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.

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.

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.

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.

Alerts for Birds, Endangered Animals , and CNN!

My Google alerts had more warnings about our environment today. I've posted before about how birds are disappearing. Here is what the newspaper and Audubon are saying. You can listen to some of the endangered birds here. The California Condor and Whooping Crane could be the next dodo bird.

The Endangered Species Program is going back to look at some mistakes it made. Click here and check it out. I hope the next president cares about the earth and all the animals.

Speaking of that, I did a Youtube question about the environment for the CNN debate. Did you notice that CNN had 34 Youtube questions. But not even ONE had to do with the environment, global warming or endangered animals? I didn't watch it, but saw the list. I wonder why?

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.

Meet Gilbert, the Rockhopper Penguin

Gilbert is a Rockhopper at Riverbanks Zoo. My sister and I had the chance to meet him at Zoo Adventures. It was a very interesting experience, touching a rockhopper penguin. It felt very soft when it was wet, but it felt VERY soft when it was dry.

Rockhoppers are small and aggressive, and live in the sub-Antarctic islands. They feed mostly on krill, fish and squid. Rockhoppers aren't endangered, but some penguins are in danger due to global warming and habitat loss. Here's some video-- watch the way he walks down the stairs!



I've had the chance to touch many exotic animals in my life so far-- tiger, gibbon, chimp, elephant, giraffe, macaw, zebu, yak, oryx, boa, zebra-- and now Gilbert. When I meet animals so close, it makes me want to help animals even more.

The Right Way to Save Right Whales?

Right whales got their names because they were the "right whales" to catch since they have lots of fat and oil, and because they floated after they were harpooned. They are very intelligent mammals. They can be found off the coast of South Carolina especially in the winter and spring.


But unfortunately, the right whale could become extinct very soon. Some say less than 400 are left in the whole world. Fishing nets are killing them. Speeding ships are too--here's a picture of one killed this year by a big ship.

This story about right whales showed up in my e-mail. It says they are not even sure how to save the right whale now. The laws are too weak. Click here to listen to a save the whale song.

These beautiful animals swim right off our coast. Do you think we should try to save the right whale from extinction?

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?

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.

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.