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.

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?

Merry Christmas!

And a Happy New Year from Mossy's Animals!


I hope Santa is good to you!

How to Save Endangered Species

This email was sent to me from San Diego about how President Bush is not helping endangered animals at all. A lot of people are mad because George Bush is making it more difficult to save endangered plants and animals.

The story starts like this: Environmental groups filed a raft of lawsuits yesterday against the Bush administration, alleging that it fails to protect 13 imperiled species because of political meddling and other problems.

I hope the next president is a person who cares about the environment and endangered animals.

Key to Saving the Key Deer

Have you ever seen a deer that's only 3 feet tall? If you have, you've probably seen the Florida Key Deer. Florida Key Deers are one of the smallest deer in North America. They are endangered because they get hit by cars while eating trash on the side of the road. They are not endangered because of over hunting, since they are protected. People should not litter there, or the Florida key deer will go extinct. It's always important to pick up your trash.

In South America, the smallest deer in the world is the pudu. It is so small it can hide in grass!

Endangered orangutan baby born

Zoos do a lot of good work trying to save endangered species.
A orangutan named Nyaru was born recently at the zoo in Perth Australia. That's really good news because orangutans are critically endangered. These beautiful primates are being wiped out because of poaching and habitat loss. Click here to read about Perth Zoo and what they are doing.

Orangutans are one of our closest relatives. They have almost the same DNA as people. And they have the intelligence of a six year old. They are the largest tree living mammals in the world. It seems unbelievable that they are being wiped out.

Tell other people about saving endangered animals. There are lots of places you can send money to help, like Perth Zoo and this Orangutan Conservancy. And please vote for people who care about the earth and all the animals.

Hoooooowwlll! Wolf Awareness Week

Did you know October 9 to 14 is Wolf Awareness Week? I think it's great to stop and think about any endangered animals. Especially an animal so misunderstood like the gray wolf.

Native Americans admired gray wolves, and tried to copy their cleverness and hunting ability. But in the 20th Century, we hunted wolves almost to extinction in the U.S. That's because farmers were worried about their livestock. And fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood taught people to fear the wolf, even though there is no recorded killing of a human by a wolf.

But some people tried to save the gray wolf from extinction. They became listed as endangered animals. Now the Yellowstone wolves are a great success story. You can read about it here.

But this Time article says there might be trouble ahead for the gray wolf again. If you want to help the gray wolf, click here and send a letter.

I've never heard the howl of a wolf in the wild, but I hope I can someday.

Endangered List Gets Longer

Scientists are reporting that life on earth is "disappearing." They say one in four mammals, one in eight birds, and one in three reptiles are in serious trouble.

The decline of the great apes is the worst and they are our closest relatives! The Western Lowland gorilla is close to extinct in the wild, and it is still being hunted for bushmeat!!!


Orangutans are also critically endangered because their habitats are being wiped out!!


Stopping the extinctions is important for all animals-- including human beings! Will you do something to help?

First, spread the word that it is a real problem. Next, support good zoos and aquariums in your area that help animals. Send some money to places that help animals, like World Wildlife Fund or others. Don't pollute, and save energy. Make your yard bird and animal friendly. Vote for people who think saving endangered animals is important. Will you do it?!

A New Noah's Ark for Aardvarks to Zorrillas

Scientists in Texas are storing DNA of endangered species to plan for their future if they go extinct. They say they are on a mission to save the world's endangered species from extinction. They are storing frozen eggs and DNA of animals that are dangerously close to disappearing. Years from now scientists could use the DNA to reintroduce the animals. China is also trying to clone Pandas, which are very endangered and could become extinct within 25 years.

And there's this story about the Natural History Museum in London working hard to save upDNA and every single fact about all life on earth.

Even if it's too late for the Dodo Bird, the thylacine and so may other beautiful animals, it's a good idea.But wouldn't it be better if we just took better care of the earth and stopped the extinctions?

If I Ran the Zoo

Zoos have been around since ancient Egypt in 1500 BC. I really like zoos because they protect threatened and endangered species. And they give you a chance to see many different animals from all over the world.

Zoos also help scientists study animals up close. And when people see the animals at the zoo, they can't help but care more about them. And if they care about them, they'll do more to help save the animals.

Here's some video from my recent trip to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina.


What zoos have you been to? What are your favorite animals?

Goodbye Forever, Aldabra Snail

Driving in the car today, I heard on the radio about the latest extinction. They said this small purplish snail was the first extinction officially due to global warming.

When I got home I looked it up. The Aldabra snail may not be the most popular animal. I couldn't find a picture of it. But it made it onto this postage stamp. That's pretty good.

Scientists say this is just the beginning. Global warming threatens a million species!
Polar bears are now threatened because of global warming.

Some penguins are threatened now too.

Click here for some EASY things you can do to stop global warming and help the animals.

Lemurs of Madagascar

Lemurs are fun animals to watch. How much do you know about them? Lemurs live only on the island of Madagascar. That's off the coast of Africa. They eat primarily fruit and nuts. They are hunted by fossa, but their real threat is habitat loss.

Lemurs are primates in a family called prosimians, which include bush babies and slow lorises. Several species of the lemur are endangered due to the habitat loss and hunting. The most endangered of the lemurs would be the aye aye.

We have ring-tailed lemurs and red-ruffed lemurs at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. I've posted a short video I took of them recently.

It's good to know that people are working to save the lemur. Check out this site, the Madagascar Fauna Group. And here's another interesting video about Madagascar with "nearly headless Nick."

Chimpanzees-- So Like Us

Seeing the chimpanzees was one of my favorite things at the North Carolina Zoo. They are our closest relatives. They make tools, have close families, and even fight wars. Here's some video for you to check out (we're still learning to post video here).

I read Jane Goodall's book, The Chimpanzees I Love. She has an amazing story to tell. She started studying chimps in Tanzania in 1960 and taught us all about them. Here also is a film clip that shows how chimps have been so misunderstood.

Chimps are endangered, and could be extinct in the wild within 15 years! What are we doing to our planet? Do you think chimpanzees are worth saving? Please spread the word and do something to help.

My Question on You Tube for the Next President

Well this is my first try at You Tube. I decided to post a question to the presidential candiates for when they come to Charleston. I don't think endangered animals and the environment get enough attention so I hope they will use my question.

The original video was much better. I haven't figured You Tube out yet. Let me know if you know how to get better quality. And my parents made me cut my full name.

Will you vote for a president who cares about animals and the environment? I hope you will.

Manatee Alert!!!

There is a news alert for boaters to be extra careful of manatees!
Manatees are endangered. There are only about 3,200 left. They are mostly found near Florida and Georgia, but there have been some sightings near South Carolina. Their greatest dangers are motor boats and people net fishing. There are groups dedicated to saving the manatee. But for some reason President Bush doesn't seem to like manatees very much.



Manatees are very shy and slow moving mammals also known as sea cows. They are related to the elephant, and the extinct steller sea cow. I'll do a post on that soon.
I like watching manatees, and would love to see one in the wild. This newspaper says they are smarter than they look. But I don't know. Watch this video and tell me what you think!

Stop the Rhino Poaching!

Gangs of poachers are still killing lots of rhinos for their horns. That report from Traffic says that's how most rhinos die-- poachers in Zimbabwe and Congo hunting them down. Many scientists think the rhino will be extinct in the wild in about ten years if we don't do something!


Rhinos are so interesting because they look almost prehistoric. They were found in North America and Europe during the Ice Age. But the Wooly Rhino was hunted into extinction. Now there are only five species left in Asia and Africa. The Western Black Rhino went extinct summer 2006. The Sumatran Rhino is probably next for extinction since there are less than 300 left in the wild!

The World Wildlife Fund and Traffic and some other groups are working hard to save the rhino. They need your help. What will you think if rhinos go extinct because of poaching? Let me know what you will do to help.

Endangered Snail Kite in South Carolina

Hey, the very rare, endangered snail kite was spotted in South Carolina.
You can read the story here.

Happy Endangered Species Day

May 18 is endangered species day! Some animals considered endangered?

Elephants!

Rhinos!

Polar Bears!
Some of the endangered animals in South Carolina are the Piping Plover, Loggerhead Turtle, Eastern cougar, manatee, and whales like the right, finback, blue and humpback.

Many scientists think almost half of all animals on earth will become extinct in the next 50 years! Stop pollution, stop poachers, stop habitat destruction! Do your part.

Loggerhead Sea Turtles

Bon voyage Lighthouse! Who is Lighthouse?



Lighthouse is a loggerhead turtle who the South Carolina Aquarium is releasing this Saturday the 19th. You should check it out!

Did you know it is the state reptile for South Carolina? It is endangered worldwide. Man is its greatest threat because of fishing and habitat destruction. On many beaches, house lights can confuse baby loggerheads, so turn off your lights from May to October. Only 1 in a thousand hatchlings live to be adults. We're lucky to live in a place where we can help them if we want. Here's more information on sea turtles.

The Lorax in South Carolina

There is a forest and wetlands near South Carolina's coast where all the trees might get chopped down for new houses. You can read the newspaper story about it.

This is another story about fishermen off the coast of North Carolina who are using nets and lights that can kill the loggerhead turtle. The loggerhead is endangered.

Here's a story where home builders might be destroying bird habitats in South Carolina. Birds are very important to our environment. And here's another one about how South Carolina power could make global warming worse. This says our state already pollutes too much.

These remind me of the story of The Lorax, which you can click and watch. What do you think? You can leave a comment.