wild animals
Animals the way nature intended it; explore the world of wild animals and the controversies surrounding domestication and hunting of feral beasts.
Freeing Lolita the Killer Whale Is Not an Option
Lolita is a Southern Resident killer whale who was believed to have been born in 1966 to the Southern Resident orca population. She was collected on August 8, 1970 off the coast of Penn Cove, Washington where she was kept in a pen-based facility for about a month before she was sent to Miami Seaquarium in Key Biscayne, FL. There, she spent the first ten years of her life at the facility with a male orca named Hugo, who was believed to have come from the same pod as she did, until his death in 1980. She has been the only orca in its care since. Today, she currently resides at the facility with four Pacific white sided dolphins, who serve as her companions, and is one of two living killer whales to have been collected from the Pacific Northwest during the 1960s and 70s. Yet, despite the fact that Lolita continues to thrive at Miami Seaquarium, animal rights extremists want Lolita to be “released” from the only home she has ever known for the last 48 years by putting her in a potentially dangerous “return-to-the-wild” that would be run by those with very little to no expertise in animal care. I am here to explain why freeing Lolita may not be in her best interest.
By Jenna Deedy8 years ago in Petlife
Top Ten LGBT+ Animals
Have you ever heard someone say that being gay isn’t “natural?” Well, I have some bad news for them: nature is gay AF. Our world has numerous examples of animals that change gender, engage in same-sex activity, and throw gender norms out completely. Here’s my top ten animals from across the LGBT+ spectrum.
By Katy Preen8 years ago in Petlife
Zoos: Good or Bad?
Animals all over the world are being abused and mistreated. It is unfortunate that there are people that don’t care about said animals. Luckily, there are zoos to help. After reviewing the three sources, "What Zoos Do" by Amy Miller, "Issue Overview: Should We Have Zoos?" by Shayna Owens, and "Lifespan of Female Elements in Zoos and the Wild," you learn about all of the good that zoos in America have done. There are many people who believe that zoos are a reason for this claim, however, in reality, zoos are more beneficial because they make conservation efforts around the world and rescue said animals from abuse.
By Isabella S8 years ago in Petlife
The Box Jellyfish. Top Story - June 2018.
Box Jellyfish are very old, surviving for more than 500 million years. One woman named Diana Nyad, known for swimming from Cuba to Florida, was not as successful as she appears. Three of her five attempts were stopped by the horrid sting of the Box Jellyfish. Although she was hospitalized for several weeks, that determined woman fought through the blood-curdling experience of a sting. If you haven’t heard before, the Box Jellyfish are very powerful creatures, leaving you wanting to die.
By Grace Mitchell8 years ago in Petlife
Sanctuaries and Cetacean "Bans"
Recently, an animal rights group known as the "Whale Sanctuary Project" revealed its desire to develop a marine mammal "sanctuary" that would house cetaceans that have spent most of their lives in human care in southeastern Nova Scotia. The pen, which would house up to ten orcas, would be about the size of around 40 soccer fields and might open by 2020 even though it would cost around $20 million for the project to be completed. Sounds ideal right?
By Jenna Deedy8 years ago in Petlife
From the Diary of a Conservationist—August 2015
As the sun rises and the light starts to diffuse across the water of the Zambezi, an elephant drinks and a warm feeling enters your heart. Water rolls over the smoke that thunders, hippos huff and puff, and in the Luangwa valley, a lion's roar dances through the morning mist. A fish eagle looks patiently into the depths of the Kafue river and another day has begun in one of the most beautiful places on this delicate planet.
By Andrew White8 years ago in Petlife
Top 10 Strangest Flying Animals That Are Not Birds
The world is full of amazing animals that have never failed to stun the mankind. Amongst them, the ones that have always managed to catch the attention of the observers/researchers are the flying animals! These animals may not have wings like birds, but their aerodynamic structures provide them the ability to fly. Here are the top ten strangest flying animals that are not birds.
By Carol Wilson8 years ago in Petlife
What Swimming With Sharks for the First Time Was Like. Top Story - May 2018.
Like any Jaws-era child, I grew up frightened of sharks. Don't get me wrong, I never believed they were mindless monsters who purposefully seek out humans to attack, but I definitely didn't trust them. So much so that as a little girl I wouldn't even swim alone in a pool. I was convinced one would somehow sneak through the filter and "get" me — clearly I didn't understand how filters worked yet.
By Natalie Kate8 years ago in Petlife
