Bhutan - Animals
Greetings, friends. It is time for Window on the World. We have been learning about a country in South Asia that is located near China and India. It is the Kingdom of Bhutan. This week we'll learn about the animals from this landlocked country. A landlocked country is surrounded by other countries. There are no oceans near it. Let's see what interesting animals live there.
There are several large birds that can be found in Bhutan. You might see the Peregrine Falcon, the Osprey, and the Bearded Vulture. The Peregrine Falcon is known for its speed when flying. It has been clocked at over 100 kilometers per hour in flight and more that 199 kilometers per hour when diving for food. The Osprey is an excellent hunting and fishing bird because of its large, sharp claws. It can drop down over water and grab a fish with its claws. The Bearded Vulture has a very large wingspan. Its wings stretch more than 3 meters in length. This bird often takes the bones from dead animals and drops them onto rocks to crack them open. The Bearded Vulture will then eat the marrow from the inside of the bone.
Besides birds, there are several large mammals living in Bhutan. Do you remember that a mammal is an animal that has hair or fur and will feed its young milk? Some mammals found in Bhutan are the Gray Wolf, the Red Fox, the Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, the Asian Elephant and the Indian Rhinoceros. Both the Gray Wolf and Red Fox are beautiful animals and look like dogs but they are not liked by people. Both often attack farm animals and kill them for food.
The three large cats are also beautiful. The Tiger has an orange and black striped coat. The Leopard is yellow in color with black spots. The Snow Leopard has a white coat with black spots. All three are endangered because hunters often kill them for their beautiful skins. The largest animals found in Bhutan are the elephant and rhinoceros. The elephant has been used as a great helper in building and lifting heavy objects. The rhinoceros has very thick skin. It almost looks like armor protecting its body. To keep it cool, the rhino can often be found soaking in large mud-filled pools of water.
The animals of Bhutan are interesting. From large birds to large mammals, there is much to see and learn about. I hope you have enjoyed learning about Bhutan. Next week, we'll open our Window on the World on another country in South Asia. I hope you will be listening then.
Goodbye, my friends!