It’s been almost 10 years since the UN declared every March
3rd to be World Wildlife Day. The official
site describes this as an “International day to celebrate all the
world's wild animals and plants and the contribution that they make to our
lives and the health of the planet.”
So, let’s get to it! Here are ten excellent reasons to
celebrate World Wildlife Day.
These are some of the largest of the whale species. They eat up to 2500
pounds of food a day. That’s the equivalent of eating almost two farm cows a
day. Moms and babies have such a sweet bond. They stay together for up to a
year after birth and sometimes Mom even rolls over to cuddle her calf with her
flippers. Ever seen whales hugging before?
Talking gorillas? Koko the gorilla (who was not a Mountain Gorilla) made
headlines by learning basic American Sign Language and using it to communicate
with humans. However, researchers have observed that gorillas seem to have a
language of their own that they use to communicate with each other when left to
themselves in the wild. It’s a combination of distinct gestures and sixteen
types of call.
Amazing
Bees
A single bee colony can produce anywhere from 4.5 to 91 kgs (10
to 200 pounds) of honey a year. This is pretty amazing considering that one of those
jars you buy in the grocery store provides you with only about 1 kg (2 pounds)
of honey at a time. By the way, did you know that queen bees have been known to
live for as long as thirty years?
They may not be particularly pretty themselves, but they sure keep the Grand
Canyon looking gorgeous. California Condors keep the natural world clean by
eating up the carcasses of dead animals. They reduce the odor and the risks of
decay for all the wildlife.
This beast is the largest freshwater fish in the world at up to 3 m (10
feet) long and 300kg (660 pounds)! Now that’s a fish! It lives in the Mekong
River of Asia, and travels long distances to spawn each year. Unfortunately, it
hasn’t been possible to do much research on this fish, and so it’s life and
habits are still a bit of a mystery.
Did you know there are about 5000 known species of frog? They are one of
Mother Nature’s best buddies in that they eat billions of insects every year
and keep our planet from becoming a buzzing, stinging mess. They have a
romantic side. They will share food and do dances with their mates to woo them into
bringing forth a bouncing baby tadpole.
These are some of the most famous water mammals on the planet. Everyone
loves a playful, flipping, squealing dolphin, right? They are known to perform
some pretty amazing things, such as protecting people from sharks and comforting
people with all kinds of challenges. Hector’s Dolphins are the smallest known
species and they live in the waters of New Zealand.
If you’ve ever picked up a book about North American wildlife, then you’ve
heard of the ancient sequoia and been amazed. This is one of the oldest trees
on the earth with an age span of more than 3000 years. They’re also incredibly
large at up to 83 m (275 feet)! To put that in perspective, that’s roughly the height
of a 25-story building.
It’s pretty natural for a lot of people to scream and run at the sight of
one of these long, slithery creatures, but in the end, they serve a definite
purpose in Mother Nature’s scheme. The St. Lucia Racer, a native of St. Lucia
Island in the Caribbean is a non-venomous four-footer with a taste for lizards.
The result is, it keeps the lizard population in check.
Best Reason of All
The best and most glaring reason to celebrate World Wildlife Day is quite
simple. Because if we don’t start noticing, we’ll lose all of the above and
more. Everyone of the creatures listed above are critically endangered or
endangered.
Consider the following not-so-fun facts that I didn’t
mention about the above animals.
North Atlantic Right Whales: Fewer than 440 individuals left.
Mountain Gorilla: About 600 individuals left.
Bees: Population declines of up to 89%.
California Condor: About 440 individuals left.
Mekong Giant Catfish: Population decline of 90% in
the last decade.
Loa Water Frog: Fewer than 20 individuals left.
Hector’s Dolphin: About 55 individuals left.
Sequoia Redwood: Population decline of 95% since logging
started in the 1850s.
St. Lucia Racer Snakes: About 18 individuals left.
A little sobering, isn’t it? The causes for these declines
are complicated. No one can accept all the blame. They range from forest fires
and climate change, to pollution and habitat loss.
The good news is a tremendous number of people and
organizations are working hard to try and fix the mess we’ve gotten ourselves
into. And you can join them.
And a million ideas for how to
do this are just a quick click away.
Happy World Wildlife Day!
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