Life with Dylan

Category: endangered species

  • Endangered Species Monday – Giant Panda

    The giant panda is probably the most universally known symbol for conservation.

    Once widespread through southern and eastern China, the giant pandas current range is a limited area of northwestern China. Poaching for skin and body parts, along with the loss of the giant pandas habitat (bamboo harvesting and human development) are the two main factors that are keeping the Giant Panda on the endangered species list. Despite the many efforts made by China and successful panda breeding centers like the San Diego Zoo, the future of giant pandas is uncertain. While the numbers are thought to be increasing, there is still work to be done to save these beautiful animals.

    For more information about the giant pandas, what is being done to save them, and what you can do to help visit the WWF website worldwildlife.org/species/giant-panda

  • Happy World Rhino Day!

    Touch a rhino. Look into a rhinos eyes. Talk to a rhino and have them respond to you.

    Do this and I promise you will fight for them too.

    Today is the 3rd Annual World Rhino Day – create some awareness and remember – Rhino horn is NOT medicine, it’s keratin just like your fingernails.

    Some rhino population stats for you:

    • Javan rhino – fewer than 50
    • Vietnamese Javan rhino (extinct 2010)
    • Sumatran rhino – fewer than 200
    • Borneo rhino – perhaps 30
    • Greater one-horned rhino – 2,949
    • Black rhino – 4,860
    • Southern White rhino – 20,600
    • Northern White rhino – 7 (these will be extinct within the next 20 years)
    For more inforamtion on what is being done to stop the killing of rhinos visit SavingRhinos.org and YaoMingBlog.com 

    *Statistics taken from SavingRhinos.org

  • Endangered Species Monday – What is the IUCN?

    Since starting the weekly posts Endangered Species Monday, I have had some people ask me what the IUCN is and exactly what they do? So today, rather than feature another endangered species, I am going to give you a little background on the IUCN and how endangered species are classified.

    IUCN stands for International Union for Conservation of Nature, which is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization.

    Many people have heard of the IUCN Red List, but not all know the depth of it – including myself. What I do know is being that being high up on the Red List is not a good thing.

    Under the Endangered Species Act, an animal classified as endangered receives more protection than one classified as threatened. The IUCN breaks the classifications down into 7 categories and rates the level of threat based on certain criteria.

    • Extinct
    • Extinct in the wild (only captive individuals survive)
    • Critically endangered (almost certain risk of extinction in the immediate future)
    • Endangered (faces a very high risk of extinction in the near future)
    • Vulnerable (faces a high risk of extinction in the future)
    • Near threatened (could be considered threatened in the near future)
    • Least concern (no immediate threat to the survival of the species)
    Plants and animals are listed by the IUCN and what many people don’t understand is that every living creature, both plant and animal, have a very specific place in the ecosystem. If a plant becomes extinct and it is the main food source for an animal, then that animal will most likely become extinct too. 
    Once a species is classified as endangered, certain laws and restrictions can be put into place to help save them and hopefully remove them from the endangered status. Unfortunately, for some species this puts a higher price on the animal for hunters and they quickly move up to critically endangered. When this happens, I am thankful for organizations who work together to help bring species back from the brink of extinction.

  • Endangered Species Monday: Black Rhinoceros

    Sticking with the theme of rhinos this month, today’s featured endangered species is the Black Rhinoceros. As one of the five remaining rhino species, the black rhino is one of three classified as critically endangered by the IUCN.

    According to the International Rhino Foundation, the black rhino (Diceros bicornis) has suffered from the most drastic decline in total numbers of all rhino species. The poaching epidemic ran rampant from 1970 to 1992 and the species decreased by 96% – from 65,000 down to 2,300 in the wild – that is a huge amount of rhinos killed.

    Illegal hunting and poaching of the black rhino for its horn have devastated the population over the last three decades. Its range has been reduced to scattered pockets in remote areas and reserves that are patrolled. In areas where poaching is common and not easily controlled, game wardens with the help of organizations like WWF will tranquilize the animals before moving them to sanctuaries. Dehorning the rhinos in some regions has helped to protect them from poachers, but there are mixed feelings about this form of conservation.




    Did you know?

    • The black rhino can’t see objects in detail beyond a range of about 100 feet.
    • The rhino’s horn is used in Asia as a medicinal ingredient and ounce for ounce costs more than gold.
    • The black rhinos prehensile upper lip helps it to grasp and eat vegetation
    • Black rhinos live 30-35 years in the wild, but 45 years or more in captivity. 
    • In 2011 the Western Black Rhino subspecies was declared extinct. 
    • The Black Rhino has two horns made of compressed keratin – basically hair and fingernail material. (Not medicine)

    To date there are approximately 4,800 black rhinos left in the world. Thanks to conservation efforts the species is slowly coming back from the brink of extinction, but the black rhino is not out of the woods yet. Stand up for rhinos on September 22 – World Rhino Day – and spread the word that rhino horn is not medicine.

    Find out what you can do to help save the black rhino by visiting these websites.

    WWF
    International Rhino Foundation
    Saving Rhinos

  • Endangered Species Monday – Northern White Rhino

    For some September means back-to-school and the hopes of a new fall wardrobe. For me, September means something a little different. It means a month filled with creating awareness and celebrating the beautiful rhino on World Rhino Day, September 22.

    This year marks the Third Annual World Rhino Day. In 2010 the WWF-South Africa announced World Rhino Day and the following year it became an international success with the joint effort of Lisa Jane Campbell of Chishawke Ranch in Zimbabwe and Rhishja Cota-Larson of Saving Rhinos is the United States. Encompassing both African and Asian rhino species, World Rhino Day both celebrates the beautiful rhino and educates people about the myths of rhino horn. Rhino horn is not medicine.

    Each Monday I will  be featuring a different endangered species and what better way to start this new weekly post series than with the rhino. Sadly, the Northern White Rhino is all but gone.

    Nola resting at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park – May 2012

    With only seven left in the world, two (Nola and Angilfu) at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, one (Nabire) at the Dvůr Králové Zoo, and four (Sudan, Suni, Najin, and Fatu) living at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya where they are protected from poachers, this subspecies is tragically coming to an end.

    Javan Rhino – Sumatran Rhino – Greater One-Horned Rhino – Black Rhino – White Rhino
    5 Rhino Species Forever


    For more information about World Rhino Day events in your area visit WorldRhinoDay.org and to get the latest news, information, and educational content about rhinos visit SavingRhinos.org

    Photo credit: World Rhino Day poster image is courtesy of Saving Rhinos LLC

  • Utan’s legacy lives on at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park

    It is no secret that I love animals and that I will do whatever I can to bring awareness to the plight of endangered species. I learn as much as I can about the animals who live at the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park – and when my son and I visit them, we call them by name. These are not pets, they are wild animals. However, for those of us who love them as if they were our family pets, losing one is not easy. Especially when the one lost is a critically endangered species.

    We cry and we mourn the loss – and if we are lucky, we celebrate the legacy that was left behind.

    Last month, the Safari Park lost a very special friend named Utan. He was a beautiful Sumatran tiger who fathered 4 liters, totaling 10 cubs, together with Delta.

    Two of Utan’s cubs – Majel pouncing on Joanne when they were only 3 months old.
    Photo courtesy of San Diego Zoo Safari Park – Jan. 28, 2011

    Utan was born on July 12, 1990 (Dylan loved the fact that Utan’s birthday was one day before his). Wild tigers will live about 10 to 15 years, while tigers living in zoos live about 15 to 20 years. Utan lived for 22 years. Tigers in zoos live longer because they have excellent veterinary care, no predators, and no humans trying to hunt them illegally. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park does amazing work with the breeding of endangered species and educating people about the importance of conservation. Utan and his cubs are proof of that.

    According to the staff at  the Safari Park, “Utan suffered from renal disease. He was treated by veterinarians and keepers to extend his life, but ultimately renal disease severely affected his quality of life. Renal disease is common in many species of cats and is a disease that generally affects older animals. Until his death, Utan did have the opportunity to explore the tiger exhibit on a rotation schedule. Some days it was him, others it was Majel and Joanne, and other days it was Delta.”

    Delta with Conrad (on top of her) and Thomas by her feet.
    Photo courtesy of San Diego Zoo Safari Park – June 26, 2012

    As difficult as it is to write this, I can only hope that Utan’s passing will encourage more people to spread the news about how much these tigers need our help.

    A recent news release from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park stated that there are fewer than 350 Sumatran tigers in the wild, and that number continues to drop. Scientists estimate that this species could be extinct in its native Sumatra by 2020 unless drastic measures are taken to protect and preserve it. Tigers face many challenges in the wild, from loss of habitat to human-tiger conflict, but the biggest threat continues to be poaching. Tigers are killed by poachers, who illegally sell tiger body parts, mostly for folk remedies. People can help protect wild tigers by making smart consumer decisions to avoid products that harm tiger habitat and refusing to purchase items made from endangered wildlife.

    To learn more about what the tigers are facing, read my post I have a new found love for tigers. You can also help Utan’s legacy by supporting San Diego Zoo Global at TigerMatch.org We may have lost one, but that doesn’t mean we have to lose any more.

    Remember, Extinction is forever … Endangered means we still have time.

    So as the tears roll down my face, I will say my last good-bye.

    Utan, you will be missed. I will continue to fight for your family and create awareness in others. Even if I can only reach one person, that is ok, because one person can make a difference. Just look how much of a difference you made – 10 beautiful cubs that will carry on your legacy.
    Good-bye Utan.

  • Daydreaming of a world without habitat destruction

    Gorillas have no natural predators. They are endangered because of humans hunting them for food and destroying the rain forests that the gorillas call home.

  • Always more to learn about helping endangered species

    One of my favorite places to learn more about helping endangered species is the public library. I started taking Dylan to the library when he was just a toddler and he always went right to the animal books. As he has grown, his love for animals continued to grow too and now the library is a place we visit on a regular basis.

    Sure, there is plenty of information at my fingertips on the internet, but I love the way a library smells. The books that line the shelves for as far as the eye can see and the quiet atmosphere.

    The more I read about helping endangered species, the more I want to learn. A friend once told my son, never stop learning. Keep learning more and you will be one step ahead of the others. This advice was given in a conversation about going to college and becoming a zookeeper, but it can be applied to almost anything.

    Whether you want to learn more about your job, your hobby, or just go sit someplace quiet – the public library is the perfect spot. Sometimes just sitting there I can feel the knowledge calling to me. Sounds weird I know, but it’s true. Sometimes just walking up and down the rows of books and looking at the subjects will spark a new interest.

    Our last visit to the library was right after a visit to the San Diego Zoo. On this visit, Dylan had spent almost an hour talking with one of the volunteers at the orangutan exhibit. He wanted to learn more about the New World and Old World monkeys, so that is what he did. He pulled books on chimps, orangutans, and gorillas. Learning all he can about the animals and soaking up the data like a sponge soaks up water.

    He has also recently taken an interest in photography, so he checked out a book on photography.

    I may be too old to start a new career as a zookeeper, but I can always learn more about helping endangered species. The more I learn, the more I can help and the more I can share with my readers. These are the books that I chose to take home.

    As Rick Schwartz says, “Always explore, Always learn more”

    What do you want to learn more about?

    When was the last time you visited the public library?

  • In less than 5 minutes you can help save a rhino

    Do you want to help save a rhino? What would you say if I told you that just by voting on some pictures, taking only a few minutes of your time, you could help save a rhino? 


    The 2013 IRKA/IRF Rhino Photo Contest had 104 contestants this year – and I was one of them! The 12 photos with most votes will be featured in the 2013 Rhino Conservation Calendar. 


    Beautiful pictures are what makes a calendar special and I would be honored to have my photograph included in this calendar. The more calendars sold means more awareness for the endangered rhinos and more money to help keep them alive. 


    The funds raised from the sale of the calendar will go to the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (Yayasan Badak Indonesia or YABI).

    Because so many rhinos are being killed by poachers, we need sanctuaries like YABI to protect and breed the rhinos before more species become extinct. YABI is where Ratu, one of the three adult female rhinos at Indonesia’s Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, gave birth to a 60-lb male calf, named Andatu. Not only was this Ratu’s first baby, but it was the first Sumatran rhino ever born in captivity in Indonesia and only the fifth ever born in captivity worldwide. For more information on the rhino conservation program at YABI, visit the International Rhino Foundation website.


    I am not asking for anything but your time, so if you can spare 5 minutes to help save a rhino I would really appreciate it. Here are the details you need to know.

    1. Voting will be from Aug.6th-20th 
    2. ANYONE can vote, so please pass this along to your friends and family. 
    3. You can only vote once and the photos are “anonymous” to prevent any bias. 
    4. You may only choose a photo once and you must choose 9 photos in total for your vote to count.
    5. The 12 photos that receive the highest amount of votes will be featured in the 2013 Rhino Conservation Calendar and the photographer will receive credit.
    6. Photo winners will be announced September 1st! 
    Please click the Survey Monkey link below and vote for your favorite 9 rhino photos!

    www.surveymonkey.com/s/2013RhinoConservationCalendar 

    Oh, and I happen to really like photo #18 (wink ,wink)

    If you would like to learn more about the endangered rhino and what is being done to save the rhinos around the world, check out IRKA, International Rhino Foundation, and World Rhino Day.

  • 6 Ways you can support Global Tiger Day

    This Sunday is Global Tiger Day – a day of celebration for one of the world’s most beautiful cats.
    A day created to raise awareness for the tigers and for people around the world to support the conservation efforts being made to save the tigers.

    Christopher, a Malayan tiger at the San Diego Zoo

    As I have said before, one person can make a difference. Here are a few ways that you can help support Global Tiger Day and raise awareness for the tigers.

    Most importantly, spread the word and create awareness!


    Share what you will doing to celebrate and support Global Tiger Day in the comments below.