Chimp with termite stick: Photo INHS

But, such “in the moment” uses of tools do not really capture the extraordinary and often surprising abilities of some animals to think ahead and use tools in innovative ways.

Nutcrackers, Alarms, Depth Testers, Floss, Nose Guards and More

Crows offer one such example. They have made a clever adaptation to modern society through the use of automobiles. While they surely don’t drive, they have figured out that the crushing weight of a car or truck can crack walnuts and other delicacies. Crows will place their prospective treats on the road and wait for a passing vehicle. They know exactly where the wheels are most likely to fall on the roadway!

Crows, considered by many to be among the brightest of creatures, have also been seen dropping stones into a water pitcher with a narrow neck in order to raise the water level sufficiently to take a drink.

Orangutans have made an adaptation that uses leaves to ward off predators. They don’t shake the leaves at the menace but, instead, make “whistles” from the leaves that make a shrill sound in an effort to scare the threat away.

As a safety measure, gorillas and other apes will approach a body of water with a stick specifically selected to test the depth of the water they would like to cross. They don’t swim so the stick becomes an important survival tool.

In Thailand, macaques (small apes) will use their stealth to pluck hair from the heads of tourists and others and use it to floss their teeth. Adult macaques have been seen applying this tooth cleaning method in elaborate slow motion as a way to teach this dental care to juveniles.

Herons use small shiny fish as lures, credit Jorja Feldman

Dolphins, often considered to be one of the most intelligent of all mammals have been seen pulling off pieces of sponge, wrapping it around their beaks and then using to forage along a sandy sea bottom for food.  The sponge protects their beaks from irritations and abrasions.

Perhaps the most elaborate “tool” user is the bowerbird of Australia.  It collects shiny objects such as bottle caps and pieces of glass to make an elaborate (and wholly attractive) nest that will lure a mate.  Many days will go into the preparation of the nest and only the finest shiny items will be selected.

These insights into how wild creatures innovate and think ahead can help us all to appreciate their extraordinary lives and abilities.

For more EXTRA-ordinary wildlife facts, check out the National Wildlife Week website >>

The great Gulf turtle rescue: in April we saw the beginning of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf.  By the time it was contained, more than 200 million gallons of oil had poured out and coated hundreds of square miles of water.  The toll on wildlife of all sizes was profound as evidenced from these National Wildlife Federation maps: http://bit.ly/gv159v  Certainly on of the most inspiring events around the Gulf was the relocation of thousands of see turtle hatchings from the sands of Gulf beaches to the sands of the Atlantic.  Read more:  http://ind.pn/aD82MP

The amazing Census of Marine Life: the Census was released in 2010.  It is a collaboration among 80 nations over 10 years.  Thousands of new species were discovered and cataloged.  Take a look at the  gallery of unbelievable and brilliant deep sea life: http://bit.ly/hkyJpj

The sad tale of little brown bats: a devastating bat plague called white nose syndrome still stymies animal researchers as millions of bats have succumbed to a fungal attack that restricts their ability breathe.  Bat caves in the East have been closed to visitors and there are signs the plague is moving to the West:  http://bit.ly/a5i1T9

Moving tigers from the brink of extinction: In the past few decades the number of wild tigers shrunk from 100,000 animals to some 3,000.  A recent international conference hosted in Russia came out with a plan to double their numbers.  http://bit.ly/gXOIZ5 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio personally made a $1 million gift to help jump-start the plan’s implementation.

The Loss of a U.S. wildlife hero: In 2010 we saw the untimely death of Sam Hamilton (54) the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Sam was a respected 30-year professional dedicated to species protection. http://wapo.st/dEpzZ0

Discovery of 1,200 new Amazon species: Our colleagues at the World Wildlife Fund demonstrated to people everywhere how much there is to learn about our natural world when they released their report on the discovery of over one thousands new species in the Amazon over a decade of study: http://bit.ly/cWnBFH

Wolf protection debate in the Northern Rockies: The Department of the Interior and the States of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have been in extensive discussions in a heated political setting over whether wolves in the northern Rockies merit endangered species protection:  http://bit.ly/iangkb

The continuing struggle against illegal wildlife trade: the battle continued in 2010 to cut down on wildlife poaching and trade in endangered animals.  There were increases in the number of apprehensions and arrests but, as the smugglers become more devious and the poachers become more aggressive, the overall signs are not good.  Wildlife smuggling seems to be on the rise and is an international black market rivaling illegal drug imports.   http://bit.ly/hauD9j

Polar Bears Polar stuck on shore:  This year polar bears in the arctic region were delayed several weeks from making their winter trip out onto the Arctic Sea ice for their annual seal hunting.  Warm weather caused to ice to be late forming and bears were stuck on land emaciated and suffering:  http://bit.ly/cCeHhB

Walrus mass exodus to land: a Alaskan exodus of 10,000 to 20,000 walruses to land was an unusual event that also reflects the loss of sea ice in the arctic.   This mass exodus was a new one on the Chukchi sea coast and wildlife experts see it as a sign of global climate change:  http://bit.ly/aTmljY

Japanese whale hunt in the Antarctic whale sanctuary: as summer begins in the southern hemisphere, Japanese whalers and environmentalists are converging again in Antarctic waters for another stand-off and possible battle over their strong differences concerning the legality of whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.  http://bit.ly/et6pzK

Mountain gorillas making a comeback: Ending on a more promising note, thirty years ago the mountain gorilla population was down to 250.  This year 782 were counted between two locations. http://aol.it/h7A1Ix
Do you want to help conserve wildlife and wild places? NWF has just launched a new online portal called “Choose Your Cause.” Just click on the cause you care about most and enjoy inspiring stories from folks on the ground who are working tirelessly to protect the wildlife and wild places we all love.

The Fastest Swimmers

The sailfish is considered the fastest swimmer among fish, often reaching 70 mph. Although a black marlin was recently clocked at 80 mph so the sailfish record may fall to its cousin.

The fastest swimming mammal is the orca (often called killer whale) which can swim over 55 mph but the Dall’s porpoise of the north Pacific has been clocked at the same speed.

We all know that birds can fly fast.  In flight, the fastest bird is the spine-tailed swift of Siberia which can reach speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, but the fastest bird in the water is the Gentoo penguin, which swims at about 22 mph. (Watch this video of a Gentoo swimming madly to avoid a pod of hungry orcas.)

The Gentoo’s speed is about the same as the fastest sea turtle, the leatherback.

Using a different mode of movement, squid can achieve 25 mph through a form of jet propulsion.

The Deepest Swimmers

Scientists once thought that the deepest parts of the ocean were too dark and cold to sustain life.  But they have been discovering that the deep ocean holds a rich ecosystem of many living forms.

For example, they have recently found a type of snailfish that lives happily nearly five miles down where the water pressure is almost unimaginable. (Watch this video of these true denizens of the deep.)

People are also often amazed to learn that whales once lived on land and liked swimming so much that they went back to living in the sea.  These sea-going mammals can dive down to some of the deepest parts of the ocean.  The sperm whale routinely dives to depths of 10,000 feet (about two miles) to hunt for giant squid.

Slowest Swimmer

Scientists believe that the sea horse is the slowest fish in the ocean.  It moves along at about 0.01 (one hundredth) mph.  (Watch this video shows how the sea horse swims.)

Largest Swimmers:

The whale shark is the largest fish in the sea.  One was measured at 41 feet in length and weighed over 35 tons. This (Watch this video of divers swimming near a whale shark.) However, the blue whale (a mammal) is the largest living creature.  Adult blue whales can reach 100 feet in length and 200 tons in weight.

The largest giant squid ever recorded was captured in the North Atlantic in 1878. It weighed 4 tons and its tentacles measured 10 m (35 ft) long.

The heaviest crustacean ever found swimming along the bottom was a lobster weighing 42 lbs, caught in 1934.

Secret Swimmers

Some animals have reputations for not being able to swim or being afraid of the water.  Take cats, for example.  The truth is cats can swim. Some cats, such as the jaguar of South and Central America are excellent swimmers.  Tigers are good swimmers too as it turns out.

With primates, most indications are that gorillas do not swim but that chimpanzees are swimmers, if reluctantly.

Other animals that are identified as not being able to swim range from camels to armadillos (although the long-nosed armadillo of South America is an armadillo species that can swim).

Unconventional Swimmers

Some fish swim vertically.  The sea horse is one example but there are many others in the fish world including the razor fish or shrimp fish, that swim a vertical position.

Many fish can swim backwards.  Eels are best known for this.

Anadromous species, such as salmon and shad, live in the ocean and travel up rivers to spawn.  These fish know to return to the same place from which they hatched.

Just Plain Different

Once in a while, something unexpected will happen.  Forget about the Loch Ness monster.  One time, in 2007, a deer was sighted miles from the shore in the Chesapeake Bay.  The fisherman who saw the deer took her on board his boat and released her safely on shore.

Another animal that is simply fascinating to watch in the water is the elephant.  (This video shows elephants swimming in deep water from an underwater perspective.)

Polar bears are also champion swimmers.  Recently, however, a lack of ice in the Arctic Ocean forced a particular polar bear to have to swim 426 miles over nine straight days to reach an ice flow.  The bear lost 100 pounds and a cub, and reminds us, during National Wildlife Week, of how important it is to protect natural environments worldwide – especially those of champion swimmers.

1. The Great Gulf Turtle Rescue

In April we saw the beginning of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf.  By the time it was contained, more than 200 million gallons of oil had poured out and coated hundreds of square miles.  The toll on wildlife of all species and sizes was profound as evidenced from these National Wildlife Federation maps. Certainly one of the most inspiring events around the Gulf disaster was the relocation of thousands of sea turtle hatchlings from the sands of Gulf beaches to the sands of the Atlantic with the help of effective organizations such as  the Sea Turtle Conservancy.

2. The Amazing New Census of Marine Life

The Census was released in 2010.  It is a collaboration among 80 nations over 10 years.  Thousands of new species were discovered and cataloged.  Take a look at the  gallery of unbelievable and brilliant deep sea life: http://bit.ly/hkyJpj

3. The Sad Tale of Little Brown Bats

A devastating bat plague called white nose syndrome still stymies animal researchers as millions of bats have succumbed to a fungal attack that restricts their ability breathe.  Bat caves in the East have been closed to visitors and there are signs the plague is moving to the West:  http://bit.ly/a5i1T9

4. Moving Tigers From the Brink of Extinction

In the past few decades the number of wild tigers shrunk from 100,000 animals to some 3,000.  A recent international conference hosted in Russia came out with a plan to double their numbers.  http://bit.ly/gXOIZ5 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio personally made a $1 million gift to help jump-start the plan’s implementation.

5. The Loss of a U.S. wildlife hero

In 2010 we saw the untimely death of Sam Hamilton (54) the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Sam was a respected 30-year professional dedicated to species protection. http://wapo.st/dEpzZ0

6. Discovery of 1,200 New Amazon Species

Our colleagues at the World Wildlife Fund demonstrated to people everywhere how much there is to learn about our natural world when they released their report on the discovery of over one thousands new species in the Amazon via a decade of study: http://bit.ly/cWnBFH

7. Wolf Protection Debate in the Northern Rockies

The Department of the Interior and the States of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have been in extensive discussions in a quite heated political setting over whether wolves reintroduced to the Northern Rockies in the mid 1990s still merit endangered species protection:  http://bit.ly/iangkb

8. The Continuing Struggle Against Illegal Wildlife Trade

The battle continued in 2010 to cut down on wildlife poaching and trade in endangered animals.  There were increases in the number of apprehensions and arrests but, as the smugglers become more devious and the poachers become more aggressive, the overall signs are not good.  Wildlife smuggling seems to be on the rise and is an international black market rivaling illegal drug imports.   http://bit.ly/hauD9j

9. Polar Bears Stuck on Shore

This year polar bears in the Arctic region were delayed several weeks from making their winter trip out onto the Arctic Sea ice for their annual seal hunting.  Warm weather caused to ice to be late in forming and the bears were stuck on land, some in emaciated condition.

10. Walrus Exodus Onto Land

A mass Alaskan exodus of 10,000 to 20,000 walruses to land was an highly unusual event this Fall that also reflects the loss of sea ice in the arctic.   This mass exodus was a new one on the Chukchi sea coast and wildlife experts see it as a sign of global climate change:  http://bit.ly/aTmljY

11. Japanese Whale Hunt in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary

As summer begins in the southern hemisphere, Japanese whalers and environmentalists are converging again in Antarctic waters for another stand-off and possible battle over their intense differences concerning the legality of whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.  Both whale and human lives will be on the line: http://bit.ly/et6pzK

12. Mountain Gorillas Making a Comeback

Ending on a more promising note, 30 years ago the mountain gorilla population was down to 250.  This year 782 were counted between two locations. http://aol.it/h7A1Ix

Bottom line: Wildlife conservation has unbelievable and daunting challenges ahead but, despite the overwhelming odds there are may glimmers of hope that remind us that staying with the fight to protect species, habitats and stop global warming are more important than ever.

AFP reports:

“Users of the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter will be able to “befriend” rare Ugandan mountain gorillas and track their movements, a Wildlife Authority spokeswoman said Monday.

In a scheme designed to promote Uganda’s nascent tourism industry, users will receive regular updates about their endangered primate friends, Lillian Nsubuga told AFP.

‘Through geo-tracking and GPS, you’ll be able to get information about new births within the family and other information,’ she said, referring to a programme that will launch online next month.

Wildlife officials also plan to install cameras around Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to roughly half of the world’s estimated 740 mountain gorillas, one of most endangered species on the planet.”  See full article.