Wild Animal Endangerment
Wild animals are beautiful creatures with varying sizes, colors,
and habitats. Although some can be seen in zoos, the place they
are meant to be is in their own environment. Unfortunately, animals
such as whales, panda bears and sea otters, are not always safe
in these places and are dying out. What is causing their threat
of extinction? Several factors have an influence on this growing
problem.
Pollution
Because animals are all intertwined on the food chain, contamination
of a water source that a species drinks for example, will not only
effect them, but the animal that eats them as well, having the ability
to cause cancer and other deadly diseases. If a mother drinks toxins,
they become apart of her milk and she passes on those toxins to
her babies. Because the off spring are considerably smaller than
the mother, these chemicals and toxins will have a greater negative
impact on them. Among these problems is a shorter life span, directly
effecting the time they have to reproduce and multiply their species,
not to mention the damage the pollutions have already caused on
their systems and ability to thrive.
Contamination of water due to oil spills is another large problem.
Because oil and water do not mix, and oil floats to the top and
spreads easily and quickly, it is that much harder to clean up.
Oil spills may be due to natural disasters, such as hurricanes,
or can happen by people who do not want to dispose of oil properly
and dump it into the ocean to get rid of it. Birds can be covered
and will not be able to fly because of their feathers being covered.
Oil covers sea otters and coats their fur, covering the air bubbles
in their fur which are there to help them stay warm in freezing
waters. Due to the oil coating these bubbles they die of hypothermia.
So many different animals dying in mass quantity from oil spills
also contributes to animal endangerment.
Decrease of Natural Habitat
If there are constant changes in the environment of a species,
then there is subsequently constant changes in species habitat.
Changes in the environment, of course, happen naturally. However,
when this happens animals adapt because the changes are small, over
a period of time. When humans make the changes they are more drastic
and immediate. People can take out a forest in a matter of days,
not giving occupants time to move to a new location in a time frame
that is adaptable. To illustrate this point the habitat of the giant
panda will be examined. A panda eats around 40 pounds of bamboo
a day. This is due to the low nutrition of the plant and the inability
of the panda to digest it. Large amounts must be consumed to get
the necessary nutrients for the bear. After a bamboo plant flowers,
it dies and does not regrow for another 10 years or so. If there
is not another species of bamboo in that area the Panda then needs
to move to another region which has bamboo still in season. Due
to human activities such as farming, mining and road building quickly
destroying the plants they eat it is difficult for the pandas to
move to another forest to find the bamboo they need quickly.
Hunting, Fishing and Whaling
One of the greatest effects on water animals, such as whales,
is exploitation. Exploitation is decreasing a particular species
faster than nature is able to replace the population. Whaling has
been a large contributor to the decrease of whales in the ocean.
This unrestricted hunting or whaling purpose was for their skin,
fur, teeth, meat or other reasons. Although some organizations,
such as the International Whaling Commission (IWC) have been established,
as well as laws and regulations, people do not always follow these
laws and whales are still hunted. Animal parts make a lot of money
and illegal activities pursued for the money that people can make.
In Japan whale is still a popular dish and hunted for consumption.
Along with whaling other fishing takes place. Large nets for fishing
can entangle species they are not meant to capture, nor desired
to capture. These lives are lost as a negative by product of mass
commercial fishing efforts. The large commercial fishing takes out
so many animals, so quickly that they can not replace themselves.
Human carelessness seems to be the overriding influence on all
these factors. As people are concerned about the impact that their
choices and actions make on wild life, their habitats and environments
will be protected. People taking precautions will effect the environment
for humans and wild animals alike.
About the Author
Emma Snow has always adored wild animals. Emma provides content
for Wildlife Animals http://www.wildlife-animals.com
and Riding Stable http://www.riding-stable.com.
|
Site
Map
