The Crime: Do you know that the picture you see at the top of this page is what people think a bird called the dodo really looked like.

Of course we will never know for sure because if it hadn't been for humans, the dodo might still be alive today. The dodo lived on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It had never learned to fly because it had no natural predators - until man arrived.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, sailors came to the island and hunted the dodo for food. Their animals ate its eggs and the dodo was completely wiped out - That is why people sometimes use the saying, "As dead as a dodo!"

The Evidence: You see, once an animal or plant species dies out or becomes extinct (like dinosaurs) they never come back. And that can affect ALL other living things such as you and me.

Some people call this connection between all living things on earth the "Web of Life". Click on this dodo bird to find out more about this "Web"

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Your Mission: There are too many living things disappearing on earth. To solve this case and help stop animals from disappearing you need to let other kids know what you have discovered.

To find out how,
click on this dodo bird picture!

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Official web page of
Blue Heron Elementary School
© since 1998,The Virtual Media Center