A Few Staff Animal Photos

Here at The Jungle Store we have a great love for all animals, ok maybe not spiders, and that means we love taking photos of animals. Here are a few photos our staff have taken from their trips all over the country.

This photo was taken at Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary located in Hot Springs, South Dakota. The sanctuary is home to over 600 wild mustangs which have been named America's Luckiest Wild Horses. They offer a variety of tours that can last from two hours to three days, you can even reserve a cabin.

These photos were taken at the Albuquerque BioPark Aquarium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The aquarium is part of the Biopark which includes a zoo and botanical garden right next to the Rio Grande.

These photos were taken at the Kansas City Zoo located in Kansas City, Missouri. The zoo opened in 1909 and is now spread across 202 acres. In the fall of 2013 the Kansas City Zoo opened its penguin plaza with interactive learning stations and panoramic viewing windows. The zoo is also planning to add a tiger trail, orangutan canopy and giraffe feeding station in the years to come.

Camels of the American West

When you think of the American West in the 1800’s, the animals that usually come to mind are horses, bison, and donkeys, right? Well, for a short time in the 19th century, you could add camels to that list as well.

Dromedary camel. Photo: Jron

Known throughout the world for their capabilities in dry and harsh conditions, camels appeared to be an ideal choice for U.S. Army troops stationed in the desert southwest to use as pack animals. The idea gained ground in the 1850s when it was given support by U.S. senators’ Jefferson Davis and George Perkins Marsh, who convinced congress to appropriate $30,000 to purchase a herd of 50, along with native drivers.

The first camel shipment arrived in Texas in 1856, and the animals proved their worth to the Army almost immediately, moving across terrain impossible for horses to traverse while requiring very little water. An additional 41 camels arrived early the next year, and the animals set to work surveying and hauling loads throughout the southwest. Politicians attempted to lobby congress to purchase an additional 1000 camels, but with the Civil War looming the idea was quickly abandoned.

Ex-Army camel in Canada, 1860's

After the “Camel Corps” idea was scrapped, most of the remaining animals were either sold off to private owners, or simply set free by soldiers ordered to return east for the war effort. Some owners attempted to use their camels for freight hauling and packing businesses, but were largely unsuccessful, leading to a small feral camel population in the western U.S. and Canada. The last feral Army camels were spotted in the early 1930’s in California and British Columbia. And although none have been seen since, it is rumored that descendants of those original Army camels still roam the southwest today.

Two Humps Are Better Than One

Bactrian camels are the only wild camels left in Africa. They have two humps, opposed to Arabian camels that have only one. Both humps give the Bactrian camel the ability to go long periods without water. However, when they need to refill, they can drink up to 30 gallons of water in just 13 minutes!

Eyesight Done Right

Camels have three eyelids on each eye to protect sand and other debris from flying into their eyes. A camel’s eyelids, including the third one, come with a second tier of eyelashes to protect them from these harsh conditions in the desert. Although the third eyelid is translucent — and therefore you can’t see it — it’s definitely there!

Animals at War - Strange but True

Ever heard of bomb sniffing rats? Or Frogman killing dolphins? How about landmine detecting bees? Humans have a great appreciation for the natural abilities of animals. That appreciation can lead to bizarre, inhumane and occasionally, benignly beneficial uses of animals in wartime.

The Bizarre: History is replete with tales of dolphins rescuing humans from the perils of the sea. Relying on the dolphin's natural curiosity and affinity to humans, the US Navy began the "swimmer nullification plan." Attaching hypodermics filled with compressed CO2 to the dolphin's nose, the marine mammals were trained to find divers swimming in restricted areas and inject them. Getting injected with compressed CO2 kills you, and it also makes your body float to the surface so you're easily retrievable. Supposedly 40 Viet Cong frogmen were killed this way.

The Inhumane: Over the course of thousands of wars, numerous types of animals have been used as living incendiaries. Cats, dogs, pigs, rats, even camels have all been lit on fire and pointed at the enemy. Of course nothing prevented these animals from turning around and running back through the host forces (makes you cheer a bit). Needless to say, the practice ultimately fell out of favor.

Unfortunately, militaries discovered safer (for them) ways to use animals to decimate enemy forces. What did they do? They strapped bombs to them. Tank dogs were trained to run under enemy tanks where their bomb harnesses would be detonated. Free-tailed bats were strapped with timed incendiary devices. The plan was to release them over Japan where their natural instinct would cause them to roost in the eaves of factories and warehouses. Once there, the timing devices would go off, causing the bat, and hopefully the building, to catch fire. Cats, wearing small explosives, were to be dropped over enemy ships. With their natural dislike of water, the cats would be sure to land on the ships and then could be exploded. Thankfully, most of these projects went nowhere. The bats escaped, burning down an Air Force hanger and blowing up a general's car. The cats, mercifully, lost consciousness soon after they were ejected from the planes.

The gathering strength of worldwide Animal Rights Groups has largely brought an end to such schemes.

The Benignly Beneficial: Glow worms were used in the trenches of WWI to create enough light for soldiers to read maps by. Gambian Pouch Rats, with their incredible sense of smell, are being used to sniff out landmines. Their small size protects them from triggering the mechanisms. The rats are currently clearing mines from much needed farm land along the coast of Mozambique. Bees are also helping to find long buried landmines. Having been fed trace elements used in the making of explosives, the bees naturally swarm around buried mines that leak these elements into the atmosphere. Small "backpacks" attached to the bees help humans determine where the bees are congregating. Once the humans arrive, they can dig up and dispose of the mine. The amount of bees needed to create a hive of landmine seekers costs about $100. The bees can be trained in less than 3 hours and have a 98% success rate of finding long buried and forgotten landmines.

Of course we know what would be best for animals as well as humans with regard to the practice of war, but conflict will occur. More than likely, our need for animal helpers in battles will also occur. Hopefully it will only be in a benignly beneficial way.

Arabian camel

The Dromedary or one hump camel is also called the Arabian camel. They are domesticated. During mating season males inflate their soft palate which makes a deep pink sack that hangs out of the sides of their mouth to attract females. Umm, lovely . . . or something . . .

Originally native to western Asia and East Africa, none survive in the wild in their original range.

Jungle Jane

One hump or two? Two!

Bactrian camels can close their nostrils to keep the sand out! They store fat in their two humps to ensure survival when food is scarce. They average about 7 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh from 660 to 1500 pounds.

Bactrian camels will eat nearly any vegetation in the rocky desert. The Bactrian camel has special sacks around its stomach to store water (about 1.5 gallons). It takes about 30 gallons of water fill up a Bactrian camel who has used all of its water.

Bactrian camels live in central Asia.

Jungle Jane