You Can Make a Difference in the Life of a Wild Thing!
There are many ways to help the endangered animals you've met in our books. You can learn more about these fascinating creatures and why they're endangered below. But more importantly, there are lots of ways YOU can help them, just look at each animal's profile below to discover how! These aren't the only Wild Things that need our help. You can go to the World Wildlife Fund to find out how you can help different types of wildlife all over the world.
Sloths need your help!
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Unfortunately, sloths are endangered for many reasons. Because of habitat loss and human development, oftentimes, sloths lose their natural corridors, forcing them to climb to the ground where they're at risk of being hit by vehicles and becoming targets for predators or poachers. Sloths are also at risk of electrocution as they attempt to cross from tree to tree using power lines. But one of the greatest threats to sloths is exploitation for selfies with humans. Sloth babies are taken from their mothers in the wild for photo opportunities with tourists. To help sloths, please click on the links, to find what works best for you.
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Pangolins need your help!
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Despite being protected under national and international laws, pangolins are the most illegally trafficked mammal on Earth. Over 200,000 pangolins are poached from the wild, not just for their scales but also their meat, which is considered a delicacy in some parts of the world. But there are ways you can help, too. Click on the links for more information.
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Quokkas need your help!
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As you learned in the book, when European settled moved into Western Australia, they introduced non-native predators like foxes for recreational hunting and cats for mousing. While quokkas have always had predators in the form of birds of prey, dingoes (Australian wild dogs), and snakes, these new predators became so numerous, they decimated the quokka population. Over time, the human population also grew and cleared out most of the quokka’s natural habitat, leaving them with less and less space to thrive. But, there are ways you can help our favorite smiley marsupials. Click on the links to find out how!
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Axolotls need your help!
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Even though there over a million axolotls in captivity, whether in aquariums, laboratories or as personal pets, there are anywhere from 50-500 in the wild today. The main reasons? Loss of habitat, pollution and invasive fish species which feed on the defenseless salamanders. But, there's hope for this incredible creature and you can help. Click on the links to help today!
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Toucans need your help!
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Like most wildlife, the main reason for the declining numbers of toucans is caused by habitat loss. However, they're also being hunted for their meat as well as for their feathers and colorful bills. They're also taken from the forest and sold as pets in the illegal wildlife trade. Fortunately, there are people who are helping and you can help, too. Click on the links to the right to find out how!
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Lorises need your help!
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Dr. Anna Nekaris says: "Sadly slow lorises are threatened in many ways, but one way is unique. Over the years, they have become better known as social media stars than wild animals. This process, called "decontextualisation," can make people think they are "safe" as pets and not threatened in the wild. In fact, almost every pet loris that makes its way onto social media or on a tourist beach as a photo prop is wild and has been stolen from its forest home. YOU can help by never liking or sharing such posts. In fact, if you see a wild animal in a place it shouldn't be, interacting with the post in any way can cause the uploader and the social media site to earn millions on behalf of animal exploitation. Instead, follow the social media site's guide to reporting inappropriate content. The more people who do this, the greater chance that their policies will change and protect animals like slow lorises." There are other solutions to help too - click on the links and find out how!
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