AJ: Welcome back, Fanimals! We hope you’re ready to jump right in. Tasmanian devils are well-known from their rowdy and wild cartoon depiction, but these animals are really cute marsupials native to Australia. According to ABC News, they are being reintroduced to the wild mainland. With people bringing foxes and other invasive species to their habitat, many native marsupials and small hunters could not keep up with the overwhelming number of intruders and competition. A ten-year reintroduction project is aimed at restoring natural balance and creating a more diverse gene pool.
Jenna: Learning from our past mistakes could lead to a better relationship between us and nature. Like we’ve mentioned in previous Creature Feature News editions and now according to LiveScience, humans are responsible for driving many species, like the dodo, into extinction. Through surviving historical documentation, from cave drawings to official scientific recordings, a long list of animals no longer walk the earth due to our negligence. The study of ancient human impact on nature is important to understand the environmental consequences we have caused and is pivotal information to continue inspiring new generations to restore and sustain the Earth as a safe place for all animals.
AJ: Let us help introduce you to Europe’s largest marine protected area (MPA), the West of Scotland MPA. An MPA is an area containing marine life that acts as a sanctuary for fish from harmful human activity. This MPA is home to some amazingly diverse animals from deep sea sharks to my favorite sea creature, squids. The MPA protects these animals from industry projects and also regulates certain types of fishing. Included in this BBC article is a link to a YouTube video where you can see the many advantages this European MPA has to offer. Not to mention, you should just check out the article to see a picture of a tiny octopus.
Jenna: Accidents happen, even in nature. Anyone surrounded by woods can probably tell you that, unfortunately, little sparrow nestlings can fall out of a nest. While it is in every animal lover’s nature to help a baby bird, according to Animal Good News, it is critical to evaluate and know the proper steps to take for a successful bird recovery. Sometimes uninvited nest guests or an attempt to follow their parents are the reason for the nestling’s tumble. Doing your part in recovering a sparrow nestling is a rewarding task, but make sure you know what you are dealing with. It is important to be sure that the nesting is without a doubt a sparrow, as some birds will not allow reentry into the nest after human intervention due to the humans scent left behind.
Aj: Yet again, animal stereotypes are far from the truth. Who started the rumor that cats and dogs can’t get along? To close out this week here is a lighthearted video from the Dodo showing two silly friends having a blast in the outdoors. See you later, alligators!
Animal news:
What’s the first species humans drove to extinction? from Live Science
Tasmanian devils released into sanctuary north of Sydney in step towards ‘rewilding’ from The Guardian
‘Real and imminent’ extinction risk to whales from BBC
Europe’s largest marine protected area comes into force from BBC
Researchers Map Areas to Protect to Reduce Climate Change | Best Countries from US News
Tasmanian devils reintroduced into Australia’s mainland for 1st time in 3,000 years from ABC News
African Wildlife Foundation Launches Virtual Safaris This Month To Help With The Loss That Tourism In Africa Is Suffering Due To The Pandemic from World Animal News
How to take care of sparrow nestlings from Animal Good News
Dog Lets Cat Brother Ride On Him When They Go Hiking from the Dodo
Raccoon encounters on the rise? from ABC News
Photo credit to David Clode on Unsplash
Creature Feature 