God Save The King!
And his kingdom!
Pages made for Animal Holidays are collected here.~ * ~ AniDaze ~ * ~
~*~ January ~*~ February ~*~ March ~*~ April ~*~ May ~*~ June ~*~
~*~ July ~*~ August ~*~ September ~*~ October ~*~ November ~*~ December ~*~I naturally shortened "animal holidays" to "anidays" for the file name. Then, I thought that might actually be a good name for the page. Then... ^,^ ...it flowed right into "AniDaze", considering the mischievous content of many of the pages... ^_~
I'd noticed there's a lot of internationally recognized days to celebrate animals, now, and looked into it in 2018. Here's a little chart of just some of them.
There was only one world celebrated animal day for November and January.
The link I had before to a site listing animal / wildlife related holidays stopped working, so try There Is A Day For That - Animals , and Wikipedia's Environmental Days list.
~ * ~ Jan-June are below ~ * ~ July-Dec ~ * ~
January
Did you know? Local reports say six bald eagles have just died in as many weeks in PA of lead poisoning and that, normally, there are only two or three cases in a year. The likely source is from ingesting lead shot in animal carcasses people leave instead of recovering or burying. Another little-thought-of source are fishing weights.
These are cases of, "we've always used these", so it just doesn't cross our minds as something bad for us - or the environment. You can help by bringing awareness to others. Everyone should re-examine old habits for lurking crossbones and make sure we are taking precautions to limit, or eliminate, exposure - of ourselves and our families, as well as of wildlife. Responsible sportsmanship goes hand-in-hand with stewardship. We ban lead from our paint, toys, and gasoline; why is it still in our food?
This is a nation-wide dilemma. I like this article in The Guardian.
View Center for Biological Diversity's article on "Get The Lead Out".
Learn more about eagles at National Eagle Center.I originally did this page (in 2017) before I knew about Save the Eagles Day (Jan10), but feel it's a great one for it! ^_^
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! It's 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.
February
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.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Show nature some love! ^_^
Third saturday of February every year (2020Feb15) is
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.
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 kept the Sanctuary lionesses on contraceptives (Smithsonian clip ~ LionWhispererTV video) until they could afford to spay them and is working to remedy the latter.
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 helped them with spaying (theme of this week ^_~), the ongoing care of the lions, restoring wild habitat, and research. Thank you, stewards of the Earth! ^_^
~*~ 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 (watch Mia and the White Lion with some friends! ^_^). Help spread awareness! ~*~
World Spay Day is the last tuesday of February each year - Feb25 this year.
"Stop littering!"
"There aren't enough homes for them all."
Applies to captive lions, too: Thousands of cubs are bred for tourists to pet then are later discarded or shot for trophies or bones. There is nowhere else for them to go. With loss of habitat, even wild lions have nowhere to go.
Mass breeding of captive lions does not save wild ones. Saving wild lions saves wild lions. Saving habitat saves lions. And, saving wild lions saves ecosystems.
Lionesses at the Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary were on contraceptives and spayed one by one when funds were available. Last year, they were able to have the last of them spayed. Kevin discussed why it's better to spay the lionesses rather than neuter the males: Without the females continually cycling, everyone is calmer. ~ If breeding captive lions helped wild ones, Kevin would be doing it.
March
Theodore Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, was born on March 2. For about a week surrounding his birthday, many places celebrate the awesome work he did for children. I've always loved his creativity and lack of fear of being different.
Did you know he cared very much about our environment and that we should take better care of it? His book "The Lorax" highlights the destructive and irreversible effects of exploiting habitat without care. It was first published in 1972, and I wish we had come further since then. Too many people aren't taking an interest in their own habitat - the planet that gives them life.
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
Well, Seussville used to have a nice little section of Tips From The Lorax, but they discarded it for some reason. What they have now isn't as nice, but check it out.
"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.
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. ^,^
I never really thought about it before I got captured by Kevin's media of the Sanctuary animals, maybe you didn't either, but lions (and hyena) have long whiskers. I don't normally draw them, because I feel inking them in black usually distracts from the picture. Lion whiskers are mostly white, or clear; and though hyena whiskers can often be black, I still opt to leave them off. You can consider adding whiskers as part of your coloring fun. ^_~ I also often don't add lines for toe slits, either... ;p
March 2 was Dr. Seuss' birthday and March 3 is World Wildlife Day. 2020's theme is "Sustaining all life on Earth."
Brown hyena help maintain a clean and healthy environment and always make me think of Dr. Seuss, like they walked out of one of his books. ...sloping back, wispy long, dark brown fur draped over grey and black striped legs, scruffy fur collar, shapely head with large ears...
They're a little smaller and more solitary than spotted hyena and often clean up after larger predators, especially lions - though they need to be careful not to become the next lion-kill. On their own, brown hyena hunt smaller animals and even eat insects and fruit. They're also called "strandwolf", because many live near the coast and hunt seal pups on the rocky beaches.
This BBC clip title claims brown hyena are Africa's rarest predator, while other places claim Painted Dogs are... But I've found that the Ethiopian Wolf is the rarest African predator with only less than 500 left, and brown hyena are actually the rarest hyena. The Brown Hyena Research Project shares lots of clips and photos on facebook. (and a LOL spotted hyena camera trap photo) Found some nice photos on instagram : has 3 close-ups ~ mom with cubs ~ cute shot... This great IUCN archived site has lots of info and photos to explore on all hyena and even has a kids page.
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 Active Wild, and BBC Earth has it on their list of Giant Animals You've Never Seen.
April
The theme for Earth Day 2018 is removing and preventing plastic contaminants of our environment. ...We switched to plastic to save trees, but it's killing the rest of the planet... The Center for Biological Diversity has a good article about its toll on wildlife and ourselves, the United Nations has a great video about this critical problem, and this National Geographic video is more child-friendly.
I have actually had people say to me, "I won't be here in fifty years: What do I care?" Seriously? That just astounds me. What about right now? Right now, you want to be that kind of person? Right now, you don't care about the state of the world you're living in? This is happening right now.
Since you're at a site like this, I don't think you're like that. ^_^ Good for you! Little ones can help sort recyclables, while older youngsters can help pick up litter with adults. You don't need to be with an organization to do it. Just do it! ;p - and not just one day a year! ;p Don't forget that trails sometimes need care, too. Take a bag with you when you go hiking or biking. ~ Please be careful along the roads! ~
- and you naughty people out there: Stop littering to begin with!
Here's a link to Matthew West's awesome "Do Something" music video. I think it's very fitting. ^_~
Earth Day is April 22.
This year's theme (2019) is "Protect Our Species".
Don't let them become myths.
"People who will not sustain trees will soon live in a world which cannot sustain people." - Bryce Nelson ~ "For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.” - Martin Luther ~ Find some other tree quotes here.
Arbor Day is celebrated in the US the last friday of April every year. Other Countries observe such a day, too, but the date varies due to differing climates, as the traditional activity is to plant a tree. I can't remember where I saw it, but a past advocate of Arbor Day liked that, while other holidays are about the past, this holiday is about the future.
Wikipedia lists other Countries with Arbor Day and notes South Africa observes a whole Arbor Week in September. You can learn about some trees lions might encounter in Africa; and find places you can reconnect with nature near you through Discover the Forest.
May
Endangered Species Day - 2018 May 16
Biological Diversity Day - May 22Biological diversity means having a variety of different life, including bacteria, and helps protect plants and animals from becoming extinct. Increasing numbers of an endangered species doesn't do much good, if there isn't a healthy habitat for them to live in. Restoring and preserving balanced, biologically diverse habitats is essential to saving endangered species - and ourselves.
The Guardian: What is biodiversity, and why does it matter to us?
2019 May 17 is Endangered Species Day. It's celebrated the third friday of May every year.
If you're new, or forgot, and were wondering about the lions in disguises: It's my ingenious idea to hide them from trophy hunters and poachers. ^_^
Of course, in reality, if we did something like that, then they'd be like, "Ooo, carnivorous cattle! How rare and exciting! I must have one to collect dust on my wall!"... sigh... ;p It's sad how hard it is to wake people up from that mentality. They supposedly lust after these animals for their beauty and power and other awe-inspiring qualities of the living, breathing forms; yet, they kill them and extinguish every last bit of what they say they admire. The practice makes absolutely no sense to me. It contradicts the very reason they claim they're attracted to the animal. You don't see dead animals revered on flags or as statues or see poetry or art extolling the virtues of stuffed heads - they have none: They're lifeless, totally uninspiring things that simply collect dust. There is no comparison to the living breathing powerhouses in the wild they used to be. Killing things just for the sake of killing them is not a status quo anyone should aspire to.
Beside trophies and poaching, habitat loss is the biggest threat to endangered species. Restoring and protecting healthy environments and safeguarding our awe-inspiring wildlife is something we should all aspire to. ^_^
June
It's mixed up a lot out there, and I can't find an official source that lists these; but what I came to understand is that International Hug A Cat Day is May 30, and National Hug Your Cat Day is June 4. ...and some people, like me, think, "Isn't every day Hug A Cat Day..?" ;p
June 5 is World Environment Day - This year's theme is biodiversity. They have a fun quiz there for you to explore how much you already know about biodiversity and for you to learn more about what you don't know. Whether you get it right or not, each answer brings up a photo and some info you may or may not already know. ^_^
{ yes, Unicorn used some artistic-license-magic to get her forelegs all the way around ^_~ }
~ * ~ AniDaze July - December ~ * ~
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Be a steward of the Earth.
[I'm not a professional and have limited resources/access. I make the printable images to be around 8x11 inches to fill a sheet of regular letter-size paper when printed. Coloring pages may be printed from here and made copies of for non-profit, free-of-charge use only. Plant seeds! ^_^]
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