From a grueling pandemic to hurricanes and wildfires devastating both coasts, 2020 will be remembered as the never-ending year of disasters. Rested assured that fifty years from now, no grandparent will forget to tell their grandkids about toilet paper shortages and online schooling. No matter how big or small, everyone has been affected by the current circumstances of the world. With so much happening, it can become easy to get bogged down into a depressing slump that the world is ending and we have nothing to live for (but hey, as long as Netflix is around, we all definitely have shows and movies to live for). But on a serious note, it's important to be aware of all the good things that are happening around us as well. And if there's one thing that can make anyone smile, it's adorable baby animals.
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| A baby Burmese roofed turtle |
The Burmese roofed turtles, known for their permanent grins, have been saved thanks to the work of several conservational groups. Indigenous to Myanmar’s Irrawaddy river region, these turtles were thought to have been extinct in the 1990s after years of being over-hunted for food, used in medicine, exposed to the pet trade, and having their natural habitat destroyed. The first specimen to be spotted again was in 2001, providing everyone with hope for the survival of these reptilian creatures. The resurfacing Burmese roofed turtles were brought to zoos and conservation centers to one day be returned back to the wild. The Forest Department and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) even organized a conservation program on a beach by Chindwin River. This fenced-off area and programs in zoos have allowed the remaining population to grow to about 1,000 turtles in captivity. The WCS states that soon, the turtles will be able to return to the wild with little danger of again coming close to extinction.
Hopefully knowing that there are good things still happening in the world will allow everyone to follow these turtles example and smile. No matter how dark the world may seem, there will always be a glimmer of light to hold on to. If we all work together to stay positive and fix the problems in our world, then there will be even more to smile about.
| Whether you think this animal is cute or creepy, its permanent positive attitude is pretty impressive |
Work Cited: Judy Cole, et al. “Rare Turtles Known For Their Permanent Smiles Saved From Extinction in Myanmar.” Good News Network, 14 Sept. 2020, www.goodnewsnetwork.org/rare-smiling-turtles-saved-from-extinction-in-myanmar/.
These turtles are pretty cute! I love that you gave us something to smile about in this weird and wild year. Great voice in this post, too! Excellent first post for the blog!
ReplyDeleteI think it’s awesome that they prevented the turtles from extinction. I like the symbolism of the smile on the turtle to what this world has going on right now. It seems hard to look at the good things during this time, but seeing news that is actually good is helpful to people’s moods.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a cool thing for you to write about because we don't hear a lot about things like this anymore. I also just like this topic in general so I really liked your post.
ReplyDeleteThis post made me so happy! I love how such little things can bring so much joy in a time of darkness :)
ReplyDeleteNot going to lie, the first thing I did when I saw this article was smile. It's so true that how we can surround ourselves in all the negativity around us and not feel great. Its certainty not a bad thing to know what's going on it the world, but its equally important to smile once and a while. :)
ReplyDeleteThis post is so cute! I love the pictures of the turtles and the fact that they can stay happy for the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteawww these turtles are adorable I appreciated reading an upbeat post in the mix thanks for that!! - McCall
ReplyDeleteThis was a cool thing to see. Something to be glad about, especially good to hear they were saved from extinction.
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