Hanging on by a Thread

The Amur leopard is said to be the world's rarest big cat. With fewer than 50 remaining in the wild, this species is truly hanging on by a thread.

Thankfully, despite all our faults as a species, humans aren't giving up on the few leopards that linger in the far reaches of eastern Asia. Conservation efforts to rebuild wild populations are being coupled with captive breeding programs at a number of zoos around the globe. 

Photo by Mona-Mia / Wikimedia

This summer, just a stone's throw from my mountain home, an Amur leopard was born in the Denver Zoo. I had no clue until today, when I stumbled across this article that filled me in (I know that a "real" biologist is not admit the overwhelming urge to cuddle wild creatures, but did you see that baby?).

Anyway, I understand that there a many mixed feelings about zoos and their role in preserving wild animals, but with reintroduction possibilities being considered for the Amur leopard and other species, it's hard to diss Denver and the other good zoos for their work. 

Hey, Science Teachers ...

Looking for a lesson that will engage students in endangered species conservation? 

Check out my Save an Endangered Species Classroom Campaign.

Photo by Steve Hillebrand / USFWS

The gist: 

Students develop advertising campaigns to save endangered species, helping them gain a deeper understanding of how human activities affect the survival of other species on Earth. 

It's geared toward 5th through 8th graders, but it would be easy to modify for other grades. 

Enjoy!

Toast to Tigers

You may not realize (I didn't) that three subspecies of tigers have disappeared from the planet since the 1930s. The Balinese, Javan, and Caspian tigers are gone. Gone. There are no individuals in zoos, no hope of re-population. All we have left are a few dusty pelts and photos.

For real. 

Photo by Mayankkatiyar / Wikimedia

That leaves us with nine subspecies of these iconic animals, and all of them are endangered. 

Enter the World Wildlife Fund. We know its name, and most of us recognize the panda symbol, but WWF is not just a big front that shells out pretty calendars and stuffed toys to make a profit. The people behind the panda, like Eric Dinerstein (who contributed a great tiger story to my book, The Back Road to Crazy), are helping us hold on to the few tigers we have left. 

The proof is in the, well, proof.

Tiger numbers in Nepal are on the rise.

At last.

And hope is a powerful force. 

WWF is on a roll, and they're dedicated to doubling the world's tiger population by 2022, the next Chinese Year of the Tiger.

Let's get on board and help them do it.

Can Beauty Save the Beast?

This morning, as I was doing some research for an article about celebrities helping endangered species, I hit a roadblock on Julia Roberts. 

Do you remember that documentary she did for PBS several years ago? The one about orangutans?

Yeah, well, it seems that Roberts was involved in an unruly incident while filming on location in the wilds of Borneo. 

What are the odds?

Apparently, a large male orangutan "made a move" on the movie star that involved a fair amount of grappling, both on the part of the ape and the film crew. 

I don't doubt that it was a frightening encounter for the Pretty Woman, but does it really deserve every Google search result? 

As you might imagine, the King Kong references have gone haywire, and now the whole affair is remembered as a cautionary tale about the big, bad orangutan rather than a celeb's honest effort to help an amazing species that's hovering on the edge of extinction.

So, here I am, doing my small part to bring the picture back into focus. 

Julia Roberts did leave the luxuries of her New York City stomping grounds to brave, of all places, Borneo (do you know how many kinds of biting bugs live in Borneo?). 

And not only did Julia tell us about the orangutans; she hugged them, crooned to them, shared her oranges with them, and did her darndest to make their existence matter to the world. Surely, that is worth remembering. 

The moral of the moment? Every big, hairy animal has its dangerous tendencies, but each is a cog in the wondrous wheel we call planet Earth. It's up to us to live accordingly.

Read more about Julia's orangutan expedition as well as Leo DiCaprio's tiger talks, Harrison Ford's protest of the wildlife trade, and more celeb consciousness here:

Hollywood Helping Endangered Species

The Lorax and More: Books for Kids

If asked to name a book that has been truly influential in terms of endangered species awareness and basic ecological enlightenment, I'd probably answer ...

Scoff if you want. Call me simple. I stand by my selection. 

Sometimes the most complex messages are best conveyed in rhyme (or at least in plain language). And, hey, who better to absorb the message than kids? After all, they carry the torch of our planet's future.

If you're on the same page, you might also enjoy other books on my reading list:

Endangered Species Books for Kids