Endangered Species Adoption Kits and Gift Sets

Several reputable nonprofit organizations offer wildlife adoption kits. These are fun, educational gifts for children of all ages. Some adults have even made a hobby of collecting endangered species adoptions; these kis can provide a fun incentive for ongoing donations.

Defenders of Wildlife

Offering a unique array of plush toys and educational materials, Defenders of Wildlife engages in tireless campaigns to end aerial wolf hunts, unsustainable fishing practices and other harmful practices. Donors can choose from twenty-five lovable animals like the gray wolf, jaguar and beluga whale. Adoption kits start at just $15. A $25 adoption kit generously includes a plush doll, personalized adoption certificate, fact sheet and photograph. Importantly, Defenders of Wildlife takes steps to keep their endangered species adoption kits sustainable; the company's line of eco-plush dolls are made with natural soybean fiber.

World Wildlife Fund

The World Wildlife Fund offers the most extensive list of choices for endangered species adoption. Featuring obscure endangered species like the tarsier and the okapi, the World Wildlife Fund's adoption kits provide financial resources to conservation projects all over the world. Choose from $25, $50 or $100 gift sets. The largest of the adoption kits contains a plush, framed certificate, gift box and photograph. For indecisive gift-givers, the World Wildlife Fund also offers wildlife adoption gift cards, which a recipient can use to adopt the endangered species of her choice.

National Zoo

The Smithsonian Institute National Zoo allows symbolic adoptions of eighteen endangered species. A $50 "Kids Adopt" endangered species donation will support the National Zoo's conservation efforts and grant the donor a plush doll, adoption certificate, photograph, adoption sticker and more. The National Zoo also offers adult-friendly symbolic adoptions with donations of up to $1000. Large donations are recognized in the Friends of the National Zoo newsletter.

5 Ways to Help Save Dolphins

During the 1970s, "Save the Whales" became the mantra of every environmental activist. Today, international regulations have helped to restore populations of some whale species, but their smaller cousins-- dolphins and porpoises-- are still at risk. In fact, the International Whaling Commission offers no protection to dolphins, making these majestic creatures vulnerable to capture, hunting and other human threats.

Fortunately, environmental activists can help to prevent the needless slaughter and kidnapping of dolphins. If you care about dolphins, consider taking any-- or all-- of these measures to save them.

Boycott Dolphinariums and Theme Parks

A bottlenose dolphin's face is frozen into a perpetual grin. Because their natural grimaces resemble a human smile, many people fall for the illusion that dolphins in exhibits are always happy. Not so. According to Ric O'Barry-- activist, "Cove" director, and former dolphin trainer-- captive dolphins experience constant stress and depression. Dolphins captured for aquariums and swim-with-dolphins programs frequently die in transit. Those who make it to their captive homes live short, painful lives.

If you love dolphins, you may be tempted to participate in a swim-with-dolphins program or watch a show at SeaWorld. While these organizations often claim that their programs are educational and conservation-focused, nothing could be further from the truth. An "educational" experience with a captive dolphin is not worth the torture that the animal must endure for your entertainment. An alternative: visit a nonprofit that rehabilitates injured dolphins, or go for a dive in an area populated by wild sea mammals.

Think Before Flushing

This one simple measure can save dolphins and porpoises all over the world. When you flush something down your sink or commode, you probably aren't thinking about where your waste will end up. However, environmentalists warn against this "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. There is no "away"-- all of your waste will ultimately find its way to streams, rivers, and the ocean. Most organic wastes are eliminated by sewage treatment, but chemical contaminants enter the ocean unfazed.

According to the Dolphin Research Center, contaminants in sewage pose a major threat to dolphins. PCBs, dioxins, heavy metals and human medications all accumulate within a dolphin's bloodstream. This leads to neurological problems, sterility and a weakened immune system. In turn, the dolphins become prone to opportunistic infections like morbillivirus and toxoplasmosis. Think twice before flushing your cat's seemingly harmless litter-- read here to find out how it may be killing dolphins.

Consider your Seafood

If you are an environmentally conscious consumer, you probably already check your tuna for a "dolphin-safe" label before you buy it. Unfortunately, there are relatively few legal restrictions governing the use of this term. By law, "dolphin-safe" tuna can be captured using any method besides encircling-- so even your "dolphin-safe" seafood may be directly responsible for the death of these beautiful sea mammals.

Additionally, understand that "dolphin-safe" foods may not necessarily be ecosystem-safe. Your seafood may not directly harm dolphins, but its capture may have killed sharks, sea turtles and wahoo. An unhealthy ecosystem is not a good home for any living thing. Your best bet? Consider going vegetarian. Our dying oceans will thank you for your choice.

Get Involved

Nonprofit organizations all over the world work tirelessly to save dolphins and porpoises. Your time and donations are essential for keeping these organizations active. Consider donating to Defenders of Wildlife, the World Wildlife Fund, Blue Voice, Sea Shepherd or Save Japan Dolphins. These organizations provide hope to our planet's many failing aquatic ecosystems.

If you live in a coastal region, involve yourself in real-world activism. Join your local Sierra Clubchapter. Boat and fish responsibly. Distribute fliers and pamphlets to spread awareness about the need to protect our oceans. Additionally, if you live near a zoo, aquarium or theme park that shows captive dolphins, don't be afraid to make a stink-- particularly if the dolphins held in captivity are wild-caught. Click here to view a list of dolphinariums shut down by real-world activists like you.

20 Facts About Florida Manatees

The Florida manatee is in serious danger of extinction. In April 2007, officials had optimistically announced that this gentle giant had begun to recover from its population decline. However, recent catastrophes-- including the BP Horizon oil rig incident and overdevelopment of coastal lands-- have caused serious setbacks in the recovery of Florida manatee populations. Without additional protection, the Florida manatee is in danger of becoming extinct.

To protect wild animals, we must educate ourselves about their habitat, history, and behavior. Here are twenty facts about the rare Florida manatee.

1. The Florida manatee is not a species; rather, it is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee. The other subspecies is the Caribbean manatee, which is smaller than its Florida counterpart.

2. Florida manatees can live surprisingly long lives. Many manatees live to be sixty years old or more.

3. Manatees have no natural predators. Because they move slowly and have no natural defenses, they could be an easy target for alligators and sharks. Surprisingly, there are no recorded cases of any animal attacking a Florida manatee.

4. The Florida manatee population suffered a major setback in 1996, when toxins from dinoflagellates-- tiny red micro-organisms-- killed over 150 manatees in the coastal U.S.

5. The modern Florida manatee has lived along the coast of Florida for at least 1 million years. Fossils of manatee ancestors have been dated to 45 million years ago.

6. While manatees and dugongs vaguely resemble walruses, they are actually unrelated. The manatee's closest land-swelling relatives are the hyrax and the elephant.

7. Florida manatees can weigh nearly 1,500 pounds.

8. Like other mammals, Florida manatees must breathe air. A manatee will rise to the water's surface every three to five minutes, but they may rarely stay submerged for up to twenty minutes.

9. Manatees cruise at a rate of three to five miles per hour. They can swim at up to twenty miles per hour for very short periods of time.

10. About 30% of Florida manatee deaths are caused by collisions with boats. Boaters are encouraged to use extreme caution when traveling in waters populated by the Florida manatee.

11. The loss of habitat is the biggest threat to the current population of Florida manatees. Much of the Florida manatee's native habitat has been drained or otherwise altered to make room for commercial ventures and real estate.

12. A female manatee gives birth to a single calf every two to five years. Florida manatees rarely produce twins.

13. Manatees do not travel in pods or herds. With the exception of mothers caring for calves, manatees are solitary creatures.

14. A Florida manatee must eat 100-200 pounds of vegetation every day.

15. Florida manatees may be found in fresh, salt, or brackish water. However, they can not drink salt water. A manatee must return to fresh water every two weeks to drink.

16. Despite its "fat" appearance, the Florida manatee has no blubber. As a tropical species, they have very little body-fat; a manatee owes its rounded appearance to its large digestive system.

17. The word "manatee" comes from the indigenous Caribbean term "manati", meaning "breast".

18. The Florida manatee may have spawned myths about mermaids or sirens. Sailors could have seen them from a distance and mistaken them for round women.

19. Florida manatees are considered to be as intelligent as dolphins. Because they are nonsocial and move slowly, they are more difficult to train; this led to the widespread misconception that they are unintelligent.

20. Manatees once traveled to warm-water springs during winter to avoid cold stress syndrome-- a leading cause of death in the Florida manatee. Many populations now rely upon effluent from coastal power-plants to avoid becoming dangerously cold.

Is it okay to feed wild ducks and geese?

Many wildlife enthusiasts enjoy sharing food with wild birds, including waterfowl like geese and ducks. However, there are many drawbacks to this widespread pastime. While some critics claim that the practice does more harm than good, proponents argue that the waterfowl benefit from moderate human interaction.

Is it okay to feed wild ducks and geese? Here are some perspectives.

Against Feeding Wild Waterfowl:

Some experts believe that we should adopt a live-and-let-live attitude toward wild ducks and geese. As humans, we have no place interacting with wild birds. When we feed them, we encourage them to become dependent on human beings, and they lose their natural ability to forage. Wild animals should be treated like wild animals.

Additionally, well-meaning people may harm the health of wild ducks by feeding them. Areas where ducks are overfed can quickly become overpopulated, making the animals more prone to infections-- including human-transmissible diseases like avian flu. Many people feed geese and ducks harmful foods, including crackers and potato chips. These can cause problems like obesity and liver disease.

In Favor of Feeding Wild Waterfowl:

Waterbird enthusiasts like myself disagree that we should sever ourselves from wild animals. We are an intrinsic part of nature and we can never fully isolate ourselves from wild geese and ducks. As we encroach on animal's wild habitats, we have two choices: we can learn to coexist, or we can exterminate the other species. It is futile to try to sequester ourselves from other species, because we share a habitat.

If we feed wild geese and ducks responsibly, we are unlikely to seriously harm their health. Conscientious duck-feeders should take care to use only minimally processed foods like corn, peas and millet. If natural predators are allowed to thrive in areas populated by wild ducks and geese, overpopulation should not be an issue. Coyotes, red foxes, golden eagles, bald eagles and raccoons present no serious danger to humans, but their presence will prevent unnatural spikes in the populations of wild waterfowl.

The Bottom Line:

The choice to feed wild ducks and geese-- or not feed them-- is largely a matter of personal philosophy. If you believe in the conservationist mentality-- that we should try to segregate ourselves from the natural world-- you may find it ideal to avoid feeding any wild birds. However, moderate feeding can offer benefits to travel-weary ducks and geese, and it is an enjoyable activity for bird enthusiasts.

As always, abide by your local laws and regulations regarding wild waterfowl.

Why Sea Otters are Endangered, and How You Can Help

Sea otters are the smallest species of marine mammal, and one of the most vulnerable endangered species in North America. They are regarded as an endangered species by international regulations, and without additional protection, they may become extinct in the near future.

But why are sea otters endangered? And, more importantly, what can you do to help them?

Fur Trade

The sea otter never recovered from severe overhunting that took place during the 1800s. Fur hunters and trappers drove the sea otter to the brink of extinction, leaving only a single small colony of sea otters to replenish the severely depleted population. Most modern California sea otters are descended from a handful of individuals, and, even under the best of circumstances, it may take hundreds of years for them to fully recover.

Fortunately, regulations are not in place that ban the hunting, sale or export of sea otter furs. Some poachers still manage to prey upon sea otters and profit from their destruction. Help to protect sea otters by boycotting any company that sells fur. You will not only protect endangered species, but also other animals that are threatened by the industry.

Oil Spills

Oil spill pollution is the greatest threat to the sea otter's survival. The otter's fur loses its insulating properties when it is coated in oil, and the animal unintentionally poisons itself when it tries to remove the sticky debris. Otters affected by oil spills die of hypothermia, digestive problems and lung damage. Almost 4,000 sea otters died during the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which affected otters more than any other species.

To help protect sea otters threatened by oil spills, become active in the fight against offshore drillingand oil exploration in protected wildlife reserves. Incorporate green living into your everyday lifestyle to minimize your own consumption of fossil fuels. If an oil spill the size of the Deepwater Horizon disaster occurred on the other end of the country, it could easily drive the endangered sea otter to extinction.

Threats from Fishing

Gill and trammel nets severely harmed sea otters' populations during the 1970s and 1980s, and these damages persist even with more "eco-friendly" fishing techniques. Fishing nets endanger sea otters by causing them to drown or suffer life-threatening injuries. Emaciated sea otters die in areas where overfishing depletes the populations of sea otters' natural food sources. Additionally, predators like sharks and orcas may prey more on sea otters because humans have reduced the populations of other natural prey.

If you want to do your part to protect sea otters, your best bet is to go vegetarian. This minimizes the ecological impact of fishing and exploration in the sea otter's native range. Your efforts toward a vegetarian lifestyle can help to facilitate a healthier, more sustainable habitat for endangered sea otters and many other wild animals.

Never Release Pets into the Wild

You may be considering releasing a pet into the wild. Perhaps you don't have time for your rabbit anymore, or you don't have the equipment to accommodate your eighty baby guppies or fifteen baby hamsters. Each year, hundreds of pet guardians release pet turtles, fish, rodents, amphibians and rabbits into the wild. This act-- which may seem like an act of kindness-- has only two possible outcomes, and both of them have serious environmental and ethical ramifications.

Bad Outcome 1: Doing Too Well

If you release your pet into the wild, it may to "too well." Your hamster to find a mousey-mate and populate your neighborhood, leading to serious ecological consequences and health risks for your neighborhood. By releasing a pet into the wild, you may unintentionally introduce an invasive species, which has the potential to wreak havoc on the surrounding ecosystem.

Released pet iguanas, pythons and parakeets have caused serious harm in the Everglades, where they have displaced many native species. Red eared slider turtles have overtaken hundreds of lakes where they are not native; in the process, they have caused the local extinction of several fish and reptile species. Asian arp, guppies and goldfish also upset the balance of river ecosystems throughout the U.S.

If you care about animals, you should be aware that your pet's "success" in the wild would come at the expense of native species. Your gerbils may displace local shrews. Your rabbit can dilute the genepool of wild cottontails. Your clawed frog may eat the fry of endangered fish in local streams. Non-native animals can not live as part of a balanced ecosystem outside of their natural range.

Bad Outcome 2: Death

If your pet does not do unusually well in the wild, the alternative is a painful death. Exotic species tend to react in one of two ways to a new environment-- they spread like wildfire or they die instantly. Your pet is adapted to live in its own native environment, or, in the case of domesticated species, it has been carefully bred to live only under the care of humans. If your pet doesn't thrive, he will probably die within a matter of just a few days.

Unless you live in a subtropical region, tropical exotic pets such as iguanas and parrots will die quickly in the wild. If the animal survives into the winter, there will be no food for it and it will die of hypothermia. Your pet may also be unaccustomed to foraging; a pet who eats only commercial feed may have no ability to find food in a barren landscape. For this reason, many organizations consider it to be an act of animal cruelty to release a pet into the wild.

If you can't take care of your pet anymore, get to work on finding a more suitable home for it. Contact your local humane society, veterinarian and area pet stores for assistance in re-homing your animals. It is never appropriate to release pets into the wild.

Why are chinchillas endangered?

The chinchilla is a soft-furred, robust rodent endemic to the Andes mountains. These beautiful creatures are valued as pets and fur-animals because of their luxurious, velvet-like coats. Many chinchilla owners are unaware of the plight of these beautiful animals. Wild chinchillas are now considered to be "critically endangered" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, or IUCN.

Wild chinchilla populations have declined by an alarming 90% in the past 15 years. They face imminent danger and are likely to become extinct in the wild within a decade.

Why Chinchillas are Endangered

Wild chinchilla populations have been threatened for centuries by human activity. The species' original population was nearly exterminated due to poaching, hunting, habitat destruction, competition from cattle and goats, strip-mining activities, and deforestation for firewood extraction. Since the 1920s, chinchillas have been protected by legal measures, but their populations continue to decline.

Why the Threat Continues

Unfortunately, actions to protect chinchillas have failed, and they are more likely than ever to become extinct. The IUCN suggests that the wild chinchilla population may be too small to naturally repopulate, even with protection measurse in place. Illegal poaching for the fur trade also plays a role in the chinchilla's continued decline. Additionally, foxes now hunt chinchillas more than they have in the past; this change may be either natural or anthropogenic.

What about Fur Coats?

Almost all chinchilla furs are now collected from captive-bred chinchillas, so the fur industry no longer play a major role in the decline of wild chinchilla populations. However, some poachers do continue to hunt chinchillas, and this does affect the species' ability to recover from being endangered. If you buy chinchilla fur, you are not contributing to the endangerment of the species. However, most environmentalists agree that the fur industry is inherently unsustainable and inhumane.

What about Pet Chinchillas?

If you own a pet chinchilla, there is good news-- you are actually helping, not hurting, this endangered species. Pet chinchillas are exclusively captive-bred and are not captured from the wild. And, although pet chinchillas can not be re-released into the wild, you are helping to support the continued captive-breeding and protection of chinchillas and other endangered species. As a chinchilla owner, you should make efforts to spread awareness about the plight of the wild chinchilla. Do your pet's wild cousins a favor by supporting the protection of endangered chinchillas.