Did you know that emperor penguins are a type of bird that can’t fly? They are also the largest type of penguin. In late 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that emperor penguins should be protected by law because Antarctic ice, where the penguins raise their young, is being threatened by climate change.
Cheetahs, as many people know, are the fastest land animal in the world. They can reach speeds of up to 61 miles per hour, and their stride length reaches an incredible 23 feet. Now that there are just 7,000 cheetahs left in the wild, the U.S. Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed cheetahs as endangered.
Hippopotamuses, which are native to Africa, are semi-aquatic animals, meaning that they live both in water and on land. An adult male hippo can weigh up to 9,000 pounds, but they are still very good swimmers. Hippo populations have been dropping due to habitat loss caused by climate change and hunting. As hippos are reliant on freshwater systems, they are often threatened by drought and the loss of grazing areas.
By Charlotte Osoria, age 9
Did you know there are over 255 species of bumblebee around the world, 49 of which live in North America? One such species is the American bumblebee.
By June Fink, age 10
So far this year, more than 841 manatees have already died in Florida, according to the Associated Press. That’s 11 more than the previous record high in 2013, which was for the whole year.
The Alexander Archipelago Wolf is becoming endangered because of logging in the Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska.
Animal rights groups and Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus went to court in February to decide if the circus is violating the Endangered Species Act by mistreating elephants.
