This is an old "Wild Kingdom" video that kids will enjoy --it is 24 minutes long.
DAY 1: The Amazon Rainforest is found in South America, spanning accross eight countries - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It is the world's largest tropical rainforest. Running through the north of the rainforest is the Amazon River --it is the second longest river in the world; only the Nile River in Egypt is longer.
DAY 2: The Amazon has an incredibily rich ecosystem - there are around 40,000 plant species, 1,300 bird species, 3,000 types of fish, 430 mammals and a whopping 2.5 million different insects. Wow! The Amazon is home to a whole host of fascinating - and deadly! - creatures, including electric eels, flesh eating piranhas, poison dart frogs, jaguars, pink river dolphins, and some seriously venemous snakes.
DAY 2: Around 400-500 indigenous Amerindian tribes call the Amazon rainforest home --indigenous people are descendants of old tribes from long ago who live like their ancestors did years ago. It's believed that about fifty of these tribes have never had contact with the outside world! They know nothing about television, the internet electricity, or any of the things you see around you every day.
DAY 3: The amazon Rainforest is sometimes called ‘the lungs of the earth’. This is because the rich vegetation takes carbon dioxide out of the air, and releases oxygen back in. In fact, more than 20% of the the world’s oxygen is produced by the Amazon. Due to the thickness of the canopy (the top branches and leaves of the tees), the Amazon floor is in permanent darkness. In fact, it’s so thick that when it rains, it takes around ten minutes for the water to reach the ground!
DAY 3: Every year an area of rainforest the size of New Jersey is cut down and destroyed. The plants and animals that used to live in these forests either die or must find a new forest to call their home. Why are rainforests being destroyed?
Humans are the main cause of rainforest destruction. The forests are cut for everything from wood to the mining of minerals; many of these trees have been growing for hundreds of years. Rainforests are also threatened by climate change, which is contributing to droughts in parts of the Amazon.. Drought causes die-offs of trees and dries out leaf litter, increasing the risk of forest fires, which are often set by land developers, ranchers, plantation owners, and loggers.
DAY 5: There are many things for travelers to do in the Amazon Rainforest.
You may want to fish for the famous piranha. This activity is offered by most tours in the Amazon Rainforest and is sure to result in fascination, but watch out for fingers! Another suggestion for what to do in the Amazon Rainforest is to visit macaw clay licks. These present guests with an impressive show of sound and color. Another way to experience the Amazon Rainforest is to cruise the Amazon River. You might want to experience the canopy walkways - also called canopy walks, treetop walks or treetop walkways - they allow you to walk high through the forest canopy --not for those afraid of heights or travel to a few of the hundreds of glorious waterfalls in the rainforest.
