Help the Panda!

Help the Panda!

          Hello, this is IGL and this post is about helping pandas. The panda lives in the deep mountainous forests of Southwest China of the Yangtze Basin. They are easily recognized because of their black and white body with their dark patches around their eyes. The panda is a peaceful creature of the bear family, and is China’s pride. Their diet mainly consists of bamboo stalks and they eat most of the day. This species of animal is very big, even though when they are born the baby is about the size of a stick of butter. Their height reaches four feet high and weigh to about 200-300 pounds.

          However, the panda is disappearing fast. According to IUCN, the panda is currently endangered. They have a high risk factor of becoming extinct in the near future! Pandas are essential for the ecosystem of the forests in China. They spread seeds around when they eat and attach to their fur, and they fall off soon to reach the earth. Without bamboo in the forests, other species of animal will also soon die out too. The panda is also necessary of China’s economy by attracting tourists to see them in the national parks. Their forests are being cut down for railroads and roads, separating the population and decreasing the chances to mate. Deforestation of the bamboo also takes away their diet. Poaching is also a major problem when a poacher accidentally shoots a panda when instead aiming for a different animal.

          There are so many ways to help the pandas. You could:

1. Spread the word and tell people.
2. Donate to preserves or organizations that help pandas.
3. Boycott products that use bamboo.
4. Start a petition. Get people to sign it.

Help the Panda!

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 Puerto Rican Crested Toad!

Help the Puerto Rican Crested Toad!

          Hello, this is IGL and this post is about the Puerto Rican Crested Toad. The Puerto Rican Crested Toad (Peltophryne lemur) is critically endangered. The amphibian lives in the rocky areas of forests of evergreen. It is threatened because of the growing human population and the introduction of a new species.

         The Puerto Rican Crested Toad one was thriving on the island of Puerto Rico and Virgin Gorda. This toad is the only native toad to Puerto Rico. But they are now declining. The first reason because of the decreasing population is because of habitat loss. They bred in small ponds in the forests. People drained these ponds for agricultural and urban uses. The last population of the toad is in the south of Guanica National Park.

          The next cause is because of the introduction of the Marine Toad. The Marine Toad (Bufo marinus) was brought to manage the grub population that destroyed the sugar canes. Sadly, the marine toad is a lot bigger (7 in.) than the Puerto Rican Crested Toad (2.5-4.5 in.). They fight for breeding areas, food, and shelter. The Marine Toad also eats the Puerto Rican sometimes. Other species of mammals also prey on the Puerto Rican Crested Frog.

          The AZA Species Survival Program (SSP) helps the toad by breeding them and releasing the tadpoles back into the wild. Miami Children’s Zoo also had a birth of tadpoles. The tadpoles were then given to Guanica National Park.

          There are many ways to help the Puerto Rican Crested Frog. You could:

1.     Spread the word. You could write an article to the newspaper or tell someone you know.

2.    Start a petition. Start a petition to have people help the toad.

3.    Donate to the SSP.

 

https://npo1.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=4946

4.    Help at zoos that need help for the Puerto Rican Crested Toad.

Help save the Puerto Rican Crested Toad!

Idea+Gift=Love IGL

Help the Democratic Republic of Congo!

Help the Democratic Republic of Congo!

          Hello, this is IGL and this post is about the Democratic Republic of Congo. This country is a poor one. The country has 72.6 million people and the GDP per capita is $400.

          Years ago, the African World War involved the Democratic Republic of Congo with fights over natural resources. 5.4 million people have died because of the war. 47% of the people were children and people die of diseases unrelated to the war.

          Due to the increasing poverty, people hunt endangered animals like gorillas for bush meat. The national parks that help these animals have to exploit their water and food.

          The population for people below the poverty line is 71%. And people are trafficked to forced labor and forced prostitution. There are ways to help the Democratic Republic of Congo. You could:

1. Spread the Word
2. Start a petition
3. Donate
4. Adopt a child

These ways could always help this country. Help the Democratic Republic of Congo!

-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