Earth Song - Michael Jackson

We are all homo sapiens, in other words - wise humans, yet we have succeeded in disrupting the balance that is so essential to life on earth. I´d like you to watch and listen cautiously to the lyrics of this video, a favorite song of mine called Earth Song – sung by Michael Jackson. In my opinion, this is one of the most powerful songs ever to get the message across about what is happening to this lovely planet of ours: Drought, Over-fishing, Deforestation, Pollution and War. Watch and listen cautiously to this amazing song and decide for yourself...

Earth Song – Lyrics

The World's Most Intelligent Creature

Like other great apes, the orangutans are highly intelligent creatures. They are actually considered the world’s most intelligent animal other than humans, with higher learning and problem solving ability than chimpanzees. These amazing creatures are capable of using leaves to make rain hats and leak-proof roofs over their sleeping nests. In some food-rich areas, these creatures had developed a complex culture in which adults would teach adolescents how to make tools and find food. Orangutans, along with chimpanzees, gorillas and other apes, have even exposed laughter-like vocalizations in reply to physical contact, such as playing, chasing or tickling.

Native to Indonesia and Malaysia, they spend about 90 percent of their time in the trees of their tropical rainforest homes in Sumatra and Borneu. Their arms, which are well suited to their lifestyle, are longer than any other great ape. The arm-span of a male Orangutan may stretch around 7 feet (2.1meters) from fingertip to fingertip. They are about twice as long as their legs. Orangutans have curved fingers and toes which allows them to have a better grip on the branches. Unlike gorillas and chimpanzees, orangutans are not true knuckle-walkers, and are instead fist-walkers. Their hair is long and is typically reddish-brown.

Orangutans are more solitary than other apes and can be fiercely territorial. Although orangutans are generally passive, aggression towards other orangutans is very common. These creatures emit plenty of rumbling, howling calls as they move throughout the forests in order to make sure that they stay out of each other’s way. These howling/rumbling calls can be heard as far as 1.2 miles (2 km) away. Mothers and their infants, however, share a very special bond. Infants will stay with their mothers for about six to seven years until they develop the skills to survive on their own. Female orangutans give birth only once every eight years—the longest time period of any animal. The animals are long-lived and have survived as long as 60 years in captivity. The Orangutans diet consists mainly of fruit and leaves gathered from rain forest trees. They also eat bark, insects and on vary rare occasions, meat.

The Sumatran species is critically endangered and the Bornean species of orangutans is endangered according the IUCN Red List of mammals, and both are listed in Appendix I of CITES. Because orangutans live in only a few places, and because they are so dependent upon trees, they are particularly susceptible to logging, mining, forest fires as well as fragmentation by roads in these areas. Unfortunately, deforestation and other human activities, such as hunting and illegal pet trade have placed the orangutan in danger of extinction. Once again, all I have to say is that “Humans Keep on Messing up the Lovely Plant We Live In!”

Source: Wikipedia

The Perfect Gift for Life

The time of year has come for you to start thinking of the ideal Christmas gift for the people that you truly care for. Well, if you have a special friend or anyone in your family that has a deep affection for animals, an IFAW gift could be the perfect gift for them…

Every IFAW Gift comes in a striking Gift Portfolio featuring a beautiful gift card and Gift for Life Certificate. The latest issue of IFAW’s attractive World Magazine is also included so that they learn more about the organization. Animal lovers will be delighted with such a gift. The Certificate is issued in their name – showing the value of your gift and the animals the gift will help – it is a unique gift that will live on. An IFAW Gift is contrary to other gifts that are usually placed aside, and sometimes even forgotten, after the holidays.

These gifts are available in a range of different values, from as little as $15 and up to $500. So why not SHOP NOW and choose a gift that will mean the most to your loved ones and at the same time, this gift will also be helping animals in desperate need.

Wildlife Crossing For Animals

Every day we hear about an animal or animals such as black bears, wolves, moose and deer that have been hit and killed by cars and trucks on the highway. In order to reduce these risks some roads have wildlife crossing structures which involve under-passages, over-passages, viaducts, tunnels and green roofs. These Wildlife crossings allow animals to cross roads safely in order to prevent the so called “Road-kill”- (which means the remains of an animal or animals killed on the road by motor vehicles).
After many years of research, biologists reached the conclusion that road-killls can be a considerable threat to small populations. Species that have difficulty in migrating across roads in order to get to resources such as food and shelter will experience reduced reproductive and survival rates, which can compromise the viability of wildlife populations throughout the world. Wildlife vehicle collisions have a significant cost for the human population as well; many passengers have been injured and killed because of collusions. Fortunately, Wildlife crossings appear to be highly effective at reducing both habitat fragmentation and wildlife-vehicle collusions caused by roads. All of these wildlife crossing structures have been designed to provide semi-natural corridors above and below roads so that animals can safely cross without endangering themselves and motorists. The combination of wildlife crossings and roadside fencing has helped reduce the mortality of several keystone species such as the Florida panther.

The first wildlife crossing structures were constructed in France during the 1950's. The most recognizable wildlife crossing structures in the world are found in Banff National Park in Alberta, where vegetated overpasses provide safe passages over the Trans-Canada Highway for bears, moose, deer, wolves and many other species.