Happy Birthday, Tai Shan!

Tai Shan, one of the country's most beloved giant pandas, is celebrating his third birthday today!

Lil' Butterstick (as he is also known) was born at the Smithsonian National Zoo on July 9, 2005, to proud parents Mei Xiang and Tian Tian.

His birthday celebration is great news to conservationists and panda fans alike since pandas are a highly endangered species. To make matters wose, they have a very low birthrate, both in the wild and in captivity.

The fact that Tai Shan's is turning three and is in excellent health is a conservation success story- he is only the third giant panda to be born in the United States and survive. He is also the first surviving panda born at the Smithsonian National Zoo in its 119-year history.

As a special birthday present, Tai Shan got not one, but three popsicles filled with frozen bamboo leaves and orange slices. He also got to enjoy a huge water-and-gelatin fruitcicle in the shape of a number three!




It's not too late to send Tai Shan a Happy Birthday card! You can do so by a adopting a panda or making a donation.

Online petition asks for Florida panther protection

Members of Defenders of Wildlife, an organization dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities, have set up an online petition with the purpose of saving the home of some of the world's last remaining Florida panthers.

According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, there are less than 100 Florida panthers left in the wild, many of which live at the Big Cypress Natural Preserve in the city of Ochopee in Southwest Florida.

However, the National Park Service is considering opening up a part of Big Cypress to off-road vehicles (ORV's), which would take away some of the Florida panther's already-insufficient territory and put undue stress on them and other endangered wildlife that already struggle for survival there.

According to Defenders of Wildlife, the area is indeed in the most sensitive habitat of the Bear Island Unit, an area in the northwest corner of Big Cypress frequented by the critically endangered Florida panther. By signing the petition, you would be telling the National Park Service that "the Big Cypress National Preserve and the Florida panthers and other endangered wildlife that live there need to be protected from damaging off-road vehicle use."

• You can sign the petition by clicking here. (Deadline is this Friday, June 15)

• You can also learn about other ways you can help the Florida panther by visiting the Defenders of Wildlife How You Can Help page.
  
• To learn more about the Florida panther, visit the Defenders of Wildlife Florida Panther Fact Sheet.