Did you know?

The elephant’s gestation period is 22 months – longer than any other land animal in the world. A new born human baby weighs an average of 7 pounds while a new born elephant baby can weigh up to 260 pounds!
The oldest known elephant in the world lived for 86 years (1917 – 2003). The average lifespan of an elephant is from 50 to 70 years.
The elephant’s very large ears are used to radiate excess heat away from the body.
96 elephants are killed every single day from poaching.
In some parts of Asia it is thought that ivory has some medicinal value, which is completely untrue. It is actually the same substance as finger nails.
Although the elephant trunk is really huge, weighing about 400 pounds, it is so dexterous it can pick up very tiny things including a single grain of rice.

Elephants

Three of the five rhinoceros species are listed as being critically endangered.
Just like the elephant, the rhinoceros horns are made from a protein called keratin, the same substance that fingernails and hair are made of.
Rhino poaching has increased by over 900% in the last five years.
In 2014, 1,215 rhinos were poached for their horn in South Africa – every eight hours, one animal was killed.
Many rhino have there horn removed by poachers, whilst they're still alive.
It is estimated that 97 per cent of the Critically Endangered black rhino population was lost between 1970 and 1992.
Rhinos have fantastic hearing and a great sense of smell, but have terrible eyesight. They will struggle to spot something further than 30m away.

Rhinos

They're are two subspecies of Gorilla, Highland and Lowland. Lowland Gorillas are commonly found in zoos. Highland Gorillas are one of the most endangered animals in the world, they're are less than 800 in the world. The young are commonly smuggled by poachers, so as to be sold into the pet trade. The adults protect them and in return get gun-downed by the poachers. The Highland Gorilla can't survive outside of its mountainous habitat due to altitude and vegetation differences.
Gorillas are the world’s largest primates. They are closely related to humans, with 98% of their DNA identical to that of Homo sapiens.
A lowland captive-born gorilla called, Koko, has been taught sign language since she was a year old. By the age of 40, she had a library of about 1,000 signs and could understand some 2,000 words of English.

Gorillas

A full grown Chimpanzee are as strong as 7 strong men.
Chimpanzees use tools to assist them with everyday life, they have been seen using spears to hunt and "fishing pools" to grab food that is out of reach in watery areas.
Baby Chimpanzees are commonly removed from their families by poachers, they have become very common pets on the black market, with one being able to go for £10,000. Unfortunately because they grow very large and strong very quickly, they are no longer wanted, so they're usually disposed of or abandoned.
Since family relationships are so strong, when a member is taken or hurt they all protect that individual, which can result in mass poaching.
Chimpanzees represent our closest living relative, sharing 98% of our genetic DNA.

Chimpanzees

Macaws usually mate for life.
There are 17 different species of macaw parrots. Many of these are endangered.
The most endangered types of macaws are hyacinth macaws, red-fronted macaws and blue-throated macaws.
Macaws live to be around 60 years in the wild on average, and in some cases this can extend for up to 80 years and even as long as 100 years.
These beautiful birds are being threatened with extinction everyday and the issue is only getting more severe as more of their habitat is being lost to deforestation, the desire to keep them as pets and local tribes using their feathers as part of traditional ceremonies.
The Bones of a Macaw are extremely light so as to reduce the effort output when flying, this way the bird can travel further.
These birds are extremely intelligent and usually live in huge flocks of up to 30 members.

Macaws

The Amur Leopard is the rarest big cat, in the world. There is thought to be only 57 individuals left in the wild and only 200 in captivity. About 7-12 are left in China and 20-25 in Russia. The low population is due to a tradition that is carried out annually, where by the amur leopard is the target of the hunt.
The hairs of its summer pelt are 2.5 cm long but in winter they are replaced by 7 cm long ones.
It is estimated that between 1970-1983, the Amur leopard lost an astonishing 80% of its former territory. Indiscriminate logging, forest fires and land conversion for farming are the main causes.
Amur leopards have slightly longer legs than other leopard subspecies. It is thought that this helps them to walk in the snow.

Amur Leopards

Warthogs are named that way because of the wart-like bumps on their large, elongated face.
Warthogs have 2 pair of tusks. Upper tusks are longer and they curve toward each other. They are used in the fights during the mating season and for the protection against predators.
Warthogs mate at the end of rainy season, or at the beginning of dry season. Pregnancy lasts 5 to 6 months and ends with 4 babies. Female have 4 teats, but each baby uses exclusively its own teat. Even if one baby dies, "free" teat cannot be taken by other babies.
Males warthogs are solitary.
Youngsters will stay with their mother until the birth of the next litter.

Warthogs

Black Bears

The current population estimate is 750,000 individuals.
Black bears tend to shuffle along slowly when walking, but are able to run at speeds of around 40-50kph.
A subspecies of black bear with white fur, known as the Kermode or spirit bear, lives in British Columbia.
According to Born Free USA, black bears can be legally hunted in 27 states in America, and between 40,000 to 50,000 bears are legally hunted there each year. More are illegally poached.
Female black bears can give birth to up to six cubs, and usually breed every other year. Cubs stay with their mother for about 18 months

Cheetahs have a tear drop shaped bone, when they are running at full speed they use this as a type of a rudder to help them change direction more efficiently.
The cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal. They can run 70 mph (or 110 kph), which is as fast as cars drive on the highway. The cheetah can reach its top speed in just 3 seconds!
Cheetahs have “tear marks” that run from the inside corners of their eyes down to the outside edges of their mouth. These marks help reflect the glare of the sun when they are hunting during the day.
When cheetahs are running full speed, their stride (length between steps) is 6-7 meters (21 feet).

Cheetahs

The African spoonbill's unique beak is used to locate prey in water with low visibility. To hunt, the bird opens its bill in the water and sweeps it back and forth, snapping at any fish, crustaceans or insects it comes into contact with.
African spoonbill chicks typically hatch after a month of incubation and are ready to leave the nest after another month of care.
The African Spoonbill is commonly found in several of countries in the southern part of Africa. Some of these countries include Botswana, Kenya, Uganda, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
It is born with a short beak, that gradually develops into its spoon-like shape. It usually resembles a spoon right before it is time to leave its nest
The African Spoonbill's diet consists mainly of fish and aquatic invertebrates such as crustaceans or shellfishes, insects, larvae, and mollusks.

African Spoonbill

Marine Iguanas have evolved from a mainland ancestor who arrived on the islands millions of years ago.
The Marine Iguana is well adapted to life in the ocean – it swims gracefully with sinuous movements of its long tail which is powerful enough to act as a propeller, propelling the lizard through pounding waves. It is in most cases, only the males that wade through strong waves to get to places where there is enough food to feed them. Females and young Iguanas tend to feed on the shore and rarely venture into the ocean.
The Marine Iguana is only found in the Galapagos Islands.
They "sneeze" salt out of their bodies when they return to land.
Marine Iguanas feed exclusively on a few species of green or red algae (seaweed).

Marine Iguanas

They can run as fast as 35 miles an hour over short distances, or cruise at 10 mph over longer distances.
Giraffes only need to drink once every few days. Most of their water comes from all the plants they eat.
A giraffe’s spots are much like human fingerprints. No two individual giraffes have exactly the same pattern.
Giraffes only need 5 to 30 minutes of sleep in a 24-hour period! They often achieve that in quick naps that may last only a minute or two at a time.
Both male and female giraffes have two distinct, hair-covered horns called ossicones. Male giraffes use their horns to sometimes fight with other males.

Giraffes

Jaguars have the strongest jaws of any cat, most cats strangle their prey, the jaguar jumps on their prey (usually tapir) and crushes their skulls.
They are the third largest cat, after the lion and tiger.
Only an estimated 15,000 jaguars remain in the wild.
Unlike most big cats, the jaguar loves the water — it often swims, bathes, plays and even hunts for fish in streams and pools.
As seen in the photo, Jaguars can come in two colours, this is due to melanism, the allele in the jaguar is dominant. There are only 600 black jaguars left in the wild.
The Black Panther is usually mistaken for a "Panther", there is no such thing as a "panther". The word "Panther" comes from their latin name Panthera. It is either a Black Jaguar or Black leopard.

Jaguars

There are over forty species of toucans found in the tropical rainforest of South America.
Their bright colourful markings provide them with excellent camouflage in the rainforest.
Toucans live in flocks made up of approximately five to six birds.
Due to their beauty toucans are often captured and sold as pets.
Toucans have larger bills, in comparison to the size of their body, than any other bird in the world.
Their large bill helps them keep cool in the hot environment in which they live. This adaptation is one of the best heat regulating systems in the entire animal kingdom. Arteries in their bills expand when the bird gets hot; and release heat.
Their bill is big and may look heavy but it is actually extremely light. It is made of a spongy substance called keratin. Nails and hair of many mammals (including humans) is made of keratin.

Toucans

Buffalo are reported to kill more hunters in Africa than any other animal. They are known to ambush hunters that have wounded or injured them.
Buffalo are capable swimmers and often cross deep water in search of better grazing.
The hide on a bull buffalo’s neck is as thick as 2 inches in places, which protects it during battles with other bulls for dominance.
A buffalo has four times the strength of an ox, they can easily tip over a car.
Cape buffalo are known to kill lions, and can seek out and kill lion cubs.
Heard sizes can be as much as 500 strong.
Older males are ganged up on and driven out of herds by younger males. The older males will roam by themselves or join small herds with other older males. The older Buffalo are the most dangerous because they have nothing to lose.

Buffalos

Tigers are the largest wild cats in the world. Adults can weigh up to 363kg – that’s about the same as ten ten year olds! – and measure up to 3.3m.
Their roar can be heard as far as 3 kilometres away. They can sprint up to 65km/h.
Today, there are five subspecies of tiger: Bengal, South China, Indochinese, Sumatran and Siberian. Sadly, three subspecies of tiger have become extinct – Caspian, Bali and Javan.
Sadly, hunting and habitat loss have put populations at risk, and today their range has been reduced to around 7% of its former size.
The Bones of Tigers are used in medicine throughout Asia although there is no medicinal value. Because of their rarity, Lions are used instead, due to the fact they have very similar bone structures and are often hard to tell the two apart.

Tigers

When defecating, hippos swish their tails back and forth, scattering their droppings like a muck-spreader. The resulting slapping noise echoes downstream and helps proclaim territory. When lactating Hippos produce pink milk.
Hippos, along with other megafauna such as lions and elephants, would have been a common sight in prehistoric Britain – their remains have been found underneath Trafalgar Square.
Hippos sink in water. They run along the river bottom instead of swimming.
A hippo’s stomach has four chambers in which enzymes break down the tough cellulose in the grass that it eats.
Male hippos weigh 1,600–3,200kg, and females 650–2,350kg. Despite their size they eat just 1–1.5 per cent of their body weight every day. Their sweat works as sunscreen.

Hippopotamus

Baboons are the world's largest monkeys.
Unlike other monkeys, baboons stay on the ground much of the time. They do sleep, eat or keep watch in trees, though. Most monkeys have tails to assist with climbing and balance, since they don't climb trees often they have evolved to not have a tail.
They are extremely intelligent and work well together, in their close family groups, often targeting tourists. Groups of Baboons can be 300 strong.
Humans and baboons are closely related. They have a genetic similarity of 94 percent.
Male baboons are two times larger than females. Baboons can reach 14 to 30 inches in height at the shoulder and 50 to 100 pounds in weight.
Baboons use 30 different sounds for communication. They are able to grunt, scream and bark.

Baboons

Clouded Leopards have evolved in various ways to secure itself a place on the top of the food chain, this includes having the largest canine teeth in relation to body size of all of the big cats. They have also evolved to resemble the top predator, the Burmese Python, with the markings looking very similar and the curvature of the snout, and of course the large canine teeth to represent the fangs of the Python.
The Clouded Leopard is arboreal, (spends most of its life in the trees) and is one of the only animals able to come down a tree frontwards, by turning all four wrists 180 degrees.
The male (pictured right) is double the size of the female and the difference in colour is significant, with the female being mainly grey.
Their specially adapted ankle bones and large paws allow them to both climb while hanging upside down under branches and climb down trees head first

Clouded Leopard

They have poor eyesight, and stalk prey using chemical receptors in their tongues and heat-sensors along the jaws. They kill by constriction, grasping a victim with their sharp teeth, coiling their bodies around the animal, and squeezing until it suffocates. They have stretchy ligaments in their jaws that allow them to swallow all their food whole.
They are capable of reaching 23 feet or more in length and weighing up to 200 pounds with a girth as big as a telephone pole. This Python pictured is an Amelanistic which means a lack of melanin, which is black pigment. They are not actually Albino.
Females lay clutches of up to 100 eggs, which they incubate for two to three months. To keep their eggs warm, they continually contract, or shiver, their muscles.
Habitat depletion, continued demand for Burmese pythons in the pet trade, and hunting for their skins and flesh have landed these graceful giants on the threatened species list.

Burmese Pythons

They are mostly seen in the plains but can sometimes be found up to 5000 or 6000 feet in the Himalayas.
There are 26 varieties of bee-eaters varying in all different types of abundant colours.
Bee-eaters are named for the stinging insects they eat, but they eat other kinds, too. These fast flyers only catch prey that are winging around. No matter what they catch, they take it back to a branch and smash the insect against the wood before they eat it. Bee-eaters follow large mammals and ground birds (such as ostriches, bustards, and storks) that stir up insects as they move around. They also keep pace with cars, trucks, and tractors in order to prey on insects disturbed by the machinery.
Breeding pairs mate for life.

Green Bee-Eaters

Hyenas don’t just laugh for fun. Scientists say that the pitch and the note frequency (or tone) of a hyena’s laugh can give an indication of its age and social status.
The size of an animal's frontal cortex is believed to be connected to its social intelligence, and hyenas have a frontal cortex on par with primates. A study done by Duke University showed that a captive pair of hyenas performed better at problem-solving and social cooperation than chimpanzees. Even more amazing is that during the study, the hyenas solved all the problems in silence, using only non-verbal signals for communication.
Female spotted hyenas are more muscular and more aggressive than male hyenas. This is because the females have three times as much testosterone in their bodies. As a result, spotted hyena societies are matriarchal. Even baby girl cubs rule over the boys.

Hyenas

Lions

An adult male’s roar can be heard up to 8km away. A population of lions live in the Gir Forest in India. Lions run at a speed of up to 81kmph. Lions need 5-7kg of meat a day.
Lions go on the hunt for food mostly from dusk till dawn. Female lions do 85-90% of the prides hunting, whilst the male lions patrol the territory and protect the pride.
Vulnerable to predators like hyenas, leopards, and black-backed jackals, cubs have a 60-70% mortality rate. They are sometimes trampled by large animals like buffaloes. Furthermore, when another group of male lions takes over a pride, they kill all the cubs so they can sire their own with the lionesses.
Hunting is one of the main reasons for the species decline,"Canned Hunting",specifically. Tourists pay thousands of dollars to choose a lion to kill, the lion is then caged in an artificial enclosure and shot at close range. This is solely for trophies.

The Pygmy Marmoset are the smallest primate in the world, they are small enough that it can fit into a human palm. Females are slightly larger than males. On average, pygmy marmoset reaches between 4.75 and 6 inches in length and weight between 3.53 and 4 ounces.
Tail of pygmy marmoset is longer than the body. It is covered with black rings.
Pygmy marmoset is able to leap 15 feet into the air. Another interesting feature is ability to rotate its head for 180 degrees.
Pygmy marmosets are monogamous, which means that male and female mate for a lifetime.
They will spend first two months of their life on the father's back. Mother is responsible for feeding and cleaning of youngsters. The average life span is 10- 12 in the wild.

Pygmy Marmoset

They have webbed toes to help swim. They use this to this advantage by diving and swimming after fish which is a majority of the Fishing Cats diet.
Wetland destruction is the greatest threat facing the Fishing Cat. A survey showed that more than 50% of Asian wetlands are faced with moderate to high degrees of threat and disappearing. These threats include settlement, draining for agriculture, pollution, and excessive hunting, woodcutting and fishing.
Fishing cat has interesting fishing technique. It gently touches the water with its paws to produce miniature waves like insects that are landing on the surface of water. This attracts fish. Once the fish appear, fishing cat catches it with its paws or dives to catch it under the water. They are such strong swimmers that they can catch birds that are resting on the surface of water from below.

Fishing Cats

The Eurasian lynx is one of the widest ranging cats in the world and can be found in the forests of western Europe, Russia and central Asia.
They are the third largest predator in Europe, after the brown bear and the wolf.
In Europe, the Eurasian lynx was once on the brink of extinction, with numbers falling to around 700 between 1930 and 1950. The good news is that conservation work has allowed populations to bounce – or pounce! – back, with numbers increasing 10-fold over the past 50 years.
They are long legged with huge, snowshoe-like webbed paws to keep them an effective and fast predator even in deep snow. Lynx will occasionally hunt gamebirds and, quite rarely, sheep, they are a strict carnivore and will eat 1-2kg of meat per day. They are extremely flexible and their reaction speeds are unbeaten