Earth is a strange and wonderful place. Its neighboring planets are virtually lifeless, but earthÆs atmosphere makes it an oasis in space. It is rich in habitats that are living places for an incredible variety of plants and animals.
All over the planets, millions of animals from thousands of species are in danger. As humans interfere with the environment, the habitats animals live in are destroyed, and the air and water that they need is polluted. Hunters and trappers are also proving more deadly to some species than their natural predators in the wild. Almost everyday, a species faces extinction somewhere in the world.
Animals of all kinds are struggling to survive as our world changes. Day by day, people require even more space, food, etc., and all these demands put a squeeze on the earthÆs resources, including its wildlife. The biggest problem for wildlife today is that people destroy and change natural landscapes and animals lose places that they need to live in. Dams on a river, for example, stop fish from moving up and downstream. Also, too many cattle or sheep put out to pasture in natural grasslands can dangerously thin out our foliage because of grazing and trampling. Pollution is another serious threat to wildlife, especially in areas where lots of people live. The terrible fires and oil spills that started the 1991 Gulf War destroyed countless animals. Many birds migrating across the areas were killed because they were coated with soot from the thick soot. Also, many flew down to the oil lakes, mistaking the gleaming surface for water. It is normal in nature for animals to rise and fall in number. In todayÆs world, however, the threats to wildlife are so great that thousands of species are becoming scarce at the same time. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has started to keep a record of which animals are endangered and to take preventative measures against their extinction.
I. PROBLEMS IN NORTH AMERICA AND THE CARRIBEAN
Endangered species in North America and the Caribbean have declined for many reasons. Environmental destruction for agriculture and industry, pollution, and hunting have all damaged wildlife and its habitats. The cougar, for example, has become extremely rare in many regions because its hunting grounds have been turned into fields and settlements. And although it seldom attacks farm animals, farmers often kill it, thinking that will protect their herds. The West Indian manatee is in danger all around the Caribbean. It lives in estuaries and on coasts, often where people are busily using the water. Lots of manatees die every year when they collide with motor boats, become entangled in fishing net, and are harmed by pollution.
One of the most serious problems in tropical countries is the destruction of rain forest. Lots of animals that live in them cannot survive anywhere else. The blue-headed quail dove forages on the floor of tall, shady forests where there is not too much undergrowth. But on its homeland, Cuba, untouched forest like this is rare.
Finding money for conservation is very difficult in the poorer countries of the Caribbean, so it is often up to other countries to take responsibility for these foreign animals.
A few endangered animals inhabiting North America and the Caribbean are:
INGRAHAMÆS HUTIA- Once widespread in the Bahamas, IngrahamÆs hutia now thrives only on the small island of East Plana Cay, where several thousand of these large plant eating rodents make colonies among the caves and rocks. This puts the whole population at risk from a natural disaster such as a hurricane, a fierce fire or disaster, or from predators such as cats. Because of this, a few hutias are now kept in captivity.
SPOTTED SALAMANDER-spotted salamanders spend most of their lives well out of sight, burrowing through damp soil, but every spring they gather in writhing crowds around pools to mate and lay eggs in the water. Sadly, this spectacle no longer occurs in many areas because air pollution is creating acid rain. Dangerous chemicals then spill into the breeding pools and kill both the eggs and young salamanders.
KEMPÆS RIDLEY TURTLE-All the worldÆs sea turtles are threatened by hunting, but KempÆs has come closest to extinction. In the past, huge numbers of female turtles used to come ashore together to lay their eggs on the sandy beach at Ranch Nuevo, Mexico. In 1947, as many as 40000 turtles crowded the sand for one nesting. However, more and more local people started to hunt the turtles and dig up their eggs from the beach. Soon, only a few hundred turtles were left. Today, hunting is banned and efforts are being made
to protect KempÆs ridley turtle, but its future is still uncertain.
GRAY WHALE-For more than 300 years, gray whales were at the mercy of whaling ships. They disappeared from the North Atlantic as early as the seventeenth century, and even now number fewer than 200 in the entire Western Pacific. As a result of careful protection, the population in the Eastern pacific has increased to 21000. These whales make a round trip migration of 12000 miles every year between the cold waters of Alaska and the subtropical shores of Mexico.
WHOOPING CRANE- In 1941, there were fewer than 20 whooping cranes left in the wild, due to hunting and the drainage of their marshland habitats. Since then, strict hunting bans, protection of nesting and wintering sites, captive breeding, and even the use other wild cranes as foster parents of chicks, has gradually built up the number to 140 in the wild.. Nevertheless, the whooping crane is still in danger of extinction.
II. PROBLEMS IN SOUTH AMERICA
Most endangered animals in South America are at risk for two reasons. Large parts of their habitat are being destroyed; and people hunt the animals in large numbers where their habitat does remain. The jaguar, for example, which needs big areas of rain forest in which to find enough prey, no longer has enough space in many areas because so much forest has been cut down.
Animals with low populations or very specialized needs are always at risk. The indigo macaw lives in the dry area of northeastern Brazil, where its main food is the nut of one particular type of palm. The spread of cattle farming has made the palms hard to find, to make things worse, people sometimes capture the lovely parrots and send them to collectors overseas. Now only about sixty of them remain in the wild.
The jaguar and the macaw are protected by nature reserves in parts of their range, but it is hard to make these places completely safe.
A few endangered animals that inhabit South America are:
TOUCAN BARBET-This lively, colorful bird has become a popular pet in recent years. Trappers travel into mountain forests to find it, and so many have been taken from the wild that it is now scarce. It is also running out of places to hide as the forest is cleared for farmland.
GIANT ARMADILLO- The giant armadillo weighs up to 130 pounds and is a powerful digger. It can easily burrow into antsÆ nests and break open termite mounds to feed on swarming insects. But because of its large size and tasty flesh, it is hunted. As more of its habitat disappears, its decline is sure to continue.
HYACINTH MACAW-It is easy to see why the hyacinth macaw is highly prized by bird collectors. It not only has gorgeous plumage, but at up to three feet long, it is the longest of all parrots. Pet traders can sell it for well over $10,000.00 in Europe or North America. But in the end, the beauty of this tropical bird has been its downfall.
Flocks of hyacinth macaws used to live all over the dryer regions of Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. They started to decline because they were hunted for their meat and feathers, and because farmers cut down many of their nesting and feeding trees. Since the 1960Æs, the greed of the pet trade has worsened things. So many wild macaws have been trapped and sent abroad that there are only about 3000 left in South America. No more birds caught in the wild are supposed to be sold, but with big money at stake, smugglers are always ready to break the law.
FLUMINENSE SWALLOWTAIL-This beautiful butterfly is one of BrazilÆs most endangered insects. Drainage of its swampy, bushy habitat to build houses and factories and to lay out banana plantations has caused it to die out in many sites. Even the ten or so areas that it still lives in are under threat. Conservationists hope to be able to catch some butterflies and establish new colonies in safer places.
BOTO-This freshwater dolphin still swims in the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. However, the effects of dams which block the rivers, forest clearance on the banks, and pollution from pesticides and factory chemicals may all reduce the amount of fish it has to eat. Botos also get caught accidentally in fish nets.
III. PROBLEMS IN AFRICA
AfricaÆs broad plains and dense forests were once full of wildlife. But when the Europeans began to settle the continent in the nineteenth century, things began to change. More and more farms were built on the plains. Trees were cut down to make way for gardens and plantations. Before long, AfricaÆs wildlife was in great danger.
As AfricaÆs human population grows and agricultural needs expand, its wildlife is gradually running out of space. Many of the wild, grazing animals are forced to leave the plains as cattle take over the pasture. Predatory animals such as the brown hyena may then try to catch livestock when they cannot find their natural prey, and farmers kill the hyena. Reserves were created in Africa where a few endangered animals have survived. There have also been projects to return some of the Africa animals to wild from captivity.
A few endangered animals the inhabit Africa are:
RUFFED LEMUR-The ruffed lemur gets its name from the thick collar of fur around its neck. In the lush rain forest of eastern Madagascar, where it makes its home, groups of up to five lemurs may be seen climbing through the trees, clamoring for fruit. But their home is no longer safe. Large areas of forest are being cut down for farmland. In addition, some people hunt lemurs for food, while others take them away as pets.
CONGO PEACOCK- This shy, rare bird lives so deep in the African rain forest that scientists did not discover it until 1936.( They only knew it existed because a feather had been found 23 years before) Even now, little is known about the Congo peacockÆs life in the wild, but because its numbers are already small, it is sure to suffer more if the forest disappears.
AFRICAN ELEPHANT-The African elephant is one of the best loved of all animals, but this has not saved it from the hunterÆs gun. The elephant is at risk because of its ivory tusks. Ivory used to be sent all over the world and made into things such as piano keys and jewelry. Eventually, laws were passed to control hunting, but ivory is so valuable that poacherÆs ignore the laws and even go deep into nature reserves in search of elephants to kill. During the 1980Æs, the number of wild elephants in all of Africa crashed faster than ever, it went from 1.3 million in 1979 to 600,00o in 1990.
Only drastic action could save the elephant, so in 1989 most countries agreed to ban all trade in ivory. Poaching declined after this. Now some African countries want to start selling ivory legally again, but a lot of other countries would like to keep the ban until the elephant population has a better chance to recover.
IV. PROBLEMS IN EUROPE
Europe was once completely covered by woodland. Today, the continent is crowded with people, farms, settlements, and roads; natural habitats are like islands in a sea of towns and cities. Animals that used to roam widely, such as bears, boars, wolves, and eagles, have disappeared from most regions.
As in North America and the Caribbean, all sorts of problems such as hunting, pollution, and destruction of habitats threaten wildlife across the densely populated countries of Europe. For instance, starlet sea anemone, which lives in tidal pools, has suffered from pollution and because its pools have been cut off from the sea. Once again efforts are being made to help this problem.
A few endangered animals that inhabit Europe are:
CORNCAKE-The corncake is a bird that used to thrive on farms, often nesting in hayfields, but farms in Europe are now dangerous places to live. As more and more hedgerows are removed, weeds are killed, and field edges tidied, the birds have fewer places to hide and find food. Hay cutting machines ruin many nests and even kill adults and chicks. The corncake is becoming rare in most countries.
EUROPEAN OTTER-The otter has become rare in many parts of Europe, especially in lowland areas that have the most people. The worst problem the otter faces is the pollution of rivers, lakes, and marshes in which it hunts for fish. The first sign of this came in the 1950Æs when otters declined rapidly in Britain. Studies show that they had been poisoned by chemicals called organochlorine pesticides that farmers were using in seep dips and spraying on their crops. These washed into streams and passed to otters through their food.
Most farmers stopped using these pesticides, but other kinds of pollution, including factory waste continued to pollute rivers. Otters now no longer live in Switzerland because their rivers are badly contaminated. Fortunately, lots of people want to save the otter. They hope that if rivers can be cleaned up and otter habitats conserved, the animal will one day return
V. PROBLEMS IN ASIA
With its huge size, varied landscape, and uneven spread of people, Asia poses different problems for different wildlife in different regions. In the north and west, where few people live, many wild places for animals remain. However, hunting has endangered some larger creatures. By contrast, in the crowded lands of the south, cultivation has caused grasslands to be thinned and forests to be cleared. Many of the animals that once lived there now only survive in protected areas.
A few endangered animals that inhabit Asia are:
PILEATED GIBBON-The pileated gibbon uses its long arms to swing from branch to branch, high in forest trees. Tree clearing has taken away most of the mature forst it needs, and local people kill the animal for its meat. Once, there were 2.5 million pileated gibbons in Thailand alone now the total population is below 20,000.
ORANGUTAN- Nobody knows exactly how many orangutans are living deep in the tropical rain forests of Sumatta and Borneo, but the number could be below a few thousand. Every year, more and more of their forest home is cut down for timber. The shy orangutan cannot survive even selective logging because it can no longer move about from branch to branch in the forest canopy to find food.
Once the noise of tree felling begins, an orangutan will hide in another patch of the forest. But the new area will be unfamiliar and the wandering ape may find itself trespassing on a neighborÆs patch. The newcomer may not be able to find enough food, and it is unlikely to breed if it cannot find enough space to live in. Young orangutans are also captured as pets or laboratory experiments.
Most people feel it is important to save wildlife, but sometimes conservation appears to interfere with other seemingly important things. If, for example, people make a living by cutting down trees, they may feel that the protection of an endangered species puts their jobs in jeopardy. Business making large profits from an industry may not want to change their practices in order to preserve species either. Governments may become involved in resolving these issues, but because of these issues, saving the wildlife is quite a difficult task.
Most endangered species are not well known. Many are not cute or appealing to humans. Nevertheless, these creatures often play vital roles in nature. They are all part of a life known to exist in the universe, and worth a great effort to keep alive in the wild habitats of this home we share.
