Humans around the world will do their part to protect the environment and give back, but for animals, every day is Earth Day. Each creature has its role on this planet, with some being especially helpful to Mother Nature. Check out which animals are always giving the world a little TLC just by being themselves.
Dogs
Butterflies
These winged critters are nice to look at, but their assistance to the Earth is more than superficial. Butterflies help pollinate a number of plants that depend on the bug's feeding habits to survive. Plants also benefit from butterflies, thanks to the creature's appetite for aphids. Butterflies are a big part of why this plant-eating pest stays under control. Recently, butterfly farming has been introduced to several tropical communities as an environmentally friendly business to replace other trades that lead to deforestation and pollution.
Squirrels
Take a look at the trees around you. You can probably thank a forgetful squirrel for a few of them. Every year, countless squirrels stash their nutty food supplies throughout the yards and forests of the Earth. Quite often, the squirrels aren't able to recall everywhere they stored food, allowing nuts to take roots and grow into trees. Many kinds of trees depend on this process to stay alive and spread, since the nuts can't scurry to a new spot on their own.
Rats
Public opinion about these rodents isn't too high, due to years of plague spreading and subway crawling, but the little guys are doing their part to protect us. Rats have been trained to sniff out landmines and bombs left forgotten in the grounds of many countries. The animals learn quickly and have an impressive success rate. Additionally, they are cheaper to use than dogs, allowing many countries dealing with landmine problems to take more action against the issue.
Llamas
How can you not love that face? Well, here are a few more reasons to respect it! Llamas are a farm animal with a very low environmental impact. The creatures do not damage grass like many other animals, and they are known to eat invasive weed species. A new position has recently popped up on the llama job market as well: guard llamas. Farmers have found that these animals provide a great way to protect their crops and livestock from predators without harming the environment or hurting animals.
Bats
Another feared creature that is actually helping you, the bat is all about saving the Earth. The creature of the night is an expert at slaying insects of all kinds, eating up to hundreds an hour. This appetite helps control bug populations and protect crops. Bats are also assisting in medical breakthroughs. Their saliva is used for stroke victims, while their ability to echolocate is being studied to help the blind. Bat guano, while it may be stinky, is one of the best fertilizers to keep the world flourishing.
Sharks
The movie Jaws may have given sharks a bad reputation, but these predators are always helping us out. Expert say we should be thanking sharks for keeping the oceans in line. Sharks feast on weak, old, and sick fish, which prevents disease from spreading among marine life. By removing competition in general from the waters, sharks help with biodiversity and bolster the gene pool. This effect trickles down to organisms like algae, which, if not controlled, could create devastating changes on Earth.
