By: Zahra Najeebullah
Species have been going extinct for millions of years now. As the environment around them doesn’t meet their needs, they become endangered and eventually die out. Our planet needs animals for many reasons. Animal extinction greatly impacts the ecosystem. Humans are a part of the ecosystem and many other kinds of species depend on it.
Even though animal extinction is natural at times, there are other reasons as to why so many animals are endangered.
According to Worldatlas, Ecuador has the most species who are close to extinction.
A few of these endangered animals are jaguars, giant otters, turtles, peregrine falcon, and many more.
A zookeeper and an expert on endangered species, Alexis Sheeler, claims that some of the reasons as to why they are endangered is because of overfishing, water pollution, hunting, habitat loss, and animals being killed as nuisances.
All of these of these species is critically important to its ecosystem and must be protected.
“All animals have important roles in the ecosystem, and the extinction of certain species, whether predators or prey, can leave behind significant impacts,” Sheeler said.
According to The National Wildlife Federation, many scientists say that climate change is a big reason for animal extinction and it’s really affecting many species.
Sheeler is strongly against climate change because of the fact that it kills many animals. “Animals are really important to our ecosystem and climate change can destroy many of them, which could lead to a destroyed ecosystem.”
Species have been going extinct for millions of years now. As the environment around them doesn’t meet their needs, they become endangered and eventually die out. Our planet needs animals for many reasons. Animal extinction greatly impacts the ecosystem. Humans are a part of the ecosystem and many other kinds of species depend on it.
Even though animal extinction is natural at times, there are other reasons as to why so many animals are endangered.
According to Worldatlas, Ecuador has the most species who are close to extinction.
A few of these endangered animals are jaguars, giant otters, turtles, peregrine falcon, and many more.
A zookeeper and an expert on endangered species, Alexis Sheeler, claims that some of the reasons as to why they are endangered is because of overfishing, water pollution, hunting, habitat loss, and animals being killed as nuisances.
All of these of these species is critically important to its ecosystem and must be protected.
“All animals have important roles in the ecosystem, and the extinction of certain species, whether predators or prey, can leave behind significant impacts,” Sheeler said.
According to The National Wildlife Federation, many scientists say that climate change is a big reason for animal extinction and it’s really affecting many species.
Sheeler is strongly against climate change because of the fact that it kills many animals. “Animals are really important to our ecosystem and climate change can destroy many of them, which could lead to a destroyed ecosystem.”
Humans are another cause of endangered species. Amanda Jones, a biology/science teacher at Laguna Middle School in San Luis Obispo, California, said, “Humans are transforming earth’s natural landscapes so dramatically that as many as one million plants and animal species are now at risk of extinction, posing a dire threat to ecosystems that people all over the world depend on for their survival.”
According to the National Geographic, humans are speeding up animal extinction. The way some humans live greatly affects animals and their habitat.
Kristy Bly, a wildlife biologist, said, “We take up a lot of space on earth for building our homes and cities. We pollute habitats. We illegally hunt and kill animals.”
All of these activities take resources and habitats away from all kinds of animals.
Some animals are endangered because of a combination of natural and man-made causes.
The West Indian manatee, for example, is an endangered aquatic mammal that lives in rivers, estuaries, canals, and saltwater bays.
According to Bly, manatees are often killed when they are hit by boats. Manatees can also die when they get caught in fishing nets.
They only give birth every two to five years and they only have one calf at a time. Because their reproduction rate is so low and mortality rates are too high, manatees are endangered.
“It’s important that we make sure animals are safe no matter where they are. They need to have safe surroundings in order to survive,” Bly said.
To save all of the endangered species from dying out, many organizations are zoos are trying their best to keep them protected.
One of the best ways to protect endangered species is to prevent their decline and deterioration in the first place.
The National Wildlife Federation is working on maintaining healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plant species by promoting broad-based conservation efforts such as State Wildlife Action Plans.
Fortunately, there are a lot of people can do to help out the endangered species.
Decreasing unsustainable hunting for sports or any other reason is one way to help keep the animals safe.
Since climate change affects a lot of species, everyone could help by keeping the environment clean for animals in order to keep them from going extinct.
”There is so much we can do to protect these animals and vulnerable species from extinction,” said Alexis Sheeler. “But we must make these changes now.”
According to the National Geographic, humans are speeding up animal extinction. The way some humans live greatly affects animals and their habitat.
Kristy Bly, a wildlife biologist, said, “We take up a lot of space on earth for building our homes and cities. We pollute habitats. We illegally hunt and kill animals.”
All of these activities take resources and habitats away from all kinds of animals.
Some animals are endangered because of a combination of natural and man-made causes.
The West Indian manatee, for example, is an endangered aquatic mammal that lives in rivers, estuaries, canals, and saltwater bays.
According to Bly, manatees are often killed when they are hit by boats. Manatees can also die when they get caught in fishing nets.
They only give birth every two to five years and they only have one calf at a time. Because their reproduction rate is so low and mortality rates are too high, manatees are endangered.
“It’s important that we make sure animals are safe no matter where they are. They need to have safe surroundings in order to survive,” Bly said.
To save all of the endangered species from dying out, many organizations are zoos are trying their best to keep them protected.
One of the best ways to protect endangered species is to prevent their decline and deterioration in the first place.
The National Wildlife Federation is working on maintaining healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plant species by promoting broad-based conservation efforts such as State Wildlife Action Plans.
Fortunately, there are a lot of people can do to help out the endangered species.
Decreasing unsustainable hunting for sports or any other reason is one way to help keep the animals safe.
Since climate change affects a lot of species, everyone could help by keeping the environment clean for animals in order to keep them from going extinct.
”There is so much we can do to protect these animals and vulnerable species from extinction,” said Alexis Sheeler. “But we must make these changes now.”