Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2019 i Faces People, Places, and World Culture for Kids and Children

1. Scientists are using drones to protect animals. Drones cover more ground than people, are cheaper than hiring an airplane or helicopter, and can reach places that bigger aircraft can’t get to. Drones are used to gather information such as the numbers of animals in a specific area or the location of illegal hunters. 2. Zoos and aquariums around the world breed endangered and threatened species in captivity and later release some of them into the wild. Captive breeding programs have been successful in saving species such as the black-footed ferret, California condor, red wolf, and Arabian oryx from extinction. 3. A keystone species is a plant or animal that has an impact on an entire ecosystem. For example, when beavers build dams, the marshy area they create provides habitat…

How do you count orangutans that nest way up high in the canopy of a rainforest? Or vaccinate burrow-dwelling prairie dogs against a deadly disease? Ecologists and biologists often face these kinds of practical challenges in their mission to protect animals. In some cases, the solution has been a gadget once used only by the military: drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, are small aircraft that fly without a pilot on board. Drones can be operated via remote control. Their flight paths can also be programmed ahead of time. Some people fly drones for fun. Drones can go where people can’t, which makes them useful for studying animals. Scientists often need to know how many individuals of a species remain in the wild. They use those numbers to determine which…

STARFISH Look around at the coast of the Pacific Ocean. You’ll see lots of water and sand, but this landscape is also teeming with plant and animal life. Starfish, mussels, many different barnacles, snails, and algae all thrive here. Of all these species, one is an especially important partner that helps the others survive: the starfish. Because starfish eat mussels and Mitella barnacles, other plants and animals definitely would notice if the starfish disappeared. The mussel and Mitella barnacle populations would grow into a gang of bullies and crowd out smaller species. Those species would go away to find a friendlier home. Then the mussels and Mitella barnacles would have their pick of the algae and would eat it all. With the algae gone, the other species that eat algae…

It’s no secret that many animals around the world, from pets to wildlife and ocean creatures, are at risk. Fortunately, many groups are dedicated to helping animals of every size and shape. Most of these groups are looking for volunteers and supporters. AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS ( ASPCA ) The ASPCA is one of the oldest organizations in the United States dedicated to protecting animals. Founded in 1866, it is now found all over the world. Its members believe that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment. They work to find homes for strays, rescue animals from events like natural disasters, and prevent cruel practices such as dog fighting and puppy mills. There are many ways to help the ASPCA with their mission. You…

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) Least Concern (LC) Species is widespread. Jaguar (Panthera onca) Near Threatened (NT) Species will most likely qualify as threatened in the near future. Black Spider Monkey (Ateles paniscus) Vulnerable (VU) Fewer than 10,000 adult individuals of this species exist. Probability that it will be extinct: at least 10 percent. Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) Endangered (EN) Fewer than 2,500 adult individuals exist. Probability that it will be extinct in the wild: at least 20 percent within 20 years or 5 generations. Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis) Critically Endangered (CR) Fewer than 250 adult individuals exist. Probability that it will be extinct in the wild: at least 50 percent within 10 years or 3 generations. Wild Wyoming Toad (Bufo baxteri) Extinct in the Wild (EW) Species only exists in…

Can you imagine a better home for marine animals than the Great Barrier Reef? Swimming freely among the colorful corals and tropical fish sounds pretty dreamy, right? So, why is there a turtle hospital there? What’s harming turtles like the green sea turtles and loggerheads of the Great Barrier Reef? TURTLE TROUBLES All six of the Great Barrier Reef’s marine turtle species are classified as threatened, endangered, or critically endangered. What are the major hazards to the reef’s sea turtle populations? Areas along the coast by the reef are becoming more and more developed. This leads to the loss of food and habitat. Water pollution and boating accidents are also dangers. Other challenges for the turtles include getting caught in fishing nets and eating discarded plastic or other debris. The…

THE INCREDIBLE ORCA The orca (aka “killer whale”) is an impressive animal that has been the top predator in the sea for millions of years. Killer “whales” are actually the largest member of the dolphin family. They live in every single ocean and share the familiar black and white coloring. Beyond that, orcas look, behave, communicate, and eat differently, depending on where they live. Orcas travel in pods, which are groups that hunt together, migrate together, protect one another, and share care of their young. Many generations live together in a pod, led by the oldest female. WHAT IS THE J POD? If you are thinking the J pod comes right after the I pod, you are on the right track. In the Salish Sea, off the coast of Washington…

Pandas, although threatened by humans, do not have many other predators. With their strong jaws, large bodies, and strength, not many animals dare to mess with them. A giant panda’s diet consists of almost entirely bamboo. They occasionally eat small animals and fish, but that only accounts for about 1 percent of their diet. Pandas have special qualities that help them get and eat bamboo. They have strong teeth that slice and crush tough bamboo stems. A lining in their throats prevents them from getting bamboo splinters. Pandas work hard to get their food. They have six fingers on each hand to help them grab bamboo and remove leaves or stems from plants before they eat them. Pandas spend more than 12 hours a day eating. Humans spend about 67…

Migratory birds are truly citizens of the world. Their journeys to and from breeding grounds take them to far-flung corners of the globe. During these travels, they encounter conditions that threaten their very survival. Although weather, predators, and other natural dangers create many of these risks, humans play a role as well. Why Do Birds Need Protection? When the earliest Europeans arrived in North America, millions of passenger pigeons filled the skies. Observers once saw a flock that literally took three days to pass overhead. Yet because hunters killed so many for food and settlers cut down their forest homes, passenger pigeons became extinct by 1914. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, egrets, ducks, and other species faced extinction because of a fashion trend. Millions of birds died so…

Silently he crept through the jagged thornbushes. Bare feet moved swiftly over hot, arid soil to the edge of a waterhole where the kudu was drinking. The great animal suddenly looked up, spiral horns curving sharply into the endless African sky. Nsue (neh-SOO-ee) did not reach for his pouch of poisoned arrows. He had no heart for killing. This would not be the day he would change his childish boyhood name. Nsue left the salt pan and climbed the barren hillside to the cool twilight of the rock caves. Tonight would be the Festival of the New Moon, and Nsue had nothing to contribute to the feast. His sister, Nandi, had found four plump tsama melons to share. Nsue lay on his back and studied the ancient paintings that lined…

Jumbled here you will find a quote attributed to Jane Goodall. The letters are directly below the column in which they fit, but they are mixed up within the column. It is your job to determine where each letter goes. Answers to the right on this page. Picture Credits: TheWonderWays/Shutterstock.com: inside front cover; FloridaStock/Shutterstock.com: 2-3, 25 (bottom); Peter Gyure/Shutterstock.com: 4 (left); Ronnie Howard/Shutterstock.com: 4 (center); Emi/Shutterstock.com: 4 (right); Waterframe/ Alamy Stock Photo: 4-5; Trevor Wright/Alamy Stock Photo: 5 (left); Ryan Dorgan/AP: 5 (center); FLHC53/Alamy Stock Photo: 5 (right); Azoor Wildlife Photo/Alamy Stock Photo: 6; Sergey Uryadnikov/Shutterstock.com: 7; Alex Yuzhakov/Shutterstock.com: 8-9; AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File: 10 (top), 10 (bottom); AP Photo/Anupam Nath: 10 (center), 11 (top); Bodo Schackow/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images: 11 (bottom); yakub88/Shutterstock.com: jumpingsack/Shutterstock.com: 11 (bottom right): 12; courtesy Tara Harris/Phoenix Zoo:…