Check out Animal Fact Guide’s recently added animal articles and fun downloads!

NEW ANIMALS

Atlantic Puffin
Did you know that Atlantic puffins live out in the open sea most of the time and only come to land to breed for a few months a year?  Also, although puffins resemble penguins in their black and white markings, they are not related to penguins at all. In stark contrast to penguins, Atlantic puffins are excellent fliers and can reach speeds up to 88 km/h (55mph)!
Learn more facts about Atlantic puffins »

Cougar (Mountain Lion)
The cougar, also commonly called the mountain lion, puma, and panther, is the largest cat in North America.  However, unlike other big cats such as lions and tigers, the cougar cannot roar and instead purrs like a house cat. Furthermore, with a slender body and round head with pointed ears, the cougar’s body shape closely resembles that of a house cat, only larger.
Learn more facts about cougars »

FUN ANIMAL DOWNLOADS
We’ve also added more fun FREE downloads (in PDF format) to the Fun Stuff section including animal mazes! New additions include:

• Meerkats coloring page
• Meerkat maze
• Atlantic puffin maze
• Giant panda maze

The holiday season is upon us, so here are a few gift ideas from the editors at Animal Fact Guide for your animal lover friend or family member.

1. Planet Earth
   This 5-disc series put out by the BBC and narrated by David Attenborough features stunning wildlife scenes, such as a great white shark chasing a seal and a group of starving lions hunting an elephant at night.  Each 50-minute episode focuses on a different region or habitat and offers a rare glimpse at some of the world’s most elusive and fascinating animals.
   Buy it from Amazon »
2. Growing Up Gift Pack
   Animal Planet’s Growing Up… series features a different orphaned baby animal in each episode.  The show tracks the animal’s progress at a zoo or a rehabilitation center until its release into the wild (if possible) or its permanent integration into zoo life.  This 5-disc DVD gift set includes polar bear cubs, infant seals, cheetah babies, wolf pups, tiger and lion cubs, and more.
   Buy it from Amazon »
3. Rainforest Combination Puzzle & Playset
   This handcrafted 18-piece puzzle/playset is made from earth-friendly, sustainable rubberwood hardwood by a self-help group in India.  Serving as both a puzzle and a playset, this gift will provide endless entertainment for children aged 3 and up while sparking analytic thinking and creativity.
   Buy it from Amazon »
4. Zoo Gift Membership
   Purchase a gift membership for your friend or family member to a local zoo or aquarium.  Not only will the gift contribute to conservation efforts, the recipient will also receive free admission and discounts to zoo events. Furthermore, American Zoo & Aquarium (AZA)-accredited organizations participate in a Reciprocal Admission Program, where membership privileges to one zoo/aquarium extends to all partner organizations as well.
   Find a local zoo using the AZA’s zoo finder »
5. Adopt a Wild Animal
   Symbolically adopting a wild animal in danger of extinction is a great gift to those concerned about the world’s wildlife. Several organizations offer gift adoptions for species such as polar bears, pandas, wolves, tigers, and more.  Adoption kits often include a plush toy, a photo, certificate of adoption, and information about how the donation will help that particular animal.
   Adopt from Defenders of Wildlife »
   Adopt from National Wildlife Federation »
   Adopt from World Wildlife Fund »

In August of 2007, rebels had taken over Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the few habitats of the extremely endangered mountain gorilla. In turn, most of the rangers and staff fled the rebel-occupied area.

Last Tuesday, a group of reporters, rangers, and scientists returned to the area for the first time in 15 months. What they discovered was uplifting: a family of mountain gorillas contently consuming bamboo stalks.

Ironically, the rebel hold of the area actually benefited the gorillas as it shifted the area of fighting away from the gorilla habitat. According to Benjamin Nsana, a park guide who elected to stay behind when the rebels took control, the area was safe for gorillas because the rebels guarded the perimeters so carefully. In fact, 6 babies were born since last year.

For more information about the rangers’, scientists’, and reporters’ recent trip to Virunga National Park, see the AP’s “Congo gorillas survive in rebel-held forest.”

Mountain gorillas are extremely endangered with only 700 living in the wild. For more information about mountain gorillas, read Animal Fact Guide’s article: Mountain Gorilla.