These adorable primates from South and Southeast Asia are the only known venomous primates in the world. In 2009, a video went viral showing someone tickling a slow loris named Sonya. As the person touched her belly, she raised her arms above her head. Millions of people thought she was enjoying herself and asking for more, but that seemingly adorable reaction was actually a defensive posture. Slow lorises have brachial glands near their upper arms that produce an oily secretion. When threatened, they raise their arms so they can quickly lick those glands. The secretion combines with their saliva to create venom, which they can deliver through a bite. Because they move slowly, their venomous bite is one of the defenses they have when they cannot escape. That viral video did not help slow lorises. Videos portraying wild animals as cute and cuddly pets can increase demand for them and encourage illegal wildlife trafficking, adding even more pressure to species already threatened by habitat loss. Thankfully, there is now some beautiful news about the critically endangered Bangka slow loris. Although this species had not appeared in scientific literature since the 1930s and was considered possibly extinct, the people of Bangka Island, Indonesia, knew these animals were still there. Residents continued finding slow lorises in gardens, backyards, along roads and on power lines and they called the Alobi Wildlife Rescue Center for help. Between 2015 and 2025, Alobi rescued more than 90 Bangka slow lorises. After receiving care, 86 recovered and were successfully released at seven carefully chosen forest sites. The rescue center’s records have now formally returned the Bangka slow loris to the scientific record and confirmed that the species still survives across much of the island. Scientists still need population surveys to learn how many remain, so these animals are not out of danger, but they are no longer lost to science. I’m grateful to know that these amazing animals have been given another chance. I hope their rediscovery leads to greater protection for their remaining forests and gives the Bangka slow loris the opportunity to truly recover. ❤️

Another beautiful little elephant has joined the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust family! Meet Chili, the newest daughter of ex-orphan Chyulu, who returned to introduce her baby girl to the Keepers who helped raise her. Chyulu was rescued 20 years ago when she was just a baby herself. She grew up surrounded by love and care at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust before eventually returning to the wild. Today, she's a proud mother of three! And here's what makes these moments so special. These elephants are living freely in the wild, raising families of their own, yet they still return to introduce their babies to the people who once cared for them. What a beautiful testament to the lifelong bonds between these elephants and their human families. Welcome to the world, little Chili and congratulations to Chyulu and all the proud grandparents at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust!

On October 19th, researchers at the Center for Whale Research have spotted a very young calf swimming alongside J35, also known as Tahlequah, one of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest. This beautiful little boy has been designated J65. This birth has my heart excited and scared at the same time. J35 is the whale who carried her dead calf for 17 days in 2018 and again experienced the heartbreaking loss of another calf in 2024. It was devastating to watch this beautiful mother mourn her babies. Unfortunately, orca calves have a very high mortality rate, with only about half surviving their first year. And because the Southern Residents are already struggling with a shortage of Chinook salmon, their primary food source, these precious babies face additional challenges from the moment they're born. The wonderful news is that researchers have observed J65 swimming well, socializing, and nursing from his mother, with no visible signs of health problems. I know babies are such wonderful news, but this little one needs all the prayers and positive thoughts we can send his way. His first year of life is incredibly fragile, and every surviving calf is so important to the future of this endangered population. So please join me in welcoming J65 to our ocean family and congratulating J35 on the arrival of her beautiful baby boy. ❤️ Our hearts will be with this mother and her little one every step of the way. If you'd like to send a little extra love to the whales, you can support the Center for Whale Research and their important work with a donation here. Whether you love wildlife, rescue animals, conservation, or simply believe every animal deserves a voice, we'd love to have you join our animal-loving family at Empowering Animals. 💙

One of the things I love about Empowering Animals is finding different ways to raise money for the organizations doing the hard work of rescuing, rehabilitating, and protecting animals. Through my Cause & Chaos shirts and mugs, donated artwork, private donations, and our Premium and VIP memberships, we're building different ways to give back. Some of our designs donate 100% of the net profits, while others contribute a percentage. Proceeds from our Premium and VIP memberships go directly toward helping animals, too. My digital children's book, Love Doesn't Stink, gives 100% of the net profits to the care and protection of skunks. I'm sharing a few examples of how we're doing this with the help of two very talented artists: a one-of-a-kind linocut print gorilla design by Kate Bullock and a beautiful oil painting of Luna, the screech owl ambassador for All Things Wild, by Michelle Cyr. Both original pieces were donated to help raise funds for wildlife. Every month, our community also gets to vote on which animal organizations receive our donations. And everyone gets a vote, whether they're a free member or a paid supporter! Empowering Animals is about bringing people together who love animals and finding ways, big and small, to make a difference. Want to join us? We'd love to have you come be part of our mission to help the animals! Membership is free, and you're welcome to come see what we're all about. 🐾 Empowering Animals Or just stop by Cause & Chaos and enjoy some funny, sassy, or heartfelt animal-themed T-shirts and mugs. You might find something that makes you laugh or warms your heart! 😁 Cause & Chaos Graphic Tees And if you're a talented artist or craftsperson with some creative ideas for raising money to help animals, I'd love to hear from you! Let me know in the comments.

I design Cause & Chaos graphic tees as a way to not only make a living, but also give back to the animals. It's a win-win! I've recently added some new shirts, including the Office Chaos Collection, perfect for a trip to the HR department. 😂 I've also been playing around with Cause Cups and Chaos Cups! Every shirt gives 10% of the net profits to Empowering Animals, with a few special designs, like the gorilla and pangolin shirts, giving 100% of the net profits to animal organizations. 100% of the net profits from Cause Cups go to animal organizations, while 10% from Chaos Cups goes to Empowering Animals to help support the people taking care of the animals. Here's an invitation to check out what I've been working on. Go and enjoy a good laugh today, and if you want to wear some love and chaos around or have a nice addition to your morning caffeine, the animals will benefit too. ❤️🐾