demand soared for the so-called "red ivory" __that makes up its bill.
Prized in China the hornbill helmets are worth up to five times the price of elephant ivory.
The Cites meeting has now voted for extra efforts to curb illegal trade.
Casques for carving
Known for it's unusual call __that sounds like a cackling laugh, the helmeted hornbill is the largest hornbill species in Asia and is found in tropical forests in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Myanmar.
The bird has been under pressure for years from the on-going deforestation and development of palm oil plantations.
But it's the hornbill's helmet, or casque, that sits on top of its bill that is pushing it to the brink of survival.
Unlike many other species, the casque is made of solid keratin, akin to rhino horn, and has long been valued as a material that's easy to carve.
Image copyrightWCSImage caption A poacher is arrested in possession of hornbill casques
But over the past the past six years demand has soared, many conservationists believe, in parallel with the growth in demand for elephant ivory.
"They are quite large birds, the males can reach just over 3kg so they are relatively easy to shoot," said Sophie Adwick from the Zoological Society of London.
"It's often said that you can hear them before you can see them as they make a cackling type noise."
In 2013, it was estimated that up to 500 birds were being killed every month in West Borneo for their bills, linked to growing demand in China.
"This ivory can be carved more easily than elephant ivory, because its slightly softer, so it can be used to develop really intricate ornaments which are then sold as status symbols," said Ms Adwick.
Image copyrightSPLImage caption The soft material of the casque allows carvers to etch complex scenarios
"With increasing wealth across Asia, there is increasing demand, and these birds are being killed and traded at rates their populations probably can't support."
The loss of the males through poaching is also having a knock on effect on females, thanks to their unusual breeding behaviours.
The females make their nests in hollowed out trees and the males seal them into the nest using mud.
The females stay there for up to 160 days with the males bringing them food and feeding them through a slit in the mud seal.
When the males are shot for their bills, it's likely that this also results in the deaths of females and chicks as there's no one to feed them.
The species is already listed in Appendix I so there is no legal trade - but in an effort to get greater enforcement of protection for this species, Indonesia put forward a resolution and, after some amendments, the Conference of the Parties meeting here has approved a series of decisions that will improve the legal protection of the birds, increase co-operation between law enforcement agencies and encourage public education programmes.
"This convention has been focussed so much on the elephant crisis but we believe that the threat for hornbill is equal to what they are facing," said Noviar Andayani, from the Wildlife Conservation Society in Indonesia.
"We hope now that not only that the range states but also the destinations will implement stringent law enforcement to ensure that this illegal trade in this species will be prohibited forever."
Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathBBC and on Facebook.
Male Bactrian deer have "beautiful antlers," said researcher Zalmai Moheb.
Horses tromped through the dense thickets of willows and reeds, tamarisks and grasses. “It was very hard to see in the forest,” said Zalmai Moheb, remembering a cool winter morning in 2013.
Moheb, an ecologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society, had been with a team of researchers and field guides in Takhar province in northeast Afghanistan. They were silent as they steadily moved through the thick shrubbery, riding horses so they could explore more areas than they otherwise would have been able to reach.
Suddenly, they saw movement in the tall reeds. “Look! Look! Bactrian deer!” exclaimed one of the guides, pointing a finger.
Moheb’s head whipped around at the sound, and he caught the marvelous sight: a female deer, probably about 2 or 3 years old, running away from the horsemen.
“It was, maybe, 30 or 35 meters away from us,” Moheb said. “It all happened so fast, we didn’t get a chance to take a photo.”
But __that fleeting glimpse of the animal was enough to confirm a most improbable rumor. The Bactrian deer, believed to have gone locally extinct in Afghanistan after decades of war and turmoil, had somehow survived in the country.
“It was like, wow, after 40 years, we can confirm this animal exists here,” Moheb, a Fulbright scholar and Ph.D. student at the University of Massachusetts, told The Huffington Post last week. “We were hugging each other and congratulating each other. It was an exciting moment. I turned to the others and said, ‘Well, guys, that’s it. Let’s have a party.’”
The discovery, Moheb said, was not just a testament of nature’s tenacity in the face of human destruction, but also a harbinger of hope for the future of conservation as a whole in Afghanistan, a country where environmental issues has long taken a backseat.
“After years of instability and firings and bombings and war, it’s hard to expect animal populations to survive. But then you realize how resilient animals are,” Moheb said. “This gives us hope, a lot of hope, for conservation. It tells us __that it’s never too late to start.”
N Marmazinskaya
Bactrian deer
In the weeks leading up to their memorable encounter in the forest, researchers had heard from locals that the Bactrian deer ― Afghanistan’s largest deer ― had been spotted in Darqad, the northernmost district of Takhar province.
But Moheb and his team had been doubtful of the claims.
Wildlife conservation had been practically nonexistent in Afghanistan since the start of a series of civil wars and the Soviet-Afghan war in the 1970s.
“The country had other priorities,” Moheb said. “So for decades, there was almost no information about wildlife populations.”
But a nascent conservation movement had taken root in the country. In 2005, then-President Hamid Karzai established the National Environmental Protection Agency, the first such entity of its kind in Afghanistan; a year later, the Afghan chapter of the Wildlife Conservation Society was established.
“At the time, there was this 30-year gap in knowledge. People didn’t know what was left, or even if it was left,” said Peter Zahler, regional director of WCS Asia, speaking from New York on Thursday. “There was a real need to recreate this baseline knowledge.”
So WCS researchers ― including Moheb, who joined the organization in 2009 ― began conducting field research and surveys, tracking native species like ibex, snow leopards and Bactrian bear.
The Bactrian deer, a deer subspecies similar to the elk that’s only found in parts of Central Asia, was also of great interest to conservationists.
For decades, however, there had been no official record in Afghanistan of the deer. The last population estimate, reached in the early 1970s, had numbered the animal at just 120 individuals in the country. In the years that followed, the mujahideen had fought against the Soviets in areas where the Bactrian deer had once roamed. Deforestation of the animals’ habitat and widespread hunting are also believed to have threatened Bactrian deer populations.
A few survey teams had gone looking for Bactrian deer in 2007 and 2008 without any results, Moheb said ― hence the researchers’ skepticism when villagers said they’d seen the animal in Takhar province.
“The belief was that the Bactrian deer had gone extinct in Afghanistan,” he explained. “The conservation community was not very confident that the animal could be found.”
But when the researchers went searching, they found droppings and hoof marks that appeared to confirm the sightings. Then, on that unforgettable morning of Dec. 3, 2013, they saw the deer with their own eyes.
It’s impossible to estimate the number of Bactrian deer currently living in Afghanistan, said the researchers, whose findings were described in an assessment of the Bactrian deer published in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Deer Specialist Group newsletter in May.
Conservation efforts in the former Soviet Union area have helped the global population of the animal go up from about 400 individuals in the 1960s to an estimated 1,900 free-ranging animals in 2011, the researchers said. Rigorous conservation efforts must still be undertaken in Afghanistan, however, to help the deer resettle in its old home.
The IUCN currently doesn’t consider the Bactrian deer threatened, but it’s considering reclassifying the animal to reflect its continued vulnerability in the wild, according to a September BBC report. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers the Bactrian deer endangered “wherever found.”
People ask you: In a country where people don’t even care about humans, how can you ask me to care about wildlife?Zalmai Moheb
Conservationists continue to face many challenges in Afghanistan. Instability has returned to the Darqad area, after fighting involving the Taliban recently erupted.
In the face of such turmoil, wildlife protection can be an especially hard sell.
“It can be hard to convince people why we’re doing this,” Moheb said. “People ask you: In a country where people don’t even care about humans, how can you ask me to care about wildlife?”
But on the whole, wildlife conservation efforts have been fruitful in the country.
Despite ongoing conflict, researchers have managed to locate several rare and elusive animal populations in recent years. In 2011, the WCS said it found several native species, including Asiatic black bears, gray wolves and leopard cats, surviving in the remote and war-torn province of Nuristan. The WCS has also been successful in tracking snow leopards in the country. So far, four of the big cats have been collared and monitored locally, offering insight into the animals’ range and behavior.
Zahler, who designed and started the WCS Afghanistan program in 2006, said the government of Afghanistan has played a critical role in furthering conservation efforts in the country. In 2009, the government named the country’s first ever national park, Band-e-Amir. Two years ago, a second was created ― the breathtaking Wakhan National Park, which is home to snow leopards, ibex and the iconic Marco Polo sheep.
“The government has been very positive about the whole effort,” Zahler said. “They really get the fact that natural resource management is an important part of a country’s safety and security. They’ve been very committed.”
Majority World via Getty Images
Band-e-Amir National Park, located high up in the central highlands of Afghanistan's Bamyan province.
Afghanistan’s story could teach us a lot about conservation amid war, said Zahler and Moheb.
Over 90 percent of major armed conflicts between 1950 and 2000 occurred within countries containing biodiversity hotspots, and more than 80 percent occurred within the hotspots themselves, according to a 2009 study. Such conflicts can put communities, as well as ecosystems and wildlife populations, at serious risk.
“My personal opinion is Afghanistan has been very successful in this area because it worked on multiple levels simultaneously,” Zahler said. “That’s the problem with countries in conflict and even those that aren’t necessarily in conflict — a lot needs to be done and if you work on just one aspect, you may not be successful.
For Moheb, Afghanistan’s conservation wins, like his team’s Bactrian deer discovery, is a reminder to “just do it”— even in the face of enormous challenges.
“I think this shows us that there’s hope. The only thing we need to do is start conservation efforts, start conserving those habitats and the animals will recover, populations will recover,” he said. “When [Afghan] people ask me why they should care about these animals, I tell them: Yes, conflict may be going on but if we wait till the war is finished and instability is finished, by that time, we may not have any wildlife left. We need to care today.”
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Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption The new resolution is seen as an important step towards closing all domestic ivory markets
Delegates at a UN wildlife conference have endorsed calls for the closure of all domestic ivory markets.
The non-binding proposal was approved at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) in South Africa.
Conservationists hailed it as a significant step towards ending the current elephant poaching crisis.
However Japan, which has a large domestic ivory trade, said the proposal did not apply there.
While the international market in ivory has been closed since 1989, legal domestic markets have continued in many countries around the world.
There has been growing concern __that domestic trading has encouraged the poaching of elephants.
A surge in killing over the past seven years has seen populations across Africa shrink by a third, according to the recently published Great Elephant Census. What is driving the slaughter is the value of ivory, which can sell for around $1,100 (£850) per kilo in China.
Countries including the US and China have announced plans to close their markets. The UK recently did the same, banning all trade in ivory dated from 1947 until the present day.
Trade in materials from before 1947 will continue.
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Conservationists argue __that legal markets are used as a cover for illegal trade
While the nations attending this conference are divided on the best approach to protecting elephants, a compromise on the issue of closing domestic markets was arrived at after some heated discussions in a working group. However the measure then passed by consensus.
Japan 'disappointed'
The agreed text calls is not legally binding and Cites can't compel countries to follow, but conservationists believe that it is a strong move as it is the first time that the 183 countries that have signed the Convention have taken a unified position on this question.
"It's an important step on the road to closing worldwide ivory markets. It's the first time that Cites has agreed to intervene so directly in domestic ivory," said Robert Hepworth, a former chair of the Cites standing committee.
Because it is a compromise, the new resolution does come with a significant caveat. It encourages countries to close their markets where those markets are "contributing to poaching or illegal trade".
Some countries, including Japan are likely to argue that their markets don't contribute to poaching so they don't need to close them.
Speaking to the Japanese press, the country's environment minister expressed the view that the resolution wouldn't apply to Japan as there was no poached ivory in their market. Campaigners disagree vehemently.
"There is evidence that has shown that Japan's market has illegal ivory, fraudulent documents are used and there is ivory from illegal or unknown origins circulating in the market," said Iris Ho, from Humane Society International.
"It's very disappointing for the Japanese government to deny the existence of illegal ivory in their markets - Any legal market serves as a very convenient cover for illegal ivory to be laundered."
China backs closures
What surprised many of the participants who drew up the resolution was the position taken by China, one of the biggest markets for illegal ivory.
According to those involved, the Chinese were looking for an even stronger text on market closure.
"China wanted a very clear message that all domestic, legal markets should be closed," said Patrick Omondi who is part of the Kenyan delegation at Cites.
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Some countries have destroyed their ivory stocks but some still hold onto them in the hope of future markets
"The fact that they have recognised there's a problem with their domestic market and are working to close that market, is a very good signal for the conservation of the African elephant."
The unity displayed on the closure of markets may well be short-lived. Monday will see differing proposals on the future of elephants. Namibia and Zimbabwe are seeking to have elephants in their countries downgraded, paving the way for legitimate exports of ivory.
A coalition of other African countries is proposing the very opposite. They want to upgrade all African elephants to the most protected status, removing any possibility of a commercial trade.
There is very likely to be a heated debate, and the feeling among observers is that neither proposal will command the two-thirds majority needed to alter the Convention.
Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathBBC and on Facebook.
Image copyrightESAImage caption End of mission announcement: "Thank you and goodbye"
It was the strangest of atmospheres. Quite sombre, actually. Akin almost to a wake.
Controllers had waited in silence for a radio signal to drop off their screens. It did so, abruptly, indicating __that the billion-euro Rosetta mission had finally come to an end.
Seven hundred and twenty million km away on the other side of the Solar System, the European probe __that had so captivated the world with its examination of a duck-shaped comet had just landed on the surface of the icy object and shut itself down.
“This is the end of the Rosetta mission. Thank you and goodbye,” the spacecraft operations manger Sylvain Lodiot announced over the communications ring. And with that, he took off his headset and walked away to embrace colleagues.
To witness a reaction so muted shouldn’t really have been a surprise. It was after all a bittersweet moment. There were some in attendance who had worked on the project for 30 years.
Image copyrightESAImage caption How Rosetta's moment of touchdown on Comet 67P might have looked
Rosetta’s observations as it circled high above Comet 67P have transformed our understanding of the mountainous balls of ice and dust that wander among the planets. And Rosetta’s delivery of the small robot Philae to the surface two years ago was a historic first.
The mission is, without question, a pinnacle of achievement for the European Space Agency. And it was natural therefore that people should feel a particular sense of loss.
Image copyrightESA/ROSETTA/NAVCAMImage caption Our knowledge of comets has gone through a step-change thanks to Rosetta
“It’s like R.I.P. Rosetta. It’s really sad; I mean really, really sad,” said the Open University scientist Monica Grady, who became something of a face for the mission in the UK.
“You know when you do these things it comes to an end. It’s the end of a real era but it’s the start of the next one because we have to plan the next mission.”
So where next? In terms of Solar System science, the immediate focus of attention turns to Mars. In a couple of weeks, Europe will attempt to put a small probe called Schiaparelli on the surface of the Red Planet. It’s a demonstrator, a prelude to placing the more significant ExoMars rover on our near neighbour in 2021.
The satellite that drops Schiaparelli to the surface has significant work to do also in studying the atmosphere of the fascinating world.
Image copyrightESAImage caption Artwork: The ExoMars rover will aim to drill below Mars' surface to look for life
Also approaching is the much delayed BepiColombo mission to orbit Mercury, and far over the horizon is the Juice venture to Jupiter and its icy moons. This will arrive in the 2030s.
And there’s a satellite called Solar Orbiter, which will launch in 2018 and dare to go extremely close to the Sun.
But it should be said that Esa’s confirmed future missions to small planetary bodies represent an empty portfolio currently.
Its competitive selection process to find large and medium-budget projects have so far overlooked such destinations.
And Mark McCaughrean, Esa’s senior science adviser, believes Rosetta has set such a high bar now that any future comet missions would have to go some way to justify themselves.
“The big question is: what do you do for an encore? Do you go and grab some material and bring it back to Earth - [what we call] sample-return. That’s very expensive, but it could be a big international collaboration.”
Image copyrightAFP
As it happens, two smaller comet proposals will be submitted to Esa in the next week for consideration.
One concept, called Castalia, would send a spacecraft to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter to study an object that shows very comet-like behaviour.
The other, known as Core (Comet Rendezvous Explorer), would attempt to put another lander on a comet. But, unlike Rosetta’s surface robot Philae that accidentally bounced over 67P, this machine would intentionally hop from place to place to study the varying conditions across the icy body.
One of Core's proposers is Nick Thomas, from the University of Bern, Switzerland. He says there is an imperative now for Europe try to maintain the Rosetta legacy.
“When Europe’s Giotto probe visited Halley’s Comet in 1986, it gave Europe a lead in cometary science that lasted for the next 15 years. And Rosetta is going to do the same for the next 15 years. And what you do is put in a proposal now so that in 15 years’ time we can send the next mission and continue that leadership.”
Image copyrightDANIEL ROLANDImage caption Comet chocolates: Certain types of space mission engage more than others
And that really is the timescale involved. Even if Castalia or Core is chosen in this next competition round, they will not fly until the late 2020s. The long wait is partly to do with the availability and flow of money, but also has a lot to do with technology development and readiness. It’s a long game.
What should be clear from the Rosetta experience, though, is that the public certainly engage with these types of mission in a way they don’t always with space telescopes.
“For me, we’ve learned that big projects pay off,” said Rosetta’s flight director, Andrea Accomazzo. “This project was conceived 30 years ago. It’s been a massive investment, a massive risk, but also a massive success.”
