Wolves!
Wolves could be the most persecuted animals on the planet. Intelligent and graceful canines, wolves have been the victims of government-sponsored bounty hunting for hundreds of years due to prejudice - nothing more. Contrary to popular belief, wolves do not attack people - there has never been a documented case of a healthy wolf attacking a human on the North American continent. On the contrary, wolves will generally run from people; after all, you'd run too if you saw a member of a more powerful species bent on your extermination.
Wolves are pack animals - they generally attack their prey, such as deer, in groups. Wolves, although predators, are part of the natural food chain. Their hunting benefits their prey in the long run; they aid the process of natural selection by eating only the weakest, sickest and oldest of prey. It takes an entire wolf pack to run down one old deer. These animals are far from dangerous!
Many people use tales of savage wolves to frighten children - which has given wolves an unfair reputation. The average human being's knowledge of wolves generally comes from three fairy tales: "The Three Little Pigs," "Little Red Riding Hood," and "Peter and the Wolf." Nothing could be further from the truth. Wolves certainly can't blow down houses; they are incapable of reaching most livestock; and they're obviously incapable of swallowing a person whole. I once heard a story where a third-grade class was asked to draw a picture of a wolf; the drawings all featured prominent teeth. Then they met a real wolf, and asked to draw a wolf again. The new pictures featured prominent feet! Wolves' feet are larger than most dogs'.
For more information on wolves:
The International Wolf Center contains a plethora of information on wolves, including the re-introduction of wolves into the wild.
What are timber wolves like? Ask Timber Wolf Information. They also have some wonderful pictures.
The National Wildlife Federation has a page on Restoring America's Wolves.
Wolves on the Net contains a directory of wolf-related links. Also recommended is the Wolf FAQ.
The World Wildlife Fund works to save endangered species and preserve their habitats. Other organizations dedicated to protecting the environment include the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, the Trust for Public Land, the National Wildlife Federation, Repower America, and Friends of the Earth.
"In wildness is the preservation of the world." - Thoreau
Bats are extraordinary creatures. They are the only true flying mammals; they are more closely related to humans than they are to rodents; and their echolocation skills are so good they never get tangled in anything, let alone a person's hair.
There are over 1,300 species of bats in the world. Only one South American variety drinks blood from other mammals. Those bats bite only horses and cattle, and the animals barely feel the bite. North American bats eat only insects. A single bat can eat as many as 600 mosquitoes in an hour, and 3,000-7,000 in a night.
Bats clean themselves the way cats do. They greet other bats by giving hugs, and pet bats will sometimes hug the hands of their keepers.
To learn more, visit Bat Conservation International.
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