Where in the world is that whiskery walrus?

THESE WALRUSES AINT GOING NOWHERE. COO COO CA CHOO. (PHOTO: JEF POSKANZER)
As we continue to warm up our planet and push ice-dwelling speicies to the brink of extinction, it's getting more and more important to know where those animals go so that we can try to protect them. Some animals can be tracked, but it's a bit difficult to track a walrus through the icy ocean. So Professor Erik Born from Greenland is about to start his third season of tagging walruses with satellite tags, and tracking them as they migrate north for the summer. He's generously planning to share his information with the BBC, who are in the process of building a Walrus Watch Website for our viewing pleasure.

Professor Born and team will shoot a dart at some of the whiskery wanderers, and then follow them with GPRD for the two months or so that the tag remains attached. After that time, it will be naturally shed. Shooting a dart at a walrus isn't as mean as it sounds, they have incredibly thick skin so a)it wont hurt and b)they wont be offended (sorry). The team hope to find out where the walruses go when they head north, and just to find out as much as possible about their habits. Even though they're very ungainly when on land, the animals can shift at up to 22mph in water, so they can cover quite a distance. As soon as the site is up, I'll post a link. Until then, to keep you going here's 10 fascinating facts about walruses.

Via BBC News.

Comments

[Thomas Mead]

Shouldn't that be "Where IN the world...."?

T,,

[Katie]

Yes it should. Duly changed.

[Peter McGrath]

Everyone knows the walrus will be found walking down the strand. With a carpenter. Probably a Polish one, these days.

[DDeden]

Hi, neat blog, good about the walrii/walruses, how does one pronounce multiple walrus?
Anyway, I'm an associate of the Ink People, called the Inkers too, and you're the inkycircus!

An invite to stop by my (disorderly) blog sometime: The Humboldt Eureka - Aquamarine Research Center (THE-ARC) at my URL. Mix of stuff (spheres in nature, Songs of the Shores, sun sneezing), not much yet though.

DDeden