In ecology, predation describes a relationship and actions between two creatures. A predator catches, attacks, and eats its prey. Predators may or may not kill their prey before eating them. But the act of predation always causes the death of its prey and taking in the prey's body parts into the predators body. A true predator can be thought of as one which both kills and eats another animal, but many animals act as both predator and scavenger.
A predator is an animal that hunts, catches, and eats other animals. For example, a spider eating a fly caught at its web is a predator, or a pack of lions eating a buffalo. The animals that the predator hunts are called prey. A "top predator" or "apex predator" is one that is not the prey of other predators.
Predators are usually carnivores (meat-eaters) or omnivores (eats plants and other animals). Predators will hunt other animals for food. Examples of predators are hawks, eagles, falcons, cats, crocodiles, snakes, raptors, wolves, killer whales, lobsters, lions, and sharks.
Ambush predators or sit-and-wait predators are carnivorous animals or other organisms, such as some carnivorous plants. They capture or trap prey by stealth or strategy (not conscious strategy), rather than just by speed or strength.
These organisms usually hide quiet and wait for prey to come within striking distance. They often are camouflaged, and may be solitary. This may be safer for the predator, because lying in wait exposes it less to its own predators.
When a predator cannot move faster than its preferred prey, ambushing its prey is likely to be more efficient than pursuit. A predator that can move at high speed for a long time can be a pursuit predator, chasing until its prey tires and slows. There are however many intermediate strategies; for example when a pursuit predator is faster than its prey over a short distance, but not in a long chase, then either stalking or ambushing becomes part of the strategy.
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore, better known as Pink (or P!nk; born September 8, 1979), is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Her father is of English, German, Irish and Scottish descent, and her mother is Jewish (of Bohemian Jewish, Czech Jewish, Lithuanian Jewish and Russian Jewish descent). She started off as a R&B singer and then included pop and rock to her music. As of 2012, she sold over 40 million records and 70 million singles worldwide. She has won three Grammy Awards and a Brit Award.
Pink was born in Abington, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, in Bucks County. Her parents divorced when she was three years old. She was formerly a member of the girl group Choice.
In 2006, she married motocross racer Carey Hart in Costa Rica, after proposing to him at the X Games in Philadelphia, near her hometown of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. On June 2, 2011, they had a baby girl named Willow Sage Hart. Willow is the first child for both Pink and Hart. They welcomed their son, Jameson Moon Hart, on December 26, 2016.
Smithsonian National Zoological Park
The Smithsonian National Zoological Park is one of the oldest zoos in the United States. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution and does not charge admission. It began in 1889 and wants to be a leader in animal care, science, education, sustainability, and visitor experience.<ref name="national zoo/aboutus/mission"></ref> It is also called the National Zoo. The Zoo has two campuses. The first is a urban park in northwest Washington, D.C.. It is 20 minutes from the National Mall by Metro. It offers family fun, excitement and interesting education programs. The other campus is the Smithsonian Conservation and Research Center (SCBI; formerly known as the Conservation and Research Center) in Front Royal, Virginia. SCBI is not open to the public. It is for training wildlife professionals in conservation biology and to propagating rare species through natural means and assisted reproduction. The National Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
Altogether, the two facilities contain some 2,000 animals of 400 different species.<ref name="nationalzoo/AnimalIndex"> </ref>
The National Zoo was created by an Act of Congress in 1889 for “the advancement of science and the instruction and recreation of the people.” In 1890 it became a part of the Smithsonian Institution. Three well-known people planned the Zoo: Samuel Langley, third Secretary of the Smithsonian; William T. Hornaday, a conservationist and head of the Smithsonian's vertebrate division; and Frederick Law Olmsted, a landscape architect. They designed a new zoo to show animals for the public and to serve as a refuge for wildlife, such as bison and beaver, which were rapidly vanishing from North America.
The National Zoo has been the home to giant pandas for more than 30 years. First Hsing Hsing and Ling Ling in 1972, and, since 2000, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian. On July 9, 2005, Mei Xiang gave birth to Tai Shan, who went to China in February 2010.
The zoo is supported by taxes and is open to everyone. About 2 million people visit each year, according to the "Washington Post" in 2005.
Daily programs include animal training, feeding demonstrations, and talks by zoo workers. These are exhibits at the Zoo:
Avoca River
The Avoca River drains a large area of western and central Victoria, Australia. It is 270 kilometres from its beginnings near Amphitheatre to Lake Bael Bael. It flows through several towns including Avoca, Bealiba, Charlton and Culgoa. It is not a deep river, most of it is less than 2m, but there are some deeper pools near Logan. There are 13 creeks which flow into the Avoca River. The river carries varying amounts of water, and in summer can stop flowing for several months. At other times it can flood. In January 2010 the river flooded and covered about 80% of the town of Charlton. The roads into the town were cut and emergency food supplies had to be brought in by helicopter. The town of Culgoa was also flooded.
Thomas S. Monson
Thomas Spencer Monson (August 21, 1927 – January 2, 2018) was an American religious leader and writer. On February 3, 2008, he became the sixteenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, after the death of Gordon B. Hinckley. He was appointed on the basis of seniority following the death of the previous president. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Monson was made an apostle at age 36. He was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles until he became the President of the Church. As president of the church, Monson is said to be a prophet, seer, and revelator of God's will. Monson has spent most of his time engaged in various church leadership positions and in public service.
He has received three honorary doctorates. He is Chairman of the Church Boards of Trustees/Education of the Church Educational System. He was appointed by Ronald Reagan to the President's Task Force for Private Sector Initiatives. Monson received the Boy Scouts of America's Silver Buffalo and the World Organization of the Scout Movement's Bronze Wolf—both awards. Both awards are the highest given in each organization.
Monson died in Salt Lake City on January 2, 2018 at the age of 90. He was replaced by Russell M. Nelson.