DIANE'S CORNER ..
Celebrate Save the Elephant Day
Elephants are known as the most enormous land animal and a surprisingly gentle giant in the animal kingdom. Emotional, intelligent and beautiful in the wild, sadly elephant populations have been rapidly decreasing due to various threats, perhaps most significantly poaching.
Save The Elephant Day aims to change this alarming trend by educating people about elephants and the plights they face, encouraging everyone to do their bit and help save them from extinction.
A brief education in elephants
There are currently three species of elephant spread across Africa and Asia: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. Characterized by their enormous size and highly adept trunks, these creatures are intelligent, social and largely gentle giants. They’ve been shown to display a range of emotions such as joy, anger and grief and live in complex social structures – matriarchal herds for the female cows and calves and a solitary lifestyle or bachelor herds for the male bulls.
Elephants are highly communicative animals, producing various noises including infrasonic, creating seismic vibrations over long distances and greeting each other through touch. Their impressive trunks provide them with an excellent sense of smell, a handy snorkel when swimming and even a delicate nutcracker.
History of Save The Elephant Day
Elephants are what is known as a keystone species due to their effect on their environment and the flora and fauna around them. Their size and strength allow them to shape the habitats they live in, for example by digging new watering holes. They are also vital for spreading seeds, facilitating the reproduction of various plant and tree species.
They have also long been valued in human culture, admired for their wisdom, strength and sociable natures. They have commonly featured in architecture, whether engravings on cave walls, sculptures in Buddhist temples or stone carvings on Gothic churches. They have also been revered in various world religions, believed to house the souls of ancestors and linked with thunder and lightning, for example. Perhaps the best-known example is the Hindu god Ganesha, who is depicted as having the head of an elephant.
Elephants are frequently used as working animals in Asia, with people drawing on their incredible strength to carry heavy loads in construction projects or provide a mode of transport. In ancient times they were even used in various wars.
Yet despite our affinity with and indebtedness to these amazing animals, our treatment of them has sadly led to a decline in numbers and a proliferation of abused and exploited elephants. The main culprit in population decline is the ivory trade – although it has largely been banned since the late 1980s, illegal poaching continues to this day, with one African elephant killed every 30 minutes for its tusks.
Other threats to the elephant include habitat loss and fragmentation, usually caused by increased urbanization, and conflicts with humans over crops. There are also numerous instances of maltreated and neglected elephants in captivity, for example those used in circuses or as tourist attractions.
Sadly, African bush elephants and Asian elephants are both listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), while African forest elephants are classed as critically endangered, with their population rapidly declining.
While these facts are certainly sobering, all hope is not lost! Various organizations are working hard to increase the number of wild elephants and to rehabilitate those rescued from unpleasant circumstances. And real change is possible – lobbying efforts recently induced China, previously the biggest ivory market globally, to ban the trade in 2018, helping reduce the threat to elephants.
To celebrate Save The Elephant Day, people learn about the awesome elephant and make an effort to improve the worrying statistics regarding their numbers by donating to conservation organizations. Together we can work to protect these precious creatures, and that’s what Save The Elephant Day is all about!
Joke of the Day
Word of the Day
diffidence
MEANING:noun: Timidity or shyness.
ETYMOLOGY:From Latin diffidere (to mistrust), from dis- (not) + fidere (to trust). Ultimately from the Indo-European root bheidh- (to trust), which also gave us abide, abode, fiancé, affidavit, confide, confident, defiance, fidelity, defy, infidel, and diffident. Earliest documented use: 1425.
USAGE:“It’s remarkable to find such swagger ... by the slouch of diffidence and doubt.”
Anthony Lane; Join In; The New Yorker; Jul 22, 2019.
Anthony Lane; Join In; The New Yorker; Jul 22, 2019.
Idiom of the Day
What does 'At loggerheads' mean?
If people are at loggerheads, they are arguing and can't agree on anything.
DAILY SQU-EEK
If You Were Born Today, April 16:
While you yearn for security and stability, you are easily bored with routines and can get antsy if you don’t have freedom of movement. This can make you somewhat difficult to please at times! You can be quite indecisive in love, and in long-term setups you’ll need to vary the routine frequently in order to keep your interest levels high. Dynamic and spirited, you have a kooky sense of humor and your interests (as well as talents) are many. Famous people born today:
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TODAY: In 1972, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tracy K. Smith, the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States, is born. |
would sell around 100,000 units a year, and were somewhat
unprepared when they received 22,000 orders in the first day
alone!
PATTERN BOOK FRIDAY
PATTERN BOOK FRIDAY
thanks, Ella
Pictures of the Day
Bond of Brothers, New Zealand/UK.
knit
thanks, Violet
knit
thanks, Ivy
knit
Crochet Patterns of the Day:
crochet
crochet
CROCKPOT RECIPE
VEGAN/ VEGETARIAN RECIPE
Both vegetarian and vegan diets may provide health benefits, including reduced body weight, lower cholesterol levels, and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it is important for vegetarians and vegans to ensure that they are meeting all of their nutritional requirements.
COPYCAT RECIPE
SWEETS
COOKBOOK FRIDAY
ADULT COLORING
FUN
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WORD SEARCH
| about ages anticipate attend await bide draft | embassy empty enfold event example expect eyes focus herd hugs | letter lover major midway model needs personality potion power | reach record rill seer series soar source sport success | table teach teen tough waggle west world |
SUDOKU .. medium
ICE BREAKER
If You Could Go Back And Visit Any Time Period, What Time Would You Travel To And Why?
QUOTE
CLEVER
OPTICAL ILLUSION
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