Tree Hugging Family - Living Green

Introducing Hug This Animal

by Peggy on February 7th, 2008

Since I can’t hug a real polar bear, that’s me hugging a polar bear statue at the Maryland Zoo. (A wonderful zoo by the way.)

I’m excited to let you know that each Friday I will post about an endangered or vulnerable animal sharing the planet with us.

I’ll write about animals everyone knows about, and some that may be a surprise to you.

The population estimates in the posts will be based on the best information from field research. It’s difficult to know precisely how many animals of a particular species may be left in the wild.

Some animals like to hide and move around a lot, but animals are only given endangered or vulnerable status when respected scientists agree that the population is declining and action needs to be taken to help the species thrive once again.

When I was checking out some endangered animal books at the library recently, the librarian told me, “I don’t like to read those books or watch the nature channel. It just makes me so sad.”

Sadness isn’t the end result I’m going for with these posts. My goal is awareness. That’s the first step. In some cases you can even help the animals by becoming more aware of how some things you may purchase can negatively affect habitats critical to survival of endangered animals.

African ecologist Baba Dioum says it best:

“In the end we will conserve only what we love and we will love only what we understand.”

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