1.VancouverIslandmarmot

　　TheVancouverIslandmarmotisamongtheworld'smostendangeredandcompellinganimals—acounterpart,inrarityandcuteness,toChina'sgiantpandas.Nowonderanunlikelycoalitionthatincludeseveryonefromschoolchildrentoaskiresortismakingalast-ditchefforttosaveit.

　　TheVancouverIslandmarmotisahousecat-sizedrodentweighing3-6.5kg(6.6-14.3lb).Itpreferssub-alpineopenareasabove1000m(3300'),insouthtowest-facingmeadows.Thefloweringpartsofalpineplantsareitspreferredfood.TheVancouverIslandmarmotprefersopenareasthatprovidegoodsoilforburrowing,plentifulherbsandforbstoeat,andsuitablerocksforlookoutspots.Itlivesincoloniescomprisedofoneormorefamilygroups,andmonogamouspairingsarethenorm.

　　TheVancouverIslandmarmothasneverbeenabundantinhistorictimes.ItisendemictoVancouverIsland,BritishColumbia,Canada.By1990ithadbeenreducedto1/3ofitsformerrangeinthemountainsofVancouverIsland,dueinparttohabitatdisruptioncausedbylogging.

　　"Withapopulationnumberingfewerthat100animals,VancouverIslandmarmotsmustbeconsideredasoneofNorthAmerica'smostcriticallyendangeredmammals.Onlybyincreasingboththeirnumbersanddistributioncanthefutureofthisengagingrodentbesecured.ForthisreasontheRecoveryPlanemphasizescaptive-breedingcombinedwithmarmotreintroductionstoformerlyoccupiedsites."(Bryant1998)

　　2.Kiwibird

　　ThisNorthIslandbrownkiwihatchedattheSmithsonian'sNationalZooinWashington,D.C.,thisweek—onlythesecondoftheserarebirdstohatchduringthezoo's116-yearhistory.

　　Kiwichickshatchfullyfeatheredwiththeireyesopenandbeginforagingforsmallwormsandberriesaftertheirfirstweekoflife,sincetheyreceivenohelpfromtheirparents.

　　ThekiwihatchedonMonday,February13,weighinginat9.7ounces(275grams)after64daysofincubation.Zoostaffmonitoredtheeggeachday,byweighingitandusingabrightlighttoilluminatetheegg'sinterior.

　　TheNationalZooisoneofjustfourzoosintheworldtobreedkiwisoutsideofNewZealand.In1975theNationalZoowasthefirstinstitutionoutsideofNewZealandtohatchakiwi.That30-year-oldbirdisstillonexhibitatthezoo'sBirdHouse.

　　Thefiverecognizedspeciesofkiwisareallflightless,nocturnal,burrowingbirdsthatareuniquetoNewZealand.NorthIslandbrownkiwisarelistedasendangeredbytheInternationalUnionofConservationofNatureandNaturalResources.