Endangered SpeciesAll over the world there are species of animals and plants that are said to be “endangered”. By calling them endangered, scientists say that they think the species will become extinct if something isn’t done about them. Many more species are now threatened with extinction than ther should be because of many reasons. A species becomes endangered when there are fewer and fewer individuals of the species each year. There are many endagered species like the majestic Siberian tiger or the fascinating Polar Bear, which one day might be extinct and we may never see it again.
Only through pictures will people see it. Once these species are gone, then they’re gone forever. Many reasons are killing more and more species every year either from human activity or natural disaaters. One way or the other, species like the Silver-Back Gorilla or the Black-footed Ferret almost face extinction. Here is a list of endangered animals:Bottle Dolphin, Peacock, Wolf, Emperor Penguin, Koala, Reticulated Giraffe, Snowy Owl, and unfortunately hunderds of more. The death of these animals each year are all different and sometimes so simple.
There are two different kinds of causes that drastically cut Down the number of these endangered species:Direct CausesDirect Causes is when the animals are purposely hunted, trapped, fished, whaled, or seled to extinction. Hunting for sport has been responsible for endangering such animals as the Polar Bear and the Siberian Tiger. But the endangerment of most species that are hunted or trapped today results mainly of commercial activities. Among the animals that have become endangered for commercial reasons are several species of whales, including the enormous Blue Whale; many of the spotted cats, such as the Cheetah; and some kinds of Alligators, Crocodiles, lizards, and snakes. the Whales have been kiled for their oil,the cats for their furs, and the reptiles for their skins. For the most part, these animals arenow protectedby law, either undr international agreement or by local laws.
Animals may also be killed when they interfere wiyh human activity. Wolves became endangered because they preyed on livestock. they were hunted and trapped by livestock holders in such large numbers,that they disapeared from most parts of the world where they once lived. Sometimes killing one species affects the population of another. Ranchers in the United states poisined prairie dogs because these rodents ate the grass and made burrows under land that was wanted for cattle. By killing prairie dogs, the ranchers caused the total extinction of the black-footed ferret.
Indirect CausesThe major indirect cause of endangement to animals throughput the world is the loss of a place to live. As the humane population increases : more land is needed for homesited, for the growing of crops, and fpr yeilding the minerals and fuels that people need. Many animals that live in the great forest, such as the monkeys of the Amazon Basin in South America and the lemurson theh island of Madagascon in the indian ocean are disappearing fast. They are not disappearing because they are being killed but because the trees that provide their and shelter are being cut down for lumber and for space to grow crops. In central Africa the mountain gorilla is presently endangered because its forest home is being cut down.
The same is true for the Asian ape and orangutan. Another indirect cause of endagerment has come from chemical poisining of the enviorment. When the chemical DDT was widley used in the U. S to control pests, it washed off the plants to the soil and then into streama, rivers, and oceans. There it was taken up with food by tiny sea animals.
When fish ate these animals, they, too, accumalated the poisin in their systems. And when birds such as osprey, bald eagles, and pelicans ate the fish, the chemicals affected the eggs laid by these birds. They began to produce eggs with shells so thin that they broke when the parents sat on them to keep them warm. Some birds stopped laying eggs completely.
Other poisins such as mercury, which is used in agriculture and industry, and polychlorinated biphenyls, knowmas PcB’s, have found their way into oceans. There they are taken in
