Nature Knows: Animals

This is the stunning vaquita, the rarest animal in the world. Only 10 of them exist.

The vaquita, also known as the Phocoena sinus, is a small porpoise that is native to the northern area of the Gulf of California.

This divine sea creature can grow to be approximately five feet long and, when fully grown, weighs around 120 pounds.

The animal has been on the endangered list for several years now, but concerns about its survival are growing.

There were 600 vaquitas in 1997. The population dwindled to 30 in 2017, and today, there are thought to be only about 10 left. Environmentalists believe fishermen’s use of gill nets is the reason behind the vaquita's increasing endangerment, Kingdoms TV reports.

#ICYMI: New research shows there may be hope for the endangered vaquita porpoise. Their small population of 10 still has enough genetic diversity to recover — if we act now to protect them from gillnets. https://t.co/OL3iatb63w
— Center for Biological Diversity (@CenterForBioDiv) May 16, 2022

Affectionately referred to as sea pandas owing to the black rings around their eyes, vaquitas are especially unique.

They are the only porpoise species that can survive in warm water. While all other species of porpoise require water that is colder than 68 degrees Fahrenheit, vaquitas reside in shallow, warm water. They are also considered to be uniquely solitary in their behavior.

According to environmental experts, traditional fishing practices in Mexico have led to the near-extinction of this marine species, even though they have not been aggressively pursued by fishermen (unlike the white rhino, which was nearly pushed to extinction due to poaching).

It's #EndangeredSpeciesDay : a reminder that there are too many species that fit the definition of 'endangered'. The vaquita is the smallest and most endangered cetacean with as few as 10 individuals left. We work to help species like the vaquita; they give us porpoise. pic.twitter.com/4wuiWIb8WB
— The Carmichael Lab - Dauphin Island Sea Lab (@CarmichaelLab) May 21, 2022

In Mexico, fishermen use gill nets to collect an endangered fish species called totoaba. On the black market, totoaba can fetch up to $50,000. Totoaba is a delicacy in China.

Although both totoaba fishing and gill nets are illegal in Mexico, the large payoff attracts local fishermen. This affects vaquitas as gill nets also trap the little porpoises.

Andrea Crosta of Earth League International, a wildlife trafficking watchdog group, is extremely concerned for the surviving vaquitas. He believes they may perish during the unlawful fishing season.

Crosta recently visited Mexico, where various sources confirmed that the number of live vaquitas is critically low.

There is a glimmer of hope for the endangered vaquita, but things must change now. #EndangeredSpeciesDay
https://t.co/nUbiz0W8rs
— Greenpeace International (@Greenpeace) May 20, 2022

For this reason, some environmentalists hope that a few vaquitas may be rescued and reared in captivity. The conservation organization Vaquita CPR undertook a rescue effort in 2017 but was not successful in its endeavor.

At the time, the female porpoise that the crew managed to rescue was unable to cope as a result of stress during her relocation to captivity and she perished shortly after being returned to the water. Nevertheless, Crosta believes it is important to keep fighting to save the vaquitas.

Organizations such as Elephant Action League and Sea Shepherd continue to monitor the Gulf of California and decipher the trafficking routes in China. "Even if they kill all the vaquitas, we owe it to them to reveal the whole story, the truth, and we want to bring those guilty to justice, who, by the way, are not the fishermen," said Crosta.

Friday is National Endangered Species Day and we are proud to say Island Lake 1st Graders raised $65.59 to make a virtual adoption of the critically endangered marine mammal, the vaquita. Way to go 1st Graders! YOU are making a difference! pic.twitter.com/vmVhRZv6zQ
— Island Lake (@ILElementary) May 18, 2022

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Animals

Woman Discovers That “Dahlia” Flowers Have Become A Hotel For Frogs

When the rest of the winter’s snow has melted and vibrant flowers start to blossom, Snohomish, Washington, locals can tell it is officially spring.

But for Allison Lamb, a rowdy but adorable set of neighbors is always the first indication. As Lamb told in an interview, they can hear all the frogs starting to croak when spring has come.

Lamb claims that the frogs that frequent her property and place of business, Snohomish Lavender Farm, are numerous and extraordinarily active.

Image Credit & More Info: Allison | snohomishlavenderfarm.com

Lamb remarked, “I have some flowers along my house, and they will climb up the walls, and they get up in my hanging flower baskets.”

Lamb frequently discovers a frog or two hopping around her house, but she was astonished to see a frog doing something she had never seen before, as when she went to check on her flower garden one day: he was taking a much-needed nap in one of her dahlias.

Lamb said that she was thrilled to see a frog napping in one of her dahlias. She raises around 200 dahlias on her property and was delighted to discover that the blooms serve as a perfectly sized hotel for frogs in addition to serving as a source of pollen for bees.

As the summer wore on, “I started seeing more and more,” Lamb remarked. Some days she might find over ten different frogs hiding in her flowers.

In the spring and summer, Lamb and her kids spend most of their mornings in their flower garden searching for pacific tree frogs. The frogs’ visit provides them with excitement and fun.

However, the frogs that scuttle inside the dahlias’ tiny petal pockets aren’t only there for amusement. They are essential to maintaining the health and vitality of the flower garden, particularly the dahlias. Lamb said, “The frogs eat the bad bugs for me.“

Of course, the frogs are not the only creatures that live in Lamb’s flower garden.

According to Lamb, the bees will spend the night in her dahlias, she also discovers small spiders finding refuge, and last year she found little gardener snakes up in her blooms.

“I also have a praying mantis, many salamanders, and a lot of caterpillars in the late summer.”

But nothing compares to the frogs huddling inside Lamb’s flowers, in Lamb’s opinion. She adores seeing them dozing among the petals with their little, green heads protruding, and she always laments their departure at the end of the summer.

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A post shared by Allison | Snohomish Lavender Farm (@snohomishlavenderfarm)

Until the first frost, when the blooms die, they remain in the blossoms the entire season, according to Lamb. When it gets too cold, the frogs migrate, but Lamb is confident that they will return in the spring.
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Animals

Puppy Buried Alive on a Beach is Now Thriving with Foster Fail Family!

A badly injured dog was rescued after being buried alive on an Oahu, Hawaii, beach by her owner, who was armed with a machete.

Animal rescuers were called after the terrified dog was found on a West Oahu beach. She was swollen, severely dehydrated, covered in sores and missing most of her fur when she was found, PAWS of Hawaii wrote on its Facebook page.

“Someone had just buried her and they had a machete, so who knows what was next,” said PAWS of Hawaii, which named the dog Leialoha, the Hawaiian word for “beloved child.” The animal rescue group responded to the call and found Leialoha with fresh knife cuts to her paws.

“The man who buried her, we were led to believe, had started to cut her,” PAWS executive director Ku’ulei Durand told NAVC.

The rescued pup was in terrible condition. “She resisted [human help] the first day,” Durand said. “I went there the second day to bathe her and she just bled from every inch of her body. She is missing most of her fur and was sunburned. But I also believe she was burnt from the heat of the hot sand where she was buried. Her legs were so swollen and her skin felt cooked.”

A Local Veterinarian Provides Medical Care “We received a phone call from Paws of Hawaii saying they were bringing in a dog that was buried alive in the sand,” Dr. Kelly Dowdall-Garberson told NAVC.

Dowdall-Garberson is the owner of Aloha Affordable Veterinary Services in Aiea, Hawaii. “Leialoha came in about 1.5 hours later. Upon presentation, she was depressed and severely dehydrated. She was covered in sand. She had severe cellulitis and edema of her limbs and was unable to stand.

She was severely sunburned with multiple lacerations on her legs. She also had chronic scales and crusts.”

Durand told local news outlets that they believe Leialoha’s owner planned to kill her. “He felt he was ending her suffering by trying to end her life, instead of getting her the help she needed,” Durand said. “Her skin, if you were able to smell her, is rancid because she has so many open sores that are infected.”

“After an initial assessment and exam that showed she was stable, we performed a CBC/Chem, E. canis antibody test, parvo antigen test and heartworm antigen test,” Dowdall-Garberson says. “Her initial treatment included a subcutaneous fluid bolus, Convenia, Cerenia and B vitamins. Dowdall-Garberson’s team also also began gently bathing her to remove as much sand as possible.

“We applied coconut oil/SSD ointment to her skin,” Dowdall-Garberson told NAVC. After several hours, Leialoha began eating and drinking. Once Leialoha was stabilized, Dowdall-Garberson says she was placed with a foster family, who are caring for her with SSD ointment and probiotics.

“Leialoha has returned every 2 days for reassessment and a CBC/Chem,” says Dowdall-Garberson. “Her anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukocytosis, neutrophilia, hypoproteinemia, hyperglobulinemia, and hypoglycemia are normalizing.

She is now receiving daily probiotics, BID application of coconut oil/SSD ointment, twice weekly baths of Malaket shampoo, Metronidazole and Enrofloxacin. She has also been treated with Interceptor Plus and Credelio.”

Dowdall-Garberson, whose clinic partners with several animal rescue organizations on Oahu to provide low-cost veterinary services to animals in their care, happily reports that “Leialoha makes daily strides at home with her foster family — eating treats, seeking affection, wagging her tail and gaining weight.”

Donations for Leialoha’s continued care can be made through PAWS of Hawaii.
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