wild animals
Animals the way nature intended it; explore the world of wild animals and the controversies surrounding domestication and hunting of feral beasts.
Don’t Feed Wild Marine Mammals
In a previous article, I discussed how one California woman attempted to stop a group of beach-goers from harassing a colony of wild sea lions. Although I did talk about how it's illegal to play with, touch, or even feed a wild marine mammal, I did not mention how it can inflict potential harm. Word of caution, what I am about to describe may be a little upsetting to some readers, but at the same time, it’s critical to be very cautious when watching marine mammals out in the wild.
By Jenna Deedy7 years ago in Petlife
Hippos: Giant Chubby Death Machines
It should come as no surprise to any fan of African wildlife: the hippopotamus remains one of the deadliest land-based animals. This giant semi-aquatic creature defends its territory ruthlessly, and many safari experts warn to keep distance and never get into the water near a hippo. Often described as ‘the most dangerous animal in all of Africa,’ the massive beast reported as being surprisingly agile with various speeds of 14-20+ mph, meaning it will chase you down, and it will nom on you.
By Justin A. Legare7 years ago in Petlife
Six Facts About the Whale Shark
The largest shark to ever be alive today, the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeds on plankton and travels very long distances in order to find enough food to sustain their large size and breed. These sharks can grow up to 40 feet long and weight up to about 11 tons. They are found in all of the world’s tropical oceans and are regarded as gentle giants. Here are some Six facts about these magnificent sharks (Disclaimer: Despite the name, whale sharks are not related to whales in any shape or form).
By Jenna Deedy8 years ago in Petlife
A Monk Seal Called KP2 (Or Hō’ailona by Some)
They say that not all human-seal conflicts end in death in Hawaii, which is the case for KP2 who, at only a few days old, was rescued by a NOAA veterinarian after seeing he was alone, attempting to nurse from some rocks and calling out for his mother, RK22, who was nowhere in sight. Because RK22 had a history of rejecting her pups shortly after birth, a decision was made to rescue and rehabilitate him in the hopes of, not only preventing a potential death of a rejected pup, but also ensuring the survival of a critically endangered mammal, whose numbers were only around 1,100. From there, he was taken to the Kewalo Research Facility in Oahu.
By Jenna Deedy8 years ago in Petlife
Six Facts About Dugongs. Top Story - August 2018.
Dugongs, while similar to manatees, are shorter and slender comparing to their western hemisphere well-known marine mammals to have ever been studied in the Southern Hemisphere, research that has been done on the animals would eventually give way to the rise of manatee research in the United States and Brazil. These animals are known to grow up to 11 feet long and weight up to 2,200 pounds.
By Jenna Deedy8 years ago in Petlife
The Hypocrisy of Thomas Cook Travel Agency When It Comes to Zoos and Aquariums
Recently, Thomas Cook, a travel agency that is based in the United Kingdom, recently announced that it would no longer include marine mammal facilities that house orcas. The decision was likely influenced by animal rights extremists who target any zoo or aquarium that houses cetaceans. However, aside from the fact that it was an animal rights influence that made the company say “adios” to anything SeaWorld or Loro Parque, it’s the fact that Thomas Cook does have some ties to a facility based in China that houses cetaceans that were collected from waters off of Taiji, Japan.
By Jenna Deedy8 years ago in Petlife
Dear Parents, Don’t Let Your Kids Play With the Sea Lions on the Beach!
A California woman was recently visiting Point La Jolla Beach just right outside of San Diego, California when she saw a disturbing site: A group of families visiting the state harassing a colony of California sea lions. Andrea Else Hahn was visiting La Jolla’s famous sea lion rookery on Sunday when she witnessed a group of visiting tourists harassing a colony of sea lions by attempting to take selfies with them, feeding them, petting them, playing with them, and there was even a number of kids kicking sand at some juvenile sea lions. For three days, Hahn, continued to film the growing public ignorance and ongoing violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This was despite a number of signs that were written in three different languages that advised the public to not attempt to feed, pet, nor harass the sea lions.
By Jenna Deedy8 years ago in Petlife
Morgan's Story
The above picture is that of an Orca Named Morgan. She was Captured about six years ago when she was spotted swimming alone in the waters off the Netherlands. She was not stranded or in distress but was extremely underweight, but still able to swim on her own. She was captured by a local theme park Dolfinarium Harderwijk, under a Dutch Government issued "rescue, rehabilitation and release" permit. She was supposed to be rehabilitated and then reintroduced to her family, whom she was not with at the time of capture. Scientists have recorded Morgans echo's and sounds and have found a pod that shows promise to be her family. Everything looked like it was going to have a happy ending for this young whale.
By Rebecca Slaney8 years ago in Petlife
Silent No More
Loro Parque. Situated in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, it is apparently considered "the best zoo in the world" according to the park's website and numerous posters plastered across the island. It's hard to ignore the appeal of such a place that offers the world's largest indoor penguin enclosure and Europe's largest shark tunnel, whilst also playing host to a variety of different animal shows throughout the day. So, having been in Tenerife myself recently on holiday with family it seemed only right that which should pay a visit of our own to such a thrilling place. And to be quite honest, from the family-friendly exterior it's hard to imagine that anything could be wrong with a place so driven by the conservation of endangered animals. However, as most people should have come to understand by now, all is not as it seems from the outside looking in and after doing my own research off of knowledge I vaguely had already I discovered something that needs to be uncovered.
By Beth Titchmarsh8 years ago in Petlife
Five Things to Know About Great White Sharks
One of the most celebrated species of shark in the world, the great white shark (Carchardon carcharias) is regarded as the largest species of predatory shark on Earth. A healthy adult shark can grow up to 21 feet in length and weight up to 4,000 pounds. In addition to having powerful jaws that are full of large serrated teeth, they are also capable of exerting lethal forces of more than 20 tons per square inch when biting on prey and foreign objects. So, in honor of “Shark Week”, here are five facts to know about the great white shark...
By Jenna Deedy8 years ago in Petlife
Behind the Scenes
The first elephant to be born in captivity in the western hemisphere went by the name "Packy", he was an Asian elephant who lived until the age of 44, which is premature for this breed of elephant as they normally live up to 60 years. Although Packy was the firstborn in captivity in the US, elephants being subjected to capture and taming started more than 4,000 years ago. Many people assume because an elephant has been tamed that its natural place is with humans, which isn't the case because elephants aren't domesticated animals as it takes generations after generations for an animal to become domesticated. Now there are still over 15,000 elephants in captivity for our own entertainment.
By Lillie Maria8 years ago in Petlife
An Unforgettable Moment
This is my personal experience of the first time I truly realized the vast beauty and authenticity of Mother Nature... It was a hot and bright day in the Abacos Islands, a good one for boating to the stingrays. As I packed my snorkel gear and baseball cap, I looked out into the flat and crystal clear ocean, as it sparkled blue light shimmers into the sky. We loaded the boat and we were off. We were racing across the ocean; salty air filled my nose, as the strong breeze tangled my hair. After what seemed like minutes later, we slowly crept up onto a little bay. Peeking over the edge of the boat, my eyes lit up. Stingrays filled the bay, gently gliding through the shining water. My breath had been taken away by the fascinating, intricately-designed creatures.
By Nicole Wenger8 years ago in Petlife
