It may sound like the plot of a Disney movie, but Todd, a fox, really does think he’s a dog. The animal was tamed after being rescued as a 4-month-old baby and was raised as a pet by owner Emma D’ Sylva. Since then the lovable fox has picked up a number of dog characteristics such as tail wagging (摇尾巴), playing with toys and even walking on a lead.

The 11-month-old animal accompanies Emma’s pets Sky and Oakley on walks, drawing double attention from other dog-walkers when they see Todd moving quickly through the local park with Sky and Oakley. They thought as a fox, he has too many dog characteristics. He also sleeps and plays with the other dogs and even wags his tail during its feeding time.

“I’ve had Todd since he was about 4 months old because his previous owners couldn’t look after him anymore. He was a bit crazy when he first came to me last year, but now he has a really strong bond with me. He will run up to me wagging his tail when I go to feed him,” Emma, 25, from Stanfield, said.

“Sometimes he comes into my room, but he prefers being outside. He gets on well with my two dogs, and wants to play with them all the time. If people or dogs come up to him in the park, he will lie down at first and freeze but after a few seconds he will sniff around the dogs or sit patiently.”

Emma takes some of her 40 pets into schools and care homes to enable children and the elderly to interact with a range of animals. Emma’s husband, Steve Johnson, added, “Todd went out on his first school visit the other week and the children really enjoyed playing with him.”

Take a good look at the American burying beetle(甲虫)once found in 35 states;the insect is assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as critically endangered. Like the tiger,the American burying beetle has orange and black stripes(条纹);like the tiger,the beetle is declining in number. The tiger is an instantly recognizable symbol of species preservation, but most people aren’t familiar with the beetle.

This difference is an example of the domination of the so-called celebrity species - the fascinating creatures that nonprofits and government agencies use to raise public interest in conservation. Most nonprofit funds for animal protection go to species such as apes, elephants, big cats, rhinoceroses, and giant pandas. Tigers are often rated the most popular animal - and India,home to the majority of these big cats, spent more than 49 million on tiger conservation alone in 2019.Meanwhile, many lesser known species of fish, reptiles, amphibians, and birds weaken in namelessness. Worldwide, more than 35,500 plant and animal species are on the edge of disappearing forever.

This leaves us with a tough situation. Conservation is underfunded, so how do we decide which species to save?

One potential solution,the debatable idea of conservation triage(检伤分类),holds that experts need to quickly decide which species can be saved while realizing that others can’t be saved.Conservationists have developed analytical tools to approach the question in a less emotional, more practical way.Fish and Wildlife Service now uses this knapsack(背包)method - inspired by a hiker’s need to fit the most valuable items into a small space - to get the “most bang for their buck”in saving species. The method calculates the most efficient conservation strategies using factors such as costs to recover a species and its likelihood of going extinct.

There is often a very special bond between children and pets. 【小题1】 Research has even found that pets can be beneficial for childhood development and health by teaching responsibility, reducing the risk of allergies (过敏) and encouraging exercise. Dr. Katrina Warren shares her top tips for managing children and pets.

【小题2】 If you can’t supervise (监督) then be sure to separate them. Never leave a young child unsupervised with any pet, even when it’s your own well-loved and trusted dog. Children are mostly bit by their own dog or the dog of a friend or neighbour.

Pets will love a safe place that is out of bounds to children. 【小题3】 For cats, a climbing tree or spare bedroom, Cats should also have a bed and food and water bowls in an area that is off limits to the kids. Teach children to respect the pet’s privacy and to only interact (互动) when the pet comes to them, not the other way around.

Teach kids that pets aren’t toys. Young children should not be allowed to pick up their pets, and older kids from seven years of age should only be allowed to pick up pets under supervision. When playing with pets, be sure children are always sitting on the floor, not wandering (漫步) around holding the pets. 【小题4】

【小题5】 Younger children can help fill the water bowl and older ones can take care of feeding and cleaning or changing the litter tray. This is a great way to teach lessons in basic pet hygiene (卫生) by reminding your children to always wash their hands after handling their pets.