The Unity of Peace and Power

One of my favourite childhood stories is that of Tarzan. As a child I saw an old black and white movie, Tarzan of the Apes, and was amazed –  a child being raised by apes...um, how cool is that? When I was older, I read most of the Tarzan novels by his creator Edgar Rice Burroughs and loved them; I’d highly recommend them to anyone. While the species of ape in Burroughs’ books is fictitious, I always pictured them as gorillas. Later came Disney’s animated film in 1999 and the story was introduced to a whole new generation of children. In this version, it is gorillas that raise Tarzan. My nephew was about 3 when the movie came out on video and I watched it with him...over and over again the way kids do! But that was fine with me; I’d sit through it 1,000 times it’s so great and with the soundtrack by Phil Collins, how can you lose? My fascination with gorillas continues to this day and admittedly they are my favourite primate.

As mentioned above, gorillas are primates – so are other apes, monkeys, lemurs and humans (that’s right everyone, these are our RELATIVES and science has the DNA to prove it). There are many, many different species of primates and different classifications within that large group, definitely way too many to discuss in this blog.  The one distinction I will make, because it is a mistake I hear often, is this: gorillas are not monkeys. Gorillas are classified as ‘great apes’ along with orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos (pygmy chimps). Not wanting to get too complex here I will simply say that if the primate you are looking at does not have a tail, it is an ape. If it has a tail, it’s a monkey or another kind of primate, like a lemur for example.

The largest of the great apes, an average male gorilla weighs around 193 kilos (425 pounds); females are about half the size. Males have powerful jaws, huge muscular arms with an impressive span of over 2 metres (7 feet) and are about 10 times stronger than a human. Gorillas live in family groups called troops that can range in size but usually consist of one adult male, several of his females and their offspring – and the bond in these families is very strong. A sexually mature male has silvery grey fur covering his back, hence the term ‘silverback’. It’s the silverback’s job to keep his troop safe, settle any group squabbles, and it is he alone that mates with the adult females in his family. But younger males may encroach on a silverback’s territory trying to mate with his females or trying to take over his family altogether. If it comes to blows these battles can be brutal but most males try things like posturing and displays of strength to intimidate each other in hopes of avoiding outright fighting.   

Yet for all their strength and the occasional territory battle, these beautiful animals are incredibly quiet and peaceful. It only takes one look into their eyes and a few moments of study to see how similar they are to us – and it’s incredible. Amazingly, although they are the largest of the apes, they have a vegetarian diet. They eat fruit, vegetables, bamboo, thistles and other plants; occasionally they may eat some insects but that’s not a staple in their diet. They move throughout the day, constantly grazing in order to fuel their large bodies.  

As with most animals, gorillas are divided into different sub-species. Western lowland, eastern lowland and mountain gorillas are likely the most familiar to you. Gorillas live in the rainforests of Central and West Africa, although the mountain gorilla lives in montane rainforests. Unfortunately, gorillas are  critically endangered and total numbers are estimated somewhere between 120,000 - 125,000; mountain gorilla numbers are very low with only about 786 individuals. Rampant deforestation, mining and illegal hunting for their meat and trophies is pushing these incredible animals to the brink of extinction. There are many great conservation organizations working hard to save them. One you may have heard of is the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, http://gorillafund.org/. It was Dr. Fossey who made it her life’s work to study mountain gorillas starting in 1966, and it is because of her (and those who have continued her work) that we know much of what we do today about these incredible apes.    

Another great organization is The Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project. They work tirelessly with the very small remaining mountain gorilla population helping to keep them safe and healthy. Check out their website at http://gorilladoctors.org/, it has great information and there’s even a blog you can follow.

Returning to Tarzan for a moment, I think the reason I love the story so much is because it teaches us about compassion for other beings; Kala, a female ape loses her own baby and is devastated so when she finds Tarzan she adopts him, raises and loves him the same way she would have the baby she lost. The story teaches us to celebrate our similarities and not to focus on the things that make us different. We all need a family, a safe place to live, food, and water – as Phil Collins sings on Disney’s Tarzan soundtrack ‘we’re not so different at all.’ This is not only true of gorillas, but of all other beings and if we started to think about things in this context I believe the planet would be in better shape, definitely a kinder place to live. A little something to contemplate as you put your children to sleep and dream about their futures.

The Spotted Wind

I’ve always been partial to cats. Growing up we had a family cat and as an adult I’ve had 3 feline friends to date. When it comes to their wild relatives I don’t have a favourite really – they are all amazing in their own way – but there’s no denying how absolutely fascinating I find the cheetah. During my visit to Tanzania in 2008, I was fortunate enough to see wild cheetahs; I saw them in both the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. And wow, are they ever beautiful!



Cheetah in Serengeti National Park ©Lenore N



Unlike lions or leopards that are built for strength, cheetahs are built for speed. They are the fastest land animal on the planet reaching speeds of about 110 kilometres per hour (70 MPH)! A few weeks ago I wrote an entry on animal adaptations. I talked about the difference between generalist species and specialist species. Cheetahs are most definitely specialists. But what is it that makes the cheetah so fast? It’s their amazing structural and physiological adaptations that allow this cat to move as fast as it does.

They have a flexible spine allowing all four paws to be off the ground at the same time, long legs to propel them forward, semi-retractable claws for gripping the ground as they run, a long tail that acts as a rudder for balance as they turn on a dime, a big chest cavity for their large lungs and heart to pump the amount of oxygen and blood needed to run at those speeds, small dentition (especially their canines) allowing for an enlarged nasal passage for taking in oxygen and small head and ears for aerodynamics.

This short video from BBC Nature Collections illustrates some of these adaptations:

Cheetahs are diurnal, meaning that they are most active during the day. Their spots provide excellent camouflage in the long African grasses as they wait for the perfect opportunity to ambush their favourite prey, Thompson’s gazelle. And because they hunt during the day, their black under-eye 'tear' markings help to reduce the glare of the sun. What, you didn’t think the NFL came up with that on their own did you?

Unfortunately, no matter how fast they are, they can’t outrun how quickly their numbers are dropping – the cheetah is endangered. At one time, these cats ranged throughout Africa and Asia. Now there are only an estimated 100 remaining in Iran and somewhere between 10,000 to 12,500 in sub-Saharan Africa; its last true stronghold is Namibia with about 3,000 individuals. Loss of habitat and conflict with livestock farmers who indiscriminately trap and kill them are severe threats to the cheetah. Add to that a decline in prey and competition with larger predators like lions and hyenas who may steal their kills and it equals big trouble for these incredible cats.  

One of the world’s leading cheetah conservation organizations is The Cheetah Conservation Fund, founded by Dr. Laurie Marker. They focus on conservation and management strategies outside of protected parks and reserves and their overall objective is to secure the survival of cheetahs in suitable African habitats. For more information on their work and for everything you could ever want to know about cheetahs, visit their website: http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=home.

It would be a tragedy to loose such an amazing and beautiful cat, one of nature's 'record breakers'. I hope to one day visit Namibia and maybe even spend some time volunteering for the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Until then, I have great memories of my time viewing wild cheetahs and I hold them close to my heart.

In The Shadow Of Giants

I fell in love with African wildlife as a kid and my dream was to one day visit the continent and see all its animals. When I got a little older and learned just how large and diverse a continent Africa actually is, I figured I’d start with the Serengeti and go from there!

In 2008, my dream finally became reality and I embarked on a 28-day trip to the land of sun. There are many, many stories to share about this trip and the three countries I visited – Tanzania, South Africa and Madagascar – but today, this story is about elephants.

Being the largest land animal on the planet, it’s hard to imagine anyone not being impressed by an elephant. An average male African elephant weighs around 6, 364 Kg (14,000 pounds) and stands about 4 M (over 13 feet) tall. Seeing one at a zoo is impressive, but seeing one in the wild is a whole different experience. I’m not sure I can accurately describe what that was like for me. Whenever I see an animal in its natural habitat, especially for the first time, I feel both excited and at peace...and I’m usually a little teary-eyed to boot. And when it’s a large animal like an elephant, the wow factor is big!

On my very first day of safari, I couldn’t wait to finally see the animals I had been waiting to observe in the wild my whole life. And I wasn’t picky; I didn’t have a check list, I wanted to see it all! I was travelling with a friend who felt the same way and we were SO excited to get going. We arrived at the first place on our tour in Tanzania, Tarangire National Park. Our guide went to check us in and I decided to use the bathroom before our drive. While in there, I heard zebras in the distance through the open window and at first it was so surreal it was like I was hearing a recording playing on a PA system rather than actual wild zebras in the park beyond the bathroom. Oh my god...I was in Africa!

The first animal we saw was a giraffe, but it was far below us in a valley and although we were ecstatic, our guide promised we would see animals much closer then that as we drove on. We then came upon an African fish eagle sitting in a large tree and again were thrilled because we weren’t sure how many birds of prey we’d end up seeing during our visit. It wasn’t too long after we’d said goodbye to the eagle that it happened – we saw our first elephant!

Bull elephant in Tarangire National Park © Lenore N

 It was a male and he was alone walking through the tall grasses. He saw our jeep stop and he watched us calmly as we scrambled for our cameras all the while whispering excitedly. He was magnificent and beautiful and yes, I got a little teary. For such a large creature, he was amazingly quiet. The thing I find challenging when seeing a wild animal is the desire to capture as many pictures as I can while balancing that with just sitting and observing. But since this was my first wild elephant encounter ever, the camera won out and I snapped picture after picture – gotta love digital! Fortunately, we had many opportunities as the trip went on to sit and observe these amazing giants.

Mom and baby in Serengeti National Park © Lenore N

Over our planet’s history, there have been 252 identified species of proboscidea (the taxonomy order to which elephants belong) which includes the prehistoric woolly mammoth. Today, there are only 2 species of elephants left, African and Asian. As I’m sure you’re well aware, those 2 remaining species have been driven to the brink of extinction for their ivory tusks. And although the trade is illegal, it continues to thrive. Add habitat destruction and human-elephant competition for space to the mix and these animals have got huge odds stacked against them. They are large, far roaming species that need lots of space to survive. The elephant population in Africa is not as low as that in Asia, where they only number somewhere between 25,000 to 35,000 wild individuals. There are about 600,000 African elephants across 37 countries – and this number is largely due to vast conservation efforts over the past 30 years. But while they may be stable in certain areas where protected, they are far from being safe with all the pressures on them. 

One organization doing amazing work is the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/) in Kenya. They take in young orphaned elephants whose families have been killed by poachers or have ended up affected by some other human-elephant conflict that has left them alone. Regardless of the reason, these young elephants wouldn’t stand a chance without the help of the Trust. The individuals who work there are truly some of the most caring and compassionate people on the planet. They spend day and night with these orphans nursing them back to health with the goal of one day releasing them back in the wild. 60 Minutes and The Nature of Things have both run programs on this organization so if you think it sounds familiar, that could be why.  Please visit their website and learn more about their work. It’s very expensive to care for these animals and they have a great foster program you might be interested in. I fostered an elephant in the past and loved getting photos and updates; it was very rewarding to hear about her progress.

© David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust 

 Everyone has the power to help elephants whether by avoiding products made from ivory, donating to an organization working on elephant conservation and/or educating other people about the issues threatening these amazing animals.   

The experience of spending some time with wild elephants in Africa is one for which I am eternally grateful and one I will remember forever. 

Breaking The Ice

I thought I would share a story about bars and pickup lines because I think this one is very funny. You may be wondering, “What could this have to do with wildlife and conservation?” Read on and you’ll see the connection.

In May of 2007, I went to Halifax for a few days. The organization I was with at the time has an office there and I was promoting our new teacher resources by visiting a couple of schools and talking to elementary children about wildlife conservation.

This was my first visit to Halifax and I was really excited. First, because I LOVE to travel and second because two colleagues from Toronto had gone to work at our office in Halifax for a year and I was going to hang out and explore the city with them.

If you’ve ever been to Halifax, you’ve no doubt been to the Lower Deck. As I learned, it’s THE pub to visit and have a pint or two while listening to one of Nova Scotia’s many fantastic local bands. We had a great night with lots of laughs, but what made this night particularly memorable for me was an exchange that took place between me and some random guy. Apparently, there is a pickup line that goes like this:

Guy: Do you know how much a polar bear weighs?

Girl: No

Guy: Neither do I, but it’s enough to break the ice!  

Now if you’ve been following my blog entries, you’ll know that one of the species I’ve been lucky enough to work with is the polar bear. So in my mind - because I hadn’t yet heard this line - this guy had been chatting with one of my colleagues, found out what we do and decided to talk to me about polar bears. Poor guy! And keep in mind that the music is loud so we’re yelling over it. Here’s how the exchange went:

Guy: Can I ask you a question?

Me: Sure.

Guy: Do you know how much a polar bear weighs?

Me:  Yes, do you want that in pounds or kilos?

Pause...

Guy: (looking at me like I’m crazy) What?

Me: What?

Guy: Never mind.

Me:  (confused): Wait...what?

Guy: Nothing. (tries to walk away)

Me: (still confused): What just happened here? Did one of my colleagues tell you to ask me that question?

Guy: (still looking at me like I’m crazy) No. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Me: Well then why would you ask me that question?

Guy: (slightly annoyed) Well why would you answer it like that?

Me: Because I work for a conservation organization and polar bears are one of the key animals I work on.

Guy: Oh, that’s weird.

Me: So, what response were you looking for?

So then the poor guy goes on to tell me about the pickup line, completely embarrassed by this time. Needless to say, he left abruptly after that while I was laughing – at the situation, not him...well ok, maybe a little at him for trying that line in the first place – and looking for my friends to tell them what had just happened. I mean, what are the chances of that?

And that is by far the BEST line I’ve had used on me! I often wonder if that guy ever got the nerve to use it again. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the weight of a polar bear depends on age, sex, the season and which subpopulation we're talking about (especially for those fasting during their time on land). There's a wide range, but on average an adult male bear weighs around 400 kilos or 880 pounds – some weigh more and some weigh less. Females usually weigh about half of what males weigh.

  

Polar bears have the amazing ability to displace

their weight evenly so they can walk across ice

that wouldn't even hold the weight of a human

© Lenore N



A Time to Sleep

As autumn moves along and winter approaches, many animals are preparing for their winter sleep so I thought it would be the perfect time to talk about hibernation.

Most of you probably have some idea of what it is from learning about it in school. And I would guess that the example that comes to mind when you think of an animal that hibernates – especially if you live in North America – is a bear. Am I right? I remember that was the example used when I was in school but it turns out that bears are actually not true hibernators.  Surprised?

There are actually different types of hibernation but often science can be thought too complex for the general public (and with good reason sometimes!) so if a term is explained, understood and then used by non-science types, it tends to stick. And for the record, it isn’t wrong – hibernation is the umbrella term for the physiological process - but in recent years more accurate terms have been introduced and are being used more and more.

But let’s start with a definition. Wikipedia defines hibernation as a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. A true hibernator does not wake up during the winter season and due to its lower metabolic rate, lower body temperature and slower breathing, the animal could be mistaken as dead. There is no movement and it takes a long time for the animal to wake up enough to begin moving again. True hibernators are animals like bats, chipmunks, ground squirrels, groundhogs and marmots.

Hibernation is an adaptation to temporary changes in an animal’s environment; in North America it’s associated with winter when an animal’s food source becomes too scarce for it to survive the season. So during the fall, animals that hibernate will eat more food than usual to bulk up so they can live off their extra fat through the winter.

In the case of bears, there are eight different species globally; giant panda, sloth bear, Asiatic black bear, sun bear, spectacled bear, American black bear, brown bear (grizzly) and polar bear. Of these eight species, only four will enter a den during winter months – American black bears, grizzly bears, Asiatic black bears and pregnant female polar bears.

Like a true hibernator, when a bear goes into a den, its heart rate, metabolism and breathing all slow down and they survive the winter months off their fat reserves. The big difference is that bears can and do wake up, and even leave the den for short periods –sometimes looking for food, sometimes stretching their legs. The more specific term for what happens with bears is that they go into a ‘state of torpor’ but because that may sound very complex, when explaining it I say that bears go into ‘a period of dormancy’.  Again, they are inactive and live off their fat reserves – like true hibernators – but can wake up and leave the den. If it’s a pregnant female, she won’t leave the den until the spring because she has to stay with her young.

Polar bears are another case altogether. As they live in the Arctic and need the sea-ice from which to hunt seals, they don’t need to go into a period of dormancy in the winter because their food source is abundant. The exception to this, as I mentioned above, is a pregnant female; she enters a den, has her cub(s) and stays put with her young until the spring.

So, question: ‘hibernation’, ‘torpor’ – why does it matter what word is used? I mean, isn’t it just semantics? There are those who would certainly agree with that. But to me, it’s important to know that there is a difference. Many people run, hike and camp during winter months in bear country and may not consider the fact they could encounter one at that time of the year because they were taught bears hibernate for the entire season. In many parts of British Columbia for example, the weather doesn’t get very cold so bears are likely more active during winter months then you might think. I say the more you know, the better prepared you’ll be!

Animal Adaptations

As someone who focuses on wildlife education both professionally and in my volunteer role, a topic I speak of often is that of animal adaptations. So today that’s what this blog is about, animal adaptations: what are they and how does a species adapt?

One of the questions I get asked quite a lot when the topic of climate change and polar bears comes up is, “Can’t they just adapt to a warmer climate?” Unfortunately, it’s not at all that simple. This is just a basic overview but some content may be a little technical so please bear with me – no pun intended! 

Ok...what are adaptations? In simple terms, an adaptation is a specific characteristic (or set of characteristics) that allows a species to live and reproduce in a particular environment. There are three types of adaptations:

Behavioural:  instinctual or learned behaviours that help a species thrive in its environment.

Physical or structural: parts of a species’ body structure that help it thrive in its environment.

Physiological: parts of a species’ biology (inner workings of the body/organism) that help it thrive in its environment.

Still with me? I hope so.

So, how does a species adapt? Specific adaptations don’t happen overnight, they often take thousands of years to evolve into exactly what each species need to survive and compete successfully within their unique environment.

Because I brought up polar bears above, I’m going to use them as my example here. Polar bears evolved from grizzly bears (somewhere between 250,000 to 400,000 years ago) in order to occupy and thrive in an Arctic environment as the top predator. They went from being an omnivorous, terrestrial animal (grizzly) to a carnivore that is specifically adapted to life on sea-ice, relying on the marine food chain (polar bears eat seals).

Now, if a species’ environment changes can it adapt? Well, rates of change are very important and there will always be different scenarios and variables that prevent a definitive answer. But there is something important to keep in mind when thinking about adaptations – a species is usually considered either a ‘generalist’ or a ‘specialist’, and this can play a key role in their ability to adapt successfully to rapid and/or big changes in their environment.

A generalist is a species whose behavioural, structural and/or physiological adaptations allow it to survive and thrive in various types of environments. A great example of a generalist is a raccoon. These animals can live in many different types of habitats and, as I’m sure you know, even do very well in urban settings. Their adaptations are flexible and general enough that they would likely survive if their environment changed (unless the change was extreme). So don’t hate the raccoon because he was able to adapt to the changes we made!

A specialist on the other hand is a species whose adaptations allow it to survive in a very particular environment and/or with specialized dietary needs. Removing it from or changing that specific environment or food source can make it very challenging and often times impossible for this species to survive.

Back to my polar bear example - you now know they are of course a specialist species and you also know the answer to the question, “Can’t they just adapt to a warmer climate?” They are supremely adapted to their cold, Arctic home. So as climate change melts and alters their sea-ice habitat, it’s not hard to see how increasingly difficult it becomes for these specialists to survive. Remember – adaptations take thousands of years to evolve.

There are almost as many different adaptations as there are animals. As I continue to write about different species of wildlife, I will definitely highlight some really cool and extraordinary examples of their adaptations so you can appreciate just how amazing animals really are! 

The Ice Bear: It’s In My Blood

Fact: I love polar bears. I have since I was a kid. And it’s not just because they are super cool with awesome adaptations to withstand their Arctic habitat, but of course that’s part of it! I had pictures and posters and books about them all over my room growing up. I think I was around 8 years old when I started hearing stories about the three years my dad lived in Churchill (as a boy with his parents & brother) and I was fascinated with the thought of a place, that in my estimation at the time, was the farthest north you could get, was so cold and covered in ice and yet somehow so full of life. Thus began my love affair with the great white bear.

My grandfather was in the military and he was stationed in Churchill from 1954 to 1957. What I heard about most from my grandmother was how cold it was and how the spring and summer seasons were too short for her liking. And while the ice slowly broke up and melted in the spring, you could hear cracks louder than thunder through the whole town. What my dad told me about were his explorations with his brother, looking everywhere for polar bears. He was unfortunate on one hand because he never saw any despite all his time spent outside. On the other hand, he was fortunate not to have ended up nose-to-nose with a bear while exploring the rocky outskirts of town. Many of the rocks are light in colour and it’s easy to mistake them for a slumbering bear; it’s equally as easy to mistake a slumbering bear for a rock and inadvertently end up too close! Still I was surprised to hear that in the ‘polar bear capital of the world’, where tens of thousands of visitors now travel every fall to see these huge carnivores, my dad and uncle never saw even one bear. What I realized later was that while the military was operating in Churchill, the town’s population was around 5,000 people. With all the activity and noisy military vehicles around it makes sense that bears mostly stayed out of town.




Aerial View of Fort Churchill in the 1950s © Lenore N

 



Hudson Bay Shoreline © Lenore N



Years after the military left, the scientists showed up. The southern-most polar bear populations are forced ashore in late spring/early summer when the ice breaks up and they live off their fat reserves until the ice forms again in mid to late fall and they can get back out on the ice to hunt seals. Because there was a town, an infrastructure in place, and above all, polar bears, it was – and still is - the perfect location to study them. To this day, there is more chronological data about Churchill’s polar bears (referred to as the western Hudson Bay sub-population) than any other sub-population in the world. Now of course, scientists are studying polar bears throughout their circumpolar range around the globe and they have become the iconic species for climate change because the Arctic is changing more rapidly than any other ecosystem on the planet.

What I’d like to stress here is that while polar bears are struggling with their changing habitat because of climate change, scientists still have hope that we can save certain sub-populations if we all make a concerted effort to reduce our energy consumption and our dependence on fossil fuels NOW. One organization doing amazing work on polar bear conservation is Polar Bears International (PBI) and I would encourage you to visit their website to find out about their work. In the coming weeks top bear scientists will even be broadcasting live from the tundra in specially equipped vehicles while wild bears roam at the edge of Hudson Bay waiting for the ice to freeze.  Check it out at http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/.

Churchill Wildlife Management Area © Lenore N

Because these bears are still a favourite of mine, this is only the first of my blogs about them. There are way too many stories and cool facts to write about at one time! And as I mentioned in my previous blog, I have had the amazing privilege to observe and work with wild polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba three times in my career. The experiences themselves were very special, but what made them even more special was being able to share my stories and pictures with my dad and grandparents 50 years after they lived there.  

A Passionate Primate

For a while now some friends of mine have been encouraging me to write. They know how deeply I care about wildlife and the natural world and have suggested I share my knowledge, thoughts, stories and experiences.  If you don’t know me personally you will likely be wondering who I am. Let me introduce myself:

My name is Lenore, I live in Toronto and as I mentioned above, I am passionate about wildlife and the environment. My love of animals started at a young age and like many kids I grew up with pets at home. There was also the occasional wild, injured bird in our kitchen while my mom tried to nurse him or her back to health. Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom was a favourite in our house (I guess that dates me somewhat!) and I was glued to the TV for that half hour. That show was a big reason I fell in love with wildlife, African wildlife in particular and I vowed to one day travel to the Serengeti.

Yet even with such a strong passion for wildlife, I had no idea what I wanted to be ‘when I grew up’, and let’s just say I took the long road to get here! I’ll spare you the gory details but after some bumps and bruises along the way, I was able to turn my passion into a career. I’ve been very fortunate to have worked for several conservation organizations over the past eight years and I’ve been a zoo volunteer educator for almost 13 years. I’ve had some absolutely AWESOME wildlife experiences like travelling to Africa, observing and working with wild polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba, bird banding, releasing Ontario turtle hatchlings into the wild and helping with the rehabilitation of injured wildlife for re-release.

My experiences have taught me many things and I’m excited to share them with you. My hope for this blog is that it inspires those who read it. I hope you will learn things you consider interesting and amazing about animals and that you will come to care as much about them and the natural world as I do. And fingers crossed, that will lead to changes in the way you do things day-to-day. After all, every living thing needs a healthy planet to survive, and that includes us.