Presentation done byIryna Yevlakhovych 11-A

Animal Extinction

Endangered animals An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has calculated the percentage of endangered species as 40 percent of all organisms based on the sample of species that have been evaluated through 2006.

The causes of extinctionThe causes of

extinction are as follows:Habitat destruction and fragmentation

National and international wildlife trade

PollutionOver harvesting

Habitat destruction and fragmentation

Habitat loss, as a result of human demand, is widely considered to be the most important cause of animal extinction. Rainforests are the main habitats for tropical animals. There are huge demands laid constantly on forests by various parties. Tropical rainforests are cleared for wood / timber resources, development of petroleum resources, mineral resources, for cash-crop plantations and subsistence farming.

Poaching and (legal and illegal) wildlife trade are another common threat to animals. Some examples of trade are: Pet trade Fur trade Bush meat trade Body parts trade Trade for biomedical

research

National and international wildlife trade

Environmental pollution which in many ways causes global warming, is another cause for animal demise.

Yet again, tropical frogs may be seriously affected by pollution of their habitats.

Pollution

Over harvesting and other ways of using animals

Facts about endangered species

According to scientists, more than one and one-half million species exist on the earth today. However, recent estimates state that at least 20 times many species inhabit the planet.In the United Stats, 735 species of plants and 496 species of animals are listed as threatened or endangered.266 of these listed species have recovery plans currently under development. There are more than 1,000 animal species endangered worldwide. There are more than 3,500 protected areas in existence worldwide. These areas include parks, wildlife refuges and other reserves. They cover a total of nearly 2 million square miles (5 million square km), or 3% of our total land area.Aquatic species, which are often overlooked, are facing serious trouble. One third of the United States’ fish species, two-thirds of its crayfish species, and almost three-quarters of its mussel species are in trouble.

Animals which are extinctedThe Baiji Dolphin Functionally extinct by 2006.

West African Black Rhino Probably extinct by 2006.

The golden toadExtincted by 2007.

Holdridge‘s toadExtincted by 2007.Pyrenean ibex

Subspecies extinct by 2000.

DodoExtincted by 1760.

Animals which are in endangered list

Amur LeopardHistorically the Amur Leopard's range included the Amur River Basin and the mountains of northeast China and the Korean Peninsula, but today it is only found in one small area of far eastern Russia, and (possibly) Jilin Province in China. The main cause of the Amur Leopard's demise: Being hunted for its fur and for medicinal use. Declines in its traditional prey have caused the leopard to hunt domestic animal populations, causing it to be further hunted.

The Axolotl, often called the 'Mexican walking fish' though it's really a salamander, is native to the ancient water channel system of Mexico City. It prefers deep brackish water with plenty of vegetation. The threats to the Axolotl's habitat date back the 17th century, when the city's water system began being neglected, drained and having sewage dumped in it. The main threat today is further degradation of this water system. Fortunately, the axolotl breeds well in captivity, perhaps allowing wild reintroduction at a later date, should its habitat be restored.

Axolotl

This is not only the rarest, but the strangest parrot in the world. Imagine a rather portly nocturnal bird that never flies, preferring to hike through hilly forest for miles every night.

Kakapo

Everyone knows the beloved endangered kiwi is a flightless bird. As if to make up for its winged inability, the kiwi is actually a violent, temperamental little bird.

The Kiwi

Bumblebee BatWinning the cutest-bat-ever-award is the Bumblebee bat, which at its largest measures 1 inch. These tiny mammals hover like hummingbirds and like all bats prefer caves and love feasting on insects.

Project Tiger‘Project Tiger’ is a wildlife conservation movement initiated in India in 1972 to protect the Bengal Tigers. The project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted tiger reserves representative of various regions throughout India. It strives to maintain a viable population of this conservation reliant species in their natural environment. In 2008, there were more than 40 Project Tiger. Tiger Reserves of India covering an area over 37.761 km². ‘Project Tiger’ helped to increase the population of these tigers from 1.200 in the 1970s to one which won`t face extinction.

You can: coordinate funds with your neighbors and fellow

concerned citizens to take out an ad in your local newspaper

design a website devoted entirely to the potential extinction of an animal species

partner with advocacy groups at a local university to promote ways to prevent animal extinction in the community

send donations to funds and foundations devoted to the protection of animals from mass extinction

Prevention steps

share your concern over animal extinction with the public through regular letters to the editor

organize public protests outside government offices, zoos and other facilities to bring the problem of animal extinction to light

join the effort to stop animal extinction by volunteering with a local wildlife foundation.

mobilize your friends, family and fellow conservationists to write letters to government officials on a regular basis

conserve resources and live a green lifestyle as part of your effort to prevent animal extinction.