Sherrell Cuneo
Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) are one of the largest bears, weighing as much as 1,500 lbs. The Polar Bear is currently listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act. Because they are at the top of the arctic food chain and depend heavily on sea ice for their survival, they have become a key indicator species in the fight against climate change.
For more information go to:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/polar-bear/
http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/
Black Footed Ferrets (Mustela nigripes) are the only ferret native to North America. Their primary source of food and shelter is the prairie dog, which accounts for 90% of their diet.
As settlers killed off prairie dogs and destroyed their tunnels, the Black Footed Ferret population also declined. By the mid 1900 they were thought to be extinct. But a small population was found alive in Wyoming in the 1980’s; those18 individuals were placed in a captive breeding program. Today, there are approximately 750 living in the wild.
To learn more about Black Footed Ferrets go to: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/black-footed-ferret/
For a Black Footed Ferret fact sheet go to:
http://www.defenders.org/black-footed-ferret/basic-facts
For information on threats to the Black Footed Ferret go to: http://www.defenders.org/black-footed-ferret/threats
The Black Footed Ferret Society at:
Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) are the tallest North American bird and one of only two crane species on the continent. Brought to the verge of extinction in the 1940’s due to habitat loss and excessive hunting, there are now over 500, either in captivity or in the wild. As part of the conservation program, young cranes are trained to follow an ultralight aircraft to learn their traditional migratory routes.
For more info go to:
https://www.savingcranes.org/whooping-crane.html
The Siberian or Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is the largest of the world’s wild cats. It lives primarily in the birch forests of eastern Russia, China and North Korea. There are currently estimated to be between 400 and 500 Siberian Tigers in the wild.
The belief in traditional Chinese medicine that tiger parts have medicinal properties has greatly reduced the number of critically endangered tiger species. The trade in all tigers and their parts and derivatives are prohibited by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It’s worth noting that medicines containing ground parts are harder to police. Fortunately other sustainable natural remedies exist and should be used.
For more on the Siberian Tiger go to: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/siberian-tiger/
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/tigers/about_tigers/amur_tiger/
For recent developments go to:
For more on Tigers and traditional Chinese medicine go to:
http://www.tigersincrisis.com/traditional_medicine.htm#sthash.U66sZZrS.dpuf
For information on CITES go to:
For a link to WWF’s Hands Off My Parts page go to:
The California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
is the largest land bird in North America. Their wingspan can reach 10 feet. In 1987 all 22 remaining California Condors were taken into captivity as part of a captive breeding program at the San Diego and Los Angeles Zoos. Through this program, their numbers grew and starting in 1991 birds were released into the wild.
In resent years the wild population has been threatened by the use of lead based bullets used by hunters. As scavengers, the birds would feast upon carcasses killed by hunters, sometime ingesting the lead bullets. Thankfully, on October 11, 2013 California Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 711 into law, making California the first state to completely ban the use of lead in hunting ammunition. The California Fish and Game Commission has until July of 2019 to fully implement the law.
For more on the California Condor go to:
http://www.defenders.org/california-condor/basic-facts
To read about threats to the California Condor go to:
http://www.defenders.org/california-condor/threats
For the San Diego Zoo live cam go to:
http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/cams/condor-cam
For news on the lead bullet ban go to:
The Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest known sea turtle, averaging 6 ft in length and weighing over 1,000 lbs. They travel immense distances and can dive as much as 4,922 ft deep.
The Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle was recently named the California State Marine Reptile, and has been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1970. The Pacific Leatherback population has been dropping rapidly in recent years. The main threats, according to scientists, are accidental deaths due to commercial fishing (especially longline), sale of sea turtle eggs, loss of nesting grounds due to beachfront development, and ocean pollution; especially the ingestion of plastic bags and other debris.
For more information and to help sea turtles go to Turtle Island Restoration Network at www.seaturtles.org
For more information on the Leatherback Sea Turtle go to:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/leatherback-turtle
http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/seaturtles/turtle%20factsheets/leatherback-sea-turtle.htm
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/leatherback-sea-turtle/
For just how dire the threat is, go to:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/27/us-turtles-leatherback-idUSBRE91Q0VA20130227