Jenna: Welcome back, all! This past week, on September 4th, we celebrated National Wildlife Day!
Hannah: It’s one of my favorite holidays, I must say! I just discovered that this special day was established following the death of wildlife conservationist, Steve Irwin. This wildlife icon, inspired and educated viewers across the world. It is vital for us, as humans, to be aware of our actions and how they affect species that share the earth with us.
Jenna: I completely agree, Hannah! I’m especially fond of sea turtles, and, luckily, it seems many of Hilton Head’s turtle nests were not impacted by Hurricane Dorian. That being said, some were unfortunately washed away by the storm surge. What a huge reminder – sea turtles have so many natural threats to face, like hurricanes. It is so important that we do all that we can to help protect them.
Hannah: You’re turtley right. Speaking of the recent hurricane, did you hear about the wild horses in the Outer Banks? Instead of evacuating to avoid the storm while it passes, the horses seek higher ground, gather together, and face their rear ends towards the wind. Talk about some good teamwork!
Jenna: You’ve got that right. This trick is one the horses have been using for 500 years! We have some cool news about animal adaptations this week. White Barn Owls use their white feathers to hunt more effectively, and squirrels listen to birds to determine if predators are near.
Hannah: Learning about animals is always a hoot with you!
Jenna: Until next week, animal lovers!
Hip-Hip Hooray! Today Is National Wildlife Day! from Forbes
The Effect Of Coal And Mineral Mines On Stream Fishes from Faunalytics
Moonlight Helps White Barn Owls Stun Their Prey from Smithsonian Magazine
The wild horses of the Outer Banks won’t evacuate. They have a special trick to survive hurricanes from CNN
Jailed for trying to save Iran’s cheetahs from PRI
Squirrels Eavesdrop on Birds to Check If Danger Has Passed from Smithsonian Magazine
A tiger refuge in Sumatra gets a reprieve from road building from Mongabay
California becomes first state to ban fur trapping after Gov. Newsom signs law from Los Angeles Times
New monkey species found in Amazon forest area that’s fast disappearing from Mongabay
In Their Own Words: The Challenges of Being Vegan form Faunalytics
Scientists tag deep-sea shark hundreds of feet underwater – a first from National Geographic
Tyson launches alt-shrimp made from plants — and it could be jumbo from The Washington Post
‘Hopeful’: Volunteers assessing Beaufort County’s sea turtle nests after Hurricane Dorian from The Island Packet
The wild horses of the Outer Banks won’t evacuate. They have a special trick to survive hurricanes from CNN
Ancient Worm Died in Its Tracks, Shedding Light on Animal Movement from Smithsonian.com
Photo by Doug Swinson on Unsplash
Creature Feature 