After a confirmed rabies(狂犬病) case in Parke County, Indiana, experts are urging caution if you find a bat(蝙蝠) in your home or office.

    “If you try to kill a bat, you are more likely to get bitten,” said Joy O'Keefe, assistant professor of biology and director of Indiana State University's Centre for Bat Research, Outreach and Conservation. “Most bats people find in their houses are healthy and are not going to bite them and give them rabies.” But they could be a federally endangered species, such as the Indiana Bat, which is found in this area.

    So if you spot a bat in your home or office, don't kill it or touch it with bare hands, O'Keefe said. Instead, put on a pair of heavy gloves and gently move it into a box or bucket. Once contained, the bat can be removed outside.

    “If it's a healthy bat, it'll fly away eventually,” O'Keefe said. “If it doesn't move or seem to be healthy, you can take it to the health department to be tested.”

    This is the time of year when bats move from their summer resting sites to their winter resting sites, O'Keefe said.

    “We get calls every year during the first month of school year from people finding bats in the university's buildings,” said O'Keefe.

    Bats are a great help to people, as every night they can eat up to their entire body weight of insects. Bats, however, are facing great threats from epidemics(流行性疾病), habitat destruction and other things.

    “The best way the average person can help bats is by understanding them and by telling other people how awesome bats are and what bats do for us,” O' Keefe said. “Hopefully, it will make people think that if there's a bat in their house, they should try to get it out but not kill it. That would be really positive for bats—to not have people be one of their major threats.”

                                                      Four Wild Animal Species Were Endangered

    Maybe you can still see them at the zoo. But that doesn't mean they're doing alright in the wild.

    Tigers

    All six tiger species are endangered, with Suatran tigers and South China tigers at a seriously endangered status. The main reasons for their population decline are illegal hunting and destroyed habitats, as humans clear forests to gather timber and build roadways. Only about 3890 tigers presently live in the wild.

    Ground squirrels

    That's right, even squirrels are endangered, specifically the San Joaquin ground squirrel. Native to California, USA, these guys have been disappearing since 1979 on account of the construction and human developments going through their habitat. Their total population is unknown, but it could be anywhere between 124000 and 4130000.

    Giraffes

    The International Union for the Conservation of Nature recently put giraffes at a vulnerable status, the level just before endangered. The giraffe population has declined 40 percent in the last 30 years, primarily due to loss of habitat and illegal hunting. Some giraffes are killed just for their tails, which are considered status symbols in Africa.

    Asian elephants

    The main threat to Asian elephants, one of the most intelligent animals, is their shrinking habitat. As the human population grows, people invade their land to build roads and railway tracks. Elephants in Myanmar are at an especially high risk for being captured and traded or used illegally in the tourist industry. Fewer than 50000 are left on the entire continent.

    Honey from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees nest(巢）and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange unexpected helper—a little bird called a honey guide.

    The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax（蜂蜡） in the beehives (蜂房).

    The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees' nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest.

    When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey and the wax，always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.

    Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.

In early November in 2023, a diver, swimming off the coast of Sardinia, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} （notice）pieces of metal on the ocean floor. He called the authorities and more divers were sent to look. The pieces turned out to be ancient Roman coins. The coins mostly lay {#blank#}2{#/blank#} （bury）in sand and seagrass not far from the coast. It is said that more than 30, 000 coins have been found, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} are close to 2, 000 years old. Experts call this a major historical discovery. 

Finger painting is an art that most people have experienced in childhood. But there are still people who know little about this art form. Finger painting is a simple activity that involves dipping fingers in paints and then using fingers to create objects and shapes on a piece of paper. All you need is a table at elbow height, a few sheets of plain paper, and a few bottles of watercolor. 

When engaging kids in this activity, one should use non-toxic (无毒的) paints only. If not available in the market readily, non-toxic paints can be made at home easily. Preferably, the paints should also be eatable. Finger paints come in bright colors and can be purchased relatively inexpensively. Adults can save money by making their own finger paints using a mixture of cornstarch, food coloring and water.

It is a common fallacy that finger painting is for children alone, rather it's an activity that can be enjoyed by adults in equal measure. Adults can use rubber gloves while painting to avoid dirty marks of paints on their hands. When a group of people are gathered for an exercise of finger painting, it can be a great way of creating a bond between the group. Art and painting parties are a popular concept in the West. Organizations can also use finger painting as a team-building activity by making participants paint together on a large canvas (画布).

There's no limit to the expression of feelings in finger painting. All one needs to do is go all out and put all their feelings on a piece of paper by dipping their fingers in paints. While painting, one may unconsciously choose colors that reflect their emotions. For example, you may choose the color red to express your anger or green to express hope. At times you may be confused, and the painting will help you describe your confused state of mind. Once you get your emotions on paper, you are likely to feel relieved.

So what are you waiting for? Plan a finger-painting session soon, and experience the joy.