Wolves Bears Ants and Horses

AJ: Hi there, Fanimals! We’re happy to be back with another dose of weekly animal news. This week, many of our news articles are centered around the idea of coexisting with wild animals around us.

Jenna: This idea is very important during this time when civilization and urban environments seem to be infinitely expanding and impacting surrounding animals. I felt a little crabby reading this article from ScienceDaily about the impact of noisy ships on some of our ocean friends. A new study has found that ship noises leave crabs unable to alter their coloring to camouflage into their surroundings. This makes the crabs especially vulnerable to hungry predators.

AJ: We need to share our planet with other animals and limit our negative impacts on their lives. This article from World Animal Foundation serves as another reminder. Too often animal control is called to deal with situations that could have easily been prevented. With small, kind gestures such as using locking trash cans and fixing cracks in doors and concrete, we can cut down on the need for harmful animal control actions. As a result, less animals will suffer, animals won’t find themselves in trouble, and we can easily coexist.

Jenna: A new study, the Urban Carnivore Project, highlighted in this article from The Daily News has shown that coyotes, mountain lions, bears, and bobcats have all been seen in all over the city of Seattle. This is not surprising that construction and development displaces wild animals. These animals are forced to find new homes and, when their natural habitats become scarce from over-development, they are forced into living alarmingly close to humans. You can be sure this is happening everywhere, not just in Seattle, too.

AJ: Animals already have a difficult enough time surviving in the wild, and their lives just become more risky when we introduce them to cars and human interactions. To increase chances of survival, an escape plan is always a good idea, especially when you are a small animal such as an ant! Click here to read a New York Times article about how these brilliant animals evade dangerous situations. By using a crafty rolling method, the ants can quickly react to unexpected stimuli. It is amazing to see these ants demonstrating an understanding of inclines and the fastest way to run away from a predator.

Jenna: Thanks for reading, animal fans! Be sure to check out Fanimal’s monthly content relating to March’s theme of “beauty.” Find recipes, crafts, and helpful information regarding the theme by following the above link.

This week’s animal news:

Ship noise leaves crabs too stressed to hide from danger from ScienceDaily

Mozambique Launches Anti-Poaching Campaign from Wildaid

Animal welfare matters: see how your country treats animals from World Animal Protection

Share Your Property With Animals – How To Help Animals from Wild Animal Foundation

WSB: Blueberries surprisingly important in wolf diet From The Wildlife Society

Why bears are coming out of hibernation early from BBC

Diego the Baby Baboon that took Welsh Rescuers by Surprise from BBC

New plan shrinks proposed mine near Okefenokee Swamp refuge from AP News

Legislation introduced would delist gray wolves From The Wildlife Society

Canada makes historic investments in conservation From The Wildlife Society

Meet the newly discovered ocean species: plastic From World Wildlife Fund