Endangered species are living things threatened with extinction—that is, the dying off of all of their kind. Thousands of
species of animals and plants are endangered, and the number increases each year. Some examples of endangered species are
blue whales, giant pandas, orangutans, rhinoceroses, sea turtles, snow leopards, tigers, and whooping cranes. Among
endangered plants are running buffalo clover, Santa Cruz cypress, snakeroot, and many species of cactuses.
Each species of plant and animal plays a part in the delicate balance of its ecosystem, its relation to other living things and the
environment. Thus, the extinction of large numbers of species threatens the survival of other living things, including human
beings. As more species have become endangered, ecosystems have become unstable or collapsed. Fortunately, people have
increased their efforts to protect endangered species.
Today, species become endangered primarily because of human activities. Species mainly become endangered because of (1)
loss of habitat, (2) wildlife trade, (3) overhunting, and (4) competition with domestic and nonnative animals.
Loss of habitat poses the greatest threat to the survival of wild species. Most animals and plants are specially adapted to live
and reproduce in a specific environment or habitat and cannot survive when it is destroyed. The destruction of virgin forests
by loggers and settlers and the conversion of natural grasslands into pasture for livestock have eliminated vast expanses of
wildlife habitats. Marshlands have been drained for farmland and building projects. Coral reefs and many marine
environments have become polluted, overfished, and even dynamited to obtain tropical fish and corals. Tropical rain forests
contain the greatest variety of animal and plant life on earth, and they are being destroyed more rapidly than any other type of
wild habitat.
Wildlife trade involves the capture of animals for pets, zoo specimens, and research subjects, and the killing of animals for
their fur or other body parts. The capture of wild animals for commercial use has endangered many species. For example, the
Spix's macaw, a parrot of Brazil, is nearly extinct in the wild because so many have been captured for private bird collectors.
Many primates, including the orangutan, have become endangered by the illegal killing of the mothers to capture their babies
for zoos and pet dealers. Gorillas, chimpanzees, and other primates are killed for their meat, which is sold in African markets.
Other animals have been killed in such large numbers for their fur, hides, tusks, or horns that they are nearly extinct.
Rhinoceroses, wild chinchillas, the Tibetan antelope, and snow leopards are among these. Although such animals are now
protected by law in the countries where they live, they are still poached (hunted illegally). Poaching also has seriously reduced
the number of African elephants.
Overhunting has brought numerous species to the brink of extinction. The West Indian manatee, the Asiatic lion, and many
species of pheasants have become endangered because people have hunted them for food and trophies. Many species are
killed by people who believe that the animals threaten their livelihoods. Livestock owners, for example, may shoot, trap, or
poison wild animals that they consider a danger to their herds. Farmers and ranchers in North America have nearly eliminated
the red wolf and many species of prairie dogs, while herders in Africa have almost wiped out the simian wolf. Some people in
the fishing industry blame seals, which eat fish, for reductions in their catch. Fishing crews have killed so many
Mediterranean monk seals that fewer than 200 survive.
Protecting endangered species. Laws and conservation programs are helping to reduce endangerment worldwide. In the
United States, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 protects endangered and threatened wildlife and plants from hunting,
collecting, and other activities that harm them or their habitats. Since this law was enacted, the numbers of certain endangered
animals, such as the alligator, bald eagle, and peregrine falcon, have increased so much that they have been removed from the
endangered list or reclassified from endangered to threatened status.
Many wild species are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES). This treaty, drawn up in 1973, aims to control trade in wild animals and plants, their parts, and products derived
from them. Over 170 countries have joined the treaty. CITES bans trade in rhinoceros horn, cheetah fur, sea turtle shells and
meat, and certain whale products. Elephant ivory was banned in 1989, but later CITES decisions have enabled such African
nations as Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa to export limited amounts of ivory to Japan and other countries.
Protecting habitat is the key method of preserving endangered species. Many governments and organizations have set aside
nature preserves. Some zoos and animal research centers conduct programs that breed endangered species in hopes of
returning their offspring to the wild. The programs have greatly improved the outlook for such endangered species as the
black-footed ferret and the California condor.