September 4th is National Wildlife Day. This day came into existence as a way to bring about awareness of the many endangered species in not only America, but throughout the world. How much do you actually know about wildlife? We’ve put together a list of facts that might surprise you.
Wildlife Fun Facts
- Gentoo penguins give their girlfriends a gift when they propose to them. They present their sweetheart with a pebble as a token of their love.
- Even though hyenas look like dogs they are actually more closely related to cats. They are also the most common type of large carnivores in all of Africa.
- Although elephants are big, they don’t compare to the mass of certain other species. The majority of elephants actually weigh less than a blue whale’s tongue.
- Some animals are true south paws. Every polar bear is left-handed. They use the massive paws of theirs to help them catch fish and fend off predators.
- Adult pandas’ lives revolve around food. They spend about 12 hours each day eating about 28 pounds of bamboo.
- Have you ever heard a giraffe talk? That’s because they can’t! Giraffes have no vocal cords, but they can communicate by vibrating air that is around their necks.
If you want to honor some of the amazing animals in the world on National Wildlife Day there are a few things you can do:
Visit A Zoo
When you visit a zoo not only do you get to have an enjoyable afternoon viewing and learning about animals, but you get to support them as well. Your admission fees to the zoo go towards their feeding and housing costs. Many zoos take care of sick or injured animals that need the fees raised from zoo admission costs in order to have access to much needed healthcare.
Donate To A Cause That Supports Animals
We all have a particular animal or two that we love. Whether it be big black bears or ferocious lions, they all need money donated towards them to help with conservations efforts and programs to spread awareness about wildlife and how to live in harmony with them. There are many different organizations available that will make sure that your donations are spent in the way that will most benefit these animals.
Plan To Take A Trip Abroad To See Wildlife In Their Natural Habitat
There are a lot of unique animals that can be seen not only in the U.S., but abroad as well. Why not plan a trip to see some of these animals? If you are a whale lover you can see different species of whales throughout the year off of the coast of Costa Rica. If you like Elks, Sweden, is a great place to see them especially at Lake Skarsjön in the evenings. The Bialowieza Forest in Poland is the place to go if you want to see elk in their natural habitat.
It is estimated that there’s anywhere from 3 to 100 million different species of animals. On this National Wildlife Day, do what you can to protect them. Donating your time or money or visiting them in a zoo or a country abroad are great ways that you can learn more about these animals and how to increase conservation efforts.
