Endangered Animals

 ENDANGERED ANIMALS

by Jesus Guzman

My Research: According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency there are more than 1,300 species considered to be endangered or threatened in the United States alone and millions more around the world. For its part the United States passed the Endangered Species Act in 1973 which recognized that the numerous species in the world and in our country were essential to the planet. With the Endangered Species Act the U.S. aimed to protect and conserve all species from extinction. Around the world many countries have made efforts to protect animals from extinction like making preservation areas such as UNESCO World Heritage sites and tracking poachers and other hunters. With these efforts some species have been able to make a slow recovery in numbers. Here in California the California Condor has been protected and saved from extinction through efforts like the California Condor Recovery Program from the L.A. Zoo and the Fish and Wildlife service.

Although the world has made efforts to help save animals from extinction there is a continuous battle to achieve that as places that are supposed to be sanctuaries for endangered animals are intruded on by hunters and poachers. As a German newspaper Deutsche Welle writes, "poaching of species such as elephants, rhinos, and tigers has been reported at 43 of the World Heritage sites." Situations like this make it difficult to preserve the lives of these animals, animals whose existence should bring joy to us not the killer instinct. However, animals also face extinction through the loss of there habitat. One of the easiest animal to think of in such situation is the polar bear. As climate change continues the polar ice caps are melting and taking away the home of these polar bears. Fish, sea lions and other food are also harder to find and oil spills are also contributors to the declining polar bear population.

We as citizens of this planet and fellow living beings of these endangered animals can do something be it big or small to help endangered animals. One easy way is by spreading awareness about this issue and caring for the animals and also other parts of nature such as plants. Another is to continue the pressure on our elected officials to keep the provisions of the Endangered Species Act in place. This is particularly important because the new U.S. President has said that he and the Republican controlled Congress were going to be looking at ways to do away with much of the Endangered Species Act thus putting the law itself in a state of endangerment. Other ways of helping endangered animals could be to avoid littering and polluting and to avoid buying clothing or other products made from endangered animals such as fur coats and statues or other things made from ivory.



       California Condor                      Polar Bear                                    Amur Leopard


My Personal Story: I chose to write about this topic because growing up I have always liked animals. Animals are interesting and fun to learn about, watch and be around. They are living creatures that are beautiful and make the world a better place with their existence. Unfortunately not everyone loves animals. Today many animals are killed for sport or for their fur. Many others are losing their habitats because of human causes like pollution and littering. My hope is that I can share something that will make others think about animals and nature with a better appreciation.

People Affected by this Issue: The following are my aunt and uncle. They both grew up in Mexico where their families own livestock. They both developed a passion for animals and when they came to the United States they opened a small pet shop in their neighborhood. Today they no longer have the pet shop but they still care deeply about animals. They own a few birds and a couple of dogs. I spoke with them about how they felt about endangered animals and they told me that they are saddened that people do not care about the lives of different species. They said that every species deserved to live freely because they are all living things like us humans.

We are all affected by this issue because we all have the ability to go out in nature and enjoy its beauty. While hiking or chilling at the beach we often see a nice bird, lizard, a whale or dolphin, and it makes our time in nature special. Lets not lose that special feeling and preserve nature and the living species that live in it.

 

Patricia Flores

Evodio Tenorio

Sources:
https://www.epa.gov/endangered-species/endangered-species-species-information-factsheets
https://www.worldwildlife.org/initiatives/wildlife-conservation
http://www.dw.com/en/poachers-target-endangered-animals-in-protected-areas-study-finds/a-38464676