Endangered Species - Tumblr Posts
Day 22 of posting cute creatures we found on our field trip:
Ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) is an endangered species in the Balkans. That day of the field trip we had the opportunity to work with an expert in their biology. She regularly catches and marks the individuals so that she can monitor their health and behavior. The ground squirrels get regular check ups, which is why she’s holding this one. This little girl had a big tick and she carefully removed it.
Ground squirrels are small, burrowing rodents that feed on seeds, plants and roots. People believe that they cause damage to the crops, but that simply isn’t the truth. These animals hate and I mean hate tall vegetation. Our crops are simply too tall for them. They live only in places where grass is growing shorter than they are when they stand up and that’s like 10-15cm.
Nevertheless, people still kill these rodents, so we put strict protection of them. Any place they inhabit is immediately labeled as “of high importance for protection”. And for a good reason!
Ground squirrels are the favorite food of many birds of prey. The moment we managed to stabilize their populations birds of prey that were extinct in that region immediately returned. Now people can go birdwatching five different species of raptors all thanks to their cute food source.
And that’s not all! Ground squirrels, just like all the others, hibernate during winter and prepare stocks of seeds for food. And since they feed on short plants they actually can expand pastures and fields. This is not only great for grazing animals, but it also deters rats and mice who hate open spaces from crops. Yes, these babies actually protect crops just by being themselves.
And if you’re wondering how are they caught: there are special traps made only for them. These traps look like cylindrical cage that you put into their burrow’s opening. The burrow can have many openings so you have to have many traps. Once the ground squirrel gets inside the trap the doors close behind it. It remains completely unhurt, but it can freeze quickly, so the researchers have to be on the field constantly to check the traps. Here’s how the girl in the first pic looked inside a trap. She was not happy, but at least, she got a health check and a tick removed:
Oh and, even though they are called “ground squirrels” they completely lack the fluffy tail. So don’t worry, she’s just fine.
Despite their prowess in walking, climbing, and foraging, the world's largest parrot species faces a notable limitation – it is incapable of flight.
The Kākāpō, a remarkable parrot endemic to New Zealand, stands out as one of the most endangered avian species globally. With its distinctive moss-green plumage, owl-like facial features, and a nocturnal lifestyle, the Kākāpō boasts a uniqueness that captures the imagination of conservationists and bird enthusiasts alike. Notably, these parrots have evolved to be largely flightless, relying on strong legs for mobility and climbing prowess. The Kākāpō's diet, consisting of native New Zealand plants, fruits, seeds, and bark, reflects its adaptation to the local ecosystem. Unfortunately, the Kākāpō faces immense challenges, including a critically low population, reproductive difficulties, and the impact of introduced predators.
New Zealand was once a land of flightless birds like the extinct moa—no terrestrial mammalian predators in sight. That changed in the 13th century, when Māori voyagers brought rats and dogs, and again in the 19th century, when European settlers brought more rats, cats and mustelids like weasels, stoats and ferrets. These predators have played a major role in putting at risk some 300 native species on New Zealand’s two main islands and smaller offshore islands, taking an especially heavy toll on flightless birds like kākāpō.
via Inside New Zealand’s Quest to Save Its Rotund, Flightless Parrots
I’ve noticed a lot of people have been becoming against zoos and aquariums.
(I’m talking about AZA zoos and other accredited zoos)
Zoos breed animals for conservation reasons (restore populations)
They study animals
They raise money for conservation
They provide amazing veterinary care
They provide proper enclosures
They provide enrichment to animals
They provide a proper diets
They educate the public
They contribute to conservation in MANY ways
I know the zoo near me helps local wildlife as well. They take in animals that would otherwise not survive in the wild. Such as bears who have been hit by cars or whose parents were killed by people.
Support accredited zoos! Ideally these animals wouldn’t need to be in zoos but due to human impact they often times have to be.
Please save this species!!!
Okay, I know people as a general rule tend to not care about invertebrates as much as cute, fuzzy mammals, but this is a must-read if you care about animal welfare. The short version is that horseshoe crab blood has been used for decades in medicine as a way to test whether something is truly sterile; the blood clots in the presence of bacteria. Since then millions of horseshoe crabs have been captured and drained of blood, even though a synthetic alternative was developed a few years ago.
They go through a pretty brutal experience in the process. They're caught by fishermen who often throw them by their tails into a pile in the open air, and they're then trucked to a bleeding facility where they're strapped down and their blood is removed with needles jabbed directly into their hearts. Over half their blood may be taken, after which they're supposed to be returned to the ocean. However, it's likely many of them never make it back, instead turned into fish bait and sold by the same fishermen who caught them in the first place.
Apart from the fact that this is a horrific thing to put any animal through, the attrition due to fatalities has put a serious dent in horseshoe crab numbers. This is compounded by massive habitat loss, pollution, and the capture of horseshoe crabs as food, particularly as the females of one species are considered a delicacy. And other animals that rely on horseshoe crabs are suffering, too. The American rufa subspecies of the red knot, a medium-sized shorebird, is critically endangered as the horseshoe crab eggs it must have in order to successfully complete migration have become increasingly scarce, and it is likely the bird will become extinct if trends continue.
While there are guidelines for medical horseshoe crab harvest, they're considered optional. The few laws that exist are poorly enforced. Short of a complete ban on horseshoe crab blood in favor of the synthetic alternative, these animals are in very real danger of going extinct after a history spanning over 400 million years on this planet.
Thankfully, this article is not the first to bring forth the issues surrounding horseshoe crab harvest. Here are a few resources for further information and action (US based, though horseshoe crabs are threatened throughout their entire range):
Horseshoe Crab Conservation Network - https://horseshoecrab.org/conservation/
Wetlands Institute - https://wetlandsinstitute.org/conservation/horseshoe-crab-conservation/
Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition - https://hscrabrecovery.org/
Southern White Rhinoceros - Africa
Over 98% of Africa’s Southern White Rhino’s can be found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya. They are the second largest land mammal in the world, after the elephant. They can grow to weight 3.6 tonnes, and have a longer skull and a more pronounced shoulder hump than their northern cousins, the Black Rhino.
A conservation success story, they were brought back from the brink of extinction. In the early 20th century, it was estimated only 20 individuals remained in the wild. Now, the Southern white rhino is the most abundant sub species of rhino in the world, with over 21,000 individuals living in the wild. Despite all these efforts, the rhino is still under a great threat from poachers, who illegally trade their horns.
Species | White-throated toucanet
White-throated toucanets (Aulacorhynchus albivitta) are near passerines. They occur in mountainous regions from Mexico, through Central America, to northern Venezuela and along the Andes as far south as central Bolivia.
Although their populations are generally decreasing, the IUCN lists them as a species of lesat concern. This is partially due to their relatively large range of 535000 km², but also due to the fact that there does not seem to be any kind of major threat.
Photo credits: Adam Rainoff
Young Amur Leopard at the Colchester Zoo
Tons more at the source!
I spent time with a pack of Painted Dogs that lived at the sanctuary in Namibia and as enrichment for both the dogs and us (in a manner of speaking!) every so often the volunteers would get to hoist a warthog carcass up on the outlook platform and throw it down to the pack.
The dogs would then be timed to see how quickly they could fully devour the entire thing leaving basically no trace. Their record was 12 or 13 minutes and it was fascinating, if somewhat gruesome, to watch. I have a great shot of the dogs in a near-perfect circle around a carcass, white-flecked tails aloft in the air as they got to work, and some shots of them washing themselves in dusty water after.
I cannot even *begin* to describe the smell - or the smell that these dogs just always have in general, a sort of stench of fleshy death that follows them around 😄
But they are beautiful, amazing creatures. When two pups were rescued we watched an adult male continually give up his food for them, to the point he had to be fed separately so he was also nourished. We saw a young female keep a sassy elder boy company till his last days when they would wind up any passing cheetahs for fun.
In Kruger we saw wild pups playing the cutest game of tug-of-war with a giant branch that I've ever seen!
And we learnt about how their hunting success rate absolutely wipes the floor with any of the African cats.
I hope their species continues to hang in there and build its numbers back up.
“What nice teeth you have”
Animal: African Wild Dog. Location of shot: Lion Sands Game Reserve, Kruger National Park, SA.
“I photographed this Painted Wolf at Lion Sands Game Reserve, a protected reserve with open borders next to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. It is wearing a tracker because, sadly, this species is endangered and is therefore being closely monitored by scientists. There may only be 1400 left in the wild, and 300 left in this part of Africa with one of the main reasons for this being persecution from humans. We need to learn to love our beaming neighbors!”
by Henry Keepin
2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
Tons more at the source!
DA FAQ
PLEASE SIGNAL BOOST:
THIS PAGE IS POSTING PICTURES OF DEAD WOLVES THAT THEY ARE KILLING AND TORTURING FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN TO SEE THEM DEAD. NOT ONLY WOLVES BUT ROWS OF FOX AND COYOTES AND RACCOONS. THEY LURE THEM IN WITH MEAT AND SMALLER DEAD ANIMALS AND THEN CHOKE THEM AND SHOOT THEM. TO HELP YOU CAN REPORT THE PAGE AND ALSO SIGN THESE TWO PETITIONS TO GET THE PAGE SHUT DOWN AND TO GET THE ADMINS REPORTED FOR UNLAWFUL HUNTING.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THESE ANIMALS WERE ONLY RECENTLY TAKEN OFF OF THE EXTINCT LIST AND ARE VITAL ANIMALS TO THE ECOSYSTEM.
Tons more at the source!
y'all ever reach the end of google
Disney Cruise is trying to get ahold of this urban reef area, that is protected by federal government, to expand their Disney Cruises franchise. This will destroy thousands of individuals that live on the reef, including hundreds of different kinds of corals, manatees, and many species of fish. The locals are speaking up about it: you should too! All it takes is a click and you will have signed the petition to keep Disney away from this natural beauty. Coral reefs are already endangered; let’s do something about it! Reblog, share, and sign!!!
“Do you know what it means to long, kid born into a world gone silent?”
-The last Vaquita
just saw a bower bird
They are endangered in my area
this is the first time I’ve seen one in the wild