“Animals…are like us in so many ways. They want to grow up free and raise their families in a world that is safe. And if we let them disappear from this Earth then a part of us will disappear too….whether they’ll live happily ever after depends on us.”
Morgan Freeman
I just learned about some exciting work which is happening in the western United States and Canada and in African countries such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola and Namibia. Wildlife corridors, or animal bridges, are being created which allow animals such as elephants, lions, bears, and antelopes to safely travel from one land area to another. This is very important because these animals need to be able to roam freely and travel on their ancient migration routes. It is also necessary for genetic diversity and more importantly, for survival. When animals are enclosed in small areas genetic diversity is compromised and often results in the dying out of a species.
With these new corridors, which often connect national parks, we can spare animals from being killed by cars on highway routes or shot by fearful humans. The corridors look like tunnels or bridges and can be below or above highways. How many times have you seen a dead animal lying on the ground because it was hit while it was trying to cross a heavily traveled road?
Animals need room to roam. Author David Quammen stated it well, “we need to find ways in which people can live with wildlife and wildlife can live with people”. And biologist Craig Packer said if we want to take these species in the future with us we need to take responsibility and assure their survival. Please be an advocate for these wildlife corridors. Animals need us as much as we need them.
For more information you can watch “Wild Ways” which was featured on the television series “Nova”. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/wild-ways.html
As you know, I love animals. They are precious and bring out the best in all of us. Here is a link to one of my favorite websites and some swan photos. http://www.sally-swan.com . I hope you enjoy them. Thank you.
I just thought I would share this beautiful photo with you!
April 20th marked the six year anniversary of the BP oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. Sadly, it was the largest man-made oil spill in history. 3 million barrels of oil were dumped into the water and caused the death of 11 men and countless animals. Again, I have never heard of a solar spill. It is time to end our use of fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. And it is time to end offshore drilling.
Here are some facts below.
NOAA reported 1,400 whales and dolphins have been found dead since 2010. And that number is likely to be very low since that was only the count of animals which washed ashore.
88% of nearly 360 dolphin babies and stillbirths had abnormal or underdeveloped lungs.
“The Deepwater Horizon oil spill severely harmed the reproductive health of dolphin living in the oil spill footprint,” veterinarian Teri Rowles, who is overseeing NOAA’s study of the ongoing die-off, said in a statement.
Dolphins in the spill area were also more likely to lose their babies and suffer infections during their gestation periods.
Tomorrow is Earth Day and I wish to share the wonderful piece of advice below.
“Treat the Earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” –American Indian Proverb
The other week I was watching a program about warming Arctic waters and was deeply saddened by the changes happening there. Arctic summers are increasingly becoming ice-free because of our dependence on fossil fuels and mounting carbon emissions. The situation has far-reaching effects for wildlife. In the past you would find huge blocks of floating ice and snow-covered land masses. Now the waters are empty of ice, and polar bears are left to swim very long distances to rest or find prey. Scientists are also seeing more and more orca whales in these northern waters. Previously, orcas would not venture into the area because their fins could not penetrate the ice. Now, they are making thousand mile journeys to feed on other animals which breed their young in once “safe” territory.
As orcas move into the Arctic, they change and threaten an entire ecosystem. I watched them devastate an entire colony of narwhal. Narwhal are beautiful animals and are called the unicorns of the sea. They almost look like dolphins but are larger and have a long tusks that look like swords. Normally, narwhal find rest and safety in the waters of the Arctic. With melting ice the narwhal are left defenseless against the mighty orcas. The orcas, with their sharp intelligence and keen hunting instinct, quickly corner the narwhal and eat them for lunch.
It is so easy for us to forget the domino effect that climate change has on everything in our world. It alters habitats and devastates species. Our actions, or lack of action, have far-reaching consequences. Our choices, in every sphere of our lives, greatly affect other people and animals. We must reduce our carbon footprints and positively impact our planet.
I had such a great day. I had the chance to meet, up close, four owls. I went to the Audubon Center in Pennsylvania and was introduced to two screech owls and two great horned owls. They were so majestic and quite beautiful, especially Luna, one of the big great horned owls. The horned owl eyes really amazed me with their bright yellow and black colors. That said, owls have an amazing ability to see, and hear. They can see things humans would not ordinarily spot and also hear sounds we would not. I loved the sound the great horned owls made, it was a “hoo-hoo hoooooo hoo-hoo”. The screech owls, on the other hand, were much smaller and quieter. They did not make any sounds or display a large wing span.
The Audubon Center was taking care of these four owls because they each had lost sight in one of their eyes. Each of them had been struck by cars, as they were flying after their prey. If it was not for the Center these owls would probably be dead, because owls with poor eyesight would not be able to survive on their own.
I was moved by those owls and felt grateful to the Center for taking care of them. Too many times animals are victims of the society we live in with our fast cars, highways and relentless growth. Those owls touched me somehow, I felt happier after meeting them and humbled by their beauty. Many people say chocolate makes everything better. I say animals and nature make everything better.
I became aware of thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms about five years ago and wanted to share what I know about them with you. In a nutshell, thrombosis means your blood is clotting. Blot clots occur for a number of reasons including immobility, damage to a vein, or because of health and environmental reasons. When a clot blocks a blood vessel it can cause serious health problems and even death. An embolism occurs when the clot breaks up and pieces of it enter the lungs.
I urge you to learn more and protect yourself, your loved ones, and your pets. And perhaps you would like to support the fundraiser noted in the photo to help promote awareness and prevent needless tragedy. Sadly, the young lady pictured above died because people in her life (including doctors) were not aware of the signs and symptoms of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism.
Some signs and symptoms include: redness, swelling, and difficulty breathing.
For more information and tickets please go to the following website. http://www.katiesvoice.org
Thank you.
Let me introduce you to Dindim, a South American Magellanic penguin. He swims 5,000 miles every year to see his special friend.
In 2011 Joao Pereira de Souza found Dindim, covered in oil and close to death. For 11 months Souza nursed the penguin back to health. Dindim has now been visiting his friend every year for the past four years. Souza, a retired bricklayer and fisherman, lives in Brazil.
