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.

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.