Endangered Species Day

Celebrate ARKive’s 8th Birthday and Endangered Species Day Put on your party frock and grab your dancing shoes – ARKive is celebrating its 8th birthday today! To celebrate this momentous milestone, ARKive asked YOU to vote for your favourite species. Was it the takahe that tickled your fancy? Did the caracal get a slice of the cake? Or did the saola steal the show? The votes have been counted and the results are in. It is time to put on your party hat and set off those party poppers as we reveal the top 8 species on ARKive. By invitation only… Overindulged on the party food? The pygmy three-toed sloth was awarded 8th place by our voters. This small sloth has a greenish tinge to its fur which is caused by algae…we thought it had just eaten too much cake! The party game professional? The cheetah raced into 7th place, perhaps not surprising for the fastest land mammal in the world. A sure front runner for winning all those party games! Hide and seek anyone? A pack of party animals... The African wild dog bounded its way to number 6. As a highly social species, it's no wonder that this distinctive canid wasn't short of a few fans! Dancing the night away… The mahogany glider soared onto our guest list at number 5. This nocturnal mammal will undoubtedly stay up partying until the early hours! A hooting-tooting good time! A surprising addition to the ARKive favourites, the barn owl flew onto the list in 4th place. This beautiful bird has many admirers among you, and it's certainly not hard to see why. I can bear-ly contain my excitement! Plenty of you voted for the polar bear earning it a respectable 3rd place amongst the ARKive favourites. This sleepy bear looks like he may have been celebrating a little too hard! Grrrrrrrreat party! Everybody's favourite big cat, the tiger stalked its way into 2nd place with ease. With its beautifully-patterned coat, this splendid feline must also surely be a contender for ARKive's best-dressed party-goer! Having a 'whale' of a time! Swimming way ahead of the pod, the blue whale rightfully picks up the top spot, blowing all the other contenders out of the water. This marine giant is the largest animal that has ever lived, and weighs an unbelievable 120 tonnes. No wonder it's an all-time favourite! A huge thank you to everyone who helped to celebrate ARKive’s 8th birthday by voting for your favourite species! Celebrate Endangered Species Day As well as being ARKive's birthday, today also marks Endangered Species Day in the US. This annual celebration, established by the United States Congress in 2006, gives people from all walks of life the opportunity to learn about the importance of protecting endangered wildlife and wilderness areas. Thousands of people throughout the country will celebrate Endangered Species Day at parks, wildlife refuges, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, libraries, schools and community centres. The California condor is considered Critically Endangered. Find out what’s happening near you and make today a double celebration! Share with your friends!

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