Are Animals Endangered?

Nature is beautiful and complete in itself. Animals are a part of nature, and add to the ecological balance. Man's desire for rapid development has encroached upon their natural habitats. The loss of their habitats has made animals endangered.

Some important facts about endangered animals reveal that more than one thousand animal species are endangered and threatened for their life. Initially, a great number of animal species inhabited the earth. But, today, only one and one-half million species of animals exist. This gives a clear impression about the condition of endangered animals.

A Red List prepared by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) contains the names of over five thousand endangered animals. Some examples of endangered animals are African Elephant, African Wild Dog, Bactrian camel, Bengal Tiger, Bison, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Black Shark, Hawaiian Crow, Giant Turtle, Mountain Gorilla, Gharial, Island Fox, Giant Panda, Blue Whale, Dhole, Snow Leopard, Indian Rhinoceros, Polar Bear, Asian Elephant, Asiatic Lion, etc.

Human beings are mainly responsible for the condition of endangered animals. Rapid industrialization, population explosion, over exploitation of animals for personal needs, widespread diseases, global warming and change in climatic conditions has threatened the existence of many animals.

According to an estimate, one-third amphibians, one-half of fresh water turtles, one-eighth of birds, one-fourth of mammals, and one-fifth of sharks are in danger. The rate of decrease in number of endangered animals is thousand times than the expected natural rate. This is alarmingly high, and deserves some immediate attention.

Wastes discharged from the factories contribute in a significant way in endangering the lives of animals. Factories emit sulphur, which combines with air to form sulphur di-oxide. Sulphur di-oxide mixes with water vapor present in the atmosphere to form acid rain. Acid rain mixes with river water, and makes it difficult for the animals to drink it. This man-made situation has endangered the lives of many animals.

To check the rapidly decreasing number of animals, wildlife conservation is necessary. Several governments have initiated the wildlife conservation projects. World Wildlife Federation (WWF) has taken several steps for the conservation of wildlife. WWF acts as a custodian of wildlife creatures, and ensures every possibility to save the life of endangered animals.

One method of conserving the endangered animals is captive breeding. Captive breeding is the process of breeding of rare and endangered animals in the artificial environments, controlled by humans. Captive breeding can reduce the rate of decreasing numbers of the endangered animals. It can be easily carried out in Zoos, and other wildlife preserves. Several governments have already laid down some important laws for the protection of endangered animals A Biodiversity action plan for protection of wildlife has been formulated by 199 countries.

Therefore, it is important to check our mindless progress for the safety of endangered animals. Man has to consider these facts for his survival; otherwise, it would be too late.