Is it Worth Losing a Species: The Polar Bear

Polar Bears are considered vulnerable not endangered. 

What that means is their habitat is disappearing and their numbers are declining at an alarming rate. There are less than 20,000 left in the wild when there used to be 100s of thousands.

Scientists think the polar ice cap will be totally gone within the next 100 years. We--the kids of the world--can stop this, but we need to act now and keep acting until the endangered animals of the world are safe. Check out Polar Bears International

Photo by 🔮🌊💜✨ on Unsplash

I don't know about you, but I want my kids and grandkids to see polar bears in the wild. Stop the end to the polar ice cap by stopping climate change! Be informed. Do the research. Then make this world a better place for animals and us.

"Some people think it's cool, but I think it's cruel."

New Series: Is It Worth Losing a Species?

Animals are disappearing at an alarming rate, and animals we thought we were saving are now in danger of leaving us forever. Are the things listed below worth losing an entire species?

The African Elephant (Photo by Luke Fabish on Unsplash)

Hunted and killed for their tusks for the ivory trade. Is a dead elephant worth this?

Think about it. Now is the time to act, and we can make a difference. Go to the World Wildlife Federation and see what you can do to stop the killing of African elephants.

Hey Mates From New Zealand

Glow Worms Photo by Bored Panda

Hey Mates! I'm not where you think I am. I'm in-or was-in New Zealand!

We went kayaking at night and saw glow worms. Then a day later we went on a tour of a cave and saw amazing rock formations and glow worms again. After the cave tour, we went on another one and saw more glow worms from a boat. We went to an aviary and saw rare birds, and I got to feed eels! A lot of the native birds here are endangered because they are flightless, and people have brought cats and other predators to New Zealand. 

My dad and me went into an exhibit and we were attacked by a giant forest pigeon! No worries. We survived. Want to see what it looks like? Check out this New Zealand Forest Pigeon.

It's off to Australia now. See ya!

"Some think it's cool to mistreat animals or to see them disappear, 

but I think it's cruel."

Meet One of Australia's Small Masupials

Courtesy of Australian Wildlife Conservancy

I'd like to introduce you to the Australian Woylie. This little nocturnal marsupial, also known as the brush-tailed rat kangaroo, used to nest in over 60 percent of Australia. That isn't the case now! Woylies are critically endangered, and if it wasn't for caring people and researchers, woylies would be extinct!

Woylies are small gray animals with a dark bushy tail. They sort of look like miniature kangaroos, because they stand on their hind legs and have shorter forearms that they hold close to their bellies. They use their long tails to hold and carry the grasses to build their nests.

As with most endangered animals, predators and the loss of habitat are the cause. The predator in this case, is the non-native red fox. Woylies make their nests in clumps of tussock grass, and that makes them easy prey for red foxes. 

Luckily, there are numerous Australian breeding programs aimed at saving the woylie. If you want to learn more about them or find out how you can help save this beautiful creature, you can contact Australian Wildlife Conservancy or Friends of Australian Wildlife.

Remember, when it comes to endangering animals: 

"Some think it's cool, but I think it's cruel!"

Animals and the Eclipse

Are you waiting for the eclipse? I am! I have my eclipse glasses with "ISO" printed on the ends. I know where I will be. And, I am making sure my faithful puppy, Blue, is safe. What? You didn't know that your animals might need to be protected during the eclipse? Well they do.

The solar eclipse will be here Monday, August 21st. When it happens, the shadow of the moon will block the light from the sun, but your will see a ring of fire because the sun gets brighter. That brightness can make our eyes cloudy and blurry or even make us blind. 

My vet says Blue probably won't look at the sun, but I'm taking no chances. She will be inside with the blinds closed. But that made me wonder about all the wild animals in the eclipse path. 

NASA says that animals may think it is twilight--you know that time after sunset when the temperature cools down and it's getting dark. That makes me wonder if the owls will think, "Hey, I just went to sleep," and swoop out of their hiding place in the trees. And what about the other night creatures? 

Animals like the moths, the crickets, the bats, the bobcats, the cougars, the opossums, the raccoons, the coyotes, and all the little crawly things that like the cooler night air and darkness might decide it's nighttime and wander out of their nests or dens. If you are an animal lover like me, this might be the best time to pay attention to more than the eclipse. Whatever you do, be safe, wear your glasses, and keep your pets inside. Have fun! Oh, and I am back!

"Some think it's cool, but I think it's cruel to endanger any animal."

G'day, can you guess which country this month's endangered animals come from?

If you guessed Australia, you are right on Mate. Australia is bordered by the Indian and Pacific Oceans and is the 6th largest country in the world. In fact, it is one of the seven continents. It is a special country of dry deserts, rain forests, and endangered animals, plants, flowers, fish, insects, and birds. 

Something has to be done to stop this madness!

I will be visiting Australia in our fall season to take a look at the animals that are rapidly disappearing. My visit will be too late to see the Tasmanian Tiger, the Dusky Flying Fox, the Desert Rat Kangaroo, or any of the 27 species of mammals or 24 species of birds that have already disappeared. That makes me very sad, and it should make you sad too.

My next two blogs will feature two of the endangered animals that I want to see stay with us forever. 

Toodle-oo till next week!

"Some think it's cool, but I think it's cruel!"

We Could Lose the Giant Panda

Photo by Thad Zajdowicz/Freeimages.com

What's black and white and almost extinct all over? If you guessed the Giant Panda, then you are right! The giant panda is China's symbol of peace. 

When you look at the giant panda, you think you see a black bear with white fur, but they are just the opposite. Their bodies are white, but their ears, eyes, shoulders, and legs are black. 

There is an ancient legend that says the panda was once all white like the polar bear. In the legend, a leopard was going to pounce on a panda cub. A little girl ran to help. The panda cub was saved, but the leopard got the girl. At the little girl's funeral, all the white pandas came. They smeared black ash on their arms like arm bands to show their love for the little girl. The sadness made them cry, and when they hugged and wiped the tears out of their eyes, the ashes ashes covered their eyes, ears, shoulders, and legs turning them black.

At one time thousands of pandas roamed through China's forests. Now there are less than 2,300. These giant bears are losing their habitat and are being hunted for their fur like so many other endangered animals.

While it is true that pandas will sometimes eat eggs, fish, and even small rodents, most of a giant panda's day is spent eating bamboo. They have strong teeth that lets them munch the woody stalks, and a wrist bone that sticks out like a thumb to hold the branches while they eat.

Speaking of eating, did you know that a giant panda can eat 25-100 pounds of bamboo in a day? That's a lot of bamboo! It's easy to see how they can strip a bamboo forest, and it takes up to 15 years for all of that bamboo to grow back. In ancient times, the giant panda would just slowly move to another part of the forest. Now they cannot do that. There aren't miles and miles of bamboo forests any more. 

If you want to learn more about one of my favorite bears, check out one of the links below.

WWF

The San Diego Zoo

Pandas International

"Some people think it's cool, but I think it's cruel!"