Dumb and Destructive

Warning: again, contains some disturbing images. Since this is a blog focused on conservation, I'd like to talk about a few current issues that I think are "dumb and destructive". In other words, these practices are hurting the environment for no reason, or insufficient reasons (of course this is in my opinion, but I hope most of you will agree). I will list a few important issues, along with a short description, and provide you links if you are interested in more information on the topic. I intend to expand on many of these topics in future posts, but for now I'll keep the descriptions short. Also, they are in no particular order, but they all deserve attention. 

Habitat Loss
Almost every single animal on our planet is affected by habitat loss. From the white-tail deer causing more highway accidents because we build roads through their forests, to elephants trampling crops because their natural home was turned into a farm, habitat loss to human development is a problem at every corner of the world. Some animal species are adaptable- take for example the hawks that nest in NYC buildings- but, along with other pressures, habitat loss is a very dangerous thing.  
More Info

Poaching
In my last blog, I addressed the poaching of rhinoceros and elephants. But poaching, AKA illegal hunting, affects many more animals than those that are normally associated with the word. Poaching comes in many forms- it can be a hunter bagging too many bears, or a commercial fishing vessel lying about the size of their catch. Hunting laws, policies, and regulations are put into place to protect the species' population and preserve it's welfare for years to come (theoretically, of course). But when poachers defy these rules, they jeopardize the whole population of animals and the health of the surrounding ecosystem. 
More Info 
Even More Info

Predator Culls
Predators are an important part of the ecosystem, and since they are generally at the top of the food chain, their presence affects the behavior and the population of everything below them. If we take out a whole predator population, or eliminate a significant portion of it, the rest of the ecosystem will react and change, usually not for the better. West Australia has a shark cull that is particularly disturbing and utterly pointless, and here in the U.S. we have coyote-killing contests that are just as ridiculous. 
More Info: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/01/thousands-protest-against-wa-shark-cull, http://www.highplainsfilms.org/hpf/films/killing_coyote, http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/coyotes/tips/against_killing_coyotes.html, http://www.predatordefense.org/

Bushmeat
Bushmeat refers to the poaching of animals with the intention of consumption. This is a huge problem in places like Liberia, where markets are brimming with heaps of wild animal jerky, and their economy is dependent on it. One of my professors actually worked on conservation efforts there, so once I find my notebook from his class, I will write more about it. Not only is this practice devastating to the environment, I also think it is morally appalling. I mean just look at the picture below on the left....
More Info: http://www.bushmeat.org/bushmeat_and_wildlife_trade/key_issues

Illegal Pet Trade
Thailand is notorious for its illegal pet industry. There is trafficking of wildlife from all around the globe, and we can't simply point fingers at one Asian country, because it happens all around the world. Animals are often caught in the wild, transported in inhumane, and often fatal, ways, to be sold as exotic pets. Wildlife trafficking is so profitable, it is often linked with drug trafficking, and because of that, it's regulation is often difficult and dangerous. 
More Info: http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/species/problems/illegal_trade/, 
http://www.safehavenwildlife.com/Rescue%20%26%20Care/illegalpettrade.html,
http://www.traffic.org/home/2008/1/8/illegal-pet-trade-threatens-freshwater-turtles-and-tortoises.html

Circuses
Long accused of animal abuse and neglect, circuses using animal performers are still some how very popular. What looks like fun on the outside is actually a cruel and miserable existence for many animals involved. If you still want all the entertainment of a circus, chose human-only shows, such as Cirque du Soleil. 
More Info:https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-circus-animal-abuse,  http://www.ringlingbeatsanimals.com/, http://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/animals-in-entertainment/circus-cruelty

Palm Oil Production
We all know the rainforest is in trouble. But what you might not have known is that the destruction of the rainforest is being fueled by a very profitable industry- palm oil. Palm oil is used in a bagillion products ranging from food to household cleaners, and the demand for it is exceedingly high. Not only does a rainforest provide a home for many animal and plant species, but most of those species have yet to be discovered! And, of the plants that we have discovered, many of them are medicinal, so who knows what diseases can be cured by the ones we haven't touched yet. Not to mention, the burning of the rainforest has caused a genocide of some of our closest primate cousins. 
More Information: https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/palm-oil, http://www.orangutan.org.au/palm-oil



Shark Finning
One of my personal favorites (or, least favorite? You know what I mean) is shark finning. People will go out, catch sharks, cut off their fins, and throw them back to die a slow death of combined drowning/bleeding, their bodies left to unceremoniously rot in Davy Jones locker. Yeah, it's that bad. Sharks are often apex predators, which, like I talked about before, makes them very important to the ecosystem. And why their fins? For soup. Expensive soup. Soup contains mercury, which is poisonous to people. Yes, it is that stupid. 
More Info: http://www.sharkwater.com/education.htm, http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/shark-week/about-this-show/sharks-shark-finning.htm
This is a great video of Gordon Ramsay and his opinion on shark fin soup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r65FgUYdBOc



Gill Rakers
Manta rays are gentle, magnificent animals, admired for their ability to "fly" in the ocean. They are harmless to people, only filter feeders, and are often the subject of many tropical vacations. Even though they are extremely valuable for eco-tourism, people still kill them for their gill rakers, that are used in medicine in Southern China.  
More Info: http://news.discovery.com/animals/endangered-species/unproven-chinese-medicine-killing-manta-rays-121022.htm, http://www.earthtimes.org/conservation/gill-raker-trade-threatens-manta-mobula-rays/1765/

Whale Slaughters
A huge subject of the 70's, whale slaughters are still a real issue. It would take me forever to talk about the whole issue, but some bullet points include: the Japanese hunting in whale sanctuaries for "scientific purposes", the fight of Sea Shepherd (from the TV show "Whale Wars"), the slaughter of whales and dolphins in Taiji, Japan, and in the Faroe Islands. 
More Info: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-faroe-island-whale-hunt-2013-7?op=1, http://ecowatch.com/2013/08/22/whale-slaughter-tradition-on-faroe-islands/, http://www.opsociety.org/issues/dolphin-slaughter-in-taiji, http://www.seashepherd.org/
 


For some great up-to-date information of the last three subjects, visit this awesome guy's blog: http://voiceforsharks.blogspot.com/

Like I said before, I will probably expand on many of these subjects in future posts, but I hope I've given you a good overview of some very important issues. As always, thanks for reading!! 

The Fall Of Giants

Warning: This post contains graphic images. It is not for the faint of heart. 
                               
In Africa roams what is left of our megafauna, meaning animals as big as the giants that once roamed the Earth before humans. Among these are elephants and rhinoceros. Most of you probably know that these beautiful animals are poached for their tusks and horns, respectively. It is becoming more clear that there may be none left in the wild for future generations to admire. Yes, we have populations in zoos, and I understand that some people think that's enough. It's not. The amount of influence these animals have on their environment is astounding. For example, elephants will trample parts of mature forest to make may for new growth that is part of the forest's life cycle. We simply cannot afford to lose these majestic giants, but so valuable are their horns and tusks that poachers will seemingly stop at nothing to destroy them. I won't talk any more about it, but instead, I offer some of the photographic evidence of this horror. I believe a picture speaks a thousand words, and I hope the following images disturb you as much as they disturb me:  


   



Poaching has also left hundreds of babies orphaned. And keep in mind that these animals are fairly intelligent- elephants have even been shown to mourn their dead- they realize what has happened. I apologize if I've caused any of you to start crying, but that is the effect I want. This is not made up. I didn't photo-shop these pictures. This is real, and this is going on right now. 

This is a video on the elephant with the world's largest tusks. He was found dead less than a month ago, rotting in the mud, missing his face. For the full article, click this link: http://www.care2.com/causes/poachers-just-killed-the-biggest-most-loved-wild-elephant-in-the-world.html

Like I said, I hope you were disturbed. The inhumanity of poaching makes me sick, and it needs to stop. These animals need our help, or we will lose them forever. 

The organization "Tusk" has some great information, and they have a lot of projects underway to help these animals. (Plus, David Beckham and the Duke of Cambridge are involved!) Check out their website here: http://www.tuskusa.com/

Fungus Among Us

                                    

The kingdom Fungi is separate from all other kingdoms (Plant, Animal, Protista, ect.), and includes yeasts, molds, and, of course, mushrooms. Fungi are extremely important to the planet's ecosystem, often decomposing dead material, or providing symbiotic support to other living organisms. We humans use fungi to ferment things like beer and soy sauce, as leavening for bread, for use as detergents, and to help us make antibiotic medicine. But fungus is not always beneficial. 

                              

Chytrids are a type of fungus, and they can be parasitic to animals. One chytrid by the name of "Bd" (the name itself is super long, Batradoodoo?... I don't know, I can't pronounce it) is affecting amphibian populations around the world. Amphibians absorb water and salts through their skin, but when Bd comes into the picture, it thickens their skin with keratin so that they can't, and the resulting electrolyte imbalance can kill the animal. It was only discovered in the 1990s, and now, more than 300 species are almost extinct because of it. 300 species. The spread of the disease moves rapidly, but we can help by disinfecting our shoes when moving from one outdoor area to another, not relocating amphibians, and of course, never release pets into the wild. Did I mention it might wipe out 300 species? Maybe even more? That's a big deal people. Just take a look at these scary ads I found: 

                       

Another fungus-caused problem is White-Nose Syndrome. The fungus itself is called G. destructans, and it hurts the bats by making them wake up from their torpor (deep sleep) because they need to itch and scratch themselves. Waking up more often burns body fat that they need, and the fungus itself also damages muscles and skin. Recovery rate is very slow because the bats affected usually only have one offspring per year. White-Nose Syndrome has the potential to wipe out half the bat species in North America. This fungal disease has already killed 5.7 million bats since 2006 in Eastern North America. That's comparable to the human population of Denmark. AKA lots of bats. Just like amphibians, bats help to control the insect population by feeding on them for hours every night. Want to help out? You can put up bat boxes in your yard or plant plants that attract moths for the bats to eat (this website has some good suggestions: http://www.mothscount.org/text/64/nectar_plants.html)

                                        

Thanks for reading everyone! If you're interested in more information, I've included my sources (so you know I'm not making things up either!). 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungus

http://www.amphibianark.org/the-crisis/chytrid-fungus/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/121217-chytrid-fungus-amphibian-frog-crayfish-science/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population
http://www.batconservation.org/about-bats/conservation/white-nose-syndrome

The Animals in the Title

As I said in my "Welcome" post, this is my first blog, and so the title picture might change as I play around with things, but for now, my title includes the silhouettes of a few special animals. Here's a brief explanation of why I chose them, from left to right: 

Giraffe - Giraffes are found in Africa, which is a hotspot for wildlife issues including poaching and the bushmeat trade. They are considered "megafauna", which means they are large animals that can be categorized with elephants, rhinoceroses, and whales (other animals that need attention as well). Plus, I really like giraffes. 

Orangutan - Orangutan's are Great Apes. No, I don't mean they're awesome (well, they are, but that's beside the point), I mean that they are in the same group as chimpanzees, gorillas, and humans. It's hard to believe that one of our closest cousins is in grave danger, but the orangutan is a victim of deforestation and poaching in Indonesia, and is being quickly driven to extinction. The population of wild individuals has decreased by 80% in the past century, so if we don't act now, they could be lost forever.

Bat - In North America, bats are in danger of White Nose Syndrome, a type of fungus that has caused genocide-like conditions for these animals. It effects seven bat species, including the endangered grey bats and endangered Indiana bats. Unfortunately, a lot of conservation efforts have been stomped by coal companies (who make a lot of money from bat hibernaculas, aka caves and mines). 

Wolf - The wolf's road to success is a bumpy one. Once a top predator in North America, they have been nearly wiped out of most of their original territory, and now are found mostly in the western United States (one of the reasons we here in the east have so many deer sleeping on the side of the highways). There has been a small group of animals reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park, and I'm crossing my fingers for their welfare, because human-wolf conflict still poses a huge threat to them. 

California Condor - At one point the California Condor was teetering at the brink of demise, with only 23 individuals left in 1982. Now, I'm happy to say that there are over 400 birds in the wild. They are an incredible success story, and I wish every animal that we fear losing could come back this strong. In a world where species seem to disappear every day, the California Condor is a beacon of hope.  

Sharks - First of all, yes, sharks are wildlife, so they will have a part in this blog, along with other aquatic animals. In fact, they are one of my favorite animals, and unfortunately, in need of desperate help. Sharks are often feared by people, but in fact, they should fear us. We slaughter thousands of sharks every day for their fins and cartilage, and frankly, it disgusts me. These predators have been around for waaaaay longer than us, and we have the potential to wipe them off the planet, which will harm the whole ocean ecosystem. 

Well, there ya have it! Just a few animals that I've chosen to represent conservation. I tried to keep it brief in this post, but I will certainly be revisiting a lot (if not all) of these issues to expand on them. Thanks for reading! 

Sources: 
http://asiancorrespondent.com/98692/indonesia-orangutans-extinction-conservatio/
http://www.batconservation.org/about-bats/conservation/white-nose-syndrome
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/map/ESA_success_stories/CA/CA_story1/index.html

Welcome!

Hello everyone! Thanks for stopping by! This is What's Wild, where I will be posting information about wildlife, the environment, and current events. Please bear with me, as this is my first blog of my own, and I'll probably be playing around with settings and formats for a little while. I have written posts for another blog, voiceforsharks.blogspot.com, which is focused on sharks, rays, dolphins, and other marine animals (definitely check it out!). 

My goals for this blog are as follows:  to educate readers about what is going on in the world of wildlife, and to make them aware of many issues that need more attention, in the hopes of changing the world for the better. Yeah, I know "changing the world" sounds a bit cliche, but I blame Bill Nye the Science Guy for that one! I saw him speak once- it was magical- and he encouraged us all to "Go out and change the world!" So, Mr. Nye, here is my contribution (or attempt at one at least). 

I guess it would be fitting to introduce myself now (where are my manners?). My name is Chelsey, and I just graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, specializing in Zoology. Needless to say, I have a passion for animals, that has evolved from doting over pet goldfish as a child to volunteer bird banding in the Rocky Mountains to working in the zoo/aquarium/safari park world now. My love for animals has sparked a need to educate others about conservation, and even if I can't "change the world", I am still going to try to make a difference.   

Thanks for reading!