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In Focus
Animals too have
their special day
Did you know that our dumb friends in the animal kingdom too have
their very own day to be in the limelight ? Well, just a few days after
you celebrate your special day it is time to shift our attention to the
welfare of animals around the world, because October 4 is World Animal
Day.
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On the brink of extinction? Do not wheel orangutans too out of
this world like most other animals. |
It is celebrated around the world by organisations, groups, clubs,
schools, places of worship and individual, animal-loving members of the
public.World Animal Day celebrates human kind's unique relationship with
the animal kingdom, and acknowledges the numerous ways in which animals
enrich our lives.
There are many animals who are living on the brink of extinction
today and are also being treated in a cruel manner by the more
intelligent animals - the humans. So it is important that all animal
lovers join hands to save such animals and spare them from the suffering
and pain they undergo at the hands of cruel humans . What do you think
you can do to help?
Even a small deed like treating a stray animal with kindness would go
a long way to stop man's cruelty to animals who also have a right to
live on this planet . You don't have to get involved in animal welfare
activities or spend money to upkeep animals in any way at all; all you
have to do is just care about animals. World Animal Day was started in
1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting
the plight of endangered species.
Since then it has grown to encompass all kinds of animal life and is
widely celebrated in countries throughout the world.The reason this day
was chosen as World Animal Day was because it is the Feast Day of St
Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.It is intended as a day
of celebration for anyone in the world who cares about animals.
It is not restricted to any one nationality, creed, religion,
political belief or ideology. Launched in the UK on October 4 , 2003,
the organisations, groups, animal shelters, places of worship, schools,
clubs and individuals who participated in what was to become an annual
event, quite simply, helped make history.
Since the official World Animal Day website was launched in 2003, the
number of World Animal Day events taking place throughout the world has
increased year upon year and with your help the trend will continue.
Q &
A
Corner
Ancient history
1. Babylon was famous for its magnificent gardens. They were regarded as
one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. What were they called?
2. Why are Mohenjodaro and Harappa famous names in Indian history?
3. The golden period of ancient Greek civilization was between 500 BC to
336 BC. By what famous name is this period called?
4. Where were the Olympic Games held in ancient Greece?
5. Who was Plato?
The solar system
1. Which vehicle landed on Mars on July 4, 1997?
2. Why is the Sun also called a star?
3. What is the instrument used to study and investigate the light of the
Sun?
4. What is the average distance of Mars from the Sun?
5. Which is larger - Mercury or Venus?
The Green Kingdom
1. Who laid the foundation of modern biochemistry?
2. How can you tell the age of a tree?
3. Why do cacti have spines?
4. What are spores?
5. What are xerophyte plants?
Answers
Ancient history
1. The famous gardens of Babylon were called the Hanging Gardens of
Babylon.
2. Early civilizations grew in the Indus Valley. These two cities
were centres of this ancient civilization. They had their own system of
writing and governance.
3. The golden period of the ancient Greek civilization is known as
the Classical period.
4. Olympic Games were held every four years in Olympia in honour of
Zeus, the god of gods.
5. Plato was a Greek Philosopher (427-348 BC). He was the author of
the book titled Republic. He had an academy where he taught his students
about morals, ethics and politics.
The solar system
1. Pathfinder landed on Mars on July 4, 1997.
2. It is also called a star because of the nuclear reaction at its
core that creates so much heat and pressure.
3. A spectrometer.
4. The average distance of Mars from the Sun is 227.9 million Km.
5. Venus is larger than Mercury.
The Green Kingdom
1. Claude Bernard laid the foundation of modern biochemistry.
2. By counting the rings found in the cross-section of a tree trunk,
you can tell the age of a tree.
3. Cacti plants that grow in arid and hot areas store water for use
in drier and more hot seasons, in the spongy hollow stems. Cacti have
spines to prevent the loss of this water and also to protect the plant
from being eaten by thirsty animals.
4. A spore is a unicellular asexual reproductive unit found in algae
and fungi. There are many different types of spores.
5. Xerophyte plants are those that can survive in conditions of water
deficiency. They can endure and resist droughts. |
