Women of Wildlife - AUSTRALIA ZOO
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AUSTRALIA ZOO
Magazine | Autumn 2019
Meet the
Women of Wildlife ISSUE 49
RRP $7.95
All profits go to
wildlife conservation
3 | CRIKEY! Magazine - Autumn 2019
©Chris Grech 32 | CRIKEY! Magazine - Autumn 2019
Matriarchal Societies
of the Animal Queendom
BY LUKE REAVLEY
SURE, WE ALL KNOW THE LION IS THE KING
OF THE JUNGLE, HOWEVER, THE ANIMAL
WORLD IS BLESSED WITH MATRIARCHS
LEADING ANIMAL QUEENDOMS.
A
ccording to the Cambridge in small bachelor herds. Their
Dictionary, “A matriarch is success as a matriarchal society
an old and powerful female is advanced by also being a
member of a family, for example a species that has evolved to live in
grandmother.” Two of my favourite a fission-fusion society. In short,
animal species have evolved to live in this means herds merge (fusion) or
a matriarchal society, where a female split (fission) as they move through
leads the family, colony, or group. their environment, making them an
Elephants and bees are renowned for incredibly fascinating species led
their matriarchal culture, but there by strong female leaders.
are plenty of other species that have
elected to have female leaders. Most examples of matriarchal
societies are found in mammals,
Elephant matriarchs are usually the however, there is a reason the “Elephants and bees
oldest female of the family, having phrase “queen bee” has become a are renowned for
years of experience and possessing well-known pop culture reference, their matriarchal
the wisdom necessary to fulfil the and not just in reference to culture, but there
needs of the herd. Elephant herds Beyoncè. The social structure of
very much revolve around the bees is led by a queen, responsible
are plenty of other
females. When males start displaying for the health of a hive that species that have
signs of sexual maturity, they are contains tens of thousands of elected to have
chased away to live in solitude, or individuals. female leaders”
CRIKEY! Magazine - Autumn 2019 | 33
The queen bee is usually the mother
of most, if not all, of the bees in the
hive. Bees live in a eusocial society,
the highest level of organisation in
the animal kingdom. Each member
has an assigned job that is
determined by age. Speaking of
age, as the queen ages her
pheromone production weakens.
As she becomes old or sick she
is replaced by the workers in a
procedure known as supersedure,
where she is replaced with one of her
daughters. As Beyoncè sang, “Who
run the world? Girls.”
Anyone that reads Crikey Magazine
knows all too well my fixation with
bees and elephants, but what about
other species? Well, there is an animal
closely related to humans that is led
by a matriarch. In fact, they share
over 98% of our DNA: the bonobo
(Pan paniscus). The inferior ranks
of bonobo culture consist of both
males and females, while the highest-
34 | CRIKEY! Magazine - Autumn 2019
ranking positions of the troop are age, female orcas cease breeding
forever held by older females. and it is these post-reproductive
Like elephants, bonobos live in a females that take on the responsibility
fission-fusion society, where the of matriarchy.
larger troop regularly splits off into
smaller groups of varying shapes Another successful predatory
and sizes. High ranking females of mammal is the spotted hyena,
the group form strong bonds with native to sub-Saharan Africa. The
other high-ranking females, no social system of the spotted hyena
doubt the key to their success as a is a complex one, with up to 100
matriarchal primate. individuals making up the cackle (the
collective noun for hyena). Females
From the tree tops to the oceans, are larger and more aggressive
matriarchal societies have proven than the males. They also possess
successful in every ecosystem. The a pseudo-penis and unusually
largest species of dolphin, and one high levels of testosterone. These
of the greatest predators to inhabit misjudged animals are captivating.
the world’s oceans (literally, all of I have been lucky enough to spend
the world’s oceans!) is the orca time observing them in the wild and
“From the tree (Orcinus orca). Like other species, was flabbergasted by their caring
tops to the oceans, the matriarch of an orca pod is a nature and strong family dynamics.
matriarchal wealth of knowledge and societal
understanding. These individuals There you have it, five species
societies have pass down vital life lessons, such as headed up by a matriarch. Strong,
proven successful where to find food, navigating their wise and caring leaders, ensuring the
in every home range and raising calves. After survival of some of the planet’s most
ecosystem.” reaching approximately 50 years of incredible species.
CRIKEY! Magazine - Autumn 2019 | 35
What Does a Wall
Mean for Wildlife?
68 | CRIKEY! Magazine - Autumn 2019
ON FEBRUARY 15TH, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES DECLARED A NATIONAL EMERGENCY ON THE
BORDER WITH MEXICO, A MOVE TO ACCESS BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS TO BUILD THE INFAMOUS BORDER WALL.
the US, Mexico provides important
There are a number of Animals expected to be impacted by
habitat for these animals and the wall
ways the wall impedes on the wall’s construction include bison,
would likely doom any chance for the
grey wolves, bald eagles, black
wildlife, whether it is limiting species to recover.
bears, and armadillos, however they
the ability to find a mate,
aren’t the only ones, “Our analysis
disrupting movement or shows that the border bisects the How can the wall be constructed
migration and limiting access geographic ranges of 1506 native when it will negatively impact
to prey, den sites and water. terrestrial and freshwater animal and 62 species listed as Critically
plant species, including 62 species Endangered species? 37 laws have
Of the 3,200-kilometre (2000 miles) listed as Critically Endangered, been relinquished perpetually on the
border that Mexico shares with the Endangered, or Vulnerable by the border, including the Endangered
United States, 1000km (650mi) of International Union for Conservation Species Act and the American Eagle
border wall already exists, but the of Nature (IUCN) Red List,” the Protection Act. “With these laws
push to extend the wall another report continued. sidelined, wall construction proceeds
1,600-kilometres (1,000mi) would without the necessary depth of
certainly impact wildlife in the area. The United States of America is environmental impact analysis,” the
fortunate enough to have six native scientists shared.
An article published in Bioscience cat species, the jaguar, ocelot,
Journal last year titles Nature jaguarundi, cougar, bobcat and Much of the region on the US side of
Divided, Scientists United: US– Canadian lynx. All species other than the borderlands has been designated
Mexico Border Wall Threatens the Canadian lynx five inhabit the as protected areas, 25-million acres
Biodiversity and Binational borderlands and would be affected of protected public lands within
Conservation comprised of 2556 by the wall. The jaguar, ocelot and 100 miles of the line, including six
scientists from 43 countries studied jaguarundi are all endangered in wildlife refuges, six national parks,
the threats wildlife face should the tribal lands, wilderness areas, and
wall be constructed. conservation areas.
The paper claims the wall will “Animals expected to be Not only does the construction of
“threaten some of the continent’s impacted by the wall’s a wall pose a threat to wildlife, but
most biologically diverse regions,” construction include threatens ecosystems and increases
and that “already-built sections of the the risk of flooding. No matter which
bison, grey wolves,
wall are reducing the area, quality, side of the fence (or wall) you are
and connectivity of plant and animal
bald eagles, black on, there is no denying that the
habitats and are compromising bears, and armadillos, wall would have an impact on the
more than a century of binational however they aren’t ecosystems and wildlife that have are
investment in conservation.” the only ones” not empathetic of political borders.
CRIKEY! Magazine - Autumn 2019 | 69Eight million tons of plastic 500 million plastic
waste flows into the ocean As plastic takes straws are used
every year. That is the more than 400 every day in America.
equivalent of five grocery bags of years to degrade, That is enough to
plastic trash sitting on every foot nearly every piece circle the Earth twice.
of coastline around the world! of plastic ever made
still exists in some
shape or form.
90% of plastic
polluting our
oceans is
carried by just
ten rivers.
The average
person eats
70,000
microplastics
each year. ASTONISHING
PLASTIC
FACTS
Nearly two
If plastic million single-
production is not use plastic bags
curbed, plastic are distributed
pollution will worldwide every
outweigh fish minute.
pound-for-
pound by 2050.
There is more
microplastic in
the ocean than One million
there are stars in plastic
the Milky Way. bottles are
sold every
40% of plastic Nine percent minute around
produced is of all plastic the world.
packaging, used ever made has
once and then likely been The amount of
discarded. Nearly half of recycled. plastic produced
all plastic ever in a year is roughly
manufactured the same as the
has been made entire weight of
since 2000. humanity.
66 | CRIKEY! Magazine - Autumn 2019MAGAZINE
OPENS 5 JUNE
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