What Would We Do Without Zoos

America is lucky because we get to see some of the animals in the list of endangered species in zoos. There is no need to travel into the wilderness or wait for hours for the species to show up in their natural habitat. One of the latest additions to the zoo from a list of endangered species is the Mount Graham red squirrels. Their new home for 4 of these intriguing squirrels is the Phoenix Zoo.

The four squirrels, 2 male and 2 females were brought in from the wild to avoid becoming victims of wildfire. As you may know by now, Arizona has been a place that has seen too many wildfires break out this year. These fires have devastated land and property, and ruined the natural habitat of plants and animals.

The Mount Graham squirrels have been under undue stress from these types of incidents as well as being under threat from a competitive squirrel species. According to Marit Alanen who is the lead biologist connected with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, capturing the squirrels was not an easy task. However, they hope to be able to grow more in captivity while being under the care of the Phoenix Zoo.

Two years ago, in 2009 the Arizona Game and Fish Department estimated the count of this particular squirrel species to be around 250. The year before, their estimate was higher at 263, plus or minus and error of 11. Compare this to the 1997 figures of Mount Graham red squirrel population of 350, give or take a few. In short, the number keeps dropping.

The cause for this decline aside from wildfire is drought, lack of food supply, and insects. This year is like a last-ditch effort to bring their population up to a level that could sustain their existence. Many experts believe the these squirrels will be able to experience a rebound in population if they are given the right living conditions. Hopefully, their stay at the Phoenix Zoo will produce the desired results.

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Are Polar Bears Dying?

The polar bears are dying and have been considered a threatened species of animals for quite a number of years already. With the decrease in ice formation over the past years, many conservation groups have begun to request that the polar bears be an endangered species of animals instead. There is a difference between the two categories.

As an endangered species of animals, the polar bears will get more attention, funds, and support. It will stop the sharp population decline which now estimates to drop considerably over the next 20 years. That is, unless something is done now.

To explain why ice formation is essential to the survival of the polar bears, one must study more about their feeding habits. Polar bears basically feed on seals and fish. They need the ice to help them find the food and as a place to rest after swimming. Without the ice, they cannot rest from swimming which means they will drown. They will also be unable to move around to find their food, and could die from starvation.

The ice formation problem is a direct effect of pollution and how people have neglected to predict the outcome of using too much products that have created the global warning problem.

With less ice to work with, polar bears have been seen entering nearby villages and towns in search of food. Naturally, they are shot at and killed. To date, there have been 2 bears that have died this way.

At the rate of decline global warming is affecting the entire planet, many scientists agree that the polar bear population will dwindle to almost zero. Even if they do survive with less ice, the female polar bears will be unable to reproduce because of the warmer climate. The main reason for this is because female polar bears tend to eat more before hibernating and giving birth. If they are unable to provide their unborn babies with sufficient nutrition, the unborn baby will not even survive the embryo stage.

Sadly, polar bears are also being deliberately killed for their body parts by some unscrupulous groups. Hunters have been delirious about catching a polar bear because it is a trophy to have the head or any other body part displayed to all to see and admire.

Related site: http://www.konicaminolta.com/kids/endangered_animals/
endangered animals

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Asiatic Black Bear

The Asiatic Black Bear is just one of the many endangered species of animals. One of the sub species of the Asiatic Black Bear that is also endangered is the Baluchistan Bear. The Asiatic Black Bear and the Baluchistan Bear are endangered in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

asiatic black bear

The Asiatic Black Bear has been endangered since May 16, 1986. They are sometimes referred to as the moon bear because of the white crescent marking on their chest. Their head comes to a somewhat pointed snout. They also have large, rounded ears.
As far as the size of the Asiatic Black Bear goes, they can grow to be anywhere between 6 and 8ft tall as full-grown adults. They can weigh anywhere from 110 to 330lbs. Their tails are between 2.4 and 4 inches long. Male Asiatic Black Bears are almost always bigger than the females. These bears have extremely sharp claws. They are also great climbers and excellent swimmers.

Asiatic Black Bears are almost always found in forest habitats. Their habitat can range from tropical woodlands to hilly or mountainous areas. These bears are nocturnal whereas they spend most of the sleeping and are active at night. They mainly eat fruit, nuts, buds, and insects. They are also carnivorous whereas they are well-known for eating the leftover prey killed by tigers. They do this to help them build up for the winter season.

These bears only mate in the month of October. The mothers are usually pregnant for seven or eight months maximum. They give birth to two cubs at a time. The mother’s nurse their cubs for three to four months and the cubs remain with their mother for about two years.

Asiatic Black Bears are said to be annoying and troublesome to humans as they eat crops and domestic livestock. Therefore, humans are known for going after them. This has aided in the Asiatic Black Bear becoming endangered.

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