The World Wildlife Fund, in collaboration with Global Footprint Network and Zoological Society London, has released its 2012 Living Planet Report.

The findings are less than optimal. The study shows that:

• Biodiversity declined 30% between 1978 and 2008.
• We currently use 1.5 planets’ worth of natural resources to support our activities. It is projected that by 2030, two planets would not support our rate of consumption.
• High income countries use five times the amount of natural resources as low income countries.

But there are steps we can take to change this destructive path.  The report suggests:

• Preserving and restoring biodiversity.
• Optimizing our food production by reducing waste, using better seeds and cultivation techniques, restoring degraded land, and lowering meat consumption and reducing food waste in high income countries.
• Conserving water with smarter irrigation techniques and planning.
• Using clean, abundant energy sources like wind and sunlight, as well as increasing the energy efficiency of our buildings, factories, and cars.

For more information, see the WWF website.

An orangutan uses an iPad at Miami's Jungle Island. Photo by Associated Press.

At Miami’s Jungle Island, the iPad is a huge hit with young orangutans.  They use the handheld computer tablets to draw, play games, and learn new words.

This exposure to technology is part of the zoo’s mental stimulus program. The hope is to increase communication between humans and apes.  Keepers have long used sign language to communicate with orangutans, but the iPad allows people who don’t know sign language to communicate as well.

Orangutans are highly intelligent creatures, but they lack the ability to talk.  According to Linda Jacobs, who oversees the program at Jungle Island, “They are sort of trapped in those bodies. They have the intelligence that they need to communicate, but they don’t have the right equipment, because they don’t have voice boxes or vocal cords. So this gives them a way to let us know what they know, what they are capable of, what they would like to have.”

For more info, see:

• Jungle Island
• ABC News

To learn more about orangutans, see Animal Fact Guide’s article: Bornean Orangutan.

In the wild, mongoose lemurs are considered vulnerable of extinction. They inhabit the island of Madagascar, the native habitat of all species of lemurs. But they are unique in that they are one of two species also found outside of Madagascar, specifically on the Comoros Islands, which are located between Madagascar and Africa.

Rosalita and one of her twins.

New arrival: Mongoose lemur baby

Proud parents Rosalita and Guillermo. Did you know that mongoose lemurs make oinking sounds similar to pigs?

(Photos by Matt Marriott/Busch Gardens Tampa Bay)

Just to refresh your memories, here are the two from April of 2011:

Here they are now!

The zoo would like to properly thank the boy for saving the baby penguin.  They ask that you email woodlandparkzoopr@zoo.org if you know the identity of the young hero.

Penguin chick at the Woodland Park Zoo. Photo by Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo.

In the wild, Humboldt penguins live along the coast of Peru and Chile.  They are considered vulnerable of extinction by the IUCN Redlist.  Threats include fishing nets, illegal pet trade, over-exploitation of guano (which the penguins use for nesting), and pollution.

For more info about the Humboldt penguin chicks, see the Woodland Park Zoo blog.

In the wild, aardvarks are solitary and elusive. They inhabit various ecosystems south of the Sahara in Africa, and they feed mainly on ants and termites.  They are adept diggers, capturing their prey underground and creating burrows to rest in during the day.  Because other animals use these burrows for shelter, the aardvark is considered a keystone species.

Baby hawksbill turtle found lethargic on Melbourne Beach.

Baby hawksbill turtle found on Cocoa Beach covered in algae and fauna.

SeaWorld turtle experts (or aquarists), are monitoring and caring for the turtles around the clock. The hatchlings are living in a brooder (a heated shelter) which is kept at a constant 84 degrees F. Although recovery will be tough, the turtles are showing positive signs.

Hawksbill turtles are considered critically endangered by the IUCN Redlist due to loss of habitat and human exploitation.

The story follows Benjamin Mee (played by Matt Damon), a Los Angeles newspaper columnist and adventure writer who, as a single father, faces the challenges of raising his two young children.

Hoping that a fresh start and a new life will restore their family spirit, Mee quits his job and buys an old rural house outside the city with a unique bonus feature: a zoo named the Rosemoor Animal Park, where dozens of animals reside under the care of head zookeeper Kelly Foster (played by Scarlett Johansson) and her dedicated team.

With no experience, limited time and a shoestring budget, Mee sets out with the support of his family and the local community to reopen the zoo. Now, Benjamin is no longer reporting an adventure story; he’s living it in his own backyard.

Scene from We Bought a Zoo, starring Matt Damon

For a chance to win one of two DVD/book bundles, comment below by April 2, 2012, 11:59pm EST with the answer to this question:

If you bought a zoo, which animal would you most like to have in it and why?

Be sure to include your email address, so we can contact the winners for their mailing address. Note: This contest is open to people in the U.S. and Canada only. No P.O. boxes.

Today, March 21st, is World Forestry Day!

Did you know that climate change affects the world’s forests, and in turn, their animal inhabitants? Here are several ways that increasing temperatures impact forests:

• Forest fires: Hotter temperatures cause longer summer droughts and drier conditions, increasing the number and frequency of forest fires.
• Forest die-off: The stress from droughts results in increased tree mortality in all major forest types around the world.
• Beetle outbreaks: A greater number of beetle and other insect breakouts is associated with warmer temperatures, which leads to increased destruction of tree bark.
• Leaf growth: As temperatures increase, the timing of when leaves emerge and fall from the trees changes.  This impacts carbon storage, water resources, and habitat condition.

Learn more at the USGS blog.

Zoo pals: Samantha the gorilla and Panda the bunny. Photo by: Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News

Samantha, a 47 year-old western lowland gorilla, was in need of companionship after her “roommate” Rudy, a male gorilla, died in 2005. Zoo keepers decided she was too frail and old to have another gorilla companion, so they introduced her to Panda, a Dutch rabbit.

The two unlikely friends hit it off. Samantha gently pets Panda, and they share food.

According to zoo director Cindy Kreider, “To have something sharing their space that they can observe and interact with is always going to be beneficial.”

For more information, see:
Seattle Pi
GoErie.com