Bermuda Triangle or The Devil’s Triangle

The , also known as the Devil’s Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels are said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Popular culture has attributed these disappearances to the paranormal or activity by extraterrestrial beings. Triangle writers have used a number of supernatural concepts to explain the events. One explanation pins the blame on leftover technology from the mythical lost continent of Atlantis. Sometimes connected to the Atlantis story is the submerged rock formation known as the Bimini Road off the island of Bimini in the Bahamas, which is in the Triangle by some definitions. Followers of the purported psychic Edgar Cayce take his prediction that evidence of Atlantis would be found in 1968 as referring to the discovery of the Bimini Road. Believers describe the formation as a road, wall, or other structure, though geologists consider it to be of natural origin. Other writers attribute the events to UFOs. This idea was used by Steven Spielberg for his science fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which features the lost aircrews as alien abductees. Violent weather A powerful downdraft of cold air was suspected to be a cause in the sinking of the Pride of on May 14, 1986. The crew of the sunken vessel noted the wind suddenly shifted and increased velocity from 20 mph to 60–90 mph. A National Hurricane Center satellite specialist, James Lushine, stated “during very unstable weather conditions the downburst of cold air from aloft can hit the surface like a bomb, exploding outward like a giant squall line of wind and water.”

Methane hydrates Endangered, hunted, smuggled and now some would say abandoned, these animals have the smallest chances of recovery out off all the Earth’s creatures. Last year, studies shown that there are at least 35 different animals with world populations of under 1000. But which are the rarest, the animals on the brink of extinction? We have rounded up a list of 10 of the rarest animals in the wild. These animals are so rare, they might disappear forever, and they’re not alone!

The Pinta Island tortoise

Without argument, this turtle is one of the few species of Giant Galapagos tortoises and the rarest animal in the world since there is only one left alive. Lonesome George is the sole surviving member of the Pinta Island race, the giant tortoise being a symbol for the fragility of the Galapagos islands, and a constant reminder for vigilence and conservation of the species. The species was considered extinct until 1971, when a lone example was located by rangers. Since then, the Charles Darwin Research Station has been searching for a female tortoise, even posting a reward of $10,000 to those that find one.

An explanation for some of the disappearances has focused on the presence of large fields of methane hydrates (a form of natural gas) on the continental shelves. Laboratory experiments carried out in Australia have proven that bubbles can, indeed, sink a scale model ship by decreasing the density of the water; any wreckage consequently rising to the surface would be rapidly dispersed by the Gulf Stream. It has been hypothesized that periodic methane eruptions (sometimes called “mud volcanoes”) may produce regions of frothy water that are no longer capable of providing adequate buoyancy for ships. If this were the case, such an area forming around a ship could cause it to sink very rapidly and without warning. Notable incidents The Ellen Austin supposedly came across a derelict ship, placed on board a prize crew, and attempted to sail with it to New York in 1881. According to the stories, the derelict disappeared; others elaborating further that the derelict reappeared minus the prize crew, then disappeared again with a second prize crew on board.

USS Cyclops The USS Cyclops, under the command of Lt Cdr G.W. Worley, went missing without a trace with a crew of 309 sometime after March 4, 1918, after departing the island of . Although there is no strong evidence for any single theory, many independent theories exist, some blaming storms, some capsizing, and some suggesting that wartime enemy activity was to blame for the loss. In addition, two of Cyclops’s sister ships, Proteus and Nereus were subsequently lost in the North Atlantic during World War II. Both ships were transporting heavy loads of metallic ore similar to that which was loaded on Cyclops during her fatal voyage. In all three cases structural failure due to overloading with a much denser cargo than designed is considered the most likely cause of sinking.

Carroll A. Deering A five-masted schooner built in 1919, the Carroll A. Deering was found hard aground and abandoned at Diamond Shoals, near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina on January 31, 1921. Rumors and more at the time indicated the Deering was a victim of piracy, possibly connected with the illegal rum-running trade during Prohibition, and possibly involving another ship, SS Hewitt, which disappeared at roughly the same time. Just hours later, an unknown steamer sailed near the lightship along the track of the Deering, and ignored all signals from the lightship. It is speculated that Hewitt may have been this mystery ship, and possibly involved in the Deering crew’s disappearance. Flight 19 Flight 19 was a training flight of five TBM Avenger torpedo bombers that disappeared on December 5, 1945, while over the Atlantic. The squadron’s flight plan was scheduled to take them due east from Fort Lauderdale for 141 miles, north for 73 miles, and then back over a final 140-mile leg to complete the exercise. The flight never returned to base. The disappearance is attributed by Navy investigators to navigational error leading to the aircraft running out of fuel. One of the search and rescue aircraft deployed to look for them, a PBM Mariner with a 13-man crew, also disappeared. A tanker off the coast of Florida reported seeing an explosion and observing a widespread oil slick when fruitlessly searching for survivors. The weather was becoming stormy by the end of the incident. According to contemporaneous sources the Mariner had a history of explosions due to vapour leaks when heavily loaded with fuel, as for a potentially long search and rescue operation.

Brown-headed gulls are small, sleek-looking gulls that breed on the high plateaus of central Asia from Turkmenistan all the way to Mongolia, migrating in winter to the coasts and large inland lakes of tropical S Asia. (Amit Kumar)

Common hill mynas are gregarious and prefer more open habitat where they eat insects and fruit. They are important seed dispersal agents throwing thousands of fruits to the ground in a season. (Atanu Mondal) Vernal hanging parrots are resident breeders in India, Nepal, and parts of SE Brown-headed gulls are small, sleek-looking gulls that breed on the high plateaus of central Asia from Turkmenistan all the way to Mongolia, migrating in winter to the coasts and large inland lakes of tropical S Asia. (Amit Kumar)

Common hill mynas are gregarious and prefer more open habitat where they eat insects and fruit. They are important seed dispersal agents throwing thousands of fruits to the ground in a season. (Atanu Mondal Vernal hanging parrots are resident breeders in India, Nepal, and parts of SE

Seychelles Sheath-tailed Bat – Inhabiting the central granitic islands of the Seychelles Islands north of Madagascar,Seychelles Sheath-tailed Bat the bat is part of our list, being one of the most endangered animals since fewer than 100 are believed to exist in the world. It was once commonly found in Seychelles, but the species has undergone a dramatic decline in population during the mid to late 20th century. More research needs to be done in order to understand how the species behave and what needs to be done in order to save them. Scientists believe that, with a heavy amount of effort, 500 individuals may be sufficient to guarantee long-term persistence of the population.

Hispid hare Also called the “bristly rabbit”, this hare has been recorded along the southern foothills of the Himalayan Hispid hare mountain chain, Nepal, , Bengal, and Assam. Deforestation, cultivation, and human settlement had the most

negative impact on the species, isolating the rabbits in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam. This animal was feared extinct in 1964, but in 1966, one was spotted. There were an estimated 110 hispid hares worldwide in 2001, numbers continuing to plunge due its unsuccessful adaptation to captivity.

Magnificent hummingbirds breed in the mountains of SW to Costa Rica and W Panama. They prefer the ecotones and clearings of montane oak forests. (Nina Stavlund)rates for newly-fledged birds. (Rodnick Clifton Biljon) Oriental pied hornbills are found in the Indian Subcontinent and SE Asia in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam, where they prefer subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. (Atanu Mondal)

Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat In the 19th century this species of wombat was present in New South Wales and Victoria but now can only be found in a small national park near Epping Forest Station in tropical Queensland. While this area has been protected as a National Park, the native grasses that the wombat eats are overtaken by non-indigenous plants. The Northern hairy-nosed wombat is the rarest Australian marsupial, and probably the world’s rarest large mammal. In the latest population study, there are an estimated 113 (range 96 to 150) individual. A major recovery program is underway, funded by the Queensland and Commonwealth governments to the tune of $250,000 per year.

Sumatran Orangutan Only identified as a separate species in 2004, the highly endangered Sumatran orangutan (above, a Sumatran orangutan in Kansas’s Sedgwick County Zoo) may disappear before scientists can properly study the species. Wild populations of the orangutan, found only in Aceh Province in southern Sumatra, Indonesia, have declined by 80 percent in the past 75 years. Only about 6,600 orangutans are left in Sumatra, according to the “Rarest of the Rare” report. The animals are rapidly losing habitat to palm oil plantations. Young orangutans are also sometimes killed as pests or illegally captured for the international pet trade, experts say.

THE WORLD’S MOST AMAZING FACTS The animal world contains so many amazing facts, misconceptions, and mysteries that we could write a list based on it every day. So it is probably a little surprising that we only have one list of animal facts on the site. So today we are doing something about it and presenting this, our second, list of amazing animals facts. Be sure to share your own favorites in the comments. Oh – and for those who are interested,

Cyanide Bugs Some millipedes (Apheloria Virginiensis) are able to secrete cyanide. Laboratory study of these millipedes (which are slow moving and feed on plants) are able to release clouds of hydrogen cyanide gas through small vents in their body. This is most likely to occur when being handled, or attacked by other creatures such as ants. It is essential that one wash ones hands after touching one of these millipedes. This large creature is found in North America and is also known as the Kentucky Flat Millipede.

Unlikely Mates Red Ants and Large Blue Butterflies work together. Large Blue caterpillars feed on wild Thyme or Marjoram flowers for the first few days of development. Afterwards, they seek out the nests of a specific species of red ant, and hibernate inside their tunnels. The caterpillar will spend a further 3 weeks transforming into the Large Blue butterfly adult. After its change from caterpillar to butterfly, the insect emerges from its chrysalis and leaves the red ant nest to find a mate. Usually, red ants will escort the newly emerged butterfly to the surface, taking it to a low plant or shrub nearby. The red ants will encircle the butterfly and ward off any predators that attempt to attack the butterfly as it dries out. After the butterfly is ready to fly away, the ants will retreat back into their nest. To make itself less of an intruder to the red ants, Large Blue caterpillars will adopt the red ant’s scent and mimic the ant’s sounds, in addition to providing the ants with honeydew. Once the caterpillar is inside its chrysalis, it will rub its head against the chrysalis walls to make a scraping sound that the red ants make. Failure to complete any of these disguises will often lead to the caterpillar being eaten by the red ants. Ferret If a female ferret goes into heat but can’t get any mate, she will die. This is a female specific problem; female ferrets can go into extended heat – during which time they must breed or they can die of aplastic anemia – a condition in which the bone marrow stops producing enough new blood cells (caused by estrogen toxicity.) This is because female ferrets are induced ovulators, so mating is required to bring the female out of heat. Intact females, if not mated, will remain in heat, and after some time the high levels of estrogen will cause the bone marrow to stop producing red blood cells. In the latest in a spate of good news about wildlife conservation in Africa, BBC Earth reports that mountain gorillas have increased their numbers on Virunga Massif, their core habitat stretching across Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. From a population of only 250 thirty years ago, their population has almost doubled to 480 today. Another 302 live in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The rise is attributed to increased cooperation between the three countries to protect the gorillas and stop poachers. Safaris to see mountain gorillas have become increasingly popular with adventure travelers. Uganda has expanded its gorilla safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Rwanda is also offering safaris to see the gentle giants.

African nations are getting better at preserving their wildlife. Namibia and Zimbabwe are clamping down on poaching and last year we reported how Niger has pulled a unique subspecies of giraffe from extinction.