This declaration means good things for the polar bear, but it’s sad the bears are under threat from global warming. Polar bears have been declared a threatened species due to decreasing sea ice caused by climate change. And some people still think global warming isn’t real . . . .

Learn more:

Polar bear now listed as threatened species

US lists polar bear as threatened

Hug This Animal: Polar Bear

Is there an endangered animal you would like to read about on Tree Hugging Family?

Image via flickr.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

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Yes, several. And memberships help support them all. Zoos catch a lot of flack from some groups, but good zoos are helping to preserve endangered species through Species Survival Plans within zoos. Some zoos also perform important research and do field work as well.

Plus, there are many reasons spring is a good season to buy a zoo membership:

• Enjoy the outdoors and get exercise while the weather is moderate.

• See the zoo babies!

• Gaze upon the butterflies. (Many zoos have butterfly exhibits open only during the spring months.)

• Have somewhere close by to take the kids during spring break.

• Receive discounts at zoo camps.

• Get discounts at many reciprocal zoos as you travel this summer.

No matter when you purchase your zoo membership, you’ll most likely visit more often since you don’t have to pay each time. This means you won’t feel like you have to take it all in during a single visit.

Here are some endangered animals I’ve written about here that you may see at the zoo:

Fishing Cat

Mountain Gorilla

Polar Bear

Red Panda

Bonobo

Oryx

Cheetah

Do you have a zoo membership? If so, what do you love about it?

Red panda image via Peggy Rowland.

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All seven species of the sawfish have been declared either endangered or critically endangered by the IUCN Red List. And the smalltooth sawfish was the first sea fish added to the Endangered Species List in the US. The smalltooth sawfish can only be found in the US off of Florida’s coast.

Worldwide, all sawfish are in trouble.

Sawfish are highly modified rays that evolved from sharks over the course of millions of years. They have tooth-lined snouts (also known as rostrums or saws) used for finding and killing fish. Some species of sawfish may become as heavy as 2,000 pounds. They enjoy chilling on the sea bottom near the shore.

What’s troubling the sawfish?

Well, it’s sort of that marvelous snout they use to catch fish. It’s also good at getting caught in fishing nets. Unfortunately, many sawfish die as bycatch. Like many endangered species, the sawfish are also troubled by habitat loss. Extensive coastal development is leaving the sawfish with less area to call home. And since the sawfish grows so slowly, the reproductive rates are low. Even if current conservation efforts are successful, it may be 100 years before the smalltooth sawfish flourishes again.

How can you help the smalltooth sawfish in the US?

The MOTE Marine Laboratory has a few ideas for you:

•Report sawfish encounters by calling 800.691.6683 or e-mail sawfish@mote.org.

•Looking for an internship? Check out how you can help in person.

•If you accidentally catch a sawfish while fishing, remember it’s illegal to harm it. Practice quick and safe release.

•Read more about the sawfish recovery plan. (Go to bottom of linked page to download the PDF.)

•Perhaps most important of all, spread the word. Not many people know that the sawfish is in big trouble.

What do you think of this very interesting and endangered sawfish?

Image via flickr.

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I’ve observed ocelots at the zoo. They’re sleek and small, like a house cat, but it’s the fishing cat that reminds me most of my own cat. I’ve only seen fishing cats on nature shows, and that’s probably because they live in the wet areas of China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Southwest India, parts of the southern Himalayas, Thailand, Burma, Java and Sumatra.

The male fishing cat weighs in at around 25 pounds while the daintier females register at 15 pounds. They are very strong and stocky with short legs. While the primary diet of the fishing cat is believed to be fish, it has also been seen eating chickens and even dogs.

This is a very smart cat. It mimics the motion of insects by lightly tapping the surface of the water. Then, just when the unsuspecting fishy comes up, the fishing cat dives in for the efficient kill. Interesting fact — the paws of this kitty are partially webbed, allowing for easy scooping of prey like frogs or for swimming underwater to catch aquatic birds.

Since fishing cats are nocturnal, not many people get to see them fish, but the National Zoo has a video for you to watch.

That’s one amazing cat. My cat hates water, unless it’s in my glass. But this cool fishing cat is facing threats from pollution and destructive fishing practices by humans. The biggest threat facing the fishing cat is wetland destruction. The fishing cat is currently listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. If I had to guess, I’d say the fishy cat makes it just fine. Many experts think that it’s adaptable enough to adjust to a more suburban way of life if it has to, but that’s not exactly natural.

Does the fishing cat remind you of your own cat if you have one?

Fishing cat photo via flickr.

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Leatherback turtles are listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List. Fewer than 2,300 adult females remain in the Pacific region, making the Pacific leatherback the most endangered of marine turtles. Leatherback turtles live as far south as Africa and as far north as Alaska. The global population estimate is around 40,000.

Why are leatherback turtles in trouble?

• Egg stealing (heavy demand in Latin America)

• Death by fishing nets (bycatch)

• Pollution (Plastic bags kill turtles who mistake them for jellyfish. Chemicals from plastics are also found in turtle egg yolks.)

How to Help

Take your own bags to the store. Plastic bags create a horrible amount of pollution that is greatly affecting wildlife. Not to mention, it takes petroleum to make plastic bags. Recycled paper bags are a better choice if you forget your own bags.

Adopt a sea turtle nest!

Learn more at the US Fish & Wildlife Service.

And please spread the word about the problems facing the largest sea turtles.

Image via flickr.

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The subspecies of gorilla you’ve most likely encountered in a zoo is the western lowland gorilla. It belongs to the western gorilla species, which has several subspecies. The other main species of gorilla is the eastern gorilla, and the mountain gorilla is a subspecies of this group.

Since Dian Fossey studied mountain gorillas for many years, they are probably the best understood of all gorillas. The gorillas she studied live in the misty and cold Virunga Volcano mountains in Rwanda, the Congo and Uganda.

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund carries on the important work that Dian Fossey started. They do far more than I can explain in this post. They are committed to the conservation of all gorillas and their habitat through research, anti-poaching efforts and education.

Mountain gorillas are listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. Scientists believe that around 380 mountain gorillas are alive today. Female mountain gorillas don’t produce offspring until they are 10 years old. A baby gorilla is taken care of by the mother for four years, and during that time the mother will not produce another offspring. They only produce one offspring at a time.

Considering the low number of existing mountain gorillas and the reproduction rates, the loss of just one mountain gorilla can have major impact. Rangers risk their lives to protect all remaining gorillas from poachers and the threats of political instability. You can read more at GORILLA.CD, the official website for the Virunga National Park.

Ways to Help:

•Adopt a gorilla from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

•Protect rain forests by choosing Rainforest Alliance coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa and more.

Gorilla photo via MorgueFile.

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The US Fish & Wildlife Service was supposed to make a decision on declaring the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, but they missed their deadline of January 9. Actually, they missed their deadline twice. The second deadline was February 8.

What’s going on? Some people think they delayed so that an oil and gas lease auction could be held in key polar bear habitat on Alaska’s Chukchi Sea on February 6. I hope that’s not the case. The US Fish & Wildlife Service is supposed to be one of the good guys.

Why is everyone following this decision so closely?

The polar bear will (most likely) be declared threatened because of the effects of global warming. There are (believe it or not) many people out there who don’t believe that global warming is real.

Read more about the polar bear decision delay. See “Delay in polar bear policy stirs probe” by SF Gate and “Second Deadline to Protect Polar Bears Missed” by Reuters. Also check out “Can’t Bear it any Longer: Senate Wants Answers” by CNN.

As you re-hug this animal, check out CNN’s “Polar bears on thin ice” for interesting polar bear facts and photos.

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World Wildlife Fund (WWF) describes the pika as a small flower-gathering relative of the rabbit. That’s really one of the sweetest descriptions I’ve ever heard. These plant eaters are also described as shy creatures that whistle to each other.

I’ve never actually seen a pika. And that’s no wonder since I don’t live where they live: rocky, alpine areas of the western US and southwestern Canada. They also live in Europe and Asia. Many people don’t know what pikas are, but most of us have heard of Pokemon. Do you see a resemblance?

According to recent research by US Geological Survey ecologist Dr. Erik Beever, global warming is contributing to the decline of the American pika.

WWF believes that if global warming isn’t reversed soon, the American pika could possibly become extinct. As temps rise due to climate change, many mountainous animals will seek higher elevations. That’s not such an easy task for the little pika. It often stays in the same general area its entire life. Also, their habitat can frequently be disconnected and difficult to transverse. Plus, these little relatives of the rabbit have dense fur and can’t cool themselves easily. Read more about all the ways that climate change is affecting the pika at WWF.

Help the Pika:

•Reduce your carbon emissions. There are many ways to do this. WWF discusses 12 Things You Can Do.

•WWF is funding more pika research. Support their efforts.

•Find out more about these creatures at Pika Works.

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So, can you still hug this animal?

Yes! Zoos and wildlife centers have been breeding the Scimitar Oryx so that it can be reintroduced in the wild. The first stage of reintroductions of the oryx occurred in February 2007 in Tunisia, located in northern Africa.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center is one group working on reintroducing this animal in Tunisia. Read the press release here.

This beautiful creature that can go without water for weeks was hunted to extinction for its lovely horns. Loss of habitat to humans was also a factor. Tunisia’s government will protect the newly released oryx.

According to the National Zoo, the Scimitar Oryx has an interesting way of coping with lack of water. They can raise their body temperature up to 116 F to avoid sweating! Wow, an animal that can avoid sweating. We really need to hang on to it!

While zoos and similar institutions sometimes draw criticism for holding animals captive, the story of the Scimitar Oryx shows how valuable such institutions can be to international efforts to prevent total extinction of some endangered species.

Ways to Help

•Support some of the places working hard to conserve the Scimitar Oryx: The National Zoo and Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.

•Read more about oryx conservation efforts at the National Zoo.

•Take an extra gaze as this elegant creature on your next zoo visit, and spread the word about how it is being reintroduced in the wild.

Oryx head and whole oryx photos from flickr.

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No, it’s not a chimpanzee. It’s a bonobo!

Although bonobos have been called pygmy chimpanzees, their behavior is very different from chimps. They are more peaceful and are led by the females, instead of males. Bonobos really like, uh, making love for the sake of making love. That’s really unique in the animal kingdom. They also use this peaceful activity for conflict resolution. They’ve even been called the hippies of the rain forest (Make Love, Not War!). And those bonobos are only kissing in the photo. No animal love photos here.

The last of the great apes to be discovered, the bonobo shares more of our DNA than any other animal on earth. (Some scientists argue that the chimpanzee is just as closely related since the two are so similar.) Sadly, the bonobo has been considered endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since 1996.

We don’t really know how many bonobos exist today. They are scattered around in one of the largest rain forests in the world: the Congo basin. Estimates range from 5,000 to 50,000 with bonobos existing only in pockets of their original range. Surveys have shown that their numbers are declining. Learn more about the animals of the Congo basin at this World Wildlife Federation page.

Hunting is a major threat to bonobos. It’s difficult to imagine these creatures being smoked and sold in bushmeat markets, but that is happening very often. Habitat destruction is another big concern for the bonobo. Increasing human population and political instability of the Congo also make the future survival of the bonobo uncertain.

The Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI) is the only international organization dedicating itself solely to helping the bonobo. Among many other projects, BCI rescues bonobo orphans who’ve lost their moms to hunting. One of their major projects is the Bonobo Peace Forest, a place of conservation and research. You can read about all of BCI’s many projects here.

Help the bonobo.

While bonobos live only in the rain forest of the Congo (the second-largest in the world), anything that you do to help protect any rain forest helps endangered wildlife.

•Choose organic, fair trade and shade-grown coffee and chocolate. Shade grown means that the coffee beans or cacao are grown under a canopy of existing trees instead of clearing them. This practice also greatly helps tropical birds. Find places to buy at the Fair Trade Federation.

•Buy products certified through the Rainforest Alliance. Such products are guaranteed to be grown in the shade, using no (or low amounts of) pesticides. Farmers working with the Rainforest Alliance maintain the animal and tree diversity on their land.

•Volunteer to help BCI or give a donation. Also, spread the word about them.

•Help with a click. Visit the The Rainforest Site daily and a donation will be made to help preserve rain forests. You can also send free e-cards.

Image credits: Bonobo eating photo and bonobos kissing from flickr.

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