Asiatic Lion

The Asiatic Lion is  locally common pest in the Gir Forest National Park, Gujarat State, India. The Lion differs from it's African counterpart by a bigger tuft of fur on the tail, and a smaller mane.

This subspecies of lion originally ranged from parts of Iran, Greece, and Bulgaria in the east, to India's border with Nepal in the west, south to the northern Deccan Peninsula, and north to Turkey. It was hunted to the brink of extinction, and in the 1940's, was protected by the king of a part of Gujarat. His private hunting grounds were the areas in and around present-day Gir Forest.

Since 1974, the Asiatic Lion population in Gir Forest has grown from 180 individuals to 411 individuals, which were 97 adult males, 162 adult females, 75 sub-adults, and 77 cubs.

Here are some links about the Asiatic Lion:

India's Lions:Wall Street Journal

 

Happy New Year!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! HERE IS A VIDEO TO CHEER YOU UP!!!

Polar Bear

Polar Bears are magnificent creatures, and was, until recently, thought to live in Manitoba Province, Canada and northward. Soon some records started coming from the Provinces of Ontario, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.  Even more recently a report came Isle Royale National Park, in Lake Superior, a part of Michigan. This is the first sighting ever in the Continental United States!

Here are some links about Polar Bears in Canada:

Polar Bear Provincial Park

Churchill Polar Bears

Yukon Polar Bear Conservation

Polar Bear captivates town

Caribou

This is a Woodland Caribou

The Caribou (a.k.a Reindeer), is the third biggest species of deer after the Moose and Elk. It's last stronghold in the Continental United States in in the northernmost point where Idaho and Washington met British Columbia. Reintroduction proved imposible in Maine because the bear and wolf populations were to high. A small population lives in the Caribou National Forest., in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho. On December 24, 2012, Gene Fisher spotted a Caribou near La Salle, CO. Spooked by a passing train, it ran into the middle of the U.S 85 and was killed by an on-coming car. Wildlife officials who arrived at the scene shortly after the death of the Caribou said it likely escaped from a nearby sanctuary,but there was no sanctuary nearby!

Here are some links about Caribou:

Caribou:Colorado

Brown Bear

The Brown Bear is a species ranging from the Glaciers of Alaska to the Mountains of Colorado, from the cork oak of Portugal to the ice fields of the Himalayas.

The closest populations of Bears to California is are isolated populations in the Hell Canyon of Oregon, Washington's North Cascades National Park, and Colorado's San Juan Mountains. These are populations of Silvertip, or Grizzly Bear.

Here are some links about Grizzly Bear:

Grizzly Bear:Oregon

Grizzly Bear:Colorado

Grizzly Bear:Washington

Jaguar

The Jaguar is a very elusive animal. So elusive that we know very little about it. I have collected what I can find to make this blog post.

As I said before, Jaguars are elusive. Very little is known about it's range in California, even the United States! Jaguars are known to stray from the Baja boarder into San Diego and Imperial Counties. Some sightings of "Black Panthers" caught the public's eye as they read the San Fransisco Chronicle. This could be the following:

A Black Bobcat
A Black Mountain Lion
An escaped Black Jaguar
A black feral house cats

Jaguars are a protected species in the United States. Some breeding populations occur southeast of Tuscon, Arizona, and south of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Strays have been caught on camera and by the eye in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

Here are some links about Jaguar:

Jaguar: Arizona

Canada Lynx

A few sightings maintain that Lynx live in California.

The Canadian Lynx is a rare species, and, by the United States Department of Fish and Game, is a Threatened species for the mainland. Big populations thrive in Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountains, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Smaller populations live in Zion and Arches National Parks, and Fremont National Forest in Oregon. The Oregon population has been recorded as far south as Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northeast California. The Canada Lynx originally range the Coast Range in California until Humbolt County. It ranged the Cascade-Sierra Nevada until Plumas County. In recent years, they have migrated all the way to West Virginia.

Here are some links about Canada Lynx:

Canada Lynx: Yellowstone