The World Wildlife Fund, or WWF, ranked Vietnam the worst country for wildlife protection among 23 nations assessed for enforcement and protection of species prone to poachers, such as rhinos, elephants and tigers.REUTERS/Rogan Ward
The World Wildlife Fund, or WWF, ranked Vietnam the worst country for wildlife protection among 23 nations assessed for enforcement and protection of species prone to poachers, such as rhinos, elephants and tigers.REUTERS/Rogan WardCheetahREUTERS/Radu SighetiThe impala, an African antelope with long, slender legs and muscular thighs, when frightened, will spring into action, bounding up to 33 feet (10 meters) and soaring some 10 feet (3 meters) in the air. This skill is apparently more than just defensive.REUTERS/Radu SighetiThe rhinoceros beetle get their name from the hornlike structure on a male's head. They are capable of carrying up to 850 times their own body weight. A human with this relative strength would be able to lift some 65 tons (59 metric tons)REUTERS/Tan Shung SinGreat white sharks eat far more than previously thoughtREUTERSOfficially the world's fastest fish, sailfish can reach speeds of 68 miles an hour (109 kilometers an hour) in short bursts. They often hunt in groups and use their quickness and impressive dorsal fins to herd schools of sardines or anchoviesREUTERS/Feisal OmarThe peregrine falcon holds the title of the animal kingdom's fastest flier. Using a dive-bomb hunting technique called a stoop, this raptor attacks prey—usually a pigeon or dove—at speeds of up to 200 miles an hour (322 kilometers an hour). It seizes its victim in midair with its sharp talons, then takes it to the ground to eat.REUTERS/Daniel MunozAustralian Clive Palmer is looking to use DNA and cloning as a way to make the science fiction of “Jurassic Park” a reality, according to Sunshine Coast Daily.REUTERS/Nicky LohIn 2007, a bar-tailed godwit made the longest nonstop bird migration ever recorded. In nine days, it flew 7,145 miles (11,500 kilometers) from its breeding ground in Alaska to New Zealand without stopping for food or drink. By the end of the epic journey, the bird had lost more than 50 percent of its body weight.wikicommons/Andreas Trepte
You'd be surprised how many animals hold some truly remarkable records... it isn't just us humans who can lay claim to being the tallest or the strongest or jump the highest, etc. Almost every animal, from the elephant to the insignificant looking beetle and from a speedy cheetah to sharks... even extinct animals like the T-Rex... are some of the most awesomely constructed living machines in the world
Start the slideshow to learn a little more about each animal and why it is so unique...
