God Save The King! And his kingdom! ~ * ~  Coloring pages 2019  ~ * ~

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"What satisfaction would there be in a man-made world all concrete and steel? What's better to save for the future than a part of the world that's at least natural and real? Where seals frolic in the surf? Where the rhino charges from the bush? And where the lion is still king? Surely Man will be the ultimate loser, if he allows himself to destroy the wild kingdom." ~ Marlin Perkins, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom

Printable page 73	Happy New Year! January 10 is Save The Eagles Day. We tend to just think of bald eagles, but there are many different species of eagle out there. They all could benefit from some helping hands. In Africa, there's an eagle so large it will hunt small antelope. ~ Martial Eagle ~ They're beautiful! Its IUCN status is vulnerable. ~ If they catch something too big to carry off, they simply eat it on the ground and sometimes separate limbs to take back to the nest. Wikipedia has a LOT of details about martial eagles. They average about 9 pounds, but their wingspans are wider than a man is tall and can be over 8 feet! I love watching herons take off: Skinny, stick of a bird, then *whoosh!* pteradactyl! ^_^ I bet these eagles make you feel like that. Check out other African eagles, courtesy of Kruger Park, and Bird Life International has a list of eagles of the world.
While nature can be tender and really cool, the reality of life can also be pretty harsh. Sometimes, it just depends how you look at it. One of my very favorite books is "The Trials of Life" by David Attenborough. Long for some, but don't let that deter you. His eagerness to share awesome insights and uniqueness about nature draws you right in. LOTS of awesome photos, of course. If you're new to David Attenborough - Where have you been??? ;p - he's a well-known wildlife photographer and naturalist, as well as narrator for many BBC nature documentaries, among other great things. You've probably heard his voice and didn't realize it. Two great series he was involved in are Planet Earth and Blue Planet. There are now Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II and Dynasties... and this project is pretty cool: David Attenborough's Great Barrier Reef with lots of videos.	Printable page 74
Printable page 75	In case you're stuck inside during this storm looking for something to do, I'll post this early. You'll have more time to get them done, too, if you're using them. ^_~ Here are some cute new Valentine's Day cards you can use. ^_^ I recommend coloring them before cutting them apart. Also, to make them sturdier, you can glue them to construction paper hearts, or paper doily hearts. You could also print them on cardstock or even glue the colored page to cardstock (or half a folder), let dry, then cut them out. Check out last year's, if you haven't before or would like to use them again. If you're making Valentines for WCTL's Healing Hearts project, they need them by February 6.
... thinking about honeybadgers and how you might not appreciate their cleverness if they're stealing your chickens, I realized that I still would. I used to live where I had a large vegetable garden and yummy strawberry patch - and, yes, I depended on them (and miss them! I loved to garden.). When rabbits mowed down the seedlings, or raccoons took one bite out of the ears of corn and then dropped them for another, then another..., or the deer snipped off the tops of things, it never once crossed my mind to hunt them down and kill them for it. When the bear found the strawberry patch and cleaned it out of every strawberry, I was a bit irritated, yes, but I was fascinated that he'd even eaten every single green one, too! Those are hard and bitter - why would you eat those?? But I never was vengeful about it - and neither were the neighbors whose birdfeeders were raided by the huge little monster. ^,^ So, yeah, it's definitely a mentality. Mine was always, "ok, how do I work with this?" I dreamed of one day having a sod-roof garage with my strawberry patch up there. lol ^_~...Now, when it came to bugs decimating the cucumbers or pumpkins, those were drowned. I'm not perfect. ;p Sod-roofs, or "green roofs", have been used throughout history, but it's being taken to a greater level: The Revelator talks about cities becoming more green. Some cities, like this one in China, have even created green-balconies, growing plants and small trees all the way up the sides of tall apartment buildings. Milan, Italy is greening up, and greenroofs.com features some awesome vertical oases (the category name is awesome, too ^o^). I'm a long-time fan of vertical gardening, so doing it on this scale is pretty cool! Bonus page for this bitter cold: Back in Dec., I was looking for ideas on how to build a stand to keep using my bike indoors while the roads have salt and chemicals on them, and I came across this. ... ^o^ ...I saw things like that many years ago and had forgotten about them. Yet, now, of course, I thought it a marvel idea with worldwide applications... like... heeheehee... What about captive lions that aren't as lucky as Kevin's? I'm pretty sure most adult captive lions don't enjoy large enclosures or enrichment walks, and what better way to let them stretch their legs? and with such obvious health benefits? ...ooo or even for physical therapy... (Horses use treadmills... ^_~)	Printable page 76 Printable bonus page 32

Something sweet for Valentine's Day. And, here's a few cute videos: Sneaky turtles , endangered Scottish Wildcat kittens , and poo can be a valuable resource worth fighting over. ^,^ Printable page 77 Ok, ok, here's some cute lion vids ^_~: Hugging lions , very rare naughty spotted lion *giggle*, Gabby drying herself off , mischievous rare spotted lions *giggle* , more hugs, and another. ^_~

Happy Valentine's Day! ~ Saving lions, one heart at a time. Kevin and his spokeslions do that very well, don't they? ^_^ If you're new, check them out through links here and through Kevin's sites to learn how amazing lions are and see why they became a beloved icon of many cultures worldwide. I don't want lions to become a myth. I don't want you to be left with a world missing them. Let's reach more hearts! World Whale Day is Feb 16 - Some places say it's the third saturday every February, some said third sunday, and one even said it was friday... Many are endangered, and the health of the oceans affects us all, so let's just spend the whole weekend thinking about whales and their habitat! ^_~ Ocean Alliance encourages better stewardship of our oceans, and NatGeo Wild has a good video about the largest whale and one about narwhals (how could I not include them? ;p). Oregon State University caught footage of a blue whale feeding on krill. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation site has a great Kid Zone. There's a lot out there! ^_^ Let's talk whale hearts: Blue whales have the biggest hearts on Earth. Earth Touch News has great photos and info on it. Printable bonus page 31 Printable page 78

Ok, who's reading whose mind?? I started this drawing a few days ago for next week... And (yet again, since there are always new people finding him and not reading the information his sites provide before giving him grief or asking something that's already very clearly addressed - tsk tsk ;p) Feb13, Kevin posted about there not being enough habitat for wild lions to call home. The coincidence struck my funny bone, and I had to share. So, you get a spoiler on one of next week's pages. ^_~ (it's not done, of course, so it's not linked to one you can print out - you'll have to wait ;p, but I'll link it to his post, so it goes somewhere. ;)

~*~ The main reason wild lion populations are rapidly declining is due to habitat loss. In order for them to recover, we need to restore and protect habitat. Rampant breeding, mass production, of captive lions is not helping and creates whole other problems and harm (take some friends to see Mia and the White Lion in April ^_^). Help spread awareness! ~*~ Printable page 79 Printable page 80 ~*~ And I will add, as Kevin's recent post of a zoo declawing a lioness brought to mind another pet peeve I have of people who don't cherish animals in their care: Declawing cats makes them more likely to bite. I knew this from other animal care workers and even experienced it firsthand with adopted strays that had been declawed by the owners that had abandoned them. Declawing is amputation of bone and tendons, NOT a "simple procedure", NOT responsible animal care and is illegal in many prominent Countries as inhumane. ~*~

Feb 26 is World Spay Day. It's the last tuesday of February every year and was started by Doris Day and her Animal League in 1995. I have a pet peeve which recently got pricked that relates to this issue, so I'm venting a bit here. Maybe you've encountered it with a dog owner you know: Even if pets aren't starving doesn't mean they aren't being mistreated. Having pets isn't just about making sure they have enough food. They aren't objects to possess, to just sit on a shelf expecting them to go into stasis until you're ready to interact with them again. Nor are they targets for you to vent your anger management issues on. They are living creatures with needs that you volunteered to meet. If you cannot meet those needs, if you cannot treat them with the respect all life should be given, then, please, give them to a home that will. If all you want to be bothered with is buying a bag of kibble every now and then, buy one for your local shelter and volunteer there when you have a hankering to play with a cat or dog without responsibility. Only bring pets into your family that you have educated yourself on the care of, including basic proper training of dogs, and which you will be willing to meet the needs of throughout its life. Don't have pets just to have them. Have them because you cherish them. And, PLEASE, spay them - There are NOT enough homes for them all. ...and locking a female in heat up in a crate 24/7 for two weeks, to prevent another of your pets from impregnating her or because you don't want to buy doggie diapers (or get her spayed!) to keep the discharge and her marking instincts from messing up the house, is abusive. Don't punish your pets for things that are your fault. Yes, there's more than one reason to have your pets spayed. Overpopulation is just the main, most important, one. ^_~ Even Kevin knows "there aren't enough homes for them all" regarding captive lions - not even enough habitat "homes" for wild lions - and keeps the Sanctuary lionesses on contraceptives (Smithsonian clip ~ LionWhispererTV video) and is working to remedy the latter. Lionesses can be spayed (Amy was in 2017, due to health issues, and they plan to do more), but it's more costly and can be dangerous to keep them anesthetized that long. (They're very different than domestic cats.) And I'm sure you can tell that Kevin cherishes the animals at his Sanctuary and dedicates himself to their ongoing care. Viewing his media, you can also tell it hasn't been easy. There's lots of responsibility and hardships caring for wild animals in captivity: It's not all fun and cuddles. I'm sure he didn't know what he was in for when he took it to heart to rescue them way back at the beginning, but no matter how tough it got or what was thrown at him, he didn't just throw his hands up and get rid of them for being inconvenient or costly - as too many people do with animals that are a piece of cake to care for in comparison! He stepped up, gathered help and does his best for them - even extending it for their species as a whole. (You want to "be like Kevin", then be like that! ^_^) It's not easy, it is costly, and they really appreciate how others around the world have stepped up to help them out. Every little bit helps - even if you can't send money or go there in person to help, maybe someone you talk to about lions can; so spread awareness! Contributing to the Sanctuary will help them with spaying (theme of this week ^_~) as well as other care of the lions. Thank you, stewards of the Earth! ^_^

If you can find a copy of "In Search of Dr. Seuss", I highly recommend watching it! The Cat in The Hat himself guides you on a very in-depth tour into the author's life and what inspired many of your favorite stories. ^_^ March 3 is World Wildlife Day. Last year, I mentioned his book "The Lorax" was about taking better care of the environment. Did you know that, when he was working on it, he was having trouble getting it down on paper until he and his wife vacationed in Africa? In Kenya, he saw an odd tree that reminded him of his own drawings - and they were cutting them down! It brought it together for him, and the book quickly came together after that. ~ This has always been known, and pubicly at least since 2008 when the documentary was made. Yet, last year, it was widely reported as if news because people realized a specific resemblance to the patas monkeys of Kenya. Read about that in The Guardian. The whistling thorn acacia tree, which the monkeys there depend on, get fluffy flowers which the truffula treetops resemble, and perhaps the thorny acacia tree itself inspired his "prickly gricklegrass". The relationship of the depletion of the tree causing the disappearance of the animal life and hurting the ecosystem is what's universal. Learn more about Kenya's patas monkeys, and more about the tree with its edible seed pods. I love that Dr. Seuss found African wildlife as inspiring as I do. Isn't it amazing how the World is so big and yet so small at the same time? It may be a good thing that unicorns are only allowed to travel in our daydreams: She causes enough trouble without really being there. ^,^

Printable page 81 "I hope for the children a World of peace and that they never lose their sense of wonder and discovery. From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere!" ~ Dr. Seuss / Theodore Geisel's birthday was March 2. During the week surrounding his birthday, many people celebrate his life and work. There may be events near you, check your local library.

Printable page 82	Such long, intense posts... ^,^ Sometimes I'm just bursting at the seams. ^_~ The smart aleck cat-person in me spawned this drawing, right after I made the World Spay Day post. As cat people know, "...not objects to just sit on a shelf, expecting them to go into stasis..." may not apply in all cases. ^,^ Some cats might get into mischief while you're away, but, like lions, cats tend to sleep most of the day. Lions may snooze up to 20 hours per day and usually are most active in the pre-dawn hours. ...that's about the time you might be presented with a mouse by their domestic counterparts. ...brought to your bed. ...still alive... ^,^ Oh, so precious! They see you as part of their family and brought you breakfast in bed. Be sure to thank them! ^_~
World Frog Day is March 20. Frogs are an "indicator species". That means that you can tell how well a habitat is doing by the health of the frogs in it. Excessive use of fertilizers or pesticides, or flushing unused medicine down your drains, can get into our water tables and poison them, adversely affecting the environment. Frogs will be one of the first forms of life that shows signs of it in an affected area. When something's wrong with the frogs, it's a wake-up call that needs to be seriously addressed, as larger animals will also soon be affected. Unfortunately, many species have been driven to extinction, and more are quickly going to follow them unless society stops having a "out of sight, out of mind" view of it. Frog health may seem world's away to someone surrounded by buildings and pavement, but that water from your tap comes from the same earth. The "goliath frog" of West Africa is the largest frog known in the world and is endangered. It can be over a foot long and weigh over 7 pounds! That's the size of a housecat - or a lion's face. ...only slimy. ^,^ Read more about it at Global Wildlife, and BBC Earth has it on their list of Giant Animals You've Never Seen.	Printable page 83
Printable bonus page 34 ...If there's any abuse going on at Kevin's Sanctuary, Kevin's the one on the receiving end... ^,^	I had a very different page and post planned for this week, but I came across a hate-site that served to spur me into getting a new section / page for my site finished instead. It's called "Unicorn's Guide to the Galaxy - uh, Sanctuary". I've had it in mind for awhile and finally had started it in February when it was below 20F so often. I'd just been working on it here and there, but after coming across a hate-site actually filing Kevin and his Foundation as "animal abusers", I got a second wind to get the new section done. I'm sure you know quite plainly that Kevin is no such thing. The nonsense actually inspired me with ways to round the information out more. Bad things can lead to good. ^_^ People with their hearts genuinely in the right place are professional by nature and not spreaders of hate. True conservationists promote peaceful co-existence, for that is the heart of what conservation fights for, and what it needs to take root and thrive. As you'll see when you check the new section out, it's a bit extensive but I hope it's useful for the curious, puts the misinformed straight, and inspires others to spread awareness. - I had to rewatch all Kevin's YouTube videos for it, too. It was absolute torture. ;p

What else would you do with a triangular rock..? ^_~

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Be a steward of the Earth.

~ * ~ Coloring pages: 2019 Jan+ ~ * ~ 2019 Apr-May ~ * ~ 2019 Jun-Aug ~ * ~2019 Sept-Dec ~ * ~

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Coloring pages may be printed from here and made copies of for non-profit, free-of-charge use only. ~ Don't have a printer? Out of ink? Libraries are typically happy to print things like this out for you. Some may charge a small fee, others will print a page or two at no charge. ~ Please do not hotlink to or use my images on other websites. Simply direct people to my homepage: godsavetheking.neocities.org , thanks! Plant seeds!

[I'm not a professional and have limited resources/access; so the image quality isn't very 'clean' on some - has smudging from erasing, but they print/copy fine. I make the printable images to be around 8x11 inches to fill a sheet of regular letter-size paper.]