Watch a video of recently hatched beetle grubs through the Saint Louis Zoo Web site at www.stlzoo.org.
AMERICAN CROCODILE
Take Action
Visit the Croc Docs, a University of Florida–sponsored Web site at http://crocdoc.ifas.ufl.edu/index.htm. Here you can learn more about animal behavior and conservation efforts, view research publications, and take virtual field trips to Belize and southern Florida to observe crocodiles.
Never try to feed or entice crocodiles. Not only is it illegal and dangerous, but it may encourage them to approach humans for food in the future.
Always dispose of fish scraps in a garbage can. Do not throw them in the water.
Meet the Species
Visit the species at Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park, or Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge.
See the American crocodile at the Philadelphia Zoo, Pennsylvania, or the Central Florida Zoo, Florida.
ANGONOKA (PLOUGHSHARE TORTOISE)
Take Action
Contact the Turtle Conservation Fund at www.turtleconser-vation fund.org to learn more about the latest projects this organization is pursuing to ensure the long-term survival of the ploughshare as well as other highly endangered tortoises, and to make donations.
Assist in conservation efforts by contacting Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust at www.durrellwildlife.org. In addition to monitoring and studying the tortoises in what remains of their wild habitat, Durrell is supporting local communities surrounding Baly Bay to protect ploughshares and their habitat. By visiting their Web site, you can make donations, participate in an adoption program, and search through a list of ecotourism opportunities including a trip to Madagascar.
Meet the Species
Take a field trip to the Honolulu Zoo, Hawaii, to visit the ploughshare tortoise.
ASIAN VULTURES
Take Action
Contact the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds at www.rspb.org.uk and the International Centre for Birds of Prey at www.icbp.org. Here you can learn more about conservation efforts and make donations to the organizations’ captive breeding programs.
Contact the Peregrine Fund: World Center for Birds of Prey at www.peregrinefund.org. You can learn more about the Asian Vulture Population Project, as well as assist in the effort by providing information on any vulture colonies you may be aware of in the wild.
Educate others about the dangers of diclofenac—an anti-inflammatory drug used on domestic livestock. Vultures are killed by feeding on a dead animal that has been treated with this drug.
ATTWATER’S PRAIRIE CHICKEN
Take Action
Contribute to the Adopt-a-Prairie-Chicken Program. Send funds that contribute directly to raising APCs in the wild to:
Adopt-a-Prairie-Chicken Program
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, TX 78744
Meet the Species
Take a trip to the Attwater Praire Chicken National Wildlife Refuge in Eagle Lake, Texas. In addition to plenty of bird-watching, there are volunteer opportunities as well. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/attwater.
BACTRIAN CAMEL
Take Action
Contact the Wild Camel Protection Foundation at www.wildcamels.com. You can learn more about current conservation efforts, become a member of the foundation, and sponsor a camel.
Meet the Species
Visit Bactrian camels at an AZA-accredited zoo, such as the Denver Zoo, Colorado, or the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens.
BERMUDA PETREL (CAHOW)
Take Action
Contact the Bermuda Audubon Society at www.audubon.bm to learn more about conservation efforts, obtain information about Bermuda bird-watching tours, and make donations to cahow recovery programs.
Visit the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo at www.bamz.org to make donations for the recovery of cahow and other endemic species, to learn more about the Bermuda Biodiversity Project, and to donate your time as a volunteer.
Meet the Species
Contact the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences at www.bios.edu to inquire about ecotours or educational opportunities.
BLACK ROBIN (CHATHAM ISLAND ROBIN)
Take Action
Visit the Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of New Zealand at www.forestandbird.org.nz to make general donations, to learn about volunteer opportunities, and to join this organization.
Send donations for conservation efforts to:
New Zealand Threatened Species Trust
c/o Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc.
PO Box 631
Wellington, New Zealand
BLACK-FOOTED FERRET
Take Action
Contact Prairie Wildlife Research at www.prairiewildlife.org. Through this organization, you can learn more about the species, sponsor a ferret through their adoption program, or donate directly to on-the-ground conservation efforts.
Support organizations that work to conserve prairie dogs (black-footed ferret habitat) such as the Prairie Dog Coalition and the Nature Conservancy.
Explore the prairie and learn about it. It is North America’s most endangered ecosystem because people simply take it for granted.
Meet the Species
Take a guided night walk at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota during late summer. Do not go out spotlighting alone. It is illegal without a permit and could disrupt the work of biologists or disturb the animals.
Visit a zoo that breeds black-footed ferrets in captivity such as Louisville Zoo, Kentucky; Toronto Zoo, Ontario; Phoenix Zoo, Arizona; National Zoo, Washington, DC; Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado.
BLUE-AND-GOLD MACAW
Take Action
Visit the Carl H. Lindner Jr. Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) at www.cincinnatizoo.org. This state-of-the-art research facility is dedicated to saving endangered plant and animal species such as the blue-and-yellow macaw from extinction.
Contact Bernadette Plair, director of the Center for the Rescue of Endangered Species of Trinidad and Tobago (CRESTT), at [email protected] if you are interested in contributing to conservation efforts. You can donate to this organization as well by mailing checks to:
Center for the Rescue of Endangered Species of Trinidad & Tobago
Attn: Alex deVerteuil
119 Roberts Street, PO Box 919
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
Do not destroy the habitat of the birds.
Do not poach the nests for chicks.
Do not buy macaw pets that are not captive-bred.
CALIFORNIA CONDOR
Take Action
Visit the California Condor Recovery Program at www.cacondor conservation.org to find out more about conservation efforts, to make donations, to volunteer as a nest monitor, and to subscribe to the newsletter. This Web site also offers ideas for classroom activities to teach students about these endangered birds and what they can do to help. For more specific information about becoming a nest monitor, contact Estelle Sandhaus at [email protected] or Joseph Brandt at [email protected].
Volunteer to take part in condor habitat enhancement on Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex lands and other public lands around the Central and Southern California region. To get involved, contact the US Fish and Wildlife Service at www.fws.gov.
Make donations to the Condor Survival Fund, which supports worthwhile projects not otherwise covered by funding from other organizations or governmental agencies involved in the condor program. To make a tax-deductible contribution, send checks payable to the Condor Survival Fund to:
Office of Accounting & Human Services
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
2559 Puesta del Sol Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Never feed or approach a condor.
Don’t leave garbage or poisons such as antifreeze in the wi
ld.
If you are a hunter: Use nonlead bullets, such as copper. Be sure of your shot, and never leave any of your game behind. Bury the gut pile of field-dressed game to make it less obvious to scavengers. Don’t hesitate to report any illegal shootings.
Meet the Species
Visit California condors at the San Diego Zoo.
CASPIAN HORSE
Take Action
Contact the Caspian Horse Society of the Americas at www.caspian.org, or the Caspian Horse Society (UK) at www.caspianhorsesociety.org.uk, to obtain more information about the breed and to become a supporting member of these organizations.
Meet the Species
Visit the Caspian horse at the Memphis Zoo, Tennessee.
COELACANTH
Take Action
Learn more about the species by visiting the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB at www.saiab.ac.za), a worldwide resource for coelacanth information and an internationally recognized center for the study of aquatic biodiversity.
Limit your seafood, and if you do eat seafood, eat conscientiously. Visit the World Wildlife Fund’s Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) at www.wwfsassi.co.za. The program educates wholesalers and restaurateurs, as well the general public, about buying sustainable seafood in South Africa and avoiding exploited or endangered sea animals.
COLUMBIA BASIN PYGMY RABBIT
Take Action
Contact the Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that has protected more than thirty thousand acres of shrub-steppe habit for the pygmy rabbit and several other species that make this area of Washington State their home. Go to www.nature.org to learn more about conservation efforts, to become a volunteer, and to make monetary or real estate donations.
Work directly with the reintroduction and research of pygmy rabbits by contacting the endangered species program of Washington State University and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at http://ecology.wordpress.com or http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildlife/management/index.html.
Meet the Species
Support the pygmy rabbit captive breeding program at the Oregon Zoo by viewing the exhibit or by visiting their Web site at www.oregonzoo.org. You can also watch a video of pygmy rabbits being released into the wild.
COTTON-TOP TAMARIN
Take Action
Contact Proyecto Tití at www.proyectotiti.com. Through this conservation program you can learn more about cotton-top tamarins, make donations, and purchase eco-products such as mochilas. Purchasing these items will help local communities decrease their dependency on forest products. And with a stable source of income, local communities can help protect the cotton-top tamarin for future generations of Colombians.
CRESTED IBIS
Take Action
Contact Earth’s Endangered Creatures at www.earthsendangered.com to find out more about the crested ibis.
Meet the Species
Embark on an ecotour to see the crested ibis through Wings Birding Tours Worldwide. Visit http://wingsbirds.com for more information about specific excursions.
Visit the Yangxian Zhuhuan Nature Preserve. For more information, refer to www.4panda.com/special/bird/site/yangxian.htm.
ECHO PARAKEET
Take Action
Contact the Parrot Society UK at www.theparrotsocietyuk.org to find out more about echo parakeet conservation efforts and to make donations.
See “Mauritius Island Birds,” below, for more suggestions.
FORMOSAN LANDLOCKED SALMON
Take Action
Contact Shei-Pa National Park at http://park.org/Taiwan/Government/Theme/Environmental_Ecological/env64.htm for more information about conservation efforts.
GIANT PANDA
Take Action
Contact the Smithsonian National Zoological Park at http://national zoo.si.edu. You can learn more about the species and make donations to the Giant Panda Conservation Fund. This fund will help finance an array of research projects in China and the United States.
Contact the Conservation and Research for Endangered Species Division of the San Diego Zoo at www.cres.sandiegozoo.org. Their Giant Panda Conservation Unit focuses on the biology and conservation of this species. You can make donations, volunteer, apply for fellowships, and participate in the Adopt the Giant Panda Project.
Send donations for conservation efforts to:
The Nature Conservancy
China Program
B4-2 Qijiayuan Diplomatic Compound
No. 9 Jianwai Dajie, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100600 China
Donate to research programs devoted to the biology and conservation of giant pandas that are found in four US zoos: San Diego ( www.sandiego.org), Atlanta (www.zooatlanta.org), National Zoological Park (www.nationalzoo.si.edu), and Memphis (www.memphiszoo.org). Consult each zoo’s Web site to learn more about how to donate and get involved.
Meet the Species
Embark on an ecotour to see giant pandas and their natural habitats. The Wild Giant Panda Web site at www.wildgiantpanda.com has a listing of nature reserves that offer tourism opportunities. Or visit the Wolong Nature Reserve or Chengdu Panda Breeding Center. For more information about educational excursions, visit www.4panda.com/panda/pandasite/wolong.htm or www.panda.org/cn/english.
Volunteer at Wolong Nature Preserve in China. Contact Pandas International at www.pandasinternational.org for more information, to make donations, or to sponsor a giant panda.
Watch a live feed of giant pandas at the Wolong Nature Reserve at www.oiccam.com/webcams/index.html?/panda.
Visit giant pandas at the National Zoo, Washington, DC, and at the San Diego Zoo. You can check out the new Panda Cam at the San Diego Zoo, which is a live stream from the exhibit.
GOLDEN LION TAMARIN
Take Action
Learn more about conservation programs at www.micoleao.org.br and www.savethegoldenliontamarin.org. Or visit the National Zoo’s Web site, www.natinalzoo.si.edu.
Meet the Species
Visit the National Zoo or take an eco-tour with Brazil Ecotravel and visit the Poço das Antas Biological Reserve and educational center. For more information, go to the Web site at www.brazil-ecotravel.com.
GRAY WOLF
Take Action
Contact the Yellowstone Park Foundation at www.ypf.org. Here you can make donations to the general wolf project, sponsor a VHF or GPS collar, or contribute to a community-supported wolf collar.
HAWAIIAN GOOSE (NENE)
Take Action
Contact the Friends of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge at www.friendsofhakalauforest.org to make donations to adopt a nene, and to learn about volunteer opportunities to promote natural and cultural conservation efforts in Hawaii.
Learn more about the nene captive breeding program at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park by visiting www.nps.gov/havo/naturescience/nene.htm. You can also attend an educational field seminar, become a friend of the park by volunteering your time, or make a monetary donation at www.fhvnp.org.
Drive cautiously in areas marked with NENE CROSSING signs and be mindful of nene on golf courses.
Observe nene from a distance and never feed them.
Keep your pets safe at home—they could pose a threat to the nene.
Meet the Species
Plan a trip to Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge or Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to see the nene and other native birds.
Visit the nene at the Honolulu Zoo in Hawaii.
IBERIAN LYNX
Take Action
Contact SOS Lynx at www.soslynx.org to learn more about conservation efforts for this species such as captive breeding programs, and to make donations.
Support the Cat Specialist Group at www.catsg.org. This organization is sponsored by the World Conservation Union and the Species Survival Commission.
Visit LifeLince at www.lifelince.org to learn about conservation projects such as radio tracking, camera trapping, and creating supplementary feeding enclosures. T
here are also volunteer opportunities available.
Volunteer at an Iberian lynx breeding center (three-month minimum commitment). Visit www.lynxexsitu.es for more information or e-mail [email protected].
When touring through lynx habitat, especially at Doñana National Park, consider hiking or riding bicycles instead of driving in cars, which have killed a number of lynx in the past.
LORD HOWE’S ISLAND PHASMID
Take Action and Meet the Species
Visit the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife at www.fnpw.com.au to learn about Lord Howe’s Island phasmid.
Contact the Lord Howe Island Tourism Association at www.lord howeisland.info to learn about the island’s threatened species recovery plan, and to book a trip to see some of the endemic species.
MALA (RUFOUS HARE-WALLABY)
Take Action
Volunteer to protect the mala and their habitat. Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Scotia Sanctuary offers volunteer opportunities; contact www.australianwildlife.org for more information. Opportunities are also available through the Western Australia Department of Environment at www.dec.wa.gov.au. Or contact the Northern Territory Department of Natural Resources at www.nt.gov.au/nreta/wildlife/programs/volunteers.html for a list of volunteer programs, including ones at Alice Springs Desert Park.
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