Calendar

August 12 is World Elephant Day!  This special day was first celebrated in 2012 and was created to create awareness of the current and urgent plight of Asian and African elephants.  Asian elephants are listed as “Endangered” and African elephants are listed as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN.  For more information on World Elephant Day, visit http://worldelephantday.org

(Asian Elephant)

August 19 is World Orangutan Day!  This special day was established to bring attention to the plight orangutans face with deforestation and to encourage the preservation of the species.  To learn more about orangutan conservation, visit the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation website.

National Dog Day is August 26th!  This day was created to honor “man’s best friend”, the lovable dog.  Dogs make great pets and many of them are looking for a good home.  From support dogs that help the disabled, to the dogs that support law enforcement officers, to the bush dogs of South and Central America- we salute you!

September 3, 2016 is International Vulture Awareness Day!  This special day is celebrated on the first Saturday of September, and was established to focus on vulture conservation.  The vulture population has been decreasing worldwide due to various forms of toxins.  Vultures are scavenger birds of prey and there are 23 species of vultures.  Vultures play an important ecological role- they dispose of dead animals that are breading grounds for diseases.

For more information about vulture conservation, visit the Vulture Conservation Foundation.

International Vulture Awareness Day

October 16 is National Feral Cat Day!  This special day was first celebrated in 2001 to help raise awareness of feral cats and the promotion of “TNR”- Trap-Neuter-Return.  It is estimated that 50-70 million feral cats live in the United States.  To find out what you can do to help feral cats, visit FeralCat or AlleyCat.

National Feral Cat Day – October 16

October 21 is National Reptile Awareness Day!  This day is set aside to promote appreciation and conservation of reptiles.  The reptile family includes: turtles, lizards, crocodiles, snakes and more!  Follow the chatter on Reptile Awareness Day on Twitter at #ReptileAwarenessDay.

National Reptile Awareness Day

January 21 is National Squirrel Appreciation Day!  Do something nice for your furry friends on this day.  Put out some nuts, seeds or fruit for them.  And don’t forget the chipmunks, prairie dogs and marmots.  They are all members of the same family (Sciuridae) as squirrels.

February 27 is International Polar Bear Day!   This special yearly event began in 2011 and was created to focus on the hardships polar bears are facing with a warming climate.  For more information on International Polar Bear day, including how to take the Thermostat Challenge, visit Polar Bears International.

Follow the Polar Bear Day chatter on Twitter at #PolarBearDay

(Polar Bear)