September 22nd, 2011 is World Rhino Day! Rhinos around the world are in trouble, with only 27,000 rhinos left. The main cause for the population decline is from poachers, who sell the horns for Asian medicines.

However, according to Susie Ellis, executive director of the International Rhino Foundation, the world rhino populations can still be saved if we can find ways to stop poaching.

“After so much effort and funding has been ploughed into rhino protection in Africa, we cannot lose the momentum. We look to each country’s national authorities to hold up their side of our shared commitment to conserve rhinos,” Ellis asserted in a press release.

“We know how to bring these species numbers back up.  But we have to get poaching and other human-induced losses under control. Along with all of our partners, we hope to call attention to the good, the bad and the hopeful news through World Rhino Day this Thursday.”

Learn about the Indian Rhinoceros on Animal Fact Guide.

On Tuesday, September 13 and Wednesday, September 14, starting at 8pm both nights, Nat Geo WILD is airing a special program devoted to sustaining vulnerable species called Miracle Babies.  In five hour-long episodes, viewers gain a window into the world of baby pandas, leopards, Tasmanian devils, lemurs, koalas, wallabies, ibises, parrots, and more.

Watch a video below of cute baby pandas raised in captivity in Chengdu, China:

Watch a video below of adorable baby sifaka lemurs:

Watch a video below of two baby Tasmanian devils (one baby even gets hiccups after feeding):

Three week old sand cat at Israeli zoo.

A rare sand cat kitten was born at the Zoological Center Tel Aviv Ramat Gan three weeks ago and is now on public view.

According to the IUCN Redlist, sand cats are threatened in the wild. They inhabit the deserts of the Middle East and northern Africa. There, they hunt primarily small rodents and get all of their water from consuming their prey.

For more information, see ThirdAge.com.

Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington is home to two grizzly bear brothers named Keema and Denali. Now you can watch the bears live at your computer!  The zoo installed a webcam in the bears’ enclosure, so you can watch them forage, fish, and more! During the summer months, the best time to see the grizzlies is between 10:00 – 11:00 am PT and 2:00 – 3:00 pm PT.

On Wednesday, August 3, at 11:15 am PT, you can watch live as zookeepers set up piñatas for the bears!

Video streaming by Ustream

Click here to view the Bear Cam on the Woodland Park Zoo site >

Keema

Denali

In the wild, grizzly bears inhabit Alaska, western Canada, and parts of the northwestern United States. In the US, grizzly bears are a protected species under the Endangered Species Act.  They are threatened by habitat loss due to logging, development, and mining.  Only about 1200 – 1400 grizzly bears live in five separate populations in the continental US, including areas in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Washington.  To learn more about grizzly bears, see Animal Fact Guide’s article: Grizzly Bear.

May 1st saw the hatching of a rare all-white kiwi at the Pukaha Mount Bruce national wildlife center in New Zealand. The bird is not an albino, but does have white feathers. He was given the Manukura by members of the local Maori tribe.

Manukura is thought to be the first all-white kiwi born in captivity.

Kiwi are native to New Zealand and have had their population numbers drop, mainly due to the European stoat, an introduced species. All five species of kiwi are endangered.

For more visit Scientific American.

A new Grevy’s zebra foal made her debut recently at the Bronx Zoo. Named Terri, the little foal can be seen at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s African Plains exhibit.  Baby zebras are born with brown stripes that darken to black as they mature.

In the wild, Grevy’s zebras are considered endangered by the IUCN Redlist.  Their range is limited to parts of Ethiopia and Kenya.  Threats include a reduction in water sources, loss of habitat, hunting, and disease.

For more information on the baby zebra, see Gather News.

Starting today guests at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida will get to see an unlikely pair – a cheetah cub and a yellow Labrador puppy. The 8-week-old cheetah was taken in last month because his mother was unable to care for him. Last week the animal care team decided on the 16-week-old puppy as a companion. The two will live together in Jambo Junction, a part of the Nairobi area of the park.

The park has opened a poll on their Facebook page to allow voting on what to the name the pair. Voting ends on Monday, April 18.

UPDATE: The cheetah cub has been named Kasi, which is Swahili for “one with speed.”

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The animal care team at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fl is busy these days caring for a four week old cheetah cub.  The cheetah was born at another zoo and his mother was unable to care for him. The decision was made to hand-raise him and so far it’s been successful. The little guy now weighs over 2 lbs. and is growing stronger each day.

Once he is big enough he’ll join other cheetahs at the park and will one day play a role breeding program to help increase the population of these endangered animals.

Busch Gardens supports the conservation of and education about cheetahs through the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, which has donated nearly $100,000 to cheetah efforts in Africa since 2005 and also helps fund conservation programs for white rhinos, marine animals and many other species around the world.

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Dr. Brady Barr speaking at the Garde Arts Center.

The editors of Animal Fact Guide had the pleasure of attending a talk this evening given by Dr. Brady Barr at the Garde Arts Center in New London, CT.  As a herpetologist with the National Geographic Society, Barr has experienced a multitude of close encounters with reptiles in the wild.

In one entertaining story,  Barr recounted an episode where his team was trying to measure the speed of Komodo dragons using a radar gun.  His role was to run around with strings of goat meat tied around his waist to entice the large reptiles to give chase.  And chase they did!  Barr was chased left and right by the dragons, who took turns wearing him out.  Finally, out of breath, Barr took refuge up high in a tree.  Komodo dragons can be extremely dangerous creatures as their mouths are filled with many strains of bacteria, making their bite very hazardous.

Although Barr works with many reptiles, including salamanders, geckos, turtles, and snakes, his main passion is with crocodilian species: crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials.

On many occasions, Barr has gotten up close and personal with crocodiles, often called upon to relocate “nuisance” animals.  Barr and his team have captured many crocodiles known to attack people and have relocated the animals to wildlife preserves and zoos.  By doing so, Barr saves the creatures from being exterminated by the locals.

Barr has also needed to come within reach of crocodiles for research purposes. The video below shows the construction of a high-tech, highly-protective crocodile disguise that Barr wore to infiltrate a congregation of crocodiles in order to attach data-recording devices to their tails.

Throughout his presentation, Barr stressed the importance of conservation, noting that many reptile species are at high risk of extinction.

To learn more about Barr and his adventures, watch Dangerous Encounters on Nat Geo WILD. You can also buy the Best of Dangerous Encounters with Brady Barr DVD from Amazon.

A young Asian elephant, around 4-5 years old, fell into a ditch while crossing a tea plantation in northern India with the rest of his herd.  His mother and other elephants in the herd tried to help him out, but to no avail.  Local people, forest rangers, and an animal welfare volunteer stepped in to help using a mechanical digger.  Because the volunteers widened the ditch, the elephant was able to flip onto his side and stand up by himself.  He then rejoined his mother and the herd.

Watch the rescue here: