Animals are selling what? (Part 1)

Bored Panda, a site I haven't really interacted with before, recently posted a list of very powerful ads from around the world that show animals in a different light than we are used to.  The ads are meant to make people think about animals, or their situations, in a different way.  The whole page is here, but I brought in some of my favorites below:

The first ads that I want to talk about, represent less than charismatic species.  When biologists talk about charismatic species, we are talking about animals that the public, in general, finds cute, attractive, or are otherwise drawn to, in some way.  This means that the organizations that represent their causes often get more money.  And those that are not as "attractive" are often underrepresented.

Commissioned by Sea Shepherd, this ad wants you to think of something "cute" being over fished, instead of less attractive tuna.

The next ones, from WWF, tackle the same topic, but in a less bloody way.

Tuna as rhino.

Tuna as gorilla.

In my opinion, the first one is more powerful, but then, Sea Shepherd is known for being more aggressive, and trying to get attention for the cause.

The next ads, and there are many on the Bored Panda page, deal with extinction.  My favorites are the ones that have a picture of every animal of a certain species, in one ad, such as this one:

From Endangered Wildlife Trust, this poster shows ALL 153 dugongs left in African waters.

Again, from Endangered Wildlife Trust, this poster shows ALL 91 Riverine Rabbits left on the PLANET.

I think it's easy for us to forget that extinction rates are extremely high, and unnatural.  These are a good way for people to visualize what is actually going on in the world.  It's one thing to read these facts, but to know that you are looking at the individuals has a much more powerful impact.

From Bund, a German organization that I haven't previously heard of.

Another from Bund.

These ads from Bund play on the time factor involved in trying to save these animals.  Most times, people don't realize how close some species are to being extinct until they hear on the news that they are gone for good.

From WWF.

Another from WWF.

A couple from WWF.  A well known organisation that uses a charismatic animal as it's icon, turns to less than charismatic animals to bring attention to the loss of species.

What I'm not sure most people realize about extinction is that once these animals are gone, they are gone.  Okay, that sounds cliche, but it's true.  Now, once these animals are gone, it leaves a hole in the web of life.  That means that when an apex predator such as a shark goes extinct, or even has low population numbers, then all the other animals that were their food, or dependent on scraps from them, have trouble.  For instance, with a decline in the shark population, seal numbers could significantly increase, resulting in pressure on the resources they, and others, depend on.  This causes a chain reaction that could change the environment they depend on.

(All the above ads are copyrighted to their original owners.  I have no ownership over these images.)

'Tis the season!

No, this isn't a poorly timed post.  I'm talking about the season of balloons.  That's a thing, right?  Sure!  With all the parties, BBQs, graduations, and fairs/markets, there are bunches of them around.  Now, I don't have anything against balloons, per se.  Mylar balloons don't bother me, but I really don't like latex balloons.  Now, I'm not here to stomp on anyone's good time.  Balloons are fine in certain situations, but where there is a problem is when people do balloon releases.  This can be done for many reasons: school events, memorials, even by accident when they are in use outdoors.

Balloons that are released outdoors are a problem for the environment.  What happens is, the balloons make their way to various habitats, including the ocean from a surprisingly inland distance, and animals mistake the balloons for food, or get caught up in the ribbon.

Below are some graphic photos of what can happen to animals that get caught up in bunches of balloons, or that ingest the balloons.

The following photos were found at the blog for Balloons Blow, a group that works to educate the public on the dangers of balloon releases:

Dead Black-footed Albatross entangled in latex balloons & cotton string on Zmudowski Beach, California.

http://sanctuarysimon.org/news/index.php/2013/06/seabird-and-marine-mammal-entanglement/

Photo: C.Miller/P. Brown (BeachCOMBERS)

This Albatross was clearly tangled in the string from the balloons wrapped around its body.  When this happens, it can impede the bird's ability to fly, and feed.  Occasionally, the string can get caught around the beak, making it impossible for the bird to even eat, slowly starving it to death.

This young Screech Owl was found in Pinellas County, Florida hanging by its wing, for who knows how long, at Sawgrass Park. Fortunately, they were able to get a ladder & cut him down & bring him to Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary.

Photo: D. Sauvageau

This poor owl was in a bird sanctuary, and still wasn't able to escape the balloon string.  Balloons end up everywhere!  There is no magic that keeps them from getting places they shouldn't be.

This, despite looking like a jelly fish, is a shredded balloon floating in the water.  Much like sharks can mistake surfers for seals, sea turtles will look at this, and think they have found themselves a tasty snack.  But, this is what happens:

“This green sea turtle died from ingesting marine debris, including balloons and plastic bags. We find debris in 3 out of every 10 turtles.”
Both items at the bottom right are balloons. One purple and one white.

Photo: Kathy Townsend, Turtles in Trouble
April 2014

We end up with dead sea turtles.  All sea turtle species are considered endangered.

It's not just dead animals that suffer from balloon detritus.  Beaches become littered with old balloons because they are brought there by winds.  Imagine walking along a dune, and getting your ankle caught in the balloon ribbon.

This is a bouquet of blue latex balloons, falsely marketed as “biodegradable”, with plastic ribbons from Nashville, Tennessee found on the East Coast of Florida over 800 miles away.

All I ask is that you use balloons responsibly.  If you must have them, keep them indoors, and then dispose of them properly.  There are plenty of other ways to celebrate an occasion than balloon releases:

• plant a remembrance garden, adding to it every year
• volunteer
• make a donation in the name of the person, or event you are memorializing
• blow bubbles
• light a candle
• use pinwheels
• journal
• throw an eco-friendly fundraiser

So, please, think twice before using balloons at your celebration.  Not only do they have devastating effects, but there is also a helium shortage.  More on that later . . .

This one is just for irony's sake:

Community Cleanup Project, Seattle, Washington