My first official act on Core Team is to research the animals found in the Disney version of The Jungle Book. Apparently there's going to be a new DVD release and they want to include some animal facts and conservation efforts for the company. So Sharon and I were researching all things Kiplingian. Here's my top 10 list of things I learned:1. King Louie is not in the original book but is a Disney fabrication (I haven't read the book).
2. The story takes place in India and King Louie is an orangutan, but orangs are found in Indonesia, Borneo and Sumatra.
3. Palm oil farm plantations in Asia are destroying orang habitats and at this rate orangs may be extinct by 2012. Don't buy or use products with palm oil.
4. Baloo the bear, more than likely was based off of a sloth bear, as the Hindi word for bear is Bhalu.
5. Sloth bears are insectivores feeding mostly off of termites and insects.
6. Kaa the snake is more than likely an Indian python, possibly a Burmese python a subspecies.
7. Shere Khan is clearly a tiger. As of the late 1800s, there was about 8 subspecies (9 depending on who you ask) and as of 2007, 3 of those subspecies have become extinct.
8. White tigers made famous by Vegas magicians and the Power Rangers are actually genetic mutants. Zoos try to shy away from mating tigers to make more white tigers because we're not sure that crossing all these mutants will end up being a good thing.
9. Burmese pythons are popular as pets, but they can grow to be 25 feet long and up to 350lbs. Many people will release them into the wild after they get too big to handle. Research your pets.
10. Some pet owners have "liberated" their pet pythons to the Florida Everglades. There is now a substantial breeding population here even though they don't belong. Plus this is creating a very unnatural rivalry I shall dub the Thwamp in the Swamp: Alligator vs. Python.
Observe:
it's a draw. Still not the best of ideas to drop a 20 foot snake in the FL 'glades.
I'm out. Go see Transformers.
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