Tattoo of the Day

 

Tattoo by Jason Goldberg.

 

The Red Panda is a small, arboreal, omnivorous mammal that is listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.  It is found in China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and India.  Sadly, red panda populations are undergoing a significant decline and it’s estimated there are now fewer than 10,000 mature individuals remaining in the wild.

To save the red panda, we must first protect its habitat, as habitat loss is the number one threat to their existence. Logging and other types of deforestation have reduced a great deal of the forests this animal relies on.  These activities have also upset the delicate balance that exists between the forest’s dense root systems and the soil.  In Nepal, the lack of the dense root systems has caused the rich soil to cascade down mountainsides during monsoons, burying communities, destroying habitat, and leaving human and animal death in its wake.

In Bhutan, this critter is hunted for its fur, which is used to make hats.  In China, Red Panda pelts can be found in many local markets and poaching pressures have furthered population decines, and has even led to extinction in some areas.  Red Pandas are protected in all of the countries where they are found, with the exception of Myanmar.  In China, the species fortunately receives increased protection where it occurs within Giant Panda reserves.

 

Remember: Tattoos are forever… and so is extinction.  To see all of the FANTASTIC art featured on Bush Warriors Tattoo of the Day, and to learn more about this initiative, please click here.  You can also share photos of your own wildlife tattoos and enjoy others’ at our Facebook group, Bush Warriors Inked Nation for Conservation.

 

Tattoo of the Day

 

Tattoo by Don (owner) at Art in Motion.

 

Golden snub-nosed monkeys are Old World primates that inhabit temperate mountain forests in parts of Asia.  Primarily an arboreal (tree-dwelling) species, snub-nosed monkeys live in groups of over 600 members.  They defend their territory with shouts and have a large vocal repertoire and have been seen calling alone and in groups in a choir-like fashion.  During the winter when food is scarce they break off into smaller groups.  Their diet consists of tree needles, bamboo buds, fruits and leaves. They have a multi-chambered stomach that helps them digest the roughage.

Little is known about these monkeys, which are considered ‘endangered‘ by the IUCN.  It is estimated that there are between 8,000-20,000 left, but populations are declining at such a rapid rate that it has been difficult to obtain accurate numbers.  They can be found in a number of protected areas including the Baihe, Foping, Shennongjia, and Wangland Nature Reserves.

The snub-nosed monkey is protected from trade by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).  Unfortunately, poaching continues to occur as body parts, thought to prevent rheumatism, continue to be used in traditional Chinese medicines.  This, in combination with ongoing habitat loss and use of the animal as bushmeat, has placed these primates in a dire situation.  A new species of snub-nosed monkey, which is so snub-nosed that even rainfall sends it into a sneezing frenzy, was recently discovered in Myanmar.  Scientists were alerted to the monkey by hunters, and the first and only observed individual of this new species was killed by local hunters and eaten shortly after researchers examined it.

 

Remember: Tattoos are forever… and so is extinction.  To see all of the FANTASTIC art featured on Bush Warriors Tattoo of the Day, and to learn more about this initiative, please click here.  You can also share photos of your own wildlife tattoos and enjoy others’ at our Facebook group, Bush Warriors Inked Nation for Conservation.