Most notably, two separate incidents saw people killed by black bears in Alaska within the same week: a 16-year-old on a trail run in Chugach State Park near the city of Anchorage on June 18, and then the next day a geologist north of Delta Junction in the state's vast bush-country interior.

Those tragedies attracted the most attention, but there have been other dicey encounters too – including just a few days ago in British Columbia, when an aggressive black bear broke into a home and was driven out with clanging pots, a chair and ultimately a punch in the nose.

To combat the sensationalism right off the bat, it's important to say that this summer's fast-and-furious bear news does not by any means imply some shift in bear behaviour: these lumbering omnivores – which, despite their name, are sometimes cinnamon-hued, blonde, chocolate-brown, even white – haven't ramped up their aggressiveness. Ursus americanus is the most numerous bear species in the world, and summertime sees millions of campers, hikers, fieldworkers and other folks exploring the wilds of the United States and Canada, so encounters are more common than ever.

It's a fine line with an animal such as the black bear: understanding the danger it can legitimately pose, but doing so in the proper context. Plenty big and powerful as they are, black bears aren't as hefty as grizzlies or polar bears (though, to put things in perspective, American black bears are the third-largest of the world's ursids: a big boar may weigh more than 800 pounds). They don't have the big-cat aura of a puma or the reptilian intimidation of an alligator. It's by no means true of everybody living and recreating in black-bear country, but there's no question some people underestimate the creature.

Watch this semi-surreal video of two male black bears duking it out in suburban New Jersey, and you'll gain some respect for the smallest North American bear's heft and strength.

The accommodating black bear

Most of the time, a black bear has no interest in engaging with people; the bears that do, more often than not, are those habituated to human garbage or handouts.

Chris Morgan, a bear expert and wildlife filmmaker, notes the animals usually go out of their way to avoid people in the backcountry – even those people who fail to make the proper amount of noise, recognise and avoid recent bear sign, and otherwise practice proper safety measures. "The bears don't get a thank-you for that," Morgan notes, even as we hype much rarer instances of bear attacks. "Those [are the incidents that] make headline news," he says, "because it's human nature."

And certainly the attacks that really make headline news are fatal ones such as the two Alaska incidents from this summer. The sobering message is that, yes, black bears very occasionally kill people, and there's no question these are tragic events with heartbreaking consequences.

The encouraging news, however (besides how uncommon such attacks are) is that in many, many cases the odds of discouraging or thwarting a black-bear attack are very good if the right approach is taken.

When black bears attack

In 2011, Stephen Herrero (who wrote the seminal Bear Attacks: Their Causes & Avoidance) and a number of Canadian and American colleagues assessed all known fatal black-bear attacks in Canada and the US between 1900 and 2009: 63 of them. What they discovered has helped change the way we look at black bears as potential threats to life and limb – and, above all, underscored how exceedingly unusual deadly run-ins with the species are.

After all, there may be as many as 900,000 or so American black bears in the wild, and not just in remote, sparsely inhabited places: black bears are doing quite well in such densely populated states as New Jersey and Massachusetts. Yet on average only two people a year are killed by the animals.

Comparatively few of the fatal attacks were carried out by female black bears defending their cubs – in marked contrast to attacks by grizzlies, most of which are defensive ones by mother sows. This seems to reflect the generally less aggressive disposition of the black bear. (That's also seemingly supported by the lack of known fatal black-bear attacks around animal carcasses: stumbling upon a grizzly feeding on or guarding a dead animal is one of the least promising situations you can find yourself in, but black bears seem to be less assertively proprietary over carrion.)

Close to 90% of fatal black-bear attacks seemed to have been predatory events: in other words, instances where a bear (all of these involved single animals) likely attacked a person with the intent to eat them. A terrifying prospect, to be sure, and horrendous for the victims involved and their loved ones – but, again, an extremely uncommon occurrence.

Furthermore, Herrero's research found that 92% of these fatal predatory attacks were made by male bears.

The notion of any animal actually hunting a human being for food understandably freaks people out. Being as objective as possible, though, it's not really surprising that a black bear – large, omnivorous and tasked from spring through fall with fattening up for winter sleep – would, every once in awhile, size a person up as potential prey. "It's an opportunity, that's how the bear sees it," Morgan says. "It's just being opportunistic, and that's part of why black bears have been so successful."

What this doesn't suggest is that every black bear has that outlook, or that the instinct makes a particular animal freakishly bloodthirsty. As we'll see, the behaviour of most potentially predatory black bears towards people hints at an animal cautiously scoping out a situation, not zeroing in for the kill the moment of an encounter. That leaves lots of room for trying to prevent an attack – but we'll get to that.

Etiquette in black-bear country

Making the soundest decisions in the event of an encounter requires some simple interpretations of a bear's actions and ... bearing (sigh, sorry). Talking about the smart response to a possibly predatory animal means winnowing down basic safety protocol, which starts before you even hit the trail or the campground.

We'll talk more about bear pepper spray later, but suffice it to say anybody travelling around bear country – even in the absence of grizzlies – should strongly consider carrying it. Just because you've never had to use it, Morgan notes, doesn't mean you should become blasé and stop bringing it along.

People hiking alone or in pairs are somewhat more vulnerable to bear attacks than groups of three or more, Herrero and his colleagues found. (That's also true of grizzly attacks.)

Morgan stresses the value of staying aware on the trail. Learn how to recognise bear sign out in the field: scat, tracks or a torn-open log (the work of an ant-hungry bruin). Keying into such evidence can actually heighten your overall outdoors experience. "That's partly what brings the forest alive, when you know what you're looking at," Morgan notes.

Fresh evidence of bear activity should have you extra-cautious and observant: make plenty of noise (loud talking, shouting, hand-clapping) to alert bears of your presence, and if bear sign is very heavy and recent, consider leaving the area altogether. (Such judgment calls depend heavily on your experience, of course.)

Obviously you can run into a bear anywhere, but depending on the season, certain areas see heavier bear activity because of – surprise, surprise! – food. This time of year, for instance, is high summer in North America, and black bears in many places are scarfing berries (as are grizzlies). That means a hiker (or berry-picker, obviously) passing through fruiting fields should be sure to make noise and stay vigilant.

More often than not, a black bear will sense you coming and slip away unseen. In certain national parks (and other areas where bears have become somewhat habituated to human presence), though, the animals may be more likely to tolerate people on the scene, which then demands the proper etiquette on your part to keep the encounter a safe and low-stress one.

Encountering a black bear

So what if you come around the bend and see a black bear? Whether it's a mother with cubs or a lone ranger, your initial course of action should be the same. If the bear hasn't seen you, back away slowly and head in the other direction, or take a wide detour if possible.

But if you've been clocked, speak in a normal voice, and either hold your ground or back away while still facing the animal. Basically, you want to identify yourself as a human being, which your average black bear has no interest in tangling with. Morgan underscores the value of making yourself heard: "I talk to the bear and let it make the first move, which is generally barrelling away in the other direction at top speed."

The defensive black bear

If the bear doesn’t exit the scene, you need to really key into its behaviour. If you've surprised it, especially at closer quarters, it may put on a defensive display to let you know you're too close, or otherwise making it uncomfortable. Bears that feel threatened by your presence tend to be noisy: clacking their teeth, huffing, growling and grunting.

Such bears may also swat the ground, or (most unnervingly) conduct a bluff charge: rushing you, then coming to a stop or swerving around before actually making contact. In the event of a charge, you should stay put rather than running away (which could trigger the bear's chase instinct).

John Hechtel of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game told Alaska Dispatch News in June, "The longer you stand there, even if it's running toward you, the greater chance the bear will stop short or go around." He does, however, acknowledge the fight-against-your-instinct grit that's required here. "It's a hard thing for people to do."

If it appears an oncoming black bear is going to physically contact you (very rare in a defensive situation), now's a good time to use that bear spray you're hopefully toting. Technically, playing dead – the proper response to a surprised or defensive grizzly – may placate a black bear protecting its cubs, or one that's frightened for its own life, by convincing it that you're no longer a threat. But because an actual physical assault by that sort of black bear is so unusual, many authorities (from the National Park Service to BC Parks) don't recommend this strategy given the statistics.

If you do play dead, though, and a bear's attack persists, you should shift gears and resist. "If that bear continues to attack you after 30 seconds or a minute, even if you're not moving at all and you're being completely silent, that's when you start to fight back," Morgan says. 

The predatory black bear

What if the bear you encounter isn't demonstrating typical defensive behaviour in the first place? In an area with many habituated bears, the animal may well essentially ignore you, in which case you should follow that general approach of making your presence known and slowly leaving the vicinity – never, of course, approaching the bear.

The Herrero study suggested that the statistically most dangerous black bear – the predatory animal, usually a male – can often be recognised early on in an encounter. Its response to your presence is usually quite different from a surprised or frightened bear. A predatory individual is typically silent, with none of the huffing, puffing, tooth-clacking exhibitionism of an agitated animal. Predatory bears may approach you in an inquisitive manner, stopping often and regarding you with apparent curiosity as you're backing (or sidling) away.

These Connecticut bears, whatever their motives might be, are definitely evidencing some too-close-for-comfort curiosity:

(In the British Columbia incident we alluded to at the start, the black bear in question – an adult male – was hitting the hallmarks of a predatory animal, given it had followed people inside their home and later chased a man outside.)

That unsettling inquisitiveness seems to reflect a bear scoping out a potential prey item. And scoping out mostly means gauging if you're an easy meal. Whether it's an on-and-off hunter like a black bear or a full-timer like a tiger, a predator isn't exercising savage swagger when going after prey: because it's vulnerable in a life-and-death scuffle to a career-ending injury, the hunter wants to get the job done with an absolute minimum of risk. Catching and killing large animals – and human beings, all things considered, are large animals – is a tough business, hence the preference of so many meat-eaters to subsist on fare much, much smaller than we are.

All that's to say that a person putting on a show of force is, more often than not, the sort of creature a black bear doesn't want to mess around with. Too risky and too much work – a newborn fawn or caribou calf is so much easier.

"When an animal's coming at you in a predatory way, you don't want to be an easy meal," Morgan points out. Your response to a quiet black bear that's following you should be shouting, waving your arms and throwing rocks or branches.

And if the bear's getting way too close, pull that pepper spray from its holster (if you haven't already) and unleash a nasty cloud of blinding, choking capsaicin: usually all it takes to convince it that you (and maybe any other human it runs across down the road) are not at all worth the trouble.

A major finding of the 2011 analysis on fatal black-bear attacks? In not one of the instances researchers examined where a bear killed a person was pepper spray employed in attempted defence – either by the victim or onlookers. Multiple studies have suggested bear spray is a highly effective bear deterrent and many consider it superior overall in that regard to a firearm (which can be misfired or provoke a wounded bear to heightened aggression). It's not foolproof – the geologist killed this summer in Alaska and her companion apparently tried bear spray to no avail during that attack – but when properly used it can be very successful.

You needn't be a linebacker-sized person to fight off a black bear. In his Bear Attacks book, Herrero recounts the case of a ten-year-old girl in rural British Columbia who foiled a predatory black bear that had followed her to a cabin by tossing boiling water into its face.

Yelling at or pelting a black bear – the proper course of action if you think it's eyeing you as food – are, mind you, the sort of aggressive routines that can make a non-predatory black bear feel threatened. This highlights the importance of learning the basic differences between these two encounters and acting accordingly.

By the way, if you awaken while camping to a black bear biting you – as one teenager in Colorado did this July – you should assume the bear's predatory. (A camp counsellor and instructor in wilderness survival, the Colorado teen took the proper course of action by fighting back; he and fellow campers managed to drive the bear away, and he ended up with only minor injuries.) As a rule, experts generally consider night-time attacks on sleeping campers by both black and grizzly bears to be predatory in nature.

Some closing thoughts

Morgan stresses two points when in comes to meet-ups with bears. First, a bear isn't a robot: it's an intelligent individual creature with its own disposition, which means it's inherently unpredictable.

That requires you to pay attention to what a particular bear is doing, rather than making a generalised assumption ("That bear's going to try to kill me and I should go into full battle mode right now," for example, or "That bear's harmless and I can stroll right on by it") and acting on that. "I try to remember that every bear's different," Morgan says. "Every bear has different motives, every bear has a different personality."

And keep in mind that the bear – whether a scared subadult, a worried mom or a hungry full-grown male – is assessing you as you assess it, he adds. "Making your body language really clear is essential. They'll pick up on those subtleties – they're really smart."

Bears and human beings have been running into each other in the forest (and out on the tundra) for many millennia – there's an ancient relationship renewed every time we meet. But whatever the circumstances of those meetings, it's important to keep in mind the overall patience and tolerance the bear normally grants us (even when we're freaking out or, worse yet, edging too close for a selfie).

Carrying pepper spray, learning how to recognise bear sign, giving bears their space and responding appropriately to their behaviour: all things considered, these are mighty low-hassle measures we can take to avoid most bad bear confrontations.

"It's about mutual respect," Morgan says. "We can get there, and in a pragmatic way: all it takes is people adjusting their behaviour in really simple ways, and we can all learn to live with wild animals like bears."

Correction, Thursday, August 31: This article previously stated that Anchorage is the state capital of Alaska. The capital is, in fact, Juneau.

The image was captured in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park using the stealthy BeetleCam, a small remote-controlled camera on wheels. "A month ago I found out I was going to be here during [the eclipse]," writes Lucas on his blog. "This would be the last opportunity to photograph such an occurrence for 18 years! I immediately set about planning how I could take a photograph of this phenomenon with an African twist.

Determined to find some wild subjects, Lucas cruised the park at night (with special permissions from the rangers). "I first went to where I had seen lions the evening before. On arrival, the lions had gone but I could hear their faint roars in the distance. I followed the sound through the African night and eventually found the lions just as the eclipse was starting."

The moon, also known as a "blood moon", appears a deep crimson because of the way light interacts with the Earth's atmosphere. During the eclipse, most of the sun's light is shadowed by the Earth as it moves between the moon and our sun. But some of that light manages to get around our pale blue dot. As the light travels through our particle-rich atmosphere, almost all wavelengths are filtered out, leaving only the red behind.

"This was going to be a challenging shot to achieve for so many reasons," says Lucas. "Balancing the foreground brightness with the dim red moon was an exercise in guestimation, as was trying to compose the shot in the pitch darkness. And of course, I had to do this while trying to avoid the pride of lions running off with my BeetleCam! However, I persevered and shortly before the moonset, I managed to get [it]."

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Top header image: Tyler Sichelski/Flickr

Knight had spent four days in the water attempting to land the "perfect shot" of a white shark from the front, but it wasn't until he reviewed his camera roll on the big screen that he realised he was worrying about the wrong end.

"The photo has had a great reception from many people as it's not an angle of a great white that you often see," he says. "I really hope that people who don't know much about sharks, or who are not particularly into them, see my images and something inside them says 'wow, that is a beautiful and amazing creature'," he says. "I think it is important for people to be more aware and educated about sharks these days as overfishing and shark finning have driven some species close to extinction. I also want people to know that I had to get in the water with that shark to catch that image and yes, I'm still alive. They are definitely not the mindless killers that some people believe them to be."

Interested in photographing sharks for yourself? Knight has your back. He's given us some pointers for anyone thinking about taking the plunge: 

1. Start small

Experienced as he is now, it might come as a surprise to learn that Knight's first interaction with a shark was actually at an aquarium. "From then on, I was hooked," he says. "I saved all my money for marine research programmes and specialist shark-diving expeditions. Obviously wanting some mementos, I started taking photos with my basic compact camera in an underwater case. Only as time went on did I learn more about photography and upgrade my equipment."

2. Dive, don't snorkel

Most shark bites are a case of mistaken identity. A shark can see you very well when you're underwater and is less likely to mistake you for its prey. When you're hanging around at the surface, your sihouette can be confusing.  

3. Learn about the animals you're photographing

Learning about sharks, and how to interact with them, is the best way to make sure your photography experience is a good one. "I have been lucky enough to dive with may species of sharks all over the world and not once has any of them shown any aggression towards me," says Knight. "There is a lot of information that can be found on the internet by looking at shark conservation websites, shark diving trip providers, their relevant YouTube channels and shark specialists' blogs. For example, sunrise, sunset, where anyone else is fishing or spearfishing and murky water should be avoided when you pick your dive site." 

4. Bring a buddy!

There is often more than one shark around, and it's important to be aware of your surroundings. Your dive buddy can keep an eye while you snap a few shots and visa versa. 

5. Only touch when you have to

It's always best to take a "hands off" approach while diving with sharks. But should one come too close for comfort, Knight explains that a gentle nudge is usually all it takes to deter the curious fish. "You don't need to punch hard," he says. "Seeing as they are apex predators, it is very rare that other animals touch them. By you giving them a small nudge, they realise that you're something that they should be wary of. Remember, you are not on the menu."

Knight has photographed many other animals, including crocodiles, but the experience of diving with sharks is one he will never tire of. "It's obvious when you are next to them why they are apex predators: they are so streamlined, powerful and well adapted to the marine environment. They gracefully glide through the water with no effort as they come over to check you out and see what you are doing in their backyard."

Top header image: Chris Knight  

1. Hands off the merchandise 

The number one best thing you can do for marine life while diving is to keep your hands off it! It's a hard message to get across with celebrities like Zac Efron going on shark-riding adventures, but touching marine life is considered wildlife harassment, and in many countries, carries serious punishment.

MORE: Diving with hundreds of hammerheads

In the US, for example, harassing a marine mammal such as a whale can land you with $10,000 in fines! "Hands off" also means take only photographs. Even something as seemingly unimportant as an empty shell can provide marine life with much-needed shelter. Just ask this "kleptopus":

2. Know your surroundings

Nearly all human-wildlife conflict is completely avoidable. Before you dive in, take a moment to research the animals you might encounter. Do any sting? Have venom? Need extra space? What are their "leave me alone" signals? Knowing what to expect will ensure a stress-free dive for both you and the wildlife you meet.

3. Look from afar

When it comes to life beneath the waves, remember that you are the intruder. On that note, when in doubt: back off! Chasing wildlife (even to get that perfect GoPro video) is also considered harassment! If an animal is swimming away from you, displaying warning colouration or hiding, chances are it isn't interested in interacting.

4. Pick good pals 

When it comes to dive guides, not all were created equal. It's important to choose a guide that is both aware of the needs of wildlife and follows good codes of conduct. Not sure what that means? Feel free to ask! Here are some of our red flags:

- Advertising hands-on encounters 

- Provoking wildlife for a more "exciting" encounter

- Feeding animals to bring them closer

- Chasing animals at the surface before the dive starts

5. Leave only bubbles ... and bring a collection bag!

We'll make an exception to the "don't take anything" rule for one thing: trash! If you're heading down, bring a mesh bag to collect any plastic (or other) debris you might find (just make sure your guide knows what you're grabbing). There are even organised "Dive For Debris" events! Find one in your local area here.

It's worth mentioning that Hillborn is the very same human who once witnessed a hilarious hyena sex fail and storified the entire thing for our viewing pleasure.  

Header image: MIKI Yoshihito

Several weeks and countless hours later, museum staff have breathed new "life" into the majestic fish, offering up an unbelievably detailed 3D scan that takes us inside an ocean giant. 

Of course, we'd prefer to see the shark alive and well, but this is a great example of how successful collaboration between scientists and fishermen can make a real difference.

"These encounters can provide many of the missing pieces of knowledge that help broaden conservation," explains MV Senior Curator of Ichthyology, Dr Martin Gomon. "To the skipper’s great credit, he felt the specimen might be far more useful to science than as a food source for marine scavengers should he turf it back over the side."

Even bits and pieces of basking sharks taken in the Southern Hemisphere are rare in museum collections, so when the call came in, Gomon and his team rushed to the scene to take valuable measurements and samples. But working with such a large specimen is not easy.

The team managed to take the shark's entire 1,322-pound (600kg) head, all of its fins, and samples of the muscles, vertebrae and stomach contents – samples that can provide a map of this individual shark's life. What did it eat? Where did it live? How old was it? And where did it come from? Questions like that can finally be answered. In fact, requests for samples and data have already been pouring in from scientists around the world.

"The size and weight of the head was truly challenging," recalls Gomon. "As we had to make preparations for the [3D] scanning, we had to freeze it to prevent deterioration. Simply judging the time it would take to thaw was the source of greatest error. It took twice as much time as we had initially estimated!" 

If you can believe it, this amazingly heavy animal was still growing at the time it was caught. The second largest fish in the sea (behind whale sharks), basking sharks can reach a whopping 12 metres in length. But like their spotted cousins, they are filter feeders, and completely harmless to humans. 

Over the next two months, the team will slowly move the basking shark from its formalin (a mixture of water and formaldehyde) bath into a permanent alcohol tank, where it will remain for decades to come. The museum also plans to 3D-print a replica of the head for public display. 

"Our relationship with commercial fishers has been a continuing one of great intellectual benefit for both. A greater understanding of the biodiversity and distribution of life in our coastal waters leads to a far more firm basis for protecting our natural heritage for all."

To see the scientists in action, check out the video below! (Please note: some may find this disturbing, proceed at your own risk). 

Just a few weeks earlier, the turtle was rescued by the US Coast Guard and brought to the Aquarium of the Pacific near Los Angeles for medical care. Once the veterinarians there determined that the animal was healthy enough to be released, researchers took advantage of the situation and attached a small GPS transmitter to its shell. To account for the turtle's growing body, they used stretchy neoprene to do it, so the tag won't get lost as the turtle grows.

For many years, nobody knew where young sea turtles spent their childhoods. North Pacific loggerheads are known to nest on Japanese beaches. They then reappear more than 9,500 kilometres away along Mexico's Baja California peninsula to feed as adults. How they get from Japan to Mexico – during their so-called "lost years" – nobody knows. But in 2014, NOAA researchers conducting a marine mammal survey discovered a large concentration of what seemed to be juvenile loggerheads (Caretta caretta) about 250 miles off southern California. Over the course of several days, they saw at least 70 individuals, which appeared to be juveniles based on their size. 

It's not unheard of (though it is still rare) to see loggerheads in the warm waters off southern California, in an area called the Southern California Bight. When the water heats up, the turtles swim north from their Mexican feeding grounds in search of red crabs, one of their favourite snacks. But the turtles the researchers saw were younger, and they seemed to be swimming south, not north. Had the NOAA team found some turtles en route from Japan to Mexico?

Now that tracking technology has become small enough to be suitable for the young turtles, researchers are finally in a position to shed more light on these mysterious sea turtle migrations. In the process, the information they collect by tracking Coco's movements will also help protect the species, which is classified as endangered by the IUCN.

In the Southern California Bight, loggerheads are threatened by the swordfish fishery. When the waters become warm enough to attract tasty red crabs – and therefore the loggerheads – fishers are prohibited from casting their nets, at least within the Pacific Loggerhead Conservation Area. In 2014, for example, the swordfish fishery there was closed between during that time.

But with better knowledge of how loggerheads use the habitat, fisheries managers might be able to fine-tune the rules to allow turtles and fishers to better coexist. Perhaps turtles and swordfish use different parts of the habitat or use the habitat at different times? That sort of information could allow fishers to continue making a living while also providing the turtles with much-needed protection. 

Coco is the first juvenile loggerhead turtle ever tracked in the Southern California Bight. In the month following its release, the turtle swam through more than 770 kilometres of Pacific Ocean. It's now somewhere off the coast of Baja California – and you can follow Coco's movements at seaturtle.org. 

For more beautiful wildlife photography, check out Ralph Pace's Instagram and Facebook pages.

Dr Steen Dupont, an entomologist at London's Natural History Museum (NHM), was growing tired of the fiddly task, so he found a solution in a medium he's long appreciated: Lego. "I solve problems with Lego ... That’s just what I do," he explains. "People are usually quite sceptical at first, but quickly realise the potential when they see it in use, and then they want one!"

After some trial-and-error-driven Lego construction, Dupont and his collaborators created what they call the 'Pinned Insect Manipulator' (IMp for short), a contraption that allows for an insect to be rotated at small intervals without being repositioned. The design was released this week in the journal ZooKeys, where anyone – professional entomologist, or backyard insect aficionado – can download it for free.

It's important to note that this isn't a novel concept, and for many a bug scientist, taking the time to build an IMp isn't worth the trouble. Entomologist Morgan Jackson, for example, prefers to use a lower-tech stage made from plasticine clay or foam (both of which are certainly cheaper than Lego). "While it is neat, creative and definitely trendy, I just don't see it as the wonder device many people are making it out to be," he says. "It's sort of the entomological equivalent of building a 'better' mouse trap."

Dupont echoes this sentiment in the paper, though he and his team think their version a better option for those opting to build complicated devices. "The idea of a holding mechanism for pinned specimens is as old as the pinned specimen itself," he says. " ... and previous authors have provided custom designs for insect specimen manipulators. But most commercial examples are made from materials and tools that are not readily available to everyone. Furthermore most DIY setups are specifically designed for a particular group of insects and may not be of an appropriate size for other insect groups. The design presented here is universally applicable, readily available, cost effective, portable and fully customisable." 

The NHM plans to digitise 20 million of their specimens this year (and that's just one museum!), a process that involves taking multiple digital photos of each specimen. The IMp will help them minimise handling along the way. Is this device the best option? We'll leave that debate to the scientists ... either way, it's certainly a fun use of Lego!

And for all my fellow 'Legophiles' out there, the team created a timelapse of the build!

Reporting from the first-ever World Youth Rhino Summit has been a moving experience for the Earth Touch team. More than 140 conservation leaders (aged 15-17) from over 20 countries gathered in South Africa's Hluhluwe-iMfalozi Game Reserve to learn, share ideas and spread awareness about rhino conservation – and to move closer to finding workable solutions to stop poaching and wildlife crime.

After an amazing opening ceremony (complete with Zulu dancing and drumming), the delegates were in for debate sessions and discussions, as well as presentations by several high-profile speakers, including conservationist Dr Paula Kahumbu and wildlife veterinarian Dr William Fowlds. Delegates also got the opportunity to visit the victims of poaching, both injured adult rhinos and young rhinos orphaned by poaching.

Aside from the summit's emotional toll, sweltering temperatures (topping 35°C or 95°F) were a challenge for everyone. But for local conservation organisation Project Rhino, the heat wave presented a very special opportunity: delegates would get to witness a very real demonstration of what being an anti-poaching ranger is like.

Summit-goers were loaded into vehicles and taken to the game reserve's airstrip (an exposed strip of land with no shade and no trees). Anti-poaching rangers don't get the liberty of taking breaks just because it's too hot outside (or too dark ... or too cold). Poachers often take advantage of challenging conditions out in the field – so it's at times like these that rhinos are most at risk.

Though this search mission was only a demonstration, it was performed with real guns, real machinery and in real time.

Our producer Kirsten Horne recounts.

Today on this airstrip, this is how things go down:

Lawrence Munro, the head of a local anti-poaching unit, gets a call on his radio from rangers patrolling out in the field. They've spotted two suspicious characters, possibly armed, in the vicinity.

Lawrence radios an anti-poaching aircraft in the area, giving the pilot the location details and asking for an aerial view. Suddenly, from behind us, a low-flying aircraft appears overhead ... and the radio crackles again as the pilot relays his clipped message:

"I've got visual on suspects."

It's the cue Lawrence needs to contact the helicopter. The distinctive sound of chopper blades is deafening as it sweeps in at high speed, barely clearing our group below. It's fast. It's furious. And it's dramatic. It flies over the poachers, 'herding' them in one direction.

When the poachers are in an accessible position, the chopper lands and heavily armed rangers jump out and give chase.

There's screaming and shouting and in no time at all the rangers have the poaching suspects on the floor, searching them for weapons. The men are disarmed and an axe and rifle are recovered. They're handcuffed and loaded onto a truck. From here, the legal process will take its course.  

Yes, this was just a demonstration. But the radio signals were real. The aircraft were real. And the weapons the 'poachers' were carrying were real.

This is exactly how things play out in real-life scenarios – and it's a stark reminder to the delegates that rhino poaching is not just a fight. It's a war.

As a photographer who hails from Africa, I know very well that tourism is a major source of income for many of the continent’s countries. South Africa in particular has a booming tourism industry, especially when it comes to wildlife tours and safaris. Cameras are always along for the ride to document the trip into that African wilderness. Out of those cameras come hundreds of photographs, many of which will be shared online, to show everyone the magnificent leopard you saw, or the herd of elephants that silently emerged from the trees right in front of you. And if you manage to capture a particularly rare or endangered species, that’s all the more reason to share the photo you snapped, right?

Modern technology has made all that sharing easier than ever. You can upload your favourite snaps to Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus (the list goes on), right into an album titled ‘Trip to Kruger Park’ (for instance), and then share them with your friends … and the rest of web. The problem, however, is that bad guys like wildlife poachers have access to this technology as well – after all, finding information online is as easy as sharing it. A simple image search for ‘Rhino in South Africa’ could possibly return that image you snapped in the Kruger National Park. And embedded within that image is all the location information you may have added. If poachers can access that information, then your snapshot could potentially help them to locate their target. It’s not a pleasant thought, right? However, it is a very real and possible scenario.

Southern Africa’s rhino poaching problem is now so pervasive that it’s hard not to have heard about it somewhere. As 2013 draws to a close, the country is on track to lose 1000 rhinos to poachers just this year. Unless something is done to stem this crisis, there may soon be no rhinos left to photograph. So, as a photographer, what can you do make a difference?

I was once asked by a park ranger not to upload any photos of rhinos that I had taken on a trip. While this is the safest way to go, it doesn’t allow us to get our ‘sharing fix’ by showing others the amazing images we’ve taken. There are, however, certain precautions you can take to keep our endangered cohabitants safe from the prying eyes of poachers who may be starting off their hunt online.

1. Don’t mention the animal’s location in your gallery. 


This is pretty self-explanatory – keep the location out of your gallery. Keep the title of the gallery vague (“Photos from our Safari trip!”). If you add a description to your photos, don’t mention where you took them.

2. Rename your files. 


If you’re like me, and you group and name images according to trips you have been on, make sure to rename them so there is no location info. Most sites will only show a title and description, but lurking on the server, in the background, is the original file name and location – and they’re easy enough to find if you know how.

3. Strip your location metadata.


Took photos on your phone? Got a GPS add-on on your camera? Make sure you remove the location information (information that gets embedded in the photos’ metadata). You can use Photoshop, Bridge, Lightroom or Aperture to edit EXIF and IPTC metadata, or you can use a free tool to strip it all (Pro Photo Tools for Windows
 or SnapsCleaner for Mac OSX).

4. Share the animals’ plight
.

This one doesn’t have anything to do with location. Instead, it falls under the ‘good Samaritan’ approach. When you upload your amazing photos of that rare and/or endangered species, do a bit of research on the animal, and tell the people you’re sharing the photos with about its plight. The more awareness we create about poaching and other threats to wildlife, the better. You can even go so far as to donate your images to conservation organisations doing amazing work on the ground – they can often use the images in various awareness campaigns.

To learn more about the plight of rhinos in South Africa and what you can do to help, visit WildAid
 or Project Rhino.

Header image courtesy of BRBphoto.