Beasts of the Wild
Lions and tigers and bears - oh my! Exploring majestic beasts in their natural habitats.
The Pack
Wolves are amazing creatures and one of my favorite beasts. As everyone knows, dogs take traits from the wolves and are linked as a relative. Dogs are now domestic and some wolves are born into family environments and sold as pets, but there are still wolves who stroll and hunts in packs. Wolves have been allocated with the symbol of spirit, loyalty, and protector, but many people see that wolves are misunderstood creatures. Cultures such as the Amerindian culture see wolves as teachers and pathfinders, and in Japan, the word "wolf" is defined as a "great god." Today, wolves are in a vulnerable state of existence, just like they always have been. They are the most hunted animal in the past and nearly became extinct in the early beginnings of the twentieth century, although, in some parts of the world, the wolf was under protection. In 1934, Germany was the first nation to see the need to protect them. In the 1600s, Ireland was referred to as the wolf land, which is when the huntings increased. Vikings wore their wolf skins and consumed wolf blood as well, as they believed it allowed them to carry a wolf's spirit in time of war.
By Natasha Bratton8 years ago in Petlife
Deep Sea Creatures from Hell
As many of you know the oceans cover 70% of our planet, but most do not realize that we have only discovered about 5% of that. There are many dark and dangerous things left to explore and discover. As a young child I often dreamed of diving into dark waters to discover mermaids and other mythical creatures. Now that I am grown, I wonder about those stories of people hearing singing off of secluded shores, and the tales surrounding the Loch Ness monster. The deepest part discovered is within Mariana's trench, which lies at the bottom of the western Pacific Ocean. To give you an idea, it is about 120 times bigger than the Grand Canyon. The deepest part has been named 'Challenger Deep' after the first ship to hit the bottom. It was an estimated thirty-five thousand plus feet and a five hour descent.
By Celestia Morelle8 years ago in Petlife
Close Encounters of the Red Kind
I've been trying to get more creative with my gift giving over the last 18 months. It hasn't been easy. Recently, when my Darling Dad turned 75, I avoided all the books, chocolates and monogrammed pens that I would normally look at (and all the golfing, fishing and outdoorsy stuff that I wouldn't), and made the decision to book in a fun Daddy-Daughter experience to celebrate the big day.
By Sarah Katherine8 years ago in Petlife
Swimming With Sharks
Swimming with some of the ocean's scariest predators was always on my "to do" list, though, honestly, it's not something I thought would ever actually happen. It was one of those dreams that you'd tell people was on your bucket list, next to "jump out of a plane" and "clean up under my bed." Yeah, THAT bucket list.
By Mikayla Walker8 years ago in Petlife
Meeting Real Life Big Cats
So as most children will tell you, big cats are the BEST wild animals EVER because they're just so big and scary and fast and... You get my drift. Well if you've ever really wondered what the experience of meeting one of the worlds big cats is really like, here's my story.
By Mikayla Walker8 years ago in Petlife
The Wolf Conservation Center Cries out for Understanding and the Wolf's Importance to the Environment
The Grey with Liam Neeson is a very entertaining film in which a group of plane crash survivors find themselves stranded in the territorial hunting grounds of a large, ferocious wolf pack. Ruthlessly and mindfully stalked, only Liam Neeson remains as the human alpha to face a canine counterpart that puts species supremacy above its own survival. Leaving the viewer looking into the determined eyes of the two combatants, the lack of an onscreen outcome still amounts to pure movie magic. But the reality of the entire scenario is as likely as a great white shark jumping on a boat to eat its aggressors. More troubling, this type of broad misconception leaves Maggie Howell of the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem with her work cut out with her.
By Rich Monetti8 years ago in Petlife
Gharials - The Best of the Crocodile Grins!
The first successful breeding of gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) in Europe took place at Protivin Crocodile Zoo in the Czech Repulic this year, an incredible achievement—congratulations! Following this, I decided to dedicate this entry to the urgent plight of the gharial and take this opportunity to nerd out about what are hands down my favourite species of crocodilian.
By Laura Daykin8 years ago in Petlife
Whales Should Not Be Held Prisoner
We take a sum of about ten to twenty dollars and pay our admission to the zoo to watch animals for our own entertainment. Many zoos encompass the United States and are often visited. We see and analyze monkeys, birds, lions, tigers, and bears and we observe the adventurous animals. Children seem to love to see the animals in "habitats" but, in reality, the "habitats" are not what they should be. We wholeheartedly take kids to these places in order for them to see and witness creatures they would not, unless taken to the zoo. One animal that really stands out are whales. Whales are huge, beautiful creatures that are extremely intelligent. Although whales are extravagant, they should not be held in captivity in places like SeaWorld because they are dangerous to keepers, their living space is too small for their instinct, and they do not work particularly well with other whales swimming around.
By Corey Hurt8 years ago in Petlife
Why You Should — and Shouldn't — Volunteer With Wildlife
I started volunteering with animals nearly a decade ago, when I became a member of “zoo team” at the San Antonio Zoo. Since then, I’ve volunteered with sharks, baboons, bears, pumas, and more in South Africa and Bolivia. When people hear about my amazing experiences volunteering with wildlife, they often say that they’re jealous and wish they could do that too. I’m always careful with how I respond to those comments because, while volunteering with wildlife has made for some of the best experiences of my life, I don’t think it’s for everybody. Some people definitely go into it with the wrong intentions or misconceptions about what the experience will be like. That being said, here are some reasons, off the top of my head, why you SHOULDN’T volunteer with wildlife:
By Elizabeth Brandon8 years ago in Petlife
What You Need To Know Before Owning Sugar Gliders. Top Story - November 2017.
Recently, Sugar Gliders are receiving more and more attention on the internet through viral videos of owners feeding their own or showing their amazing gliding abilities. However, whilst this new found fame for these tiny creatures is helping to raise awareness of them, it is also causing the spread of incorrect information on how to properly keep and care for said animal. The aim of this guide is to hopefully give some insight and clear up any misinformation or queries.
By Charli Finch8 years ago in Petlife
Tilikum: A Killer Whale with a Killer Attitude
Tilikum was a very well-known captive orca, he really lived up to his killer whale title in his lifetime in captivity. He was born in 1981, and when he was just two years old, he was captured in Iceland. A year later he was moved to a Sealand park in British Columbia. Tilikum died in early 2017, aged just 36 which is under half a killer whale's typical lifespan in the wild. However, this is pretty normal for captive whales as the average age of death for orcas at SeaWorld is just 13.
By Sophie Turner8 years ago in Petlife
