Strange Science

Human beings have been taking from nature for many years.
This April, Disney made a landmark decision.

Isn’t it about time we started giving back?
 

A whopping 2.7 million trees will be planted in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest in honor of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures’ release of Disneynature EARTH, a movie which grossed $16.1 million in just one week during its time in theaters. This particular rainforest has suffered much deforestation and this massive replanting effort will be a massive boost for the area’s ecosystem - plant and animal alike.

A huge hit with moviegoers and critics alike, the movie gives a colorful and touching look into the world of different animal families sharing the world we call home - a poignant and powerful message for all humanity to realize and understand - we aren’t the only ones on this big blue planet, and we have to do our part to keep it alive and healthy.

If you’d like to know more about the movie, and the directors’ take on its production, check out this informative Q&A post, and you’ll be glad you did.

PS. Don’t forget - do your part whenever you can! Recycle water bottles, keep trash off the ground, and treat the environment well so it can treat you well, too.

[/cheesy ending statement]

– Silver Gummi Shark.

Now come on. Let’s be honest with ourselves.

There are few things quite as impressive as seeing seemingly ordinary birds getting down with their bad feathery selves on the forest dance floor.

You think I’m joking? I kid you not! Take a look for yourself.

The moonwalking club-winged manakin bird:

The flashy and brilliantly-colored bird of paradise:

The youTuber with a little too much spare time:

Mynah birds are extremely skilled at mimicking sounds, perhaps the best mimickers in the animal kingdom.  Even more eloquent than the talkative parrot, these members of the starling family have plenty to say, so long as you’ve said it first.

Better keep the expletives to a minimum when you stub your toe.

Here is a Mynah responding to prerecorded phrases:

Talkative mynah at  some manner of zoo - it can mimic a cell phone. 

Fire fox. Fire cat. Lesser panda. Ailurus fulgens. The exotic and slowly-disappearing Red Panda.

Whatever name you may call it by, this housecat-sized rust-red relative of the raccoon is a handsome creature that calls central China, Burma, and the lofty Himalayas its cozy home. According to Bear Planet dot Org, Red Pandas should not be confused with their giant “counterparts”, the black and white panda bears of the orient. Red Pandas are neither bear nor panda, in spite of similar diets and daily activities. By comparison, red pandas are much more closely related to the raccoon and similar species. The red panda is so unique, however, that it falls into its own category, ailuridae.

According to a sampling of persons between the ages of 18 and 65, not a very large number of people are fully aware of the plight of the diminishing population of red pandas. Some have associated it with a quirky character from Kung Fu Panda. Others assume it is a weird panda that is quite simply red in color. In fact, quite a few people don’t even know what the heck a red panda even is.

When asked about red pandas, Southeastern University student Jennifer Brown replied,

“I actually never heard of a red panda until now, and then when I looked them up online…they are so cute! I just did not know about them. It is no wonder they are endangered.”

With fewer than 2,500 red pandas living on our big blue planet Earth, there is no denying these beautiful animals are under certain endangerment due to deforestation and habitat destruction. Not enough people know about this, or simply are not acting on it. It is possible that 2,500 red pandas seems like a lot - but if the human race was only 2,500, wouldn’t something be done?

Rebecca McClain, a student in college, said:

“I mean, how much more initiative do you need to save them? Just one look at them and you melt. From their unique pelt patterns to those big brown eyes, they’re as exotic as they are adorable. You just can’t help but love them!”

 An in-depth article written up and posted on the National Wildlife Federation’s website makes an eloquent and powerful plea on behalf of these tree-dwelling quadrupeds. You can read it here! It was written by Wendee Holtcamp, who went all the way to Nepal just to study the little critters. Pretty awesome, if you ask me!

Animal Diversity Web has a wonderful variety of red panda pictures for your viewing pleasure, so be sure to stop by and check it out! You won’t regret it.

Below is a Japanese video of red pandas, Fuuta and Fuuta Jr, parent and child. How adorable, yes?

 
If one baby red panda video wasn’t enough to get you saying “aww”, then this should do the trick!

Below is a picture gallery featuring images from Animal Info. Remember, you can head over to Animal Diversity Web and look at their comprehensive photo gallery - it’s well worth browsing if you can’t get enough of these cute little guys!

If you would like to learn more about conservation and protection of the red panda, you can find additional information at the Red Panda Network’s website. Don’t hesitate - 10,000 may seem like a fairly big number - but if we don’t do our best to keep the population secure and prosperous, it will rapidly decrease.

McClain added enthusiastically,

“We definitely need to conserve their species. So little is known about them due to their secretive lifestyles, and with such a wonderful planet we have to protect, we can’t afford to leave any stone unturned. Everything has a story, from the plants and the animals down to the dirt under our feet. It’s our job to listen.” 

So let’s do our part to take care of the natural world around us, in all of its magnificence. If we don’t take care of what we’ve got now, our children and grandchildren will not have the same varied wonderland of natural beauty to study and learn about as we do! Let’s not be selfish, and keep our green earth thriving for generations to come!

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