Help the Dwarf Chameleon!

Help the Dwarf Chameleon!

          Hello, this is IGL and this post is about helping the endangered dwarf chameleon. Brookesia exarmata is the scientific name for the dwarf chameleon, the world’s smallest reptile. Like many other chameleon species, the dwarf chameleon can blend into its background with its adaptation of camouflage. Its beige-brown skin color hides it well in the background of leaves. These animals are from West Madagascar, taking a habitat close to the ground in vegetation.

          Because its only region is that area in Madagascar, they are endangered. The main reason for their declining population is the removal of their habitat. Their participation in the exotic pet trade also gives them a threat. Many people don’t know how to care for wild animals, and most certainly would not know how to care for a dwarf chameleon.

          There are many ways to help. You could:

1. Spread the word
2. Start a petition
3. Prevent the buying and selling of dwarf chameleons in the exotic pet trade
4. Although extremely rare, you may find dwarf chameleons in your backyard. If so, it is best to contact an animal service and notify them.

Help the dwarf chameleons!

Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Help the Orangutan!

Help the Orangutans!

    Hello, this is IGL and this post is about the orangutan. Kristine, as the writer, is very excited to write about her favorite animal. Orangutans are found in Malaysia and Indonesia, including the island of Sumatra and Borneo. They live in the rainforests’ trees in most of the time in their lives. Their beautiful mahogany-red fur distincts the orangutans’ looks. They are the largest arboreal ape mammal, not monkey. Orangutans are not monkeys because apes have tails, are larger, and have bigger chests. They can carry their 200 pound weight with their large arms. They are highly intelligent and alike humans in so many ways. In fact, it has recently been discovered that orangutans share about 95% of humans’ genes. “Orangutan” (derived from “orang hutan”) means “man of the forest” in the Malay language. They are solitary except for the time females care for their babies. Their diet consists mainly of fruits like durian (a stinky but delicious fruit), wild plum, figs, rambutan (a hairy-like fruit with red on the outside but squishy and white in the inside), mangosteen (a strange-looking whitish fruit), and jackfruit (yellow and large). They also eat certain insects like termites and parts of some plants. Orangutans get their water supply by drinking through holes in the trees and sleep on vegetational made nests in treetops. Most adult males have flanges, which are large cheek pads that rounds their face. However, some males don’t have flanges, looking like an adult female. There are two species of orangutans: the Bornean and the Sumatran. They differ a bit in characteristics and behavior. Borneans have less facial hair than the Sumatran and larger cheek flanges. They also walk down on the forest floor, which is difficult for orangutans to do because of their short legs and incredibly large arms. Sumatrans also have more social bonds.

    Both the Bornean and Sumatran orangutans are declining. The Bornean is endangered and the Sumatran is critically endangered. They matter to the world because when they eat the fruits, they also eat the seeds. In their feces they decompose the seeds, spreading around on the soil. If orangutans disappear, many tree species will disappear too. Their habitat is also being taken away. The demand in the world’s commerce of palm oil has endangered these creatures. In many food products such as certain brands of mayonnaise, some lotions, and some companies of greek yogurt, palm oil is found. Palm oil is one of the most cheapest oils to be developed, and many product companies try to hide the fact by putting in the ingredients something different, like “glyceryl stearate” or “vegetable oil”. Palm oil originates from the plant the oil palm. The oil palm grows the best in rainforests, so the trees are being cut down to make space for oil palm plantations. More and more palm oil plantations are being formed, and less trees are growing to help the orangutans. Note: palm kernels, palm kernel oil, or anything that has the word “palm” is most likely from oil palms. You’d be surprised how much products you have in your house that has the ingredients “palm oil”. Since they’re big and slow, they are shot in retaliation. They are also shot when they come to farms and accidentally damage the crops. Baby orangutans are also taken as exotic pets by shooting the mothers and taking the babies into the exotic pet trade. Even though laws are passed to illegalize exotic pet trade, people still do so secretly in the black market. In Indonesia, orangutan skulls are also traded in the black market. Orangutans are also being hunted as bushmeat, or “gourmet” food.

    You can always help the orangutans. You could:

1. Spread the word. Tell people about the orangutans.
2. Start a petition. Get people to sign it.
3. Donate to organizations that help orangutans.
4. Boycott against the exotic pet trade.
5. Sparingly use paper.
6. Try not to use palm oil or products with ingredients from the oil palm.
7. Boycott skull trading.
8. Go against bushmeat.
9. Support zoo programs that help orangutans.

HELP THE ORANGUTANS!

Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Help the Chimpanzee!

Help the Chimpanzee!

    Hello, this is IGL and this post is about helping the chimpanzee. The chimpanzee lives deep in the Congo Basin in Africa, and is one of the world’s most intelligent animals ever. In fact, they are much like humans. They share about 98% of humans’ DNA, and many characteristics in their lifestyle and behavior show how much they are alike us. They care for their children for a long period of time and they live for more than fifty years. They have the knowledge to make tools, like sticking a twig in a termite hole to get their food. Even though they spend their life in trees, they can walk on their feet for a mile.

    Although humans aren’t so different from chimpanzees, we are the reason for pushing them into extinction. They are currently in a status of “endangered” for many reasons in human development. In Africa, people are eating chimps as bushmeat. Bushmeat is when the people hunt an endangered wild animal as food. Even though bushmeat is primarily used for people in poverty that can’t find anything else to eat, chimpanzee has become a common food source for wealthy residents, like how people eat wild animals and say it’s “gourmet”. But that’s not the only contributing factor. Young chimpanzee babies are being traded as exotic pets, and people don’t know how to take care of it properly, endangering its life. The Ebola Virus Disease is affecting many chimpanzee’s lives, causing multiple fatal deaths.

    There are many ways to help the chimpanzee. You could:

1. Donate to organizations that help this species.
2. Spread the word and tell people about it.
3. Start a petition and get people to sign it.
4. Boycott bushmeat and illegal hunting.
5. Go against the exotic pet trade.
6. Tell people about the Ebola Virus Disease.

Help the chimpanzee!

Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Help the Grey-Crowned Crane!

Help the Grey-Crowned Crane

          Hello, this is IGL and this post is about the Grey-Crowned Crane. The Grey-Crowned is a bird found in the African countries of Kenya, Uganda, and Congo. They have long black legs and their body has gray, black, white, and a golden yellow. It leads to a slender neck with what looks like a red gobble. They have a white cheek and a sharp black beak. But their appearance is most notable with their “crown”. Like a plume on a helmet, it fancies a yellow glitter and a majestic crown-like top. The Grey-Crowned Crane enjoys eating seeds, the tips of grasses, groundnuts, soybeans, and other various types of plants. They also enjoy tiny vertebrates and bugs. They can be heard by their loud honking sounds they make.

          The Grey-Crowned Crane is currently endangered because of human development. They are sometimes captured and traded in illegal process and habitat loss contributes to their declining population. These cranes are also indirectly poisoned by chemicals. Also, the wetlands that these birds live on are lost because of overused pesticides, drainage, too much livestock, and power line collisions.

          There are many way to help these beautiful birds. You could:

1. Spread the word and tell people
2. Start a petition and get people to sign them.
3. Donate to the International Crane Foundation to help them.

Help the Grey-Crowned Crane!

Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Help the Spix's Macaw!

Help the Spix’s Macaw

          Hello, this is IGL and this post is about helping the Spix’s Macaw. This specific bird is beautiful with blue colored feathers, soon descending into white the higher the body gets. Their small silver-colored head has a sharp, black beak. They live in the Northern woodlands in Brazil. They live to about twenty-thirty years in the wild and forty years in captivity. Their main diet is based on seeds, which takes 95% of their food. The Spix’s Macaw is not very talked much and no so popular like the panda or the cheetah. But they are still important to the ecosystem and would be a great loss if this bird goes extinct.

          It is thought to be extinct in the wild by scientists, studies show that small areas where the land has not been surveyed may contain the habitats of a few remaining Spix’s Macaws. Right now, since there is a possibility that there is a scarce population of these birds, it is now stated critically endangered (or possibly extinct in the wild). The cause of their near extinction is because of habitat loss. Also, people are keeping these animals as exotic pets and are still to this day sold in the black market.

          There are ways to help the Spix’s Macaw. You could:

1.     Tell people about them. Not a lot of people know about this species of bird.

2.    Start a petition and get people to sign it.

3.    Boycott the black market.

4.    Donate to charities that help this species of bird.

Help the Spix’s Macaw!

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Help the Poison Dart Frog!

Help the Poison Dart Frog!

         

          Hello, this is IGL and this post is about helping the poison dart frog. The poison dart frog is an animal in the amphibian group. This extraordinary creature lives in the rainforests of South and Central America. They live on the forest level of rainforests but breed in the trees. Their outer skin has two different colors. They can range from many different colors. For example, the red and black poison dart frog is called a strawberry poison dart frog. The color warns their predators of the high amount of poison they carry. They four toes have suction cups, which are used to cling onto plants in the habitat that they live in.

          Poison dart frogs are threatened and are soon going to be endangered. These delicate frogs are used as exotic pets and because of habitat loss, they are losing their homes. These poor animals must have a chance at survival in this world.

          There are ways to help the poison dart frog. You could:

1. Spread the word
2. Start a petition and get people to sign it.
3. Donate to organizations that help animals. Example: SOS (save our species)
4. Adopt (actual frog not included) a tree frog at

http://www.worldanimalfoundation.net/chooseanimal/Adopt_A_Tree_Frog.html

Help save the poison dart frog!

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Help the Tiger!

Help the Tigers!

          Hello, this is IGL and this topic is about helping the tigers. The tigers are poached for their coat and organs and are sold as an exotic pet. Even though many countries ban the hunting of tigers, poachers still sell the tiger in the black market.

          The tiger is still sold illegally today in the black market. Their habitat is also being taken away. There are many ways to help the tiger. You could:

1. Donate to foundations that help tigers
2. Spread the word
3. Avoid tiger products

Help the tiger!

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Stop the exotic pet trade!

Stop the Exotic Pet Trade

          Hello, this is IGL and this topic is about exotic “pets”. Exotic pets are everywhere. People capture them and trade them as a pet. Every animal has their wild instincts and could be very dangerous. They also carry diseases and could spread them to people. Some states in the US don’t allow exotic pets, but some let them in 100%.

          Usually exotic pets are sold as a cute, adorable, cuddly baby. But when they grow older, they could get larger and more dangerous. For example, lions are often traded as an exotic pet. They could become very dangerous and deadly.

          To help both wild animals and people, you could help. You could:

1. Spread the word.
2. Urge people not to get exotic pets
3. Warn someone with an exotic pet

These ways could make your area a better place. Animals could be dangerous, and people are at stake too. So let animals be where they belong. Stop the exotic pet trade.

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Stop poaching!

Stop Poaching!

          Hello, this is IGL and this post is about poaching. Poaching is the act of illegal hunting of animals. Poaching is going on everywhere. Hunters kill endangered animals and illegally trade their body parts.

          Poachers kill thousands of animals every year. They also use illegal weapons too. Poachers could decline the population of endangered species, like the tiger and the elephant.

          Poaching occurs all the time. The start of a threat to animals is because of poaching. You could always help by a lot of things. You could:

1. Notify any suspicious activity. If you see any suspicious acts of hunting, recognize who it is (ex: license number). Tell the park ranger or someone in charge.
2. Spread the word. Write about it or tell someone about it.
3. Donate to charities that help threatened animals.

Poaching is a horrible and illegal act. Stop poaching!

-Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Help the Gorillas!

Help the Gorillas!

          Hello, this is IGL. Another of our projects is to help the gorillas. Cristina is really hyped about this one since her animal is the gorilla. The gorillas live in Africa. They are all threatened by many reasons.

         First, they are killed by bush meat. Bush meat is when people kill and eat endangered animals. All these animals are sold in markets to eat and end up in bellies.

          Second, their homes are being chopped down. Trees are cut down and gorillas don’t have any place to stay.

          Third, there is a disease called the Ebola virus. The virus kills gorillas and their population has decreased over the days.

          And lastly, people poach the gorillas. Poaching is when people kill animals illegally and trade the animal parts in black markets and illegal trade.

          Many gorillas are dying every day, and the population has been declining over the years. They also live in small places of Africa and they all need some help. To help, you could:

1. save paper and recycle
2. Don’t poach, buy illegal parts, or buy bush meat
3. and (this probably will be a long shot) but ask the government to help find a cure for the Ebola Virus or do something about it

The gorillas need your help!

-Idea+Gift=Love