Jacqueline Mahaboob

Instructor: Gretchen Pratt

UWRT1102

04/02/15

Dwindling Populations

  Going on a safari exploration is high up on my bucket list, but there is one big problem,

what animals will be left to see in the next 25 years? Many of the exotic and majestic creatures

of the wild are being killed off at a rapid rate or scared into hiding every day due to many

different preventable factors. So before planning your future exotic adventure a few things to

consider are whether or not extinction is preventable, or will the endangered and threatened

animal populations continue to dwindle.

Why should we care about extinction?

The reason that this is an important issue for humans to be concerned with

because animals are a part of our environment and the nature surrounding us impacts

our lives in many serious ways that we seem to forget. Various animals are needed to

keep the food chains going, without some species of animals plants cannot be

efficiently pollinated. Two big issues will come from plants not being able to grow

properly. One of the main issues is that plants take in carbon dioxide and give us back

clean oxygen that we need to breathe. Over time a lack in clean oxygen can cause

serious health issues for most people. Another important problem is that new plants

won’t be able to grow and herbivores will experience a loss in food supply. A lack of

food for these animals can result in a dying off of a species which will cause a chain

reaction for carnivorous animals that obtain their food from the plant eating animals.

This will over time, and surely have a negative outcome for us because we eat some of

these animals to survive. Although it may seem there are only a few ways that animals

impact our lives but it seems as though most of us forget these essential roles they play

in our lives on a day to day basis.

How are we causing these animals to become endangered?

It is a shocking that all of this is happening right under our noses yet very few

of us stop to realize what is going on and that we are the ones to blame for extinction.

This is understandable though, for most people if something isn’t happening in their

immediate life the thought will never cross their mind. Humans are impacting animals

from very small ways to pretty serious means. That relaxing morning run though a

walking trail in the woods causes a disturbance to the animals that live there.

Christopher Soloman discusses this issue in his article called “Leaving Only

Footsteps? Think Again.” In this article he talks about how outdoor recreation and

tourism are the fourth- leading reason that species are considered threatened or

endangered. This is just a small way we are disturbing our surrounding nature, more

serious ways are explained in “What Causes Species to Become Endangered?” In this

she talks about several major factors such as habitat destruction, wildlife trafficking,

and legal exploitation. Each of these issues are caused by man and can be stopped by

man. Habitat destruction is so common in the present day because people want to own

more land so they can build huge houses or businesses but none of them are thinking

about what is already living on that piece of land. Legal exploitation is another issue

where there is little that can be done to stop it. Because hunting of certain animals is

legal in specific places and during certain times of the year it is already being

regulated. (Bove) But how strictly are the regulations being enforced?

This is hard to regulate because it would require constant surveillance of all areas

where protected wildlife inhabit. It seems as though proper regulation is impossible

and that is possibly a reason why it isn’t as seriously regulated as it should be.

How can we help prevent extinction?

So now that we know about some of the ways we are hurting our wildlife we

can stop and think about what we can do to help prevent this from continuing at the

rapid rate that it is. In the US law officials have been taking an interest in dealing with

the issue of illegal hunting. In an online article called “Obama Administration Plans to

Aggressively Target Wildlife Trafficking” the writer informs the reader that the

Obama Administration has recently introduced a new and aggressive plan to eliminate

traffickers who make an estimated $20 billion a year from selling endangered animals.

This plan states that it will put more pressure on Asian countries to seize buying and

selling of illegal products to countries all over the world. Only about 10% of traffickers

are caught by law enforcement which is why the new approach is to take the profit out

of this illegal activity and the issue will lessen on its own. (Nixon) In the book Animals

on the Edge the author informs the reader about new research that some scientists are

doing and how modern technology can help reduce the amount of endangered species.

Scientists are using captive breeding programs to increase the populations of animals

that are threatened or endangered. This not only will help increase their numbers it will

help with the issue of inbreeding that is weakening the gene pools. (Pobst) A small

way that each individual household can help is by making sure they keep their land

clean and leave room for wild life to share too. If large numbers of consumers refrain

from buying those exotic animal fur rugs to decorate the home or alligator skin boots

to show off the manufacturers and poachers will not need to kill these animals to

provide goods to their customers and populations as a whole can begin to rise.

Can extinction really be prevented?

After considering all of this information, do you think it is possible for

extinction to be prevented? According to the book The End of the Wild the author talks

about how human domination of the process of natural selection has led us to the

issues we have with extinction and endangered animals now. He states that he believes

that it is too late for us to try to save the wilderness but that we should still attempt to

do what we can to not make it much worse. He concludes with “We have lost the wild

for now. Perhaps in five or ten million years it will return.” (Meyer) I believe that with

a bit of hard work from everyone we can save many of the animals that live in fear

today.

Bibliography:

Bove, Jennifer. "What Causes Species to Become Endangered?" About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24

Feb. 2015.

Meyer, Stephen M. The End of the Wild. Somerville, MA: Boston Review, 2006. Print.

Nixon, Ron. "Obama Administration Plans to Aggressively Target Wildlife Trafficking." The

New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Feb. 2015. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.

Pobst, Sandy. Animals on the Edge: Science Races to save Species Threatened with Extinction.

Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2008. Print.

Solomon, Christopher. "Leaving Only Footsteps? Think Again." The New York Times. The New

York Times, 14 Feb. 2015. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.