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Why Some Animals go Extinct

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Thylacine.jpgQuagga.jpgDodo.jpg
Environmentalists, conservationists and scientists have been working hand in hand in the race to preserve plants and animals in the wild. Even with ample funding and resources, some of these animals and plants defy explanation in the sense that artificial propagation or aided-reproduction proves to have little headway. Nature is still a wondrous and secretive world that not all the factors have been explained. Scientists and explorers have been forced to go to extremes to gain better understanding of how and why animals in captivity fail to reproduce regularly.

They have found that the environment (plant, animal and other variables) plays part in the health of a whole species sometimes interacting in a mysterious way that it produces the right atmosphere for certain species to reproduce. Plants have proven to be a bit easier to manage for they can be manipulated genetically, allowing the creation of several new plants from minimal samples. This means that there is no need to gather from the wild, samples that have to be experimented on in the lab further threatening their presence in the wild. Some plant species have simply died off naturally which tends to make scientists and botanists believe that the process is natural. Some are wiped out due to man’s greed such as the case in the Amazon and the jungles of Sumatra, where huge tracts of virgin forests are set fire to for charcoal, cultivation and land. Charcoal making is a short term solution for economic needs for it takes a couple of hundred years for forests to generate good trees. Agriculture is also short-term for the soil is poor and cultivation would only be possible with the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides in order to boost yields, further polluting areas far from the cleared areas. Development projects also fail due to threats from another type of natural biochemical warfare that causes sickness leaving many a developed areas abandoned due to malaria, dengue and other animal/insect borne diseases that when transferred to humans become deadly.

Some animal species that have gone extinct in the past years have gone out without a fight, being eradicated well before enough knowledge has been gathered to study them and the role they play in the ecosystem such as the Australian Thylacine when the last known specimen died in 1933. The late Steve Irvin better known as the ‘Crocodile Hunter’, who is considered to be one of the most known and outspoken Australian conservationists has lived a life dedicated to the preservation of wildlife even when he was accidentaly stung by a ray as he was filming. His daughter, Bindi Irwin, inspired by his father and mother’s work in helping animals, continues to promote conservation along with her mother and the other members of the Australia Zoo continue Steve’s fight for the preservation of Australia’s natural beauty and unique animal species. The Kiwi of New Zealand would have also shared the same fate if people hadn’t pushed for a huge effort in understanding them better. Captive breeding programs are now providing re-stocking of the flightless Kiwi bird, the last of the ancient bird order the moas to areas of New Zealand that have not yet been overrun by feral species.

Economics and Charities for Wildlife (part 2)

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Australia’s marsupials have long suffered from these introduced species that Bandicoots other indigenous animal life have almost been wiped out of their previous territories. Australia isolated a portion of its territory, fencing it and killing all non-native species that come in or near it to preserve and allow them to recover. In New Zealand, Kiwis(the flightless bird not the fruit) which has long been part of their cultural heritage have long been extinct in developed areas, thriving only in isolated islands where non-native species have been able to reach. In the Philippines, Sea turtles have long been used for food and commerce that the WWF through local groups and the government, have been working to establish sanctuaries to safeguard the beaches which they use for nesting from predators (dogs, cats and humans) patrolled by volunteers till the eggs hatch. The said volunteers aid the hatchling to the sea lessening the deaths that occur due to natural predation from sea birds.

The great elephants of Thailand are now beginning to receive protection with neglected ones being cared fro and rehabilitated for release into wildlife preserves. Orangutans in the Malaysian isles have been protected fro sometime with some headway in terms of breeding and the establishment of large enough rainforest to allow them to thrive and breed naturally.

All these species have been threatened and continue to be threatened by our activities, so much that some are already in the endangered species list. Many still suffer from poaching due to the huge demand for traditional medicine and cure-alls that efforts are making a small impact on the demand. The small steps we take towards a ecologically diverse and stable wildlife community should also include habitat that should be protected by their governments in order to prevent illegal activities. The West and their citizens have long promoted protection for animals and their habitat sometimes when they themselves experience them as tourists to these foreign lands. Locals too have been touched by the plight of these animals that they have banded with volunteers from other nations in the quest to preserve and protect our native species. To end it, all of us can do our share in the drive for the preservation and protection of animal species through donations and volunteer work. Check out your local wildlife centers for any needs and please donate to help them.

Economics and Charities for Wildlife (part 1)

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endangered.jpgAs we all know, awareness about nature is the sort of humane actions that has been helping wildlife all over the world for sometime now. The charities like the; World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), The UK’s Blue Cross and many others are all founded and based mainly in developed countries who have the financial might that allow their constituents to provide their time, expertise and have ample resources for funding that allow them to exist and continue working thought the hardest of times.

Many Asian countries boast some of the most diverse and untouched natural habitats the world over mainly due to the undeveloped nature of these countries. Less development means less pressure on nature in terms of habitat disruption/destruction and trade in wildlife/derivatives. Many animals have suffered due to the demand for animals that was first used for traditional Asian medicine that is now slowly being curbed by environmentalists who aim to educate the locals on how the loss of these native species would impact their environment.

The very slow development that has protected and allowed these animals (tigers, orangutans, birds, turtles and many other species) to thrive in peace has been shattered but rapid expansion and development of pristine areas for tourism and other commercial uses that habitat destruction is the most common result. Sea Turtles for example have a very low survival rate from the time they hatch to the time that they are sexually mature to reproduce that only about 2 in thousands will make the return trip to their nesting grounds (if they are still there that is). Those species that have been heavily studied and bred with the help of science are making a comeback but species like the fabled Blue fin Tuna which has eluded artificial propagation are still quite on the downhill in terms of numbers but research continues. The development of formerly pristine areas has also brought feral or introduced species such as cats, dogs, goats and pigs that destroy the habitat of native species even wiping them out totally from some areas.

More on the next post……..

Wildlife Charities

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Nature.jpgThere are currently several local and international charities that have been formed by environmentally conscious groups in most countries due to the threat to wildlife man had effected due to changes to the environment. This has always been a case such as with endangered species, some of which have been brought back from the brink with captive breeding programs such as the American Bison which was almost wiped out of it’s home range but has now returned to better numbers enough to take it off the endangered list. Many such efforts have been successful when conducted in developed countries but conservation for a developing or third world country is a totally different matter. They may either not have the political might to reserve money for such programs or that there is no promise of financial gain that businesses rarely engage in the said activities.

Tis’ true that big businesses sponsor and donate regularly but that may not even be enough for a proper environmental preservation/conservation program. Environmentalists have long accepted the fact that they way is to convince the people who live within the area itself where these creatures reside in and into which their habitats have been encroached on to become the best approach for it to succeed. Conservation efforts in Malaysia for example have the Orangutan considered to be protected but poachers who just happen to be locals still continue to hunt and trade them illegally on the world market. Zoos have been forced to take alternative steps in their acquisition of animals for their exhibits for they were once determined to be the primary reasons for the extinction of some species in the first place.

The world needs to accept that we are the only creatures on this earth that has the capacity to destroy and rebuild what nature has taken millions upon millions of years to create and awareness is the key along with the promotion of a better understanding of the implications of a species being wiped out off the face of the earth. We should all pitch in our own little ways to help natural environments remain as they are without impacting the animals and plant life that resided within. The Amazon which is the largest untouched natural area on this earth is disappearing at the rate which would have it wiped out in as little time as it takes for the next generation to become aware of its existence.

The Impending Wipeout of the European Bird Species

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Birds are one of the complementary creatures of nature and good indicators of the environmental situation of any country such as Europe. But because of some issues such as natural and man-made calamities, bird species such as the lapwing and the waders have slowly been disappearing. Some are hunted and shot down by hunters for their prize while other have simply died naturally due to no shelter and feeding grounds.

Nearing Extinction Birds

A lot of this can be attributed to the fact that birds are just seen as winged creatures that fly into the sky as if they own the aerial beauty of the world. But these animals also need a place to rest and due to some fortuitous events like dried up lowlands and valleys.

But conservation efforts as spearheaded by the Birdlife International of Europe have tried to save the remaining bird species under their wing and avoid pushing these bird species on the brink of extinction. With such efforts, the conservative manner of such foundations are deemed commendable since awareness for the existence of these birds is obviously overlooked and underestimated.

[tags]birds, wildlife, lapwing, dodo, extinction, conservation[/tags]

Rare Animals Will Become Rare Species Soon

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The common way for people to see wild life animals is usually towards the television set or photo images that we see everyday. Another is perhaps going to the nearby zoo where a person may catch a short glimpse of the animal roster that they have to offer. But in most cases, there are still a lot of rare animals to be seen in the world today and that the only people who may see them are actually the ones responsible for their possible non-existence in the near future, the hunters.

Crocodiles

Crocodiles, birds, monkeys, bears and other mammals that are known to live on earth may not be seen by most people and some have already been declared extinct due to the deprivation of their right to procreate and wander off into the wilderness where hunters seek their prey.

There are preservations and foundations that exert their efforts to save them from extinction, no matter how dangerous they are. However, everyone must do his part in it. Without the extra effort, they are good as memories of our fictitious past.

[tags]foundations, animal protection, preservations, hunters, extinction[/tags]

Hunting Animals Preaches Extinction

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Apparently, extinction of certain species in the world is not because of natural causes, but rather the doing of their co-creatures. Man tops the list for being the primary reason for the fast race towards nearing extinction of certain animals, most coming from hunting them and using them as signs of achievements and distinction. Whales, bears and crocodiles are the ones nearing extinction and most of them are the ones hunted by man on land or sea.

Animals Nearing Extinction

Such has garnered the attention of certain groups, calling for movements to save the remaining species from nearing extinction. The include No Eating of Animal Meat and No Kill Movements to help save the welfare of concerned animals.

Animals Nearing Extinction

It is evident that man has caused the problem and hence man is expected to solve the crisis at hand. But causing the problem is easier than solving it, as this is the reason why the movements have been formed. Widespread awareness for the impending extinction of these mammals is at hand and without the efforts of these foundations, it would only be a matter of time before other races and species follow their demise.

[tags]animals, extinctions, movements, foundations[/tags]

Saving Animal Species from Extinction

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Charities and good causes are usually traced towards people in need. However, not all human beings are the ones that need help. There are other creatures such as rare species that are on the verge of extinction, a lot due to man’s doing.

endangered species

There have been a lot of species that are nearing extinction. This includes birds, wild animals and other animals that have become rare and on the verge of extinction. A lot has to do with man’s continuous search for recognition and hunting expeditions, claiming the distinction to either kill one or simply capture them but would not care for them.

Such a problem has been a cause for alarm and this has motivated non-profit groups to put up reserves and organizations to act as guardians to the unknowing species. While such has not been an easy task, the remaining species can be rest assured that there are people still watching their back all over the world.

[tags]extinction, species, preservations, reserves[/tags]

Bindi To Continue Her Dad’s Wildlife Campaign

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Bindi, the 8-year-old daughter of the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, made millions tear at her stoical speech during her father’s memorial service. Well, the brave little girl is now showing how she plans to continue her father’s legacy by becoming the front person of her father’s wildlide campaign, the Wildlife Warriors Charity.

The new campaign of the charity hopes to raise funds through the sale of green wristbands and dvds of Steve’s memorial service – the proceeds of which will go to saving endangered animals.

Michael Hornby, the Fund manager of the charity says that the campaign was planned and set in motion even before the untimely death of Mr.Irwin, and it will continue now, more than ever as Steve would have wished.

“It’s a project that was actually developed six months ago working with newspapers to try to find an opportunity to provide easy access for everyone to get involved with conservation,” he told ABC Radio.

“With the untimely passing of our good mate, Steve, I guess this project has brought on added meaning.”

[tags]Bindi Irwin,Steve Irwin,Australia,Environment,Wildlife[/tags]

Project Sunrise

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One of the worst things that can happen to the environment is an oil spill. And about a month ago, the Philippines experienced a catastrphophic one.
On August 11th, a 998-ton tanker, Solar 1 sank of the coast of Guimaras island, spilling 500,000 gallons of bunker fuel into the sea.

Guimaras island was once known as one of the most idyllic holiday spots in the Philippines, with long stretches of white sandy beaches and fantastic marine reserves.

The oil slick has damaged 187 miles of coastline, thousands of acres of mangroves and seeweed plantations, killed millions of marine life, and has affected 40,000 villagers who have lost their livelihood and/or homes.

Today, the tanker remains underwater and is continuing to leak the deadly oil. There has been ardent appeals for oil giant Petron to help remove the tanker, but so far nothing concrete has been done and the problem remains – polluting the sea and beyond.

Enter Project Sunrise, a website created to increase awareness and hopefully get help. Backed by the Governor of Guimaras island, the website includes background information on the island, the situation today, personal stories and ways to help or get involved. It has great links to news, web feeds, and even blogs dedicated to the spill.

Because of low funds, the Philippine people have started a nationwide hair donation drive to help in the clean-up – inmates recently went bald so that their hair could be used, and more than 500 salons in the capital joined in the effort. Chicken feathers and straw is also being collected all around the country.
Visit the website today and see how YOU can make a difference.