Animals In Danger
Perhaps the most famous rare animals is the panda. Twenty years ago it was nearly extinct. Now, its numbers are growing again. It's even become a symbol for wildlife conservation. But many other species have been less lucky than the panda. Sonic are already extinct. Today, many more are in serious danger. This is because man hunts them destroys and pollutes their habitat.
The Main problem Habitat
There is a serious habitat problem because :
After pollution or destruction, habitats take many years (sometimes hundreds or even thousands) to grow again.
Pollution and destruction change the balance of nature. Each species in a habitat (for example, wood, jungle, marsh or forest) needs and helps the rest. If one animal, bird or insect disappears, all the others suffer, too.
This is what's happening in the rainforests of South America, Africa and Asia. These are some of the world's oldest habitats. Or they were. Man is destroying an area of rainforest as big as Switzerland every year.
But the problem doesn't stop there. Habitats and animals are disappearing in Europe, too. Since 1947 in Britain, for example...
50% oft he woods have disappeared.
50% of the marshes have disappeared.
95% of the meadows have disappeared.
And what has taken the place of these green, natural places? Houses farms, cities, streets, roads and factories. Because of this (and pollution, too) several British species are dying. In fact scientists believe that 30 British animals, fish and birds may become extinct by the year 2000.
The solution : There is only one way to save wild animals and wild habitats-conservation.
protecting animals in danger by law
opening more national parks
building fewer new roads
planting more new forests
cutting pollution
If this doesn't happen, many wild animals will soon have just one habitat, the zoo.
The Hunting Problem
Man has always been a hunter. He still is. But many modern hunters don't just kill for food - they kill for profit. That's why so many rare and protected animals are still dying. Hunters like these are called poachers. In 1981 there were 15,000 black rhinos in Africa. Today, because of illegal hunting, that number is 4,500.
In the 1970s there were 1.3 million African elephants. Today, because of poaching, there are under 85,000.In the I940s, 90% of skins and furs came from wild animals. Today that number is 15%. That's because most modern skins come from fur farms.
Fur Farm Facts:
There are more than 2,000 in Scandinavia and 340 in Russia.
They don't keep rare or protected animals.
Fur farmers kill and sell over 34 million mink every year.
Animals in fur farms live in good conditions and die without pain (the farmers give them an injection).
But what about the other 15% of furs? Well -these still come from wild animals. Hunters catch most oh them in traps. These are made of metal and are very sharp. Most animals caught in traps die very slowly.
The USA traps over 20 million animals every year. The most popular furs are... mink, sable, fox, squirrel and lynx. These rare animals are all in danger because hunters kill them for their fur... snow leopard, jaguar, ocelot, indian tiger cat, lynx.
The solution : The fur trade argument.
Stop the fur trade.
It's wrong to keep wild animals in cages.
It's wrong to kill animals for fashion and profit.
It's wrong to kill wild animals in traps.
It's wrong to sell the fur of rare, protected species.
List Of Animals In Danger
Addax African Elephant
African Lion American Marten
Animals In Danger Arabian Oryx
Asian Otter Bald Eagle
Black Rhinoceros Blue & Yellow Macaw
Bottlenose Dolphin Brazilian Tapir
Bridled Nailtail Wallaby Brown Grizzly Bear
California Condor Cassowary
Cheetah Commersons Dolphin
Corncrake Dalmatia Pelican
Dugong Eastern Cougar
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake European Otter
Fresh Water Crocodile Galapagos Tortoise
Giant Anteater Giant Panda
Golden Lion Tamarin Gorilla
Great White Shark Greater Bilby
Green Turtle Grey Seal
Grey Wolf Humpback Whale
Indian Elephant Leatherback Turtle
Mallee Fowl Manatee
Mountain Zebra Northern Leopard Frog
Orangutan Pardel Lynx
Peary Caribou Polar Bear
Pronghorn Antelope Pygmy Hippopotamus
Red Panda Sea Otter
Siberian Tiger Snow Leopard
Southern Right Whale Spectacled Bear
Spotted Tree Frog Spur Thighed Tortoise
Stellar Sea Lion Three Toe Sloth
Walrus Wandering Albatross
White Tailed Sea Eagle Whooping Crane
Causes of endangerment:pollution
well there are many different types of pollution such as, Air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution. radioactive pollution, and many more! so lets take a look of how some of these types of pollution causes animals to become in dangered.
air pollution: Air pollution is caused when air gets filled with too much gases, particulate matter, and droplets of liquid. In cities, the air gets polluted by exhaust fumes of vehicles, along with the pollutants given off by construction work and industry. so what does it do to animals? well many animals are actually dying and it leads to diseases too. Air pollution is particularly dangerous to animals when in form of the acid rain.
water pollution: Water pollution is any chemical, physical or biological change in the quality of water that has a harmful effect on any living thing that drinks or uses or lives in it. When humans drink polluted water it often has serious effects on their health. Water pollution can also make water unsuited for the desired use.Water pollution has extremely negative impact on many animals. Water polluted with different chemicals can cause decline of population in some species, water polluted with nutrients can lead to huge growth of toxic algae which when eaten by other animals may cause serious diseases and death to these animals.
radioactive pollution:The radioactive pollution is defined as the physical pollution of air, water and the other radioactive materials. animals can withstand higher doses of radiation than humans, which partially accounts for their success in repopulating the area. Even so, animals are affected by radiation, and some species, particularly birds, show unusually high cancer rates. Whether they'll adapt over time remains to be seen.
Effects Of Water Pollution
Water is important for the existence of life on earth. All organisms require it and aquatic plants and animals live their life in water. Water pollution occurs when you have toxins and pathogens present in water in dangerous amounts than permissible. One of the worst forms of pollution in the ecosystem is water pollution. When you hold a glass of water it may appear to be clean and clear. But the fact is there are millions of microscopic pollutants suspended in it. Water is a very vibrant system and any change would cause a greater damage to the marine biology at large. The effects of water system are far reaching and affect human beings, plants, and animals directly or indirectly. Water pollution affects lakes, oceans, rivers, bays and drinking water making it a global crisis. This condition also leads to the eruption of various diseases and most of them being transmittable and fatal. Water is known be polluted when there are chemicals, contaminants or pathogens detected that are harmful to living things. Given below are the effects of water pollution that can have detrimental effects to the existence of life on earth.
Harmful Effects of Water Pollution
One of the major effects of water pollution is the damage to the food chain. When harmful toxins are present in water they are transferred to higher level organisms through the food chain. These toxins are passed on to humans and animals as well. Dangerous pollutants such as lead and cadmium are eaten by tiny animals and these are then consumed by fishes and larger sea animals. This food chain is distributed to the higher levels.
Heavy metals like lead, mercury, iron, cadmium, aluminum, and magnesium are present in water sourc
