Books in On the Verge of Extinction: Crisis in the Environment series

Yangtze River dolphins, also known as Baiji, have splashed in the waters of China s Yangtze River for millions of years. The Chinese people have always loved these mammals. They considered the Baiji to be a beautiful part of their river, and they have told many stories about them. Today, the Yangtze is a very different place. Trash floats in the water, and dangerous chemicals pollute it. Thousands of boats travel up and down the river every day, and people use dangerous fishing equipment with sharp rolling hooks. The Yangtze River is no longer a safe place for the Baiji to live. Most of them have died out. Scientists worry that it might be too late for these dolphins. The Yangtze River dolphin just might be gone from the earth forever.

Learn all about the tall, noisy whooping crane see it dance, follow its flight path, and watch the stages as a chick hatches and grows into a cinnamon-colored juvenile and then into a stunning white bird with black wing tips and a red crown. Why is this bird endangered? Devastating loss of habitat and overhunting of eggs and of adults for their skin in the 1800s made their numbers dwindle. By 1942, there were only sixteen whoopers still living in the wild. Now the whooping crane is making a comeback. In 2007, over 300 whooping cranes were migrating between Canada and Texas. Find out what scientists are doing and what you can do to help this endangered animal.

As humans take up more of the wilderness where the giant panda lives, the number of these wild bears has decreased. Efforts have been in place for years to save the cuddly-looking creatures, but they are still endangered. An earthquake in 2008 damaged one of the largest panda reserves in China. Read about the habits and lifestyle of these precious animals, and learn what you can do to help save them.

Frogs are very sensitive to their environment. Changes in their appearance and their rapid disappearance can tell us when the environment is unhealthy. When people around the world began noticing that frog species were dying or becoming deformed at an alarming rate, they knew something had to be done. Frogs in Danger gives an overview of some of the frog species that have become endangered and why. Read about a flesh-eating fungus that thrives in the warmer climate and the skin of frogs. Find out what scientists and kids in their own backyards can do to help these indicators of Earth s health.

The migration of the monarch butterflies from the United States to the mountains of Central Mexico is one of nature s most fascinating events. Every fall, millions and millions of monarch butterflies fly all the way to the mountain forests of Central Mexico, where they spend the winter clinging to the trees in large groups. In the spring, they make the long trip back to the United States and Canada, to begin the cycle again. Nature lovers, schoolchildren, and scientists are fascinated by the monarch life cycle. They tag the butterflies in gardens and schoolyards, and follow the tender insects flight as they travel to what is for many an unknown country. But the monarch butterflies amazing journey also puts them at risk. Their habitats the milkweed plant of North America and the oyamel forests of Central Mexico are under constant attack. If their habitats should vanish, so too will this delicate creature.

Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest peak in Africa, rising 19,340 feet above the surrounding plains. For hundreds of years the mountain has been called the shining mountain by local people. They gave it this name because the top is covered with glittering glacier ice and snow. It is one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. In recent decades local people and tourists have noticed that there is less and less ice and snow on the mountain each year. Most scientists believe that the glaciers are disappearing because of changes in the weather of eastern Africa, and because of human actions. How is the ice disappearing? Who will be affected by the loss of the glaciers? What can you do to help? These questions are answered in the pages of this book.

Almost everyone loves polar bears. Their white coats and beautiful faces make them a favorite of both children and adults. However, polar bears are amazing creatures for many reasons. They are the world s largest land predator and ingenious hunters. Polar bears are also great swimmers, sometimes swimming many miles to reach their favorite hunting grounds on Arctic sea-ice. The bears do all of this in one of the most difficult environments in the world, they live in the Arctic. Unfortunately, the bears life may be getting even harder because of humans. If you love polar bears this book will give you the information you need to understand what the future may hold for these amazing creatures.

From afar, Haiti seems like any other Caribbean paradise. There are lush jungles, white sand beaches, and turquoise waters. But a closer look at the small country located on the island of Hispaniola reveals a stark glimpse into the developing world. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and one of the most forlorn countries in the world. The government is unstable, crime is rampant, education is for the lucky, and hope is hard to come by. Meanwhile, the poor economy has driven the people to clear-cut large parts of the terrain. When heavy storms hit, killer mudslides bring a different kind of threat to the country. Read about the Haitian people, who celebrate a culture rich in French, Spanish, and African history, and find out what the world is doing to help solve the crises they face every day.

Leatherbacks are sometimes called the last of the dinosaurs because their ancient ancestors lived when the dinosaurs did. Their ability to swim long distances may be one of the reasons they survived whatever killed most of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. In modern times, one leatherback swam from Indonesia to Oregon. It had traveled 12,774 miles in 647 days the longest distance ever tracked for a marine animal. These sea turtles are also known for returning to the same nesting sites from which they hatched. Hatchling leatherbacks make a mad dash from the sand to the sea to avoid air and land predators. While gains have been made to improve the turtles chances against commercial fishing techniques, humans have continued building on nesting beaches and polluting the oceans. Find out what other threats the leatherbacks face, and what you can do to help protect these endangered reptiles of the sea.

Before the 1900s, hundreds of thousands of wild tigers roamed Southeast Asia. Their beauty, fierceness, and intelligence inspired fear and awe in their human neighbors. These peoples gave the tiger starring roles in folktales and mythology. Human fascination with tigers continues. Unfortunately, the tiger may not survive in the wild much longer. Researchers estimate that fewer than 2,500 tigers remain in their natural habitat. As the human population explodes in Southeast Asia, the wild tiger population pays the price. Can the wild tiger be saved by its only natural enemy people?