Endangered Animals: Our Responsibility.
1). Don't you think that we have lost enough? We have lost rainforests, part of the ozone
layer, most of our natural resources, and now we are going to lose animals!
All over the world, animals are becoming endangered and the already endangered are
close to extinction. This is mostly all humans’ fault. We pollute the Earth, damage
habitats. We cut down forests and take resources. We kill animals for fur, meat, ivory, to
sell them, or just for fun. We trade them illegally. You may just be shooting a lion or
whatever to protect yourself, thinking it’s the monster. But it isn’t. Humans are the only
monsters on this planet… think about THAT.
2). Scientists aren’t sure exactly how many animals are endangered, but they can give us
such examples of some endangered animals as the Sea Otter, the Panda Bear, the Siberian
Tiger, the American Bison, the Mountain Gorilla and the Liberian Lynx.
There are so many species such as Amur leopards dying from poaching, habitat loss,
environmental pollution and conflict with people. There are the manatees which are
dying from pollution in the sea. There are the whales, dolphins, great apes like
chimpanzees, elephants, tree kangaroos, marine turtles, and many others.
There are some people in this world that ask, “Why should we care? Why should we do
anything at all?” Well… for one thing species and their ecosystems provide essential
goods and services that make human life possible and contribute to our health and well
being—breathable air, clean water, food, fibers, building materials, medicine, energy,
fertile soil, climate regulation.
3). When I started to gather information on the topic of my work, first of all I took a
special book which is called “The Red Book of the Moscow Region” in our local library
and looked it through. The book was published in 1998 and in 2008 the 2nd edition
appeared where 395 representatives of animal world were mentioned. I noticed such
endangered and rare animals in Moscow region as a brown bear, a lynx, a desman
(muskrat), a big jerboa, a pond bat. There is a possibility to see these species in
Egor’evsky, Voskresensky, Lukhovitsky, Shatursky districts (a desman (muskrat)), in
“Zavidovo” complex of Shatursky district (a constant settlement of lynxes) and even in
Lyuberetsky (a pond bat) district.
Of course we understand that the Red Book is a document focused on protecting and
taking inventory of rare and endangered species of plants, animals and other organisms.
But people’s responsibility is much wider than only publishing red books: state
government makes laws and programmes aimed to preserve nature diversity.
In addition to the Red Book the most important items of environmental legislation for the
Moscow region concerning the conservation of living nature are:
-
-
The Law of the Moscow Region on Protected Natural Areas (PNAs) which
provides for the formation of a regional network with PNAs of various types
(National Parks, Wildlife Parks and Sanctuaries)
The Urban Planning Code of the Moscow Region which emphasizes the Regional
Environmental Framework based on high-quality forests and protected areas; and
The Statute of the Red Book of the Moscow Region.
Moreover, the latest Strategy for conservation of rare, threatened and endangered species
of animals, plants and fungi in the Russian Federation for the period until 2030 was
signed by Dmitry Medvedev in February 2014. This strategy will give an opportunity to
increase the efficiency of the struggle against poaching. It provides special biotechnical
measures, expansion of nurseries, fish-breeding centers, Botanical gardens and arboreta
for preservation of rare and endangered species of animals, plants and fungi. The
document supposes state accounting and monitoring of rare and endangered species and
development of international cooperation in this sphere. One of the priority directions of
the strategy is ecological education and formation of the citizens’ responsible attitude
toward nature complexes and objects.
The government of the Moscow region allocates special budget funds to support
environmental protection activities within the regional programme “Ecology and the
Envitonment of the Moscow region” up to 2018. There are special new long-time
working programmes in Shatursky (2013-2015), Chekhovsky (2014-2016), Luhovitsky
(2014-2018), Ozersky (2014-2018), Egor’evsky (2014-2018), Odintsovsky (2014-2016),
Solnechnogorsky (2013-2015), Mytishinsky (2014-2016) districts. The programme of
our Lyuberetsky district (2014-2016) was updated on 14th of March 2014 according to the
latest changes in the environmental legislation.
4). The analysis of many facts, information about endangered animals brought me to the
question: “Does our district have any organization such as WWF?”
WWF (World Wildlife Fund) focuses on helping animals, and the environment. Its
members try to be eco-friendly, try to get the habitats for many endangered plants and
animals. They do research on the species and educate people. Our country is not an
exception: it has WCS-Russia (Wildlife Conservation Society), The Russian
Geographical Society, The Phoenix Fund, ALTA (Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance),
The Siberian Tiger Centre, Moscow Society of Animal Protection.
While surfing the Internet I have made the table of different international, Russian and
local organizations which you can see in my presentation on the screen. Of course, you
can notice that despite numerous problems the place where we live hasn’t enough
ecological organizations and funds. Partially it is because of the absence of money our
administration needs for changing the situation. But most often there are no energetic and
active people to lead and support the movement.
In 2000 The department of environmental protection was established in the
administration of Luberetsky district and last year together with a ministry of education
they organized Olympiads, competitions, conferences dedicated to the year of
Environmental Protection. Also we have a local headquarter of regional young
ecologists’ movement “Natives”, but according to the website their activities hardly
follow the aim of solving nature problems and helping endangered animals.
5). You may be wondering, “What can I do?”. There are many ways that every person
can take action to help endangered animals and to help reduce extinction events.
To begin with you can visit a nearby national park or nature reserve. Some national parks
have special guided tours and walks for kids. Talk to the keepers to find out whether
there are any endangered or threatened and rare species and how they are being protected.
You and your friends might be able to help the keepers in their conservation work.
Encourage your friends, family and relatives who live on a farm or who own large areas
of land to keep patches of bush as wildlife habitats and to leave old trees standing,
especially those with hollows suitable for nesting. You can also volunteer or contact your
local wildlife preservation group to join it, or even start a new one with your parents and
friends. Ask your local parks and forest authority or council for information.
Maybe the most common way of all is to donate money, discuss this problem on
Facebook, Twitter, school website. All in all you are able do the simplest thing of all,
TAKE CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT! Because we have a responsibility to protect
our nation's wildlife, birds, fish and plants on the brink of extinction.