Everybody into the gene pool!
The Pacific pocket mouse is a species endangered in its coastal Southern California habitat, which includes Camp Pendleton, a Marine base north of San Diego.
The mouse pictured above, in its new home at the San Diego Zoo, will be part of a captive breeding program resulting from cooperation by the San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conversation Research, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Marine Corps.
Los Angeles Times article is here: Camp Pendleton works to save species in peril
One of the neat things about this is how the Marine Corps is genuinely on board, not just with this program, but with efforts to protect other endangered and threatened species, and their habitats, on Marine bases. Apparently -- despite the opinions of some politicians -- national security and wildlife protection aren't mutually exclusive. Here's a 2006 article from the Sierra Club website which is on point: A Few Good Species
It's ironic that Camp Pendleton, despite the training activities for Marines -- which include live-fire exercises that we can often hear down in Vista, about 15 miles south of the base -- is one of the better and safer habitats for a lot of animals, endangered and otherwise. The total property covers 195 square miles, 85% of which is undeveloped from its wild state. If it weren't a Marine base and developers got hold of it, most, if not all, of the habitat would disappear under housing and commercial developments.
Also posted to splodefromcute and randompictures