Manatee - wild spotlight

Manatees are sometimes called sea cows, and their languid pace lends merit to the comparison. However, despite their massive bulk, they are graceful swimmers in coastal waters and rivers. Powering themselves with their strong tails, manatees typically glide along at 5 miles (8 kilometers) an hour but can swim 15 miles (24 kilometers) an hour in short bursts.

Manatees are usually seen alone, in pairs, or in small groups of a half dozen or fewer animals. From above the water's surface, the animal's nose and nostrils are often the only thing visible. Manatees never leave the water but, like all marine mammals, they must breathe air at the surface. A resting manatee can remain submerged for up to 15 minutes, but while swimming, it must surface every three or four minutes.

There are three species of manatee, distinguished primarily by where they live. One manatee population ranges along the North American east coast from Florida to Brazil. Other species inhabit the Amazon River and the west coast and rivers of Africa.

Manatees are born underwater. Mothers must help their calves to the surface so that they can take their first breath, but the infants can typically swim on their own only an hour later.
Manatee calves drink their mothers' milk, but adults are voracious grazers. They eat water grasses, weeds, and algae—and lots of them. A manatee can eat a tenth of its own massive weight in just 24 hours.

Manatees are large, slow-moving animals that frequent coastal waters and rivers. These attributes make them vulnerable to hunters seeking their hides, oil, and bones. Manatee numbers declined throughout the last century, mostly because of hunting pressure. Today, manatees are endangered. Though protected by laws, they still face threats. The gentle beasts are often accidentally hit by motorboats in ever more crowded waters, and sometimes become entangled in fishing nets.

West Indian manatees are large, gray aquatic mammals with bodies that taper to a flat, paddle-shaped tail. They have two forelimbs, called flippers, with three to four nails on each flipper. Their head and face are wrinkled with whiskers on the snout. The manatee's closest relatives are the elephant and the hyrax (a small, gopher-sized mammal). Manatees are believed to have evolved from a wading, plant-eating animal. The West Indian manatee is related to the West African manatee, the Amazonian manatee, the dugong, and Steller's sea cow, which was hunted to extinction in 1768. The average adult manatee is about 10 feet long and weighs between 800 and 1,200 pounds.

THREATS

The greatest threat to the West Indian manatee in Florida is collisions with watercraft such as boats and jet skis which happen frequently in the densely populated coastal regions and accounts for 35% of known causes of death. The disturbance caused by water activities may also be disrupting the behaviour of manatees which in turn may be detrimental to their health or survival. In addition to boat strikes, manatees can also be come trapped and crushed in water control devices such as flood control structures or caught in fishing equipment.  Loss and destruction of the warm water habitats in which the Florida manatee aggregates is also cause for concern for a species so vulnerable to cold water mortality. Declines in warm water habitats and water quality are directly linked to the increasing human population.

The threats to the Antillean manatee are the same as those faced by the Florida manatee with the additional threat of hunting, which occurs less frequently than in the past but is still considered as a significant threat in some central American countries. Pollution of coastal areas is also frequently reported and presents a threat to the quality of habitat in which the West Indian Manatee is found.

Black Rhino (Critically Endangered)

Rhinos are one of the oldest groups of mammals, virtually living fossils. They play an important role in their habitats and in countries like Namibia, rhinos are an important source of income from ecotourism. The protection of black rhinos creates large blocks of land for conservation purposes. This benefits many other species, including elephants.

The Black Rhino is one of Africa's most endangered animals and is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN meaning it is in real danger of becoming extinct in the foreseeable future. Also known as the hooked lipped rhino due to its hook like upper lip, this magnificent animal is found in eastern and southern areas of Africa.

The Black rhino is usually a solitary animal, only coming together to mate, although mothers with young may occasionally come together in small groups. These animals have very poor eyesight and this has led to them gaining a reputation for being highly aggressive. This is reputation is somewhat unfair as the rhino doesn't usually attack in the same way as say a lion would. They attack more out of fear and panic, which is a state they often find themselves in due to their poor eyesight. Researchers have seen them charge at trees and even termite mounds, which highlights how easy it is to startle a black rhino into charging.

At the start of the 20th Century the black rhino was the most numerous of all the rhinos and estimates suggest they numbered several hundred thousand. However, ruthless hunting for prized rhino horn saw these numbers shrink rapidly down to an estimated 10,000 in the early 1980's. More recent reports from 2005 showed further decline, with numbers estimated to be as low as 2,500.

Rhino horn is made up of keratin, which is the same substance that makes up human hair and nails. However in China and other parts of Eastern Asia people believe it to have medicinal properties and so seek out rhino horn to use in traditional medicines. Scientists have found no evidence of these medicinal properties, but herbalists continue to use it claiming it can cure fevers and even revive people from comas.

In the Middle East Rhino horn is carved into ornate patterns for ceremonial jambiyas. During the 1970's there was a huge increase in demand for these daggers, which are traditionally worn as an accessory by all men above the age of 14. This increased demand contributed to the 96% reduction in Black rhino numbers during the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's.

 THREATS

Illegal Wildlife Trade

Black rhinos have two horns, and occasionally a third small posterior horn. The front horn is longer than the rear which makes them lucrative targets for the illegal trade in rhino horn. Between 1970 and 1992, 96 percent of Africa's remaining black rhinos were killed. A wave of poaching for rhino horn rippled through Kenya and Tanzania, continued south through Zambia's Luangwa Valley as far as the Zambezi River, and spread into Zimbabwe. Political instability and wars have greatly hampered rhino conservation work in Africa, notably in Angola, Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan. This situation has exacerbated threats such as trade in rhino horn, and increased poaching due to poverty.

Today, black rhinos remain Critically Endangered because of rising demand for rhino horn, which has driven poaching to record levels. A recent increase in poaching in South Africa threatens to erase our conservation success. The increase is driven by a growing demand from some Asian consumers, particularly in Vietnam, for folk remedies containing rhino horn. A total of 333 rhinos were killed in South Africa in 2010 – almost one a day.

 

Habitat Loss

Habitat changes have contributed to population declines, but this is a secondary threat compared to poaching. In southern Zimbabwe, privately owned rhino conservancies have been invaded by landless people. This reduces the amount of safe habitat for two large black rhino populations and increases the risk of poaching and snaring.

Snow Leopard - Wild Spotlight

 

Snow leopards have evolved to live in some of the harshest conditions on Earth. Their white-gray coat spotted with large black rosettes blends in perfectly with the steep and rocky mountains of Central Asia.

The Snow Leopard is a medium sized feline, and one that is absolutely gorgeous. It has a very thick fur coat due to the regions where it lives. The coat is a gray or tan color with dark spots on it. They have white on the bottom of the face, the neck, and the underside of the belly. They feature very large eyes, a large head, and rounded ears.

Description

The paws on the Snow Leopard are very large. This allows them to have lots of power. This also offers them the ability to walk effortlessly across snow and ice. This design of their Anatomy gives them a huge advantage over prey they are chasing. They have large nasal passages which are necessary since they are taking in such thin air in those high mountain elevations.

Distribution

The snow Leopard can live up to 18,000 feet above sea level. It can be extremely cold in such areas. They live in South Asia in the Mountain areas. They have a very wide distribution though. There aren't very many of them remaining in China or Russia. Most of them are in the area of Nepal. However, their locations can shift depending on food availability. They are very adaptable and that is part of what makes them so interesting.

Behavior

For the Snow Leopard the majority of life will be spent alone. They do pair up for mating and the females with young seem to enjoy their role. These animals can be very aggressive when they feel their home range has been invaded by others. Males have a range that is usually twice as large as that of the females. It is common for the females range to overlap in several locations.

Diet and Feeding

The remote living areas of the Snow Leopard doesn't prevent it from finding plenty of food. They do take every opportunity though to find it, and they will kill again even if they don't need to. Due to the cold region where they live they can keep their food longer without it spoiling.

They often consume a variety of small creatures such as rodents and hares. They also take down very large prey such as deer. They have the strength to do so due to their jaws so it doesn't matter if those animals are several times larger than they are.

Reproduction

Mating takes place at the end of winter but there is only a very short opportunity here. A pair will stay with each other for several days and mate continually during that period of time. This increases the chance of conception. It will be the falling spring when these young are born. The mother does what she can to prepare for them including finding a den for them to be born in.

She will offer them her milk for a few months and then introduce them to meat. They will be old enough to help her hunt within six months. They are able to take care of their own needs when they are less than a year old. However, they may stay with her and hunt in her area for the next year or so.

Conservation

The fact that humans continue to move into the area where the Snow Leopard once lived means it is branching into new territory. They have been known to kill domestic pets as well as livestock. When that occurs they are often shot or poisoned. Most conservation efforts revolve around trying to protect their natural environment. The Snow Leopard has never been documented as killing a human so they are less of a threat than other felines.

Top facts

• At almost a metre long, the thick tail of the snow leopard is used for balance and can be wrapped around its body for warmth.
• Snow leopards are able to jump as far as 50 feet (15 metres).
• Snow leopards are capable of killing prey up to three times their own weight.
• Snow leopard fur was once highly prized in the international fashion trade and around 1,000 pelts were traded a year in the 1920’s.
• With long body hair, thick, woolly belly fur, and an enlarged nasal cavity to warm inhaled air, the snow leopard is well adapted for the cold.

 Threats

The sole predator of snow leopards? Humans. Hunting, habitat loss and retaliatory killings are the main reasons this big cat is now listed as an endangered species.

Retaliatory Killings

Snow leopards are often killed by local farmers because they prey on livestock such as sheep, goats, horses, and yak calves. The animals which snow leopards would typically hunt—such as the Argali sheep—are also hunted by local communities. As their natural prey becomes harder to find, snow leopards are forced to kill livestock for survival.

Habitat Fragmentation

The snow leopard habitat range continues to decline from human settlement and increased use of grazing space. This development increasingly fragments the historic range of the species.

Climate Change

Climate change poses perhaps the greatest long-term threat to snow leopards. Impacts from climate change could result in a loss of up to 30 percent of the snow leopard habitat in the Himalayas alone.

Endangered Animals and Their Conservation

Endangered animals are those animals which may soon no longer exist because of being put in such an unfavorable situation where they can be harmed or damaged. The most common endangered animals in the world are dugongs, blue whales, tigers, great white sharks, cuvior's beaked whales, giant pandas, tigers, jaguars, one-horned rhinos and David deer. Similarly the endangered plants are Venus's flytrap, silverswords, redwoods, knowlton cacti, Japanese sago palms and New Zealand brush lilies.

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A nocturnal lemur species endemic to Madagascar, the Hairy-eared Dwarf Lemur (Allocebus trichotis) was last assessed in 2008 as Data Deficient. With new information available, it has been reassessed this year as Vulnerable. This species is thought to be rare throughout its moist forest habitat, with no more than a few dozen reported sightings in total. It is usually spotted in tangles of brush or lianas and nests in groups in holes of large trees. This lemur has undergone a population reduction of over 30% in the past three generations (15 years) and this is suspected to continue in the future, as a result of hunting and habitat loss due to slash and burn agriculture. Photo © Nick Garbutt

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Animals have become endangered because of population growth. To meet the growing needs like food and shelter people cut down trees- the habitat of animals. The growing population demands for natural resources. This demand leads to many effect including deforestation; habitat loss; air, land and water pollution and extermination of species. Similarly poaching of animals for meat, fur, ivory and medicine is also helping to reduce animal numbers. Likewise pollution is another cause for the reduction.

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March’s Palm Pit Viper (Bothriechis marchi) is found in the rainforests of Honduras. It is associated with streams, and frogs form an important part of the species' diet. Regularly observed in the 1980s, this species has undergone sharp declines as a result of numerous threats. Collapses in populations of its amphibian prey are negatively affecting this viper. Additionally, the pet trade (with hundreds of individuals exported out of Honduras annually), timber extraction and agricultural expansion threaten this species. It is assessed for the first time as Endangered due to its restricted distribution and ongoing declines in the population size and habitat. Photo © Dr. Silviu Petrovan

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Conservation means using the natural resource in such a way that they never lose their natural quality. It helps to slow down or reverse people's trends of misusing resources. Conservation ensures the survival of life in all its forms and variety and make certain that natural resources continue for the benefit of future generations.

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Endemic to Ecuador, the Lilacine Amazon (Amazona lilacina) occurs in mangroves and dry tropical forest widely but sparsely spread across the Pacific slope. This habitat is becoming increasingly rare and fragmented due to urban expansion and aquaculture development for shrimp farming, leaving the species in small and isolated subpopulations. Habitat degradation, caused by timber and fuelwood harvesting, and trapping of individuals for the local pet trade also threaten this species. Assessed for the first time this year, this newly described species enters the Red List as Endangered. Photo © Steve Wilson

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The establishment of national parks, reserves, sanctuaries is a very effective method of conserving natural areas and their wildlife. Effective laws against poaching should be brought into practice. Breeding program should be regulated. Moreover people should be educated and made conscious about the ecosystem- the inter relationship of the different animals and plants including humans. In conclusion no one has right to exploit nature and the natural resources because they not only belong to us but also to every living being as well as to the future generation.

The Amazon Rainforest

Pretty much everyone has heard of the Amazon River. What a lot of people do not know too much about is the Amazon rainforest. It is located in South American and comprises 1.7 billion acres. 1.4 billion of those acres is rain forest area. Here is an in depth look at this amazing part of the earth.

The Amazon rainforest or Amazonia is also referred to as the Amazon Jungle. It includes land belonging to nine different countries. 60% of it is found in Brazil and 13% in Peru. Smaller percentages lie within the nations of Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Suriname, French Guiana and Guyana. Amazonia is the largest rain forest area in the world, making up more than half of the remaining rain forest on the planet.

In addition to being the largest, the Amazon rainforest is also home to the most different species of plants and animals. There are mind blowing numbers of species living here. Last count identified at least 40,000 plant species, 3000 fish species, 428 species of amphibians and 378 of reptiles. Further there are 427 species of mammals and 1294 of birds. In fact, one out of every five birds on Earth lives in Amazonia. Perhaps the most staggering number is that of insect species: 2.5 million different species. The tapir and leafcutter ant are two species that reside here.

Amazonia is often thought of as having oversize animals and being a dangerous place. There are more than a few giant creatures here but most of the goings on are typical. Among the largest predators in the Amazon rainforest are the anaconda, jaguar, cougar and the black caiman. Other dangerous critters people should avoid are poison dart frogs, electric eels, piranha and even vampire bats that can spread rabies. Yellow fever and malaria are also associated with the region.



As for the river of the same name, it is the second largest river in the world with an average discharge that surpasses that of the next six rivers combined. The river width ranges from. 99 miles and its narrowest and 6.2 miles at the widest. The source is the Andes Mountains and the mouth is the Atlantic Ocean. Its length is approximately 4200 miles and runs through three countries: Brazil, Peru and Colombia. Like the Amazon rainforest, the River is home to large numbers of plant and animal species. 2100 fish species swim here, such as the bull shark, and new species are discovered every year. Along with fish are aquatic mammals such as the River Dolphin, Amazonian Manatee and the giant otter. Also supported are algae, crabs, turtles and other reptiles.

The Amazon rainforest is a vital piece of the puzzle that keeps the entire planet functioning. The forest is estimated to cool the temperature of the earth by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius and to help keep rainfall and humidity balanced in several regions of the globe. The forest holds about 10% of the carbon stores of the planet. When the carbon gets released in the form of carbon dioxide, climate change occurs.

Deforestation is usually caused by fire which is the most likely way this carbon will be released. Deforestation is a frightening thought in itself. While largely protected and left intact until the 1960s, the Amazon rainforest has been cleared dramatically in recent years. The main reason is farmers who are seeking fertile soil. Farmers have cleared spots of land because of weed infestation and soil infertility. The new section is very productive but only for short periods. So, after not too long, they move on and clear more area. In the year 2000, the forest had lost 227,000 square miles to deforestation. The patches of cleared forest are extensive and damaging. They can actually be seen from outer space with the naked eye.

The Amazon rainforest is an amazing and important section of Earth. Scientists stress that the land must be protected. One group actually presented figures to show that it is financially beneficial as well. Forest areas that are sustainably harvested for fruit and timber are worth more than six times the same area in which forest is cleared. Today, people all over are spreading the word about protecting the environment. The Amazon Rainforest is one region we have to focus on.

Protecting Endangered Animals

As the rain forests are slowly cut down and urbanization takes effect all over the world some animal species are beginning to die off. As the last animal dies off the species becomes extinct and won't ever be able to walk this earth again. Humans need to learn how to protect these animals so that they can thrive on this world too.

Our first step in protecting endangered species needs to be to understand their habitats and how they survive best in the wild. You can always try to put these animals in zoos but it isn't where they will do best.

After we have figured out how they like to live then comes the next step, setting aside land for them. A lot of these creatures live in areas that will be able to sustain life to them and other animals that live there. The objective is to set aside land that is already covered by this mini ecosystem for the animals.
Our next objective is to set aside laws that prohibit people from hunting these animals or disturbing their homes. Enforcement of these laws should include jail time and fines so that people will think twice about hurting these habitats.

After this is done the animals should be transferred to this environment. Once transferred the animals need to be closely monitored to make sure that they are able to live in their new homes. If anything needs fixing the best time to do it is early while they are still adjusting to the move.

Taking these steps will help ensure that we keep animals from becoming endangered or extinct. However, the real battle is making the general public aware of how important it is to keep the animals alive. The best battles are fought one step at a time, help take a step for humanity today.

Endemic to Madagascar, the Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) is probably the most easily recognisable of all lemur species, with its long black and white banded tail. The rate of the population decline of this species has recently increased, resulting in this previously Near Threatened lemur being uplisted to Endangered. Despite the ecological flexibility of this species, population declines are occurring as a result of habitat loss, with its dry forest and bush habitat being burnt to create new pasture for livestock, as well as hunting of the species for food and removal of animals from the wild for the pet trade. Photo © Nick Garbutt

Visit IUCN Red List for more endangered species and details about them.

Wildlife Conservation

Ecological disturbance is disastrous for animal and plant life. There are more problems owing to deforestation and global warming that is severely affecting species. Evolution is another feature in all living beings. There are changes in the physical characteristics, habitat and adaptability in animals that is also promoting migration in animal life. The percentage of endangered species each year is increasing and there are efforts by several organizations to save them from extinction.

Photo © Shravan Singh

Fur is being banned in many countries. Fashion may be a vanity affair but celebrities too are vouching for saving animals. Poaching extinct species like chinkara, elephants and other jungle animals is a strict offense. Hunting of exotic animals is another fad which is illegal and there are stringent rules to check for such offense. The government in all countries is setting up huge expanse of lands as national parks and the management is exclusively looking for protecting wild animals.

Animals like the Bengal white tiger, the Golden toad, the Great Auk which was a type of penguin and the Caspian tiger is no more present. There are several species of the bovine and equine variety which is slowly reaching the state of being rare. Another problem is that of availability of water and vegetation that is the result of lumbering or human intervention. Donations and funding is also looked through charity shows and other celebrity show casing to finance wildlife conservation.

There are several subspecies that are getting endangered primarily because of weather fluctuations that is hampering their adaptability or threat to their habitat due to human invasion. Bird sanctuaries are also coming into government purview so that they are well taken care of. Natural cross breeding in case of camels and the double humped camel is another reason which has to be controlled as genetic hybridization hampers the original structure.

Awareness is getting wider with schools also including the need for wild life and plant conservation so that the ecological pollution caused by humans can be controlled. Respecting life is important to maintain the balance of all species in the world. There is a greater need to control hunting and use of fur. It is important to avoid cutting down of trees which is rapid to accommodate industrialization and human dwellings. Several animals are now seen in picture books under the heading of extinct varieties and this can be greatly controlled by human efforts.