Around six weeks ago, Kaileen came running into the house, just getting off the bus from school. She was excited about a story about homeless pets because of Hurricane (飓风) Katrina and all that was going on to help them. She said that this information came from her animal newspaper (your KIND News). Kaileen has a great love and compassion (同情心) for animals, so her excitement did not surprise me. Her next ideas, however, did. She said that we should go around right then to our neighbors and collect all their change to send to the animal shelters (保护所).

I thought this was a school project, but in fact, it was not. This was what Kaileen wanted to do on her own! Well, it warmed me all over. To see your child so willing to help others just lets you feel that maybe you had done something right in raising (养育) her.

Anyway, I told her to make a card and send it out to our neighbors first. With the help of her older brother, Kaileen soon made a lovely card that asked our neighbors to help these pets by giving their spare change. She gave them a few days and a date she would come by to pick up any donations (捐赠).

Well, I had to go out and buy a donation box. Kaileen collected $279.50!!! I just thought you would like to know how KIND News had touched a little one’s heart and given her the idea to show her compassion for animals. Thank you — we really enjoy your paper.

The white rhinoceros (白犀牛) is near-threatened due to massive illegal hunting; the mountain gorilla is classed as endangered due to great habitat destruction. If no action is taken, these amazing creatures will undoubtedly be extinct before the end of the century. But scientists are working hard to stop this with some pretty cool drone (无人机) tech.

One of the biggest dangers to endangered animals in the modern day comes from illegal hunting, which claims the lives of hundreds of white rhinos every year. While regular patrols (巡逻队) can drive hunters away from certain areas, hunters are often well-armed and unafraid to fire upon those hoping to protect the rhinos. This is where drones come in. If researchers and patrols work in these areas, there would be a real danger of coming into contact with the hunters. By having drones collect data, movement patterns and numbers of animals, researchers and patrols can get away from such dangers.

Drones can also be sent into the skies above difficult-to-reach areas to get data that would otherwise be tough to collect. For example, mountain gorillas are usually found in deep jungle, and organizing an exploration can be expensive and demanding. Researchers can send drones over the forest to gather data about the habitat of the animals, and even take high quality images. This information can be priceless when it comes to an on-foot exploration, as researchers can get up-to-date information. In this situation, human-led surveys will still offer better results, but drones can play a huge part.

The downside presently is the cost, which can run into tens, if not thousands, of dollars. However, drone tech is still becoming a more favorable choice in the fight against wildlife extinction.

Three years ago, Nikki Robinson found a little raccoon (浣熊) by the road. She saved him and after a bunch of attempts at taking him to wildlife centers and vets, Nikki was disappointed at the lack of help. However, her mother Linda had experience in raising raccoons and after a little persuasion, took the little creature in.

They named him Little Hands and fell in love with the little raccoon. Linda and Nikki fed him, raised him, and eventually let him go. To their surprise, Little Hands kept coming back, sometimes after a few days, sometimes a few months. He would come back and ask for hugs, food, and just love.

Little Hands was taken care of by Linda. At first, he was set free onto her large property and was allowed to come and go as he pleased. He was very fearful of any human or animal that he didn’t grow up with, but would come back to visit them most nights. Linda would leave food out for him every night and sit outside on the porch swing before bed, waiting for his visit. The first thing he would do was that he would climb over to Linda on the swing, sit beside her, and want pats from her.

“Little Hands stayed with us for about two and a half months before he was fully released into the wild. He has always been a calm, peaceful raccoon, very loving and compassionate, even as he matured. But still wild enough he thrives on his own,” Nikki said. People asked Nikki what their reaction was when Little Hands returned to them. “Pure joy. And every time he came back it was a more and more joyous occasion especially because he wanted our attention as well as our food.”

At last, Nikki said: “Be kind. We share the planet with so many creatures that need to be respected. They are capable of complex social systems and emotions.”