Attenborough's ark was shown on BBC 4 again last night and it got me thinking; what ten animals would be on your personal ark? this is not necessarily your favourite animals, but the animals that you couldn't lose and that you would like to save from extinction. Your ark should represent the variety of life on earth and the animals on it don't have to be endangered. Good luck!
Black rhinoceroses Masai giraffes Sunda clouded leopards Chimpanzees Bornean orangutans Hyacinth macaws Chattering lories King vultures Eastern green mambas Indochinese spitting cobras
Don't forget to squeeze in a well-equipped and -staffed ICU then... The concept of an ark for conservation might be philosophically and religiously pleasing, but is practically unfeasible. As for the practicability to survive on a large wooden ship and sustain oneself , I'd be rather tempted to have only species useful for human survival come along, such as - Honey bees - Goats - Sheep - Dogs - Guinea Pigs - Chicken - Pigeons - African sharptooth catfish - Achatina sp. - Giant tortoises
Yes Batto of corse that you are right! Just one question, why you listed giant tortoises? This just like for fun. But I wold love to keep and care well after those (mine listed) animals in a zoo. It also seems that you are replying most commonly in the day of snake in Chinese zodiac, as today is (11 may), wich is the most tense day (and most intelectual and when things can quicklu go out of control, I wold never work directly with venomous snakes on day like this!) from a 12-day serie... yesterday was the most positive day- Dragon. I am born in the year of the snake, but in the day of the tiger, you?
Regarding giant tortoises: read the "Dangerously Edible" passage QI : Quite Interesting As I don't care much if any about astrology, I cannot answer your question nor do I see any reason to do so. Ask any zoo vet and he/she will probably tell you that they wouldn't mind having the chimps leave their respective zoo for good...not the nicest animals to take care of.
Assuming it would be to save complex land animals from being wiped out, I'd go with... Brown bear Coyote Brown rat Domestic cat Wild Boar Rhesus macaque Common brushtail possum House sparrow Rose ringed parakeet Common raven These animals are all pretty adaptable,so they'd recolonise the land without much trouble.
Posting two lists; in the vein of Attenborough's special mentioned in the first post, here are the species I'd most like to preserve and save immediately: Sunda pangolin Iberian lynx Sumatran rhino Saola Vaquita Kagu Kakapo Gharial Olm West Indian coelacanth As far as (terrestrial & freshwater) species I'd preserve were every landmass on Earth in immediate danger: Horse (both for domestication and to be released into wilderness) Dog (same) Domestic cat (same) Brown rat Carrion crow Any small colubrid snake (grass snake, garter, etc) Rainbow trout Western honey bee Any ant species Any termite species
For my ark I've chosen animals that are significant in history and their use/Symbolism to us. 1. Western Honey Bee: Food creation 2. Grey Wolf: Domestication 3. North American Beaver: Ability to alter environment 4. European Carp: Aquaculture 5. Domestic Horse: Transportation 6. Elephant: Ultimate beast of burden 7. Lion: King of animals 8. Domestic Goat: Milk 9. Egyptian Mongoose: Pest control 10. European Medical Leech: Medical reasons
Sun Bear Cuban Solenodon Irrawaddy dolphin Basilisk lizard Chinese pangolin Sumatran rhino (like Attenborough's Ark) Whale shark Vancouver Island Marmot European Mink Malagasy civet (Fanaloka) Visayan warty pig Dugong
