The Slow Loris: Cute But Deadly

You have probably seen one of these videos of the adorable Slow Loris around the internet the past few years. They are almost painfully cute but are actually poisonous and greatly endangered. Slow Lorises are found in southern and south-eastern Asia and are among the rarest primates on earth. The Slow Loris is nocturnal and has forward-facing eyes and hands with opposable thumbs that are almost human-like.

They are one of a handful of poisonous mammals in the world. The Slow Loris produces venom from glands on the insides of their elbows and when threatened they lick the area in order to venomize their bites. The "venom" is a concentrated protein that acts as an allergen and can cause death by anaphylactic shock. 

The Slow Loris is endangered due to habitat loss and hunting for illegal pet and traditional medical trades. Thousands of Slow Lorises are poached from the wild and sold illegally on the street. The International Animal Rescue has set up a treatment facility in Ciapus, Java to care for Slow Lorises that have been confiscated from animal markets or surrendered by their owners. You can help protect these adorable primates by adopting a Slow Loris through International Animal Rescue.

Almost Extinct Addax

Current estimates show there to be less than 500 addax individuals left in the wild.

Picture from The Animal Files

Addax are nearly extinct in the wild, having been eliminated from much of their original range. These antelope have been hunted for their valuable meat and skin. They have also been destroyed by farmers and cattlemen, so as not to compete with their cattle for grazing land. Much of the addax population was decimated during the World Wars. Probably the only reason they are still alive in the wild at all is the fact that they can live in uninhabitable places with extreme heat, extensive sand dunes, and other harsh conditions where it is extremely difficult for humans to reach. 

The Flight Of The Rhinos

We weren't quite sure what was happening in this picture of a blindfolded rhino being hoisted in the air, but we assumed it wasn't good. Turns out, we were wrong. The rhino is the picture is being airlifted to a safe, undisclosed location to keep it out of the path of poachers.

According to the story: "For some endangered rhinos, a 1,000-mile journey to rescue from them poachers starts with a helicopter ride — hanging upside down, blindfolded and sedated. That might sound uncomfortable, but experts say it's easier on the massive mammals than by other means. This new procedure is gentler on the darted rhino because it shortens the time it has to be kept asleep with drugs."

It's an unusual method of transportation, for sure, but we're happy conservationists have found a way to keep these endangered rhinos safe!

The Return Of The Short-Tailed Albatross

The albatross, a bird made famous from its role in the poem "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" just might be making a comeback. Once thought to be extinct, and until last year only thought to inhabit a small area of Japan, the short-tailed albatross has been spotted on several Hawaiian islands.

Scientists have concluded that this isn't a new community of short-tailed albatrosses, but rather an existing one that has managed to breed well and cause somewhat of a population surge in the last few years. This is a positive sign to scientists, and conservationists, who think this could be the begining of the return of this rare bird.

The short-tailed albatross once numbered in the millions, making in one of the most prominent alabtross species. But turn of the century feather hunting nearly decimated the species, and it was thought to be extinct by the late 1940s.

Source

Endangered Species Day

Did you know that today is Endangered Species Day? It was started by the U.S. Senate to raise awareness about the American species that are getting closer and closer to extinction.

Endagered animal: Red Wolf

What can you do to help our country's endangered animals? StopExtinction.org has a list of 10 things you can do to help protect endangered species. It includes:

• Visiting a national wildlife refuge or park. These are protected lands and provide safe habitats for wildlife. One of the best way to protect animals is by providing them a safe place to live, so supporting these places helps support the animals' habitats.
• Don't buy any products made from an endangered species. As much fun as getting souvenirs is when traveling, many souvenirs are made from animals that are nearing extinction, like crocodile skin and tortoise shell.
  
  

  

  Endangered Animal: Pygmy Raccoon

There are approximately 6,500 species in the United States that scientists believe are at risk for extinction, but only 1,200 are officially unlisted as threatened or endangered. That's a lot of animals that we could lose! For more ways to get invovled, visit the StopExtinction.org website to learn how you can take action today!

New Purple Crab Species Discovered

This has got to be one of the coolest looking animals we've seen in awhile! A new species of purple crab was found recently in the Philippines, near the island of Palawan. The purple crab is a freshwater animal and is endemic to Palawan, meaning it is found only in that location.

Unfortunately, this species is endangered. There are several mining projects taking place on Palawan that could threaten to damage or destroy the crabs' habitats. The purple crab has a higher chance of extinction because it is endemic to the island and has only adapted to its unique environment. 

Help Protect The Animals This Earth Day

At TheJungleStore.com, we love animals of all kinds, from stuffed and plush to real and wild. That's why, this Earth Day, we're asking you to consider supporting a charity that helps protect our animals and their natural habitats. If you're not sure which organization to contribute to, we've listed some ideas for you below!

The Nature Conservancy works to protect the lands and waters that animals (and people) depend on. It's a global organization that has started initiatives and conservation programs to help protect the rain forests, coral reefs, migratory birds and many more! Visit them at Nature.org.

The National Wildlife Federation is America's largest conservation organization, working to protect our nations wildlife and their dwindling habitats. Its website also has a great feature where you can choose a specific cause you want to donate to, including polar bears, endangered seals and creating wildlife corridors. See more at NWF.org.

 

The Rainforest Action Network organizes environmental campaigns to educate major corporations on ways their practices can be sustainable and more environmentally-friendly while still being profitable. They also aim to educate the public about corporate impact on the environment. Learn about their mission at RAN.org.

The National Audubon Society's mission is "To conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity." The society works through grassroots conservation efforts, educational programs and outreach that helps educate lawmakers, agencies and the public. See them at Audubon.org.

The National Park Foundation works in partnership with the National Park Services to support the nearly 400 national parks in America, such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, Big Bend and Joshua Tree. The foundation has three areas of focus: conservations and preservation; education; and community engagement. Visit them at NationalParks.org.

The Sierra Club is one of the oldest, and largest, grassroots conservation programs in the country. It works to protect animal habitats and America's waters by focusing on such initiatives as natural gas reform, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels and creating habitats that are resilient against climate change. Learn more at SierraClub.org.

One of the biggest conservation organizations, the WWF has initiatives and programs that span the spectrum. Their currents goals include protecting and restoring species and their habitats, working locally to strengthen communities ability to conserve their natural resources and mobilizing volunteers to support conservation. Visit their website at WorldWildlife.org.

The Rare Golden Tiger

This is one of the most beautiful tiger specimens we've ever seen! The golden tiger, also called the strawberry tiger, gets it gorgeous (and extremely rare) color from a recessive gene that is actually only found in captive tigers. Like the white tiger, the golden tiger is just a different color NOT a separate species of tiger.



It is not known exactly what causes the golden tiger's color variation. One theory is the breeding of Amur tigers with Bengal tigers. Another is that wild golden tigers in India developed the color to help them better blend into their surroundings.



In North America, there are currently about a dozen golden tigers in captivity, including at the Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, the Dakota Zoo in North Dakota, the Cougar Mountain Zoological Park in Washington and the Safari's Wildlife Sanctuary in Oklahoma.

How Polar Bears Stay Warm

Polar bears live in one of the coldest environments in the world. To stay warm, they have a thick coat of insulated fur that covers a layer of fat. They even have fur on the bottom of their paws to help them grip on ice. While their coat is white to provide them camouflage against the surrounding snow, they actually have black skin to help them attract the sun's rays.

Rhinocerceros: Not Just African Animals

When I think of rhinos I remember the old John Wayne movie Hitari that I saw as a kid. I can still see those images of the rhinos. Maybe that’s why I often think of rhinos only as African animals, but in reality there are two species are from Africa and also three species in Asia.

The African rhinoceros are the Black Rhinoceros and the White Rhinoceros (this name has nothing to do with color – see the animal facts page for an explanation). African rhinos don’t have teeth at the front of their mouths.

The Asian rhinoceros are the Javan, Sumatran and Indian. Only the white rhino is not endangered

The Slow-Moving Manatee

The manatee, weighing between 800 and 1,200 pounds and averaging 10 feet long, are fully-aquatic mammals that are also known as sea cows. There are three species of manatees: the Amazonia manatee, the West Indian manatee and the West African manatee.

Manatees are slow moving creatures, and propel their large bodies in the water by moving their flat, paddle-shaped tail up and down. The manatees closest relatives are the elephant (we can see the familiar resemeblence). Manatees have an easy lifestyle - half of their day is spent sleeping and most of the other half grazing for food.

White Tigers - Fact Vs. Fiction

Today is Tiger Day. An effort begun to make people aware of the need to save tigers. Read more here.

So today I thought I would focus on White Tigers. I discovered they are NOT a subspecies of any tiger, but a genetic defect. This video tells a little bit more about white tigers and what's fact and what's fiction.



For further information check out Big Cat Rescue.

Animal Facts: The Kneeless Rhino

As the title of this post states, rhinoceroses have no knees. They are also an odd-toed ungulate, which means they have hooves that have an odd number of toes.

Rhinos are know for their large size, weighing up to a ton. But for being as big as they are, they have a relatively small brain. Rhinos are also characterized by their horns (depending on the species they have one or two horns). Unfortunately, their horns, which can be sold for medicinal purposes or as hunting trophies on the black market, make them a prime target for poaches. Three of the five species of rhinos are now endangered.