The Arctic Wolf

It is not a very well-known species and it certainly is not very well-studied, but the Arctic wolf (or Polar wolf) is, in many eyes, among the most majestic and symbolic creatures on Earth. Canis lupus arctos inhabits the difficult-to-access arctic regions of North America and Greenland, which gives it moderate protection from hunting and overexploitation in comparison to its cousins living farther south₍₁₎. Because the Arctic wolf is so insufficiently researched and documented, due to its extremely elusive nature, we know very little about the folklore and mythos surrounding the animal. The tales about wolves in general, however, are quite interesting; Fenrir of Norse mythology was a wolf-like monster born to the god, Loki and the giantess, Angerboda. The gods feared the dangers and evils posed by Fenrir and determined to bind him with a chain made from the sound of a cat’s footsteps, the beard of a woman, and the breath of a fish, along with a few other odd ingredients. After biting the hand of the Tyr, the god of war, law, and justice₍₂₎, Fenrir was sentenced to lie on a rock until the Ragnarök (or doomsday), at which time he will destroy his chains and deliver his fury upon the gods. It was thought that Fenrir would then consume the Sun and devour Odin, chief of the gods, only to be stabbed by Vidar, son of Odin, to avenge the death of his father₍₃₎.

Description

Just slightly smaller than the iconic Grey wolf, the Arctic wolf can measure in at almost 6 feet long, tail to nose, and weighs anywhere from 70 lbs to a whopping 175 lbs₍₁₎! Its stunning white coat is one of its key characteristics that place this wolf among the most majestic of animals, and its deep, eerie, and unsettling howl only adds to the wolf’s rank. The Polar wolf’s diet is comprised mostly of hares, muskox, and the more stereotypical, yet minor portion of its diet, caribou₍₄₎. However, as these prey become sparse over the course of a year, the wolves will gladly feast on various mice to tide themselves over.

Threats

In stark contrast to many other wolves, the Arctic wolf is not facing significant hunting and poaching risks, as it rarely comes in contact with humans. There was a time when many locals and foreigners, alike were hunting these wolves in retaliation to the decline in the caribou population (presumably the wolf’s doing) until it was discovered that humans were the ones driving the caribou towards endangerment with overhunting. Farley Mowat shares his story of researching this issue in his book Never Cry Wolf, which can be found under the “Reads” page. The Arctic wolf’s most pressing threat is, of course, the vengeful wrath of climate change. The muskox and Arctic hare have lost a significant portion of their recourses due to extreme weather conditions over the past few years, driving them away and thus making the wolf’s search for food ridiculously difficult. This does lead to the wolves targetting more caribou, one of their only remaining food sources, which will likely drive the caribou towards some level of endangerment. This could result in more hunting of the wolf, further driving this situation towards a very slippery slope₍₄₎.

Another threat to the Arctic wolf is habitat fragmentation, as roads, pipelines, mines, residential areas, and other industrial developments make their way into the Arctic. This process disrupts the wolf’s roaming and hunting territories, making it both dangerous and difficult to search for food₍₄₎.

The Importance of the Arctic Wolf

As with all major preditors, the Arctic wolf is absolutely vital when it comes to controlling the population of its prey. Without this creature, the caribou and muskox population would skyrocket, wreaking havoc on the integrity of the Arctic plains. The Arctic hare has many predators but it would nonetheless see an increase in population, over-munching on undergrowth and larger plant species ranging from small woody plants (namely Willow) to various mosses and lichens. Perhaps the loss of such a beautiful creature is, in itself why the Arctic wolf is so important.

How Can We Help?

On the to the juicy stuff! With so much negative coverage on social media and news sources, it can be hard to remain hopeful about these issues, but there is always something we can do to make the world a better place! Because of the wolf’s remote habitat, there is very little than an individual can do to help. Luckily, the World Wild Fund doesn’t rest and they put your donations to good use! WWF is working with communities, governments, and businesses to preserve the Arctic’s incredible biodiversity; Arctic wolf and all! You can take action on this or donate directly to WWF at the WWF Take Action Center. By working together, we can protect countless species and natural wonders, including the amazing Arctic wolf! What do you say?



(1) https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/arctic-wolf

(2) https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/the-aesir-gods-and-goddesses/tyr/

(3) https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fenrir

(4) https://wwf.panda.org/our_work/wildlife/profiles/mammals/arcticwolf/

(5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_hare

“howl” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXYyjqxlJyI

“Reads” http://daniel.sanescreek.com/reads/

The Amazon

Boasting land twice the size of India and maintaining the title of the largest rain-forest on earth, the amazon is perhaps one of the most critical aspects of our environment. It is home to ten percent of all known species and it accounts for fifteen percent of earth’s river discharge into oceans. However, despite the obvious concept that this forest is taking a lot of carbon from the atmosphere, there is also the risk that, as this forest is destroyed, the forest’s 140 billion metric ton carbon collection will be released right back into the atmosphere⁽¹⁾. As one could imagine, this would have detrimental implications on climate change, but we’ll get to that in the “Importance of the Amazon” section. The name “Amazon” is said to have originated from the Francisco de Orellana war, in which the women of the Orellana tribe fought alongside the men. Thus, the Orellana women adopted the name of the Amazonas from Greek mythology⁽²⁾.

Description

As previously mentioned, the amazon covers land twice the size of India, about 2.6 million square miles, 2.4 million of which is covered by rain forest, comprising half of the world’s tropical rain forests. In fact, it is so large that it spans over eight countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and Suriname⁽¹⁾. Having likely developed during the Eocene era, the Amazon has existed for approximately 55 million years, and remained savanna-free until the current ice-age, when the climate became far dryer⁽²⁾. One might visualize mighty rivers and tropical forests when considering the Amazon, but there’s far more to see than this. The Amazon encompasses rain-forests, seasonal forests, deciduous forests, flooded forests, and savannas⁽³⁾.

Threats

There are seven major threats posed at the Amazon. Primarily — you guessed it — deforestation. Ranching/agriculture, over-fishing, bio-piracy/smuggling, poaching, damming, logging, and mining have been doing a number on the Amazon’s ecosystem for decades⁽⁴⁾.

Agriculture (mainly soy and cattle farming) requires a great deal of land to be taken from the forests and this demand only grows as larger industries displace smaller farmers, driving them deeper into the forests. In fact, cattle occupy 80% of the Amazon’s deforested landscape, and agricultural runoff still contaminates the rivers⁽⁴⁾.

Over-fishing is an unfortunate side-effect of food production in the Amazon, as fish is a main ingredient in Amazonian diets. When large fishing industries come to the Amazon they often use large nets capable of hauling up entire schools of fish. It is worth noting that up to 60% of these fish are lost to spoilage⁽⁴⁾.

Bringing in roughly $20 billion annually, bio-piracy and smuggling was reported in 2008 to be one of the most lucrative illegal industries in the market next to illegal drugs, human trafficking, and arms trafficking⁽⁴⁾.

Poaching has taken up to 23.5 million animals per year to be used for food, materials, and various finished products⁽⁴⁾.

Contrary to common belief, damming and hydroelectric power in the Amazon has a devastating effect not only on the aquatic ecosystems, but also a portion of the forests, local basins as they become flooded, and the many locals who were required to relocate due to construction and safety needs. The rivers powering these dams also run the risk of poisoning from oil and chemicals spills⁽⁴⁾.

The effects of logging are fairly obvious and simple, but have proven themselves to be some of the greatest threats to the Amazon and to forests across the globe. Not only is there the loss of habitat and endangered plant life to be concerned about but the loss of root systems causes soil to erode and spill into the nearby waters as it smothers aquatic life and contaminates the rivers. An estimated 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) have been unsustainably logged since 1970⁽⁴⁾.

Mining might rarely be thought of when considering threats to a rain-forest, but mining operations require new roads that make for easier access for loggers and poachers; produce chemical waste that infects rivers; and destroy landscapes that are extremely difficult to restore⁽⁴⁾.

The Importance of the Amazon

As mentioned, the Amazon is a major hub for the world’s biodiversity, without which the ecosystem would whither and die. And holding hundreds of endangered species, the Amazon serves as a lifeline to many forms of life. What’s even more important though, is the carbon-capture properties of the rain-forest. Trees act as Earth’s main line of defense against climate change (along with algae) in that they absorb CO₂ and produce oxygen, something we all learned in elementary school, and the Amazon rain-forest has accumulated about 86 billion tons of  CO₂ over its 55 million year lifetime, adding up to one third of the world’s carbon stores⁽⁵⁾. However, not only is the forest life-saving in this regard but it is also life-threatening if destroyed. As the forest is cut down and harvested every bit of those 86 billion tons of carbon is released straight back into the environment. Some goes straight to the ground, some finds its way to water, and some gets released into the atmosphere. The key concept here is that, with this amount of added CO₂, climate change would become an immediate problem; a problem that might get too extreme to be fixed. That is, if we cut down the rain-forest.

How Can We Help?

The Amazon is nature’s power house, mediating a majority of environmental disputes, so to speak. Without it there won’t be much opportunity to help restore the environment and Earth may slowly transform into the kind of hell that Venus became, due to its own runaway greenhouse effect. But don’t panic, there’s plenty that we can do about it!

When purchasing any wood or paper-based products, check the label or the website to find out what kind of tree it is made from. Many products in the US are made from endangered tree species found in the Amazon, such as the Big-Leaf Mahogany. As the World Wildlife Fund puts it “Big-leaf mahogany, a severely threatened species found in the Amazon Basin, is more at home in a rain-forest than in your house.”

Also watch out for the kind of pets you buy. Be certain that you aren’t taking an endangered Amazonian species of fish, lizard, or bird, etc. into your home. Again, they’re much better off where they came from. It’s not always easy to know these things, so do plenty of research when purchasing anything about which you might have any suspicions. A single animal or tree can go a long way!

As always, consider a donation to the World Wildlife Fund. They’re doing impactful work in politics, conservation, and education to protect the Amazon and to preserve its wonders, mysteries, and wide variety of benefits.

 

 

 

(1). http://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/about_the_amazon/

(2). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_rainforest#Etymology

(3). https://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/

(4). https://www.rainforestcruises.com/jungle-blog/threats-facing-the-amazon-rainforest

(5). https://www.chimuadventures.com/blog/2016/12/amazon-rainforest-why-important/

The Shark

In a world with over 1,000 different shark breeds ₍₁₎, a single post to cover them all would simply be irrational. Instead, let’s focus in on four of the most critically endangered breeds: The hammerhead, the whale shark, the great white, and the natal shyshark ₍₂₎. There are other breeds that are in greater danger than these but we’ll look at these instead because, together, they flawlessly represent the different outlooks on this species as well as the nature of the shark.

Before delving into the descriptions of these sharks let’s check out some of their history. There are three major Greek mythologies surrounding the shark. The general theme? Punishment. It was said in the myth of Lamia that Lamia, daughter of Poseidon, the sea god, had an affair with Zeus, the king of the gods. When Zeus’ wife discovered this, she stole and killed all of Lamia’s children. As revenge, Lamia had Zeus turn her into a shark-monster so that she could kill and eat the children of others as revenge against Hera (Zeus’ wife). In the tale of Cetus, Andromeda bragged to Poseidon that her daughter was more beautiful than his own, after which he released a shark-monster named Cetus to kill her. However, when Perseus intervened, the monster of Cetus was destroyed. Similarly, in the myth of Akheilos, the son of Zeus boasted that he was more attractive than the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, and was therefor turned into a shark as punishment₍₃₎. As for their timeline of existence, the general species of the Shark has outlived the dinosaurs at the stunning age of 400,000,000 (four hundred million) years₍₁₎.

Description

Great White: As what is, perhaps, the most well-known of the shark breeds, the great white holds a certain reputation as a killer that it just can’t seem to loose. Its method of killing, however, is perhaps the most humane of all animals, crushing their prey with  immense force, ending its life in a single second. Even pursuits are quite rare with this shark. Ranging from 15 to 20 feet and weighing up to 2.5 tons, this is one of the largest fish in the world and is the only direct descendant of the megalodon. It mainly dines on smaller fish, dolphins, and a few seabirds₍₄₎.

Hammerhead: This shark ranges from 3 to 19 feet in length and weighs anywhere from 6 to over 1,000 pounds. It lives in a school during the day, unlike most sharks, but then hunts alone at night. The distinctive hammer-like shape of its head allows it a complete 360° view of its surroundings, but can literally be used as a hammer for stunning small fish and rays, on rare occasions. Perhaps the hammer’s most useful implication though is that, like all sharks, the pores in this shark’s head lead to sensory systems in the brain that detect the electricity given off by other organisms, and by spreading those pores out, the hammer shape creates something similar to an antenna. This particular shark eats squid, octopus, smaller fish and sharks, and they especially enjoy stingrays₍₅₎.

Natal Shyshark: The shyshark can reach up to 20 inches in length and sports a dark/light brown back with very small white dots. They received their name because of their tenancy to curl up and cover their eyes with their tail whenever they feel threatened₍₆₎.

Whale shark: With a lifespan of over 70 years₍₇₎, the whale shark weighs up to ten tons and averages at about 32 feet in length, although some researchers claim to have seen some ranging up to 69 feet long. These fish are a red/brown color with many white spots across its back. This shark lives in warm tropical waters, such as the Philippines, and (surprisingly enough) eats only plankton₍₈₎.

Threats

As mentioned before, these sharks are all endangered on some level and a few reasons exist for this. The primary issue is over-fishing. Shark Fin Soup is a delicacy is many countries and cultures but wreaks havoc upon the species that are favored for these recipes, such as the great white and the hammerhead. In addition, as with most marine animals, fishing endeavors can spell disaster for individual sharks whenever nets are involved. Hammerheads are perhaps at the most danger when it comes to fishing nets, as one could imagine, due to the odd, protruding shape of their heads. The only other major threat to these creatures is the recent rise in ocean temperatures, as sharks are extremely particular about their habitat and require very specific conditions.

The Importance of the Shark

As is the case with all predators, the shark is vital to its ecosystem because of its standing in the food web. Without the great white, for example, seal populations would skyrocket. You may be thinking that this doesn’t sound too bad since seals are extremely cute, but consider what would become of certain penguin populations if seals became too common. The shark is another vital link in the food chain that can not be allowed to break.

How Can We Help?

The main ways in which we can help is to simply be responsible with our consumption of products that may affect sharks (such as fin soup or other fish that are caught with nets in shark habitat), “adopting” a whale shark through the World Wildlife Fund, and, of course, making donations and contributions to organisations such as WWF. Many of us find sharks to be terrifying, blood-thirsty creatures but this is not true at all! Yes, some of them look a bit sinister but humans are nowhere near being listed as their intentional diet, and many, if not most, shark breeds are actually extremely docile and some are even borderline cute! That was our reason for using the four species that we did. Great whites and hammerheads tend to look pretty mean and… well hungry, whereas whale sharks are incredibly docile and shysharks, in my own opinion, are actually kind of cute. I hope that this diversity in our book’s cover has shown us just how different its pages might be. Just know that these aren’t monsters sent as a punishment from the gods, but are instead scared inhabitants of earth, just hoping to live another day.

 

 

(1). https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/shark

(2). https://blog.nature.org/science/2018/07/23/meet-the-worlds-10-most-endangered-sharks/

(3). https://www.sharksider.com/shark-mythology/

(4). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark

(5). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammerhead_shark

(6). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natal_shyshark

(7). https://blog.nature.org/science/2014/04/09/whale-sharks-swimming-with-the-worlds-largest-fish/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAwc7jBRD8ARIsAKSUBHI7m9xRcqfPQiFV0cnO1rgc6F9Za5Am_gxLDdTRIyI2tJVg05fJqkEaAhqJEALw_wcB

(8). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_shark

The Philippine Eagle

The Philippine Eagle, one of the largest eagle species in the world, is probably best known for its incredible ability to carry away creatures as large as monkeys₍₁₎. It is said by the Bagobo Tagabawa people that a banog (great eagle) once carried a man away to its nest before having an eaglet. This eaglet then became friends with the man and eventually returned him to his people. The man then named his son, who would be the founder of the first Tagabawa villages, after this eagle. The title of Datu Banog is still used for many leaders in this culture who have special wisdom and courage₍₁₎.

Description

The Philippine eagle is the second largest eagle species in the world (beaten, in bulk, by the harpy eagle but still winning in height) and weighs anywhere between eight to seventeen pounds and stands roughly a meter tall₍₂₎, with an average wingspan of 6.5 feet₍₁₎. Its colorations are your basic variations of brown with a white underbelly (nothing special there) but this eagle does display an impressive feather-crest around its face and neck which is frequently described as a main or a warlike headdress. It utilizes a large, curved, black beak for tearing at meat and prey, and it has been described as having blue eyes, although that is not always the case.

Threats

Of course, this creature does face critical endangerment with only 400 of them remaining in the wild, dispersed over four of the 6,000 Philippine islands, Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. As is the case for many endangered species, the Philippine eagles’ greatest threat is deforestation. Having lost 75% of their forests, the Philippines are home to prized tropical hardwood trees among illegal loggers; the same trees that the eagles nest in. It doesn’t help that females only lay one egg every two years, and that the eaglet remains with its parents for a year and a half; there isn’t much opportunity for recovery. As the now grown eagle roams on its own for four years until it reaches sexual maturity, it tends to aggravate farmers by frequently preying on their livestock and even small dogs. This results in many farmers declining the opportunity to help these eagles through agroforestry and by guarding the area from poachers. Nor could one blame them. After all, why would they help something that is impairing their way of life? Therefor, economic incentives have routinely been offered to these farmers by conservation agencies and they are often quite effective₍₁₎.

The Importance of the Philippine Eagle

The Philippine eagle is the top predator of the Philippines, keeping its entire ecosystem balanced. The loss of this vital link would result in the immediate entanglement of the food web, and would cause some severe issues for the people and animals of the Philippines. Not only is this eagle necessary for the health of its environment, it also serves as a major component of the Philippine culture and mythology. In addition, this creature attracts so much tourism that is even plays a role in the Philippine economy!₍₃₎

How Can We Help?

Although the help that we can personally offer these eagles is extremely limited, there are a number of conservation efforts to which we can donate in hopes of further protection for the Philippine eagles’ habitat, as well as further educational opportunities for those who do have hands-on opportunities, such as the Philippine Eagle Foundation, and other efforts that can be found through the Whitney Fund for Nature. We have conquered nature in many ways and we have the ability, the responsibility, to save it whenever a savior may be required.

(1). https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/01/philippine-eagle-chick-birth-to-flight/

(2). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_eagle#Description

(3). http://www.philippineeaglefoundation.org/the-philippine-eagle

The Snow Leopard

Prowling the mountains of Russia, Pakistan, and India, the snow leopard sums up the sheer power and beauty of every big cat in the world. Nepalese myths of the snow leopard range from it being the “fence” of the crops (herds of livestock would roam freely, destroying crops, if it weren’t for the leopard), to being the “dog” that would be sent to kill livestock when the mountain god became angry. The snow leopard portrays such beauty that it was, and still is, considered to be the highest of sins to kill. It was believed that these snow leopards were reincarnates with the intention of redeeming their past sins, and it was thought that, by killing them, their sins would be transferred to you₍₁₎. Of course, the snow leopard is far more than a myth. It is a legend.

Description

The snow leopard (Panthera Uncia) is far more unique than most leopard breeds. Although it sports the same vibrant spots as other leopards, its fur is a stunning white and it has a hint of blue in its eyes. But perhaps its most unique feature is its enormous tail. These magnificent cats rely on their agility to maneuver through the steep cliffs and rocks of the mountains, and a large tail can help them significantly with balance, speed, and support. These cats range from two to five feet in length and have a total population of approximately 4,080 (minimum). Their habitat is specifically the cold, high regions of mountains. ₍₂₎ And let’s be sure to note that these creatures can land a jump of fifty feet!₍₃₎

Threats

Now, we didn’t just fall off of the turnip truck, so to speak. We all know what tends to come of the beautiful creatures of Planet Earth, and the snow leopard holds no exception. Unfortunately, this cat also holds no exception to the cause of its endangerment: Humans. Although many killings of this animal are understandable, primarily driven by retaliation to the loss of livestock, many snow leopards are hunted for a different reason: Leopard furs don’t come cheap. However, one of the greatest reasons for their endangerment is habitat loss. As settlement continues to grow and expand, more and more of the snow leopards’ territory is invaded, destroyed, and then constructed upon.₍₂₎ A whopping two-thirds of these leopards’ habitat is severely threatened by climate change, and much of it is also threatened by mining operations.₍₄₎

The Importance of the Snow Leopard

So what if the snow leopard goes extinct? What do I care? It’s quite simple, really. Like most big cats, the snow leopard is at the top of their respective food chain, bested only by humans, and they keep the populations of their prey under control. And, as we all learned in elementary school, what affects one link of one food chain will affect the entire food web. One by one, species will overpopulate and cause the extinction of other species, which will, in turn, eliminate the prey of another species, causing its extinction, and so on and so forth, until this cascade effect will begin to reach our own lives. Because the balance or imbalance of the food web both promotes and demotes certain species, based on predator-prey relations, the snow leopard not only keeps its prey from becoming over-populated but also keeps other species from becoming endangered by keeping their predators under control. Due to their crucial role in the balance of the food web, the snow leopard would be a dangerous loss and would spell some serious issues for us, as well as other species immediately, or even moderately, related to the snow leopard in the context of natural order.

How Can We Help?

If lost, the snow leopard could spell disaster; disaster that we simply can’t afford, and things aren’t looking good for the leopard. But hope is not lost. There are many ways for us to do our part in protecting our fellow inhabitants of Earth, including adopting a symbolic snow leopard, making simple donations, and supporting research projects of your own choice. These options and more can be found here, with the Snow Leopard trust. This creature was impaired by us, destroyed by us, and can now be saved by us. Which will you choose to do?

(1). http://snowleopardconservancy.org/text/myth/nepmyths.htm

(2). https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/snow-leopard

(3). https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/s/snow-leopard/

(4). https://www.snowleopard.org/statement-iucn-red-list-status-change-snow-leopard/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAhKviBRCNARIsAAGZ7CcAGtP6zZEj0LFD8q87rvmC7WFp3LdeAWwdc2lWHH8s5S3Oyqs8oFUaAt0sEALw_wcB