Just Call Me Puffleg
By Andy Impey
You’d think that between the six and a half billion of us we’d have come across just about every species there is by now, yet new individuals keep on popping out of the woodwork. Take the gorgeted puffleg for instance - okay, stupid name I admit, but give the guy some slack, he’s new around here.The puffleg has been found hanging out in the cloud forests of Colombia. Were it not for the intense cocaine activity (in the form of coca farming) currently creating a conservationist’s nightmare in the area, he’d probably have remained unnoticed.
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That’s like getting a blind date with Kylie and having her disappear in a puff of smoke before you even get to say hello. This tiny little bird, with its unique song, colourful plumage and wonderful legs is a rare thing of beauty – the thought of missing out on a date with her is just incomprehensible.
So anyway, back to the hummingbird – Colombian conservation bodies are now urging the government to protect an area of forest totalling 494,000 acres to safeguard the puffleg’s existence.
But the question you have to ask is: what else could be lurking in the forest just waiting to be discovered? If you’re one of the millions who watched Lost then you’ll probably be expecting a polar bear, if you’re not, you’ll probably think I’ve lost the plot.
Did you know?
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