WORLD WILDLIFE DAY

Happy World Wildlife Day from our team at Wildlife Wakeup Call! In case you missed it, 2022 concluded with some very uplifting news! Nearly every country on Earth reached a sweeping deal to protect 30% of the planet’s land and oceans! This historic agreement between 195 nations was reached at the UN Biodiversity conference COP15 in Montréal, Canada in December 2022. And not a moment too soon, as scientists have projected that a million plants and animal species are at risk of extinction within decades. Together with the Paris Agreement on climate, this new deal paves the way towards a climate-neutral, nature-positive and resilient world by 2050. As humanity, nature and wildlife are intertwined, we’ll have to continue to work together to meet these goals! Much more momentum needed!

https://ec.europa.eu/com.../presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_7834

World Tiger Day!

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TIGER FUN FACTS:

Tigers are the largest wild cat species.

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Tiger stripes are also found on their skin. Similar to human fingerprints, the unique pattern of stripes on tigers acts like their identity. Even if you shave off the fur of Tigers, you would still see the stripes.

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Tigers can sprint at over 30 mph.

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Tigers urine smells like buttered popcorn.

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A group of tigers are called an ambush or streak.

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Unlike domestic cats, tigers love to swim and play in the water.

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Tigers are nocturnal animals. They prefer to hunt at night.

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Tigers rarely roar and are humble towards their group. Often it is seen in the wild that male tigers allow the female and cubs to eat first.

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ENDANGERED SPECIES: Sadly, tigers are on the brink of extinction. Just over a century ago, 100,000 wild tigers roamed across Asia. Today, fewer than 3,900 live in a mere 4% of their historic range. The largest tiger population can now be found in India, home to half of all remaining wild tigers. Much of this decline has occurred in the past decade. People & tigers increasingly compete for space, due to human activity & development.

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To the sanctuaries & orgs around the world working to protect & conserve these gorgeous beings, keep it up!

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Info from WWF & Ranthambore National Park in India.

African elephant recognised as two separate species – Savanna elephant endangered & Forest elephant critically endangered.

The shy forest elephants have lost nearly nine-tenths of their number in a generation and are now critically endangered — just one step from extinction in the wild.

“The separation between the 2 species is probably greater than the separation between lions and tigers,” Dr. Roca said.

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Six rangers killed in ambush protecting endangered gorillas at DR Congo's Virunga national park

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Statement from Virunga National Park: “Virunga National Park deeply regrets the tragic loss of life among its Rangers, who work tirelessly and with dedication to protect both the Park and the neighboring communities from the tyranny of armed groups. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten nor be in vain.”

https://virunga.org/news/recent-attack-2021/?fbclid=IwAR0cqcyFwKmpacvthnqfeVKeYIYUVOsP_fQGvjVvKC9pwUZvXNlAJpiChwo

One of Africa’s last elephant havens has seen a worrying spike in ivory poaching

New reports have shown Botswana continues to be a poaching hotspot.

“Demand for ivory from East Asia remains high, though there is some indication of a Chinese slowdown. Strong demand, combined with the growing market for bushmeat, continues to drive elephant poaching across African range states. While the Chinese upcoming domestic ivory ban is a welcome move in the right direction, it’s not enough. From a policy perspective, it has to be complementary to demand reduction efforts, not a substitute for them.”

https://qz.com/africa/1560459/elephant-ivory-poaching-is-on-rise-in-botswana-southern-africa/?fbclid=IwAR3nxYSmvclYa8clAVyEeDfXPNI4nbuWW8aaltI8ZGSYaEJX0jivKYFc_k8

Chinese TV May 2016 appearance

WWC founders, Craig and Fiona just made another appearance in May of  2016 on Chinese TV. Fiona spoke in English and Mandarin about the Huxley's current elephant efforts, including her new elephant children's book. Team Huxley believes a thoughtful, respectful, and cooperative relationship with china is crucial to the survival of the remaining elephant species.

The USA and China are the 2 driving forces behind the demand for ivory. With President Obama and President Xi's latest announcement to restrict the sale of ivory in our respective territories, there can be hope for elephants, but only if both governments follow through with their statements. China has not released a timeline for new legislation on restricting ivory sales, but continued pressure from the States and around the world, will show that elephants are more valuable alive.

It is estimated that throughout an elephant's life, they will generate around $1.6 million dollars in tourism revenue in Africa. Elephants are not the only one's at stake in this fight for survival. Humans are able to feed their families through eco-tourism. But how can that continue when there are no more elephants left to appreciate? It's up to the human race to reevaluate the situation and decide what is more valuable; an ivory trinket, or the livelihood of the elephant species?