Tembikai, meaning watermelon, was born on January 29th of this year. He weighed 13 lbs at birth and is now up to 30 lbs. He is a Malaya tapir which is an endangered species.
Read about the Malaya tapir’s relative the Brazilian tapir at Animal Fact Guide.
In our last poll, we asked Animal Fact Guide visitors, “What do you think is the best way to help endangered animals?”
These were the results:
Educating the public: 36%
Volunteering with wildlife charities: 32%
Boycotting endangered animal products: 15%
Reducing carbon emissions: 9%
Writing to legislators & signing petitions: 8%
You can get involved in our current poll, “Where is the best place to see animals?” by scrolling down to our Poll widget in the sidebar to the right.
The current cold weather in Florida has been forcing manatees to seek warmth any way possible. As a result, over 100 manatees have found their way into Satellite Beach Canal in Brevard County.
The problem posed by this is that the manatees have eaten all of the grass that lined canal. Now the manatees must either risk heading back into the frigid ocean waters to search for food or face starvation in the canal.
The chilly water puts the manatees at risk for cold stress, which can be deadly. The state has worked out a an emergency triage system if the manatees begin to get sick.
The manatees have also drawn large crowds of onlookers eager to get a glimpse at the endangered creatures.
For more, visit wftv.com.
There are roughly 2000 Grevy’s zebras left in the wild, earning them a spot on the endangered species list. Add to that number one more as the Denver Zoo welcomes a baby male zebra.
The baby, named Lakota, was born on November 27th. He is the third Grevy’s zebra to ever be born at the zoo.
Grevy’s zebras differ from other zebras in their appearance. Gervy’s zebras have thinner stripes and white stomachs. They also have longer legs and larger, rounder ears.
In the wild they are found in Kenya and Ethiopia.
For more, visit The Denver Channel.
Four endangered northern white rhinos have been moved to Kenya from a Czech zoo. There are no northern white rhinos left in the wild and only eight left in captivity.
Wildlife workers hope that the move to the game preserve will result in an increase in reproduction for the rhinos. In 24 years at the Czech zoo the rhinos did not reproduce.
The overall aim of the project is to eventually reintroduce northern white rhinos into their native habitats in Africa.
Read more at GoogleNews.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority is launching a new program to help raise funds and awareness for the very endangered mountain gorilla.
Starting this Saturday, September 26, you can friend or follow specific gorillas living in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest on Facebook or Twitter for a minimum donation of $1. You will get updates on your gorilla friend(s), including photos, videos, and GPS coordinates – all data gathered by actual trackers that visit the gorillas daily.
According to Lillian Nsubuga, a spokeswoman for the Uganda Wildlife Authority, “For people who think Uganda is a village in Kenya or have only ever heard of the country because of (former dictator) Idi Amin, we want to create a new, more beautiful image. We’re hoping that the online fans will one day come to Uganda to meet their gorilla friends for real.”
For more information about the Friend a Gorilla program, see:
USA Today
FriendA Gorilla.org
To learn more about endangered mountain gorillas, see Animal Fact Guide’s article: Mountain Gorilla.
It has recently been confirmed that Bai Yun, a giant panda living at the San Diego Zoo (on loan from China’s Wolong Giant Panda Research Center) is pregnant!
An ultrasound showed that Bai Yun is currently carrying two fetuses, so it is possible she will give birth to twins.
Giant pandas are highly endangered in their native habitat of southwest China. To learn more about giant pandas in the wild, see Animal Fact Guide’s article: Giant Panda.
For more info about Bai Yun, see LA Times.
Elke, a baby Francois Langur monkey, was born last Thursday at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. Her mother, Saigon, has not accepted the baby, so Elke will be hand-raised by keepers to insure her survival.
Francois Langurs are endangered in their native Asian habitat due to habitat loss and hunting.
For more information: Taronga Zoo
Against all odds, two clouded leopard cubs were born at the National Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center in Virginia.
In captivity, these endangered leopards usually give in to murderous tendencies during the breeding process. Either the male will kill the female when placed together to mate, or if mating is successful, the mother leopard will kill her cubs accidentally or intentionally.
But yesterday, caretakers discovered the two cubs with Jao Chu, the mother leopard. The babies will be hand raised by zookeepers to guarantee their safety and survival.
In the wild, clouded leopards are native to southeast Asia. Their population has dwindled due to hunting for their pelts.
For more information, see: Washington Post
Photo: Dr. Bivash Pandav
Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, located on the coast of Orissa, India, is the largest of only three nesting areas for Olive Ridley sea turtles, which are considered endangered by the IUCN. In fact, the mass nesting (or arribadas) include 200,000 – 500,000 female turtles coming on to the shore. [Watch a video of hatchlings traveling back to sea]
Now, in addition to the dangers of netting and trawlers, these endangered animals could be confronted with another threat to their survival. Tata Steel and Larsen & Toubro are scheduled to build a major sea port just north of the sanctuary at the mouth of the Dharma River. If the construction takes place, then dredging, increased shipping traffic, artificial lights, oil spills, and other pollutants would be brought to the area causing a disruption to ecological balance of the area’s waters.
To learn more and get involved, see:
The Wild Foundation’s Olive Ridley Turtle Page
The Wild Foundation’s Olive Ridley Turtle Blog Update