Baring the "Bones" of the Endangered Pet Trade

Are you a fan of FOX's hit crime show, Bones?

If so, keep your eyes open this fall for an episode about the sale of endangered species on the black market. 

"It’s a story about smuggling endangered species into the states as pets,” Producer Stephen Nathan told TVLine. 

Old school TV: a promotional photo card from Garfield Goose and Friends (with Geronimo, the Capuchin monkey butler).

The episode won't air for a month or more, but it's already causing a stir among exotic pet owners. 

As I understand it, the show will focus on endangered species, which (in theory) are protected by CITES and related laws. So, it's not really a matter of exotics being bred in captivity (that's another storyline). 

It's hard enough to help endangered animals maintain footing in an increasingly uninhabitable world. I don't think there's any credible defense for wild capture, smuggling, and illegal sales.

Tune in and decide for yourself. 

Season 8 premieres on September 17.

Dare to do the Wild Dog Dash?

ATTENTION WORLD-TRAVELING ATHLETES: 

If you can high-tail it to South Africa in the next six weeks, you'll find a unique challenge that promises to pump up both your muscles and a great cause. 

WHAT: 

The Land Rover EWT Wild Dog Dash is a multifaceted event that includes mountain biking, running, 4x4 obstacles, and many more adventurous tasks for teams to tackle. 

WHY:

The Dash benefits African wild dog conservation efforts in South Africa (there are only about 450 wild dogs left in the country). Entry fees will be donated to the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Wild Dog conservation projects. 

WHEN:

July 29, 2012

WHERE:

Gerotek Trail near Hartbeespoort Dam

HOW:

To enter or find out more, contact Joy Nel at 011 372 3600 or joyn@ewt.org.za.

Honeymooning Hellbenders at the St. Louis Zoo

Last October, when the US Fish and Wildlife Service added the Ozark hellbender to the nation’s list of endangered species, my first question was:

What is an Ozark hellbender?

As a resident of the Ozarks, it was a little embarrassing not to know. 

But this creature (one of the world’s largest salamanders) is not the sort of species that attracts a lot of attention. The hellbender is slimy, hulking, drab, and downright strange-looking. Plus, it spends daylight hours hiding under rocks in the depths of swiftly flowing streams. I’ve spent years working and playing in Ozark waters, and I’d never heard of it, much less laid eyes on one.

Photo by Jill Utrup/USFWS

Unfortunately, the harmless Ozark hellbender is now as imperiled as it is elusive, and people are finally paying attention.

Fewer than 600 hellbenders are estimated to exist in a handful of river systems throughout southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Projects are already underway to protect and restore hellbender habitat in the wild, and scientists are working in earnest to identify and combat other possible causes of population decline.

At the same time, the Saint Louis Zoo has been bent on boosting numbers by hosting an elaborate hellbender honeymoon. The Ron Goellner Center for Hellbender Conservation has created a 32-foot-long replica of a natural Ozark stream.  Inside this “honeymoon suite,” the zoo has successfully established a breeding group of adult hellbenders. So far, 165 baby hellbender have hatched—the first hellbenders to ever be born in captivity—and with them, a new hope for this species’ survival has hatched as well.

Whoopee for the Whooping Cranes!

I first heard about the grounded whooping cranes on NPR a couple of months ago, and I forgot to follow up and find out what happened. Needless to say, serendipity rocks. Today, I stumbled upon an update. If you've been keeping up with the story, then you know I'm a little behind the times. But, if this is news to you, join me in rejoicing because Operation Migration was given the green light by the FAA. Fly on, you crazy cranes!

 Pair of whooping cranes at Patokah River National Wildlife Refuge, IN / USFWS

Learn more about whooping crane recovery efforts, and check out this cool Live Crane Cam.

I went to the zoo, and what did I see?

An fantastic takin looking at me ...

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The St. Louis Zoo is home to a family of endangered takin from western China. These incredible animals remind me of musk oxen, bison, and even the strange Asian saiga antelope (similar arching nose), but they are unquestionably unique. I implored my daughter, who is fascinated with all things Chinese, to "grow up, move to China, and save the wild takin."

That's not too much to ask, is it?