#wildflife

[kristo-flowers]

Eurasian coot in the marsh of Bourgoyen nature reserve

[rabbitcruiser]

The Territory of Dakota was created on March 2, 1861.  

[virtuallyinsane]

Deer drinking from a stream by Mihály Köles

[jennifertaylorarts]

One for all those Badgers out there...This little moonlit is listed in my shop, you can catch him here:

. https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/715355515/original-painting-moonlit-badger?ref=listings_manager_grid

[iamafamilarcreak]

he was bigger than the rest

[regnum-plantae]

Today the weather here in Scotland was better than yesterday, so my boyfriend and I took the chance to spend it at the beach on the west coast. As the high tide started retreating in the afternoon, two massive Rizhostoma pulmo, the barrell jellyfish, sadly got stranded ashore, they were the biggest I have ever seen!

Take my footprint as a reference, it’s about 27 cm, or about 10.5 in. This is the largest jellyfish species in British waters, but it is more commonly found in the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Sea of Azov and is also present in the Southern Atlantic, around South Africa.

On average they measure about 40 cm (16 in) in diameter, but I roughly estimated these two to be both above 50 cm (c. 20 in). They were big, but they can reach almost double this size!

They possess eight short and fleshy tentacles, but they are unable to cause any harm to humans as they feed on plankton, which they strain using the orange frills you see in photo, so they don’t need the urticating toxins found in other species. 

The second one was still moving, I tried my best but couldn’t pull it back to the water...it was slippery, and so much heavier than you might think!

[action]

How vital of a role do accredited zoos play in the role of wildlife conservation?

I really believe in the role that zoos play in wildlife conservation - you only have to visit one to see the wonder in people’s faces as an ancient connection is retriggered with an animal, insect, or bird. It’s a place where people can connect with nature - and a really important one for those people who might not have the opportunity to do it in the wild. The best zoos do this really well - not just triggering wonder, but following through with conservation results on the ground in the wild. I partner with Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle a lot, and it really does feel like a conservation organization first and foremost. They support great research and education work all over the planet and see it as one of their most important roles. But not all zoos are equal, so it is up to visitors to help push the needle in the right direction, making sure that zoos are seen as places to learn and to take action. Then of course the role of zoos for captive breeding of endangered species is essential. What a lot of people don’t realize is that there is a large and essential body of professionals from the zoo world that carefully monitors the genetic ‘stud books’ for countless species as a part of the international conservation picture.

[save-the-bats]

“Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.”

 – Eleanor Roosevelt

None of this would be possible without the women of OBC, thank you for all your hard work!