He Won, He Won, He Won

Well we were all waiting and Barack Obama finally won. He is the first African American president ever which is very exciting. He is the first president I ever met.

I feel it is a very good day for kids, the earth and all the animals.

About giraffes

It's really funny...

Hummingbirds

You don't have to go to zoos or national parks to find nature or interesting animals. These are hummingbirds right in my backyard that visit our feeder everyday in the summer. They stay around here until November.

Did you know that they are the smallest birds and their wings beat about 50 times a second? They live about three or four years. They are carnivores. They are eating this nectar for energy to catch the bugs. In the Winter they migrate South to Mexico and Central America. They fly alone, not in flocks. You should get a feeder and find some hummingbirds in your yard soon. Watch my video:

Please Stop Hunting Wolves

Everybody who reads my blog knows I like Barack Obama and met him one time. I want a president who likes animals and will protect the earth.

I received an email about Sarah Palin with this video. This video is called Brutal for a good reason. I don NOT agree with her.

Sarah Palin, if you are reading this, stop hunting wolves or you will lose!

Ricki Van Gough

Ricki the Rockhopper Penguin is now a famous artist. He lives at Riverbanks Zoo. You can buy his artwork here!
Wow, not bad!!

Rocky the Beagle

I have a Beagle named Rocky I got about a year ago. He's a very friendly dog. He loves everyone. Even our Maine Coon Cat Fanny. (But Fanny does not want to be friends with him). We adopted Rocky from a dog shelter. He was born to a breeder who bred mini-Beagles. The first owners moved and couldn't keep him. Rocky loves to play, run around, chase squirrels, howl at other dogs, and get patted.

A video is coming soon about Rocky.

What's happening to Endangered Species?

I heard they might make some changes that will put endangered species at risk. Can this be right? This story says it will be bad for endangered species.

Here's an update on endangered species.


I think we need to do better to protect the earth and endangered animals. What do you think? You can send a message here-- click on this. Tell them to do more to help endangered animals. Not less.

Could Tapirs be coming to Riverbanks Zoo?

I heard that since Monte the Hippo died at Riverbanks, they probably won't get another hippo. But I have recently learned they are looking for tapirs for that exhibit. Here's a picture of a tapir:

I think getting tapirs would be great. They haven't been at Riverbanks for ten years. And hardly anyone has seen a tapir. Click here for some interesting facts about tapirs.

There are four species of tapirs. All are endangered. They are pig-like in shape, but related to rhinos. They have little trunks called a probiscus.

I've seen tapirs at San Francisco Zoo, Animal Kingdom, and National Zoo. I really hope they do get tapirs.

My Tribute to Montgomery

I was sad to learn that Montgomery the Hippo died last week. Here is some video I took of him over the past few years.



Montgomery was born at the Memphis Zoo in 1972 but had been at Riverbanks since 1974. Most of the time when I saw him he was under the water. So it was always a nice surprise when he was out of the water.

Looking at this video you would never know hippos are the most dangerous animals in Africa. They've killed more humans than any other animal in Africa. They have been known to drown lions or bite crocodiles in half. Its skin in mostly bullet proof. But Montgomery wasn't born in the wild and was taken good care of.

Check out Montgomery's teeth. Did you know George Washington's false teeth were made from hippo ivory? (And walrus ivory).

Hippos were once thought to be related to pigs. But they are more closely related to whales.

It won't be the same without Monty. I hope Riverbanks will get some new hippos soon.

Cloning Extinct Animals

I read on Yahoo News that they're trying to bring the Thylacine back to life.


I also heard that they are trying to bring back the Pyrenean Ibex...


and the Huia.


I really hope they do bring them back. The first step was they put Thylacine DNA in a mouse. It will take many years. Who knows what will happen?

Should they try to bring back the dinosaurs? Saber tooth tigers? Maybe even the Do Do?

Saving the Polar Bear

I just heard that the polar bear will be put on the Endangered Species list. I had written posts asking you to write and help save the polar bear. If you did it made a difference. It is listed as threatened. This is a very good thing. But we still have a lot to do to stop global warming and help the environment.

Global warming is melting the polar bear's habitat and hunting grounds. Being hunted is also a big problem for the polar bear. Let's hope this helps.

I'm back...and so is the Bali Mynah, Black-footed Cat

Sorry I haven't done a posting in a while. OK, make that a long while. I've been busy visiting zoos and seeing wildlife. I'll tell you about it soon.

You know the Bali Mynah, one of the rarest birds on earth? Well, one was eaten by a wild snake at the Riverbanks Zoo one time. I was looking at animal x-rays during a zoo tour, and it said that a wild snake ate a Bali Mynah. Wow. This was simply shocking to me. But Riverbanks has done a lot to help conservation efforts of the Bali Mynah.

Another conservation effort at Riverbanks is for the black-footed cat. A black-footed kitten was born in March. It's native to South Africa, and it is the smallest cat species in the wild.

Riverbanks is helping endangered animals. I'll do postings more regularly this Summer. Thanks for visiting. Bye.

Happy Easter from the Volcano Rabbit

Since today is Easter we shall do a special posting on the Volcano Rabbit, the Easter Bunny's cousin.

The Volcano Rabbit lives in the mountains of Mexico. It lives on the slopes of old volcanoes and is the second smallest rabbit. They are critically endangered mostly because their habitat is disappearing and they are hunted as pests. There are different breeding programs for them like Jersey Zoo in the UK and the Chalpultepec Zoo in Mexico City. They feed on green leaves in Zacaton grasses. (Zacaton is connected sinkholes in Mexico.)

Are you amazed at all the animals in the world? Are you surprised by how many are endangered?

People of the Forest

We recently went to the Greenville Zoo, and took this video of Bob, the baby Bornean Orangutan. Orangutans are our closest relatives with 97 percent of the same DNA! Orangutan means people of the forest.

The Bornean Orangatan is highly endangered and the Sumatran Orangutan is critically endangered. Logging and mining is wiping out their habitats. It's hard to believe but poaching baby orangutans is also a big problem. Some scientists think they'll be extinct in five or ten years!!!

Some people are trying to save them like this Orangutan Conservancy. Do what you can.

Gray Wolves Making a Comeback

Gray Wolves were endangered for a long time in the U.S. and it's great they aren't anymore. So the good news is that they are coming back. And it's always nice to have some good news. But the bad news is they can be hunted now and its probably to soon for that. Here's a story from England and one from Wyoming. What do you think?

There are other wolves that are still in danger, like the Florida Red Wolf, which was thought to be extinct but was recently rediscovered. But it's probably too late for the Red Wolf.

Oz

Last Saturday I saw the baby koala at Riverbanks Zoo. The baby koala, named Oz, was resting by its mom, just looking around. Koalas are marsupials from Australia, not bears. They are considered endangered, and some people think they could be extinct in the wild in ten years. It's good to know there's a breeding program helping. Be sure to go by and say hi to Oz. Or if you live too far away, you can watch the koalas on Riverbanks Zoo View webcam.

Obama wins!

I met Barack Obama on Saturday!!! He was very nice and stopped to talk for a little while. I told him he'd make the best president for the environment. So I was happy he won!!!! I hope you will tell everyone you know in all the other states to vote for Barack Obama.

Global Warming in South Carolina

Did you know that scientists think global warming will cause the sea level to rise almost 19 inches in my lifetime? That will cause a lot of beach erosion and a big change to the environment and animal life. Read here how it might change South Carolina.

They say many ducks could disappear from SC. It could also hurt brook trout, woodpeckers, pelicans, loggerhead sea turtles, and lots more.

I hope you'll think about what you can do to help stop global warming. And don't vote for anyone until you know if they will help or hurt the environment.

Teaching evolution in the schools?

Why not? Species on earth have changed over time. Here's an educational video that covers everything you need to know about evolution.



I read about Charles Darwin and his Voyage of the Beagle. A cool adventure.

Will We Save the Polar Bear?

The US government can't decide whether it wants to save the polar bear or not.
Scientists say polar bears will be extinct by 2050, mainly because of global warming. We can't wait. They should put it on the endangered species list now.
Click here and read about it.

The polar bear is the largest land carnivore on earth. You can follow polar bears being tracked by World Wildlife Fund by clicking here.

Vote for Barack Obama or John McCain

I was born in Iowa, so I was happy to see Iowa support Barack Obama. In another posting I wrote why he would be the best president for the environment and endangered animals.

Barack Obama scored a 100 on the League of Conservation Voters Scorecard. We really need a president who cares about the earth and all the animals.

I hope everyone who cares about the environment and endangered animals will vote for Barack Obama. And it's not just because I shook his hand at the Oprah event, which you can see here.

If you're a Republican, you should know John McCain is the only candidate who says ANYTHING about the environment on his web site, so you should go for him.

Just don't vote for anyone until you know where they stand on global warming and endangered animals. OK?

Aquarium-Reptile Complex at Riverbanks Zoo

Here are a few of the animals at the Aquarium Reptile Complex at Riverbanks Zoo. It was built in 1989 and has many rare and endangered species.

Watch my video-- check out the diver in the Pacific Coral Reef tank. See the false gharial crocodile's sharp teeth. And the Moon Jellies are amazing. And look at the Shortnose Sturgeon. They are native to South Carolina and are endangered.