African Migration ~ Wrap Up ~ Part 1

As the last post of the African Migration theme, I thought it would be nice if I gave you a briefing and some advice on African Migration safaris, in case you ever want to visit there and witness the spectacular even in person (I did the same with the previous Australian Outback theme. View my previous Outback wrap up post here) I will be splitting this post into two parts, because there is a lot that I want to share with you! Part 2 will most likely come out later this week. I am setting the deadline for before Friday!

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Let's start with timing. The African Migration is actually pretty tricky to follow if you don't know where the animals are in each month. Because they follow the rains, the wildebeest and zebra won't be staying in the same spot the whole entire year. Below is a brief summary of where the animals are in each month and what is worth viewing:

January
Place: Tanzania Serengeti, heading south
Event: Many calves and babies are being born during this time of year. Unfortunately, this also means that predators are constantly lurking around to chow down on the weaker calves. If you want to witness the circle of life, be prepared to witness the beginning and end.

Courtesy: Thomson Safaris

February
Place: Southern Serengeti, Ndutu, Ngorongoro conservation area
Event: Grazing. Nothing extremely spectacular at this point, but if you want to see the peace and calm, now would be a good time.

March
Place: Southern Serengeti, Ndutu, Ngorongoro conservation area
Event: Almost all the grass have been grazed, all the calves have been born. The herds of zebra and wildebeest that were spread out before are starting to group up again, and prepare for their long journey ahead.

Courtesy: Dailymail UK

April
Place: Southern Serengeti, Central Serengeti, West Serengeti
Event: The herds are starting to make their way north. Depending on how fast they are, some herds might already be in the central Serengeti or the west. Go2Africa suggests that you stay in the southern Serengeti plains at this time still.

May
Place: Central and Western Serengeti
Event: Lots and lots of moving! The wildebeest and zebra are constantly on the go. It is even more of a fantastic sight when all of them run together, looking like a huge funnel.

Courtesy: Africa Geographic

June
Place: Central and Western Serengeti
Event: The herds are still moving north, similar to what happens in May. Next month, they'll be crossing the rivers!

July
Place: Western Serengeti and Grumeti Reserves
Event: ALERT! ALERT! This is no doubt the most exciting event of the whole entire Migration--the herds are crossing the rivers! During this month the Migration is packed with action and it gets very intense. Crossing a river isn't that hard, but crossing a river with 5-meter-long crocodiles? Yep, that's just a teeny bit harder. A teeny bit.

Courtesy: Ultimate Africa Safaris

August
Place: Northern Serengeti, Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya** you need a passport to get in
Event: The remaining survivors of the previous month's ordeal start heading back into Kenya. No doubt the newborn are a bit shaky from the crocodiles. I wonder if they have nightmares about them.

September
Place: Northern Serengeti, Masai Mara
Event: The large herds that were traveling together are starting to split up in smaller groups, and are starting to settle down. According to Go2Africa, half of the animals will stay here.

October
Place: Masai Mara
Event: There isn't much going on, although any activity can entertain us. The herds are grazing and having a great time in the Masai Mara area.

November
Place: Back toward Serengeti (leaving Masai Mara)
Event: It has started raining toward the Serengeti, so the wildebeest and zebra (and all other animals that migrate in the Migration) lose interest in the almost completely grazed Masai and start heading back to the Serengeti.

Courtesy: Ultimate Africa Safaris

December
Place: North-eastern Serengeti, Lobo, Southern Serengeti
Event: This is really interesting. It's mating season, and more babies are made. Calves start being born. So what does that mean? The lions and predators start moving in. As Go2Africa puts it, "the wildebeest get hammered. Again."

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I hope Part 1 of this Wrap Up post helped give you a clear idea of where and what the animals are doing during each month of the Migration. In Part 2, I will give you tips on where to stay during each period of the Migration and what to keep an eye out for. 

At the end of the next post I will also share with you all a great way to help endangered species (like the Giant Panda...!) without having to pool too much (or any) of your own money. Make sure to stay tuned for the next post if you want to know how you can help! 

I'll see you next time!

~Cheri

Sources:

http://www.go2africa.com/africa-travel-blog/11704/how-the-wildebeest-migration-works

ENDANGERED SPECIES SPECIAL ~ RIP Nola

Rather than posting on a regular African Migration-themed animal this week, I would like to write a special post about a much more serious matter.

Unfortunately, this morning, Nola the Northern White Rhino at San Diego Zoo died at the age of 41. She was one of the last remaining Northern White Rhinos of this world. There were 4, and now there are only 3. Only one of them is male, and all of them are of great age.

Courtesy: YouTube (uploaded by ABC 10 News)

Rhino poaching has taken the toll of countless rhinos, and threatens to push the Northern White Rhinos to extinction. Their rhino horns are illegally poached, which some claim to be able to cure diseases and illnesses. Wildlife conservation programs around the world are trying to help bring back these species, one of which includes the San Diego Global Wildlife Conservancy (EndExtinction).

According to San Diego Zoo Safari Park's Instagram post earlier this morning, "Nola, who lived here since 1989, was under veterinary care for a bacterial infection, as well as age related health issues. In the last 24 hours, Nola's condition worsened and the animal care team made the difficult decision to euthanize here. We're absolutely devastated by this loss, but resolved to fight even harder to #EndExtinction." 

Over the past 8 years rhino poaching has worsened drastically, peaking in 2014 with a total of 1215 rhinos killed (in comparison to 13 in 2007). Thankfully, due to conservation efforts, the numbers were brought back down to 749 this year.

Chart created by me on Excel
Stats are from SaveTheRhino

Chart created by me on Excel
Stats are from SaveTheRhino

Hopefully we can decrease these numbers even more with some little more help.....from YOU! Yes, you can help! You can choose to donate money to wildlife conservation organizations like San Diego Zoo's EndExtinction program <<here>>. If you would like to try a money-free approach, please share the news of Nola's death and the plight of Northern White Rhinos on social media with #Nola4Ever and #EndExtinction. 

Fortunately, the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy has a plan to help the Northern White Rhinos. They are planning to use something similar to a surrogate pregnancy and have a Southern White Rhino carry the baby until birth (because none of the Northern White Rhinos are capable of bearing the weight of a baby rhino currently). To find out more, watch the video below and visit EndExtinction to learn about the Northern White Rhino's dark story. 

Courtesy: YouTube (uploaded by San Diego Zoo Safari Park)

I think we are all mourning right now of Nola's death. Although it may seem very difficult to bring back this species when there are only 3 left on this planet, remember: Their plight is on us, and we must try to make things right. Anything is possible, and we must not lose hope.

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I hope you have learned a lot about the Northern White Rhinos in this post. 

#Nola4Ever #EndExtinction

Long live Nola and the Northern White Rhinos!

~Cheri

Sources:

http://www.10news.com/news/critically-endangered-white-rhino-dies-at-san-diego-zoo-safari-park-112215

https://www.savetherhino.org/rhino_info/poaching_statistics

https://endextinction.exposure.co/the-heartless-darkness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5SZHr3a1oc

The Animal That Can Laugh

Courtesy: Youtube, Waldemar Neto Lobo Melo do Carmo

If you've watched the Lion King or have seen pictures of this animal, you probably know what type of animal is cackling and fighting in the video clip above. That's right--the hyena! Hyenas are famous for their laughing sound they make, and are also a common scavenger found across the continent of Africa (meaning, inevitably, they also hunt animals and scavenge leftover carcasses from the Great Migration) To put in a more relatable (and harsher) way, I guess you can call them the janitors of the Migration. Except they don't mop floors. :) Today, I will be talking about the most common and well known subspecies: the spotted hyena.

Spotted Hyena

Courtesy: National Geographic

Classification: Mammal
Size: 44-73 in / 111-186 cm
Weight: 110-190 lb / 50-86 kg
Diet: Omnivore (plants & animals)~ Scavenger
Lifespan: 25 years
Appearance: Brown-beige color, rounded ears pointed at the top, dark brown spots over torso, shorter black muzzle
Status: 
Least of concern, but be careful! Infamous for killing livestock, hyenas are commonly killed by us when they come into human contact
Fun Fact: Although hyenas look like dogs, they are actually more closely related to cats!

Spotted hyenas are the largest among the other hyena subspecies (striped and brown). They are also the most common, and often reside in the overpopulated areas of Africa, near the Sahara, or generally near the south. They like to dine on leftovers of prey from larger animals, and sometimes even the carcasses the Maasai village people leave out for them. Hyenas are also often perceived as sneaky predators that are known to kill farmers' livestock and raid harvested crops. Occasionally they will attack humans if they feel threatened.

Despite their nasty reputation, hyenas are extremely smart as a hunter. Together, a group of hyenas is called a clan. When a clan decides to go out and hunt for their prey (because hyenas have to compete with jackals and vultures when they scavenge), they always have a clever plan. Often they send one hyena to run into a herd of animals (gazelle, wildebeest, etc.) to cause confusion (making the herd scatter), and then the rest of the pack will chase down the weaker animals. Smart, right? Occasionally, they will also sneak in on some lions' snack, which I imagine won't make the lions very happy (more on this later). But for the most part, hyenas prefer to be scavengers.

Courtesy: "Hyenas at stolen impala kill" by I, JerryFriedman (Wikipedia)

Hyenas also have great hearing and eyesight, which especially benefits them at night as they are nocturnal. Yet another example of their cleverness is that hyenas don't often live in "dens" or burrows; they temporarily rest under shallow pool overhangs or bushes that will hide them from the sun during the day. Call that a free home!

Did you know that hyenas also have archenemies? It's the lions. Hyenas don't like lions, and lions don't like hyenas. Both animals will steal each other's food: sometimes a hyena clan's meal will be stolen by some lions, or sometimes vice versa. Both species also are very defensive of their territories (so when they overlap, I'm sure it isn't very pretty). When a fight occurs, hyenas will call out to the rest of its clan for reinforcements (but most of the times the hyena gets hurt, or worse, killed)

Courtesy: "Panthera Ieo and Crocuta Crocuta" by lubye13 (Wikipedia)

On a happier note, hyenas are not picky eaters. They can (and probably will) eat almost anything! They could completely eat up a bone if they wanted to! Often, hyenas will eat up every part of the animal they hunted down. This is because they have extremely strong and powerful jaw bones.

A hyena's clan is extremely complicated. They live under a "matriarchal society," when a dominant female is the leader. In fact, all females in a hyena clan hold a higher ranking than males. That means that a relatively low-ranked female's cubs could hold a higher rank than a male! That's something I'm sure the ladies would like to hear. 

The last thing I will cover in this post about hyenas is their vocalizations. If you didn't know already, scientists and researchers have recorded 11 different sounds that hyenas can communicate with! That makes them the most vocal animals of Africa, according to San Diego Zoo Animals' "Spotted Hyena." Some of these sounds include their laughing sound, which is used typically when they submit to a more dominant hyena or when they are anxious, nervous, or under stress. Their loud "whooping" sound is used to call out to other clan members or search for their cubs. Squealing sounds are used when they meet and greet each other. These are only a small number of sounds they can make!

Courtesy: "Hyena Standoff" by Maureen Lunn (Wikipedia)

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The next time you see a hyena, whether at the zoo or in the wild, don't think too lightly of these animals--they are very smart, and chances are you've underestimated their strength and ability to survive by a whole lot. Currently, spotted hyenas aren't in too much danger (conservation-wise) but we should still be careful. Droughts are slowly decreasing hyenas' and other animals' food supply. Farmers or villagers in Africa will often shoot and kill these animals to protect their livestock/crops (which there is nothing wrong with that!) but we shouldn't pick up and aim our gun unless we are absolutely sure our livestock/crops/our own life is in danger. Hyenas are actually very smart and interesting creatures which help clean up after other animals and help maintain the African Migration population in balance. 

Here is a video of just how smart and amazing hyenas can be:

"Why Do Hyenas Laugh?"

Source: YouTube, Smithsonian Channel

I hope you enjoyed this post! Next week I will cover the gazelle, and the two or three weeks after that will be the wrap-up posts for the African Migration theme (including great areas to see these animals, Migration vacation tips, a quick overview of what I've covered, and other interesting facts or information on the Migration). 

See you next time!

~Cheri

Sources:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/hyena/

http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/spotted-hyena

The Tallest Animals on Earth

~I wonder why I didn't think of this animal before now!~

What is yellow-brown, has spots, and an EXTREMELY long neck? This should be easy: the giraffe! Although the giraffe is probably not usually the first animal you think of when I say "African Migration," let me give you some news--they are still part of it! Giraffe just don't run around as much as zebras and wildebeests, since they wander around in groups on grasslands, so I guess we don't automatically make the connection between them and the Migration. But they are still a prey species of the African Migration (because the Migration occurs year-round, or in other words, ALWAYS). Have fun refreshing your giraffe knowledge!

Giraffe

Classification: Mammal
Size: 14-19 ft / 4-6 m
Weight: 1750-2800 lb / 794-1270 kg
Diet: Herbivore
Lifespan: 25 years in the wild
Appearance: tan color body; brown patches; extremely long neck and legs.
Status: (numbers decreasing)
They are still rather stable, but we need to watch out. There food supply and homes are being lost due to human settlement and cleared land for agricultural uses.


Where should I start? I think I'll start from the bottom and work my way up. Giraffe's legs are very long, sometimes reaching up to 6 feet tall, so unless you're a relatively tall person, I doubt your head will go any higher its hips (or hindquarters). Here's a picture that gives you an idea of the size of a giraffe relative to a 6-ft tall man:

Courtesy: National Geographic

These long legs serve an important purpose: to run. A giraffe's long legs can help it "sprint" up to around 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers) according to National Geographic. Running at an easygoing pace, they can "jog" comfortably at around 10 kilometers for quite a long time. Wow. I wish I could do that...

Now let's talk about their necks. I think everyone knows the main purpose of their long neck, right? For eating leaves! Because their long neck makes them so tall, they are able to reach into the high and deep branches of trees to pick out the juiciest leaves in the tree. And like humans, giraffe have favorite dishes as well; they love acacia. Also, due to their height, giraffe can see from a long distance, which helps them keep a lookout for predators and possible signs of danger.

Courtesy: National Geographic

The giraffe also has an extremely long tongue. It can reach up to 21 inches long! (That's 53 centimeters). What's that for? Well, after they reach high up into the branches with their neck, they reach even deeper into the leaves and stick out their tongue to look for the juiciest one. Then they pluck it out with their tongue and gobble it up.

Courtesy: Giraffe Boards
I don't know if a giraffe prefers to clean their ears like this,
but they definitely could if they wanted to!

If you take a really close look, you can see that all giraffe have little horn-like structures on the top of their head. They are actually called "ossicones," because they are made of ossified cartilage. Giraffe are born with ossicones detached from their head, and it fuses with their skull when they get older. Female giraffe have ossicones with little black tufts at the top, while the ossicones of males are balded, usually due to fights with other males (wacking each other on the neck with their head hurts...but with the horns I bet it hurts even more!) 

Despite all the perks giraffe have of being tall, long-legged, and "long-necked," there is one big disadvantage. Because of their long legs and tall overall height, it is extremely risky and dangerous for a giraffe to drink water or bend down at all. In order to do so, they have to spread their legs out (especially front legs) extremely wide so they can drink from a water hole while standing. If they fall over, their chances of standing up in a short a mount of time is pretty slim. So if a giraffe falls when they are being chased by a predator, then they are in really bad luck. 

Giraffe Fights

Yes, giraffe fight. Giraffe will fight for territory and possible mates. However, they are almost never fatal. Usually, after extensive neck wacking and long-legged wobbly dances, one giraffe will submit and walk away. In some cases, giraffe will fall over, but unless they are about to die or have very short time, they will just manage to get up and walk away. The winner of a giraffe fight is usually the younger giraffe, since they have less experience and are not as "bulked up" yet. 

Here is a video of a giraffe fight, probably the most violent a fight will ever get:

From Youtube, ABC News

Here is the link to the original video on Discovery of the giraffe fight

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I hope you liked this post on facts about the giraffe! My biggest hope is to educate and let everyone know how amazing and beautiful our planet's wildlife is, so we can all realize that killing these animals is wrong. 

I'm going to start wrapping up the African Migration in a couple of weeks. Because this topic got dragged on for so long, I probably missed some animals that you were expecting me to cover. Since I'm not exactly sure what the next theme will be yet, I can still take suggestions on what animals to do. Currently, my plan is to cover hyenas next week (10/31~11/1) and gazelles the week after that (11/7~11/8). If you want me to make a post on another animal, feel free to email me at weforwildlife.c@gmail.com with your suggestions, and I add it onto my list of animals to post on (if possible).  I hope to see you all in next week's post about hyenas!

Thank you for reading,

~Cheri

Sources:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/giraffe/

http://www.giraffeconservation.org/giraffe_facts.php?pgid=1

The Illegal Ivory Trade: Part 2~The Ivory Trade

Merriam-Webster defines ivory as "(n.) a hard white substance that forms the tusks of elephants and other animals." How do you use this product? Sculptures in your backyard? An expensive piano? An antique chess set? Jewelry, perhaps? No matter what the uses are, human demand for ivory has devastated the elephant population. Here is a quick timeline summary of how all this happened in just a couple hundred years (and how drastically it has worsened in the past century)

17th Century
Demand for ivory began as early as the 1600s. Back then, ivory was used for sculptures and other luxury items. When the piano was invented in the 1700s, ivory then became a popular material for piano keys. This is when the population of elephants started to decline unnaturally.

Ivory piano keys
Courtesy: Early American Industries Association

Mid 1900s
Fast forward to around the 1950s. More ivory is used for luxury items but the sport of elephant hunting became popular around this time, too. Imagine hunters with rifles or arrows (or whatever weapon they preferred), spreading out across Africa and shooting elephants, removing the tusks, then leaving the carcasses where they were. Pretty scary, right?

Have you guys seen the Jurassic World movie? If you have, recall the scene where brachiosaurus or apatosaurus (the long neck dinosaurs) lay dying on the hills. Owen had said the Indominus Rex was "killing for sport." This is similar to what was happening back then.

"She's killing for sport" -Owen, Jurassic World
Courtesy: The Wrap (covering Hollywood)

1978
The African Elephant is officially declared as "threatened" on the U.S. Endangered Species List.

African Elephant
Courtesy: (Foreign) Wikipedia

Late 1900s
A drastic drop in elephant population. According to IFAW, their numbers went from 1.2 million down to 600,000. All in a span of about 10 years.

Elephant Population stats from 2005 (could not find 1900s, sorry!)
Courtesy: Speak Up For The Voiceless

1989
The Conference on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) bans the trade of ivory.
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/17/science/ivory-trade-is-banned-to-save-the-elephant.html
Here is a link to a real New York Times article published in 1989 describing the ban.

1999
CITES gave permission for 3 countries in Africa to sell to Japan 55 tons of ivory. (Wondered why though....)

Early 2000s (around 2008 or so)
CITES let 4 more countries sell a whopping 120 tons to China and Japan! With so many "legal" ivory being sold, many illegal trades started (because they could get away with saying their ivory was "legal")

2011
Officials seize more than 26 tons of ivory (according to IFAW). Elephants are having an EXTREMELY bad year. "Worst year for elephant poaching since the 1989 ban took effect"(IFAW).

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So now you know how bad the elephants have it. From an article which I read a few years ago, I remember that there was a law (or something similar) passed saying that we could NOT sell ivory from after an auction in the mid 1900s (I'm not 100% sure about what happened to this law later, though). However, this caused controversy because many people were claiming their ivory was from before the auction, even if they were not. This further encouraged elephant poaching. (If you like science, I can tell you that was when radioactive dating became really useful in helping illegal ivory trade. And no, not that dating, but the "estimating age of rock or ivory" dating)

The saddest part is that just 200 years ago there were around 26 million elephants--now there are less than a million. If we do not stop, elephants WILL go to extinction. And we will have to live in this world without those majestic, beautiful, amazing creatures. 

Don't worry, it's not completely hopeless. Elephant numbers have now started gradually rising thanks to repeated encouragement on wildlife conservation and discouraging elephant poaching. They are now labeled as "vulnerable." We're making progress, and let's not stop making progress! Let's hope that in the next few years or decades, we can bring their population back up to a !  

Courtesy: World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Now that you know about the unfortunate history of the African elephants of the Great Migration, I will resume my normal formatting for the next post. However, since I am having trouble posting on Wednesdays, I have decided to move my posting days to the weekend. I've decided I'm going to try that for a few weeks, and see if it works out. So from now on, please expect posts on weekends instead of Wednesdays.

Cheers!

~Cheri

Sources:

http://www.ifaw.org/sites/default/files/education-publications/us/us-aae-tfk-ivory-history-worksheet.pdf

Picture sources are linked in the captions

The Illegal Ivory Trade: Part I~Elephants

Hello everyone! Sorry it took me so long to pull this post up. However, I promised 2 posts this week, and I'm keeping my word! I've come up with a pretty neat topic for the next two posts, and since the topic is so broad and widely-discussed, I've decided to split it into two parts.

I'll be talking about the ivory trade and and the elephants that have to pay the price for them. The first part, as you've probably seen in the title, will be all about elephants, so you guys become familiar with these majestic animals.

To get us started...
There are actually two types of elephants: Asian and African. I'll be telling you guys a little bit about both, and the next post will be all about specifically the illegal ivory trade.

Asian Elephant

Courtesy: National Geographic

Classification: Mammal
Size: 6.6-9.8 ft / 2-3 m
Weight: 2.25-5.5 tons / 2041-4990 kg
Diet: Herbivore
Lifespan: (up to) 60 years in the wild
Appearance: long trunk (nose), tusks, relatively small ears (compared to the African elephant), bigger head (compared to the African elephant)
Status: 
Endangered because too many of them are killed for their ivory tusks, also their habitat is destroyed for "agricultural use" (as stated by National Geographic)


I know the theme is the "African Migration" which Asian elephants do not take part in, but since I will be talking about the ivory trade in the next post (which is a real issue in Africa), I feel like you should know about both types of elephants that are killed in this trade.

The Asian elephant, as you probably have guessed, lives in Asia. They are now only found in a few parts of Southern Asia, as shown by the map below:

Courtesy: National Geographic

Their size is relatively small compared to their cousins, the African Elephants. Normally you would think elephants have large ears. Scientifically, that is correct, because the elephants use their large ears to stay cool. However, the Asian elephants' ears are smaller in proportion to their body; but their large head makes up for that, I guess. Their trunks are also a bit longer and thinner, and only some male Asian elephants have tusks. Their forehead is also very smooth, while the African elephant has a wrinkly face.

Asian elephant size compared to human
(Courtesy: National Geographic)

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African Elephant

Courtesy: National Geographic

Classification: Mammal
Size: 8.2-13 ft / 2.5-4 m
Weight: 5,000-14,000 lb / 2,268-6,350 kg
Diet: Herbivore
Lifespan: (up to) 70 years in the wild
Appearance: shorter trunk (nose), long tusks, large "Africa-shaped" ears , smaller/wrinkly head (compared to the Asian elephant)
Status: 
Threatened because they are killed for their ivory. The trade is banned now, but completely gone, leaving them kind of endangered.


African elephants, although threatened, can be found in many parts of Africa. They roam in the jungles and savannas, searching for water and traveling with their young.

Courtesy: National Geographic

African elephants are a lot larger than Asian elephants. Their ears are larger, too. In fact, one extremely easy way to distinguish between the two elephants is to look at their ears. African elephants' ears are in the shape of the African continent--like an upside down triangle. Their ears are also extremely large; sometimes a bit bigger than their face. Asian elephants have smaller, rounded ears that are small compared to their face. African elephants also have long, big tusks, which both females and males have. Their trunks are shorter and a bit thicker than Asian elephants as well.

African elephant size compared to human
(Courtesy: National Geographic)

Here is a diagram depicting how to differentiate from African and Asian elephants

Courtesy: Thomson Safaris

The most magical part of an elephant is their trunk, in my opinion. According to National Geographic, their trunks contain 100,000 muscles and is used for smelling, breathing, drinking, "trumpeting," and picking up food. (Trumpeting is the blasting sound elephants make) 

Ivory is wanted from both elephants, which plays a part in the reason for both types of elephants' unstable population. The main reason for Asian elephants is due to habitat loss, while ivory trade is responsible for the plummeting population of African elephants. But no matter what the reason is, these elephants will slowly die out if it doesn't stop, and they need our help. Ivory trade is now officially made illegal, but still not completely eliminated (meaning there are probably a few black markets out there that still illegally trade). In the next post I will be talking about the ivory trade itself. But while you are waiting, here is a short video for you to watch:

You can find the original video here: History of the Ivory Trade

This video was taken from Youtube, uploaded by Garrus Franklin

See you soon!

~Cheri

Sources:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/african-elephant/

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/asian-elephant/

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/media/history-ivory-trade/

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/10/ivory/christy-text

http://www.thomsonsafaris.com/blog/difference-african-asian-elephant/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEHOdHUxNWE

A Quick Notice

Hello!

I know some of you are anticipating the double-post I promised this week. Don't worry, I ran out of time yesterday so it wasn't finished. However, it will be released by Friday, Saturday latest. I promise this week's topic is something we will all enjoy discussing about!

~Cheri

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Sneak Peak:

Courtesy: National Geographic
Photo taken by Joe Amon

Fastest Animal On Earth

As promised, here is the weekend post. (By the way, you can start expecting weekly posts on Wednesdays again) So this week I will be talking about the world's fastest land mammal...any guesses? (Although it should be super easy). The Cheetah! Yeah, if you didn't know that then I don't know where you've been.....but don't worry! This post should have you all caught up, and hopefully you'll have a newfound respect for cheetahs by the end, too!

Cheetah!

Courtesy: National Geographic

Classification: Mammal (feline)
Size: 3.5-4.5 ft / 1.1-1.4 m
Weight: 77-143 lb / 35-65 kg
Diet: Carnivorous
Lifespan: 10-12 years in the wild
Appearance: Golden yellow fur; black circular spots on the body; a black "tear trail" from the inner eye corner down to by the snout

Status: 

They are now vulnerable due to mass habitat loss!




If you raced a (regular) car with a cheetah who would win? The cheetah. And not only would it win, but it would win by A LOT. That's because cheetahs accelerate faster than any old automobile can. According to National Geographic, cheetahs can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles/hour (95 km) in just a matter of 3 seconds! Their powerful burst of energy is released instantly. However, because all that energy is burned within a few seconds, their fast speed can only be maintained for a short period of time. After that, they have to slow down and rest, or they will tire out.

Cheetahs rely on their fast speed to catch their prey. They can run more than 30 meters in just 5 seconds! Here is a video I taped of the famous "Cheetah Run" at San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

[technical difficulty; video will be uploaded as soon as the problem is fixed]

Wasn't that amazing? Fast speed is only one way it survives. The spotted coat helps it camouflage in the tall grasses of the savannah, so it can stealthily stalk its prey. They are also daylight hunters. Their method of hunting is particularly interesting. Once they have spotted their target, they will try to get as close as possible, then leap-pounce into the high-speed chase. When chasing its prey, the cheetah won't attempt to bite the animal. Instead, it will try to knock the prey down, and kill it from there. Here is a video of a mother cheetah teaching its cubs how to chase and bring down a gazelle (so keep in mind you will not see the mother pounce on the gazelle, but you will see the cubs learning to do so)

video from Youtube, by BBCWorldwide

Cheetahs are solitary animals, meaning they don't live in packs, and after the male mates, it often leaves the female, leaving the mother to raise the cubs alone. Most female have a litter of up to around 3 cheetah cubs, and will stay with her cubs for around two to three years. She will, to the best of her ability, train and show her cubs how to properly hunt and chase down prey.

Courtesy: National Geographic Photography
Photography by Chris Johns

In a way, it is extremely difficult for cheetahs to catch their prey. This is because they have to have very keen senses of hearing and sight. As they are secretly stalking and inching toward their prey, they will have to immediately freeze or crouch down at any sign of movement. If the prey sees the cheetah, it will immediately sprint away, and it is up to the cheetah to try and catch up, or leave and hope for a luckier catch next time. As seen in the video above, the mother cheetah always freezes the moment the gazelle shows any hints of looking up or moving. Her reaction is probably faster than any human, not to mention those soundless footsteps that not even a gazelle can hear! 

The next time you decide to visit the San Diego Zoo area, be sure to check out Safari Park and watch the Cheetah Run--the experience is priceless and you'll get to see a cheetah run at full speed in person! Or, if you want to see a wild cheetah chase a real prey animal in nature, head down to South Africa during the Great Migration season (check out my first Great Migration post to find the right time for you) and watch Mother Nature at its best. 

Cheetah Run, San Diego Zoo Safari Park (sorry it's blurry)
Courtesy: San Diego Zoo

I'm sorry this post was probably not as good as the others, and I'm probably a bit rusty from taking a 2 week break because of school, but I promise the next post will be better! And since I released this before the end of the weekend, guess what? You guys get TWO posts next Wednesday instead of one! I'm still deciding which animals to write about (there are so many good ones), so I'll surprise you guys with my decision next week.

Oh,  and if you ever do decide to go see wildlife in action for a vacation, be careful what you buy for your souvenir there, because maybe, just maybe, an animal had to pay the price.

Sources:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/cheetah/

Expect This Weekend

Hello everyone!

I'm so sorry I was gone for so long, I had to adjust to the new workload at school (drastically different from last year) but now I'm back! If you saw my previous post announcing my delay then you would know that I'd be back around now. 

You should expect a post from me about cheetahs of the African Migration by the end of this weekend (so sometime by Sunday night, United States Pacific time).  But you know how I am with deadlines...... :(

However: If I do manage to release the post on time by this weekend, I will release TWO posts next week instead of one!

Cross your fingers for a post this weekend!

~Cheri

This is my logo that I designed for my blog, by the way.
There are 3 animals pictured in this logo. See if you can find them!
Copyright (C) 2015 by WeForWildlife! Please don't use without my permission first.

An Apology from Me

Hey there!

I just wanted to apologize to you all that I haven't updated in 2 weeks. School has just transitioned into "full-time work" (unlike those first few days where you do nothing) and the workload (especially for English) is pretty heavy! I'll always try my best to update by Wednesday, but because of the added schoolwork, it'll probably be (I'd say) about 2 or 3 more weeks before I can adjust comfortably. Until then, I will try my best to update as often as possible, although they will probably be less often and at completely random times throughout the week. Once I'm "back in shape," I'll let you guys know and you can start expecting updates every Wednesdays again.

Again, I'm so sorry and I really appreciate that you keep returning to my blog, even if I'll let you down sometimes. Not to be a stalker, but I love seeing my family and friends leaving comments and views, people from Russia and even South Korea viewing my blog! It feels great to have my blog read around the world.

Although my blog will become inactive sometimes, I promise I will never give it up because I love it too much. :) There will always be a new blog post coming!

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

~Cheri

The lion's tired a resting a bit.....He'll be back soon!

King of the Jungle (or rather The Savannah)

ROAR! It's Wednesday and I'm not slacking off the posting date! (Though I realized most of you won't read this until Thursday) This week I'll be talking about the King of the Jungle (or in this case, the African savannah).

Picture from: National Geographic
Meme text added by Cheri (me)

African Lion

Courtesy: The PetPsychic

Classification: Mammal (feline)
Size: 4.5-6.5 ft / 1.4-2 m
Weight: 265-420 lb / 120-191 kg
Diet: Carnivorous (only meat)
Lifespan: 10-14 years (in the wild)
Appearance: Tawny or golden fur on body, Long mane (longer fur/hair) surrounding face and neck area
Status: 
Vulnerable! We should be careful, don't want these beautiful creatures to go extinct! (And let's also try not to repeat the Cecil the Lion story)
Fun Fact: A group of lions is called a pride.


We all probably know what a lion is. You probably saw it at the zoo when you were two. You saw it again when you watched The Lion King at four. And then, time and time again, lions are brought up in school and books. Maybe you encountered lions again when you watched the Madagascar movies. But these books and movies only touch the surface of what, or who, lions really are, like the tip of the iceberg. There are lots more underneath. Do you know them? If not, you will today.

Beautiful Manes, Coast, and Whiskers
Lions have very beautiful manes and coats. Their fur is usually tawny or a nice golden brown. The males have thick manes that are also golden to a dark brown.

Courtesy: Nat Geo Wild

Just like a human's fingerprints, the whisker spot of a lion will differ from one lion to another. Isn't that cool!?

The Pride
In the movie The Lion King, it seems that there are very few males and an abundance of females. That's very accuraate! In real life, there are usually only about three males in a pride. Females are plenty, however, as there could be up to a dozen or so females in that same pride. Then, of course, there are the pride's cubs.

The lion pride Outsiders/Outlanders (from The Lion King) is more representative of a "stray" pride, usually when a relatively large lion group splits because of some dispute. (I won't be going into much detail about stray prides in this post)

Cecil is the male (on the left)
Courtesy: National Geographic

And now, the heartbreaking part. If a new lion were to take over a lion pride, all the baby cub born at the time of the take-over would not survive. This, of course, would inevitably bring us to the story of Cecil the Lion**. Why was the world so upset when Cecil died? Part of it was because he was so beloved and famous, but another part of the reason is because when a new lion takes over his pride, all of Cecil's cubs will be killed. He had 6 cubs.

The Pride territory can be as large as 100 square miles (according to National Geographic) and it is the males' job to protect and defend it. There territory, similar to dogs, is marked by their urine.

How the Pride Works
Male lions are dominate the pride. When feeding time comes, it is the dominant males that eat first. Next come the females, and the cubs eat last, scrambling for any leftovers or scraps.

But who does the hunting? If you guessed the males, then you were wrong. In a lion pride, it is actually the females that do all of the hunting. Because lions are not the fastest animals, their strength is in their numbers and often work together to hunt as a group, preying on wildebeest, zebras, antelope, and other animals. Alas, usually only one out of every four hunts are successful.

Courtesy: EasyScienceForKids

We should be grateful that we can have food brought to our plate three times a day! (Bonus: Most females are actually related in a lion pride, and they have zero tolerance for outside females. Thus, if a female leaves a pride, it will be a lot more difficult for her to find a new pride to join)

Symbolism in Our Modern World 
Today, lions are viewed as a symbol of courage, strength, and bravery. They have been celebrated as heroic since the Middle Ages, when the use of heraldry began. (Heraldry: the system in which coat of arms is regulated to differentiate between knights on a battlefield.)

These majestic creatures once pranced about in not only Africa, but also Asia and Europe. Now, they are only existent in African's sub-Sahara region. There is one small group of Asiatic lion which thrives in India.

Conservation
Join National Geographic's Big Cats Initiative and/or San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy's Conservation in Action to help save lions and other big cats today!

If you don't feel like giving money, that's alright. You can do small things from your own home that can help wildlife conservation as well. For instance, recycle and try to reduce pollution and carbon footprint. Maybe reduce that 20 minute shower to a 10 or 5 minute shower. Or, spread the news, like me. The more people that are aware, the higher the chance of making a big impact.

Share this blog with your friends if you know anyone else who shares an interest in lions, big cats, or any wild animal that needs saving! www.weforwildlife.blogspot.com
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I'm thinking next week maybe I'll blog about cheetahs or leopards! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments.

African Leopard
Courtesy: Wikipedia

Cheetah
Courtesy: Euclid Library

Sources:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/big-cats-initiative/
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/african-lion/
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/fight-for-life/articles/lion-pride-takeover-facts/

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**Cecil the lion was killed by a dentist on a hunt a little more than a month ago. He was a beautiful lion protected by the government.

A small "Cecil the Lion Memorial"
You will be missed Cecil! ROAR!

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150730-cecil-lion-africa-hunting-science-animals/