WAYS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES
I. Introduction
1. What is endangred species?
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to
become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a
particular area.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
keeps a “Red List of Threatened Species.” The Red List
defines the severity and specific causes of a species’ threat of
extinction. It has seven levels of conservation: least concern, near
threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critically
endangered, extinct in the wild, and extinct. Each category
represents a different threat level.
Generally speaking, the criteria for “endangered status” are:
- a very significant reduction in population size of a large
percentage over recent years
- a continuing decline
- a severely shrinking geographic range
2. Why did they turn out like that?
Loss of Habitat
A loss of habitat can happen naturally. Dinosaurs, for instance,
lost their habitat about 65 million years ago. The hot,
dry climate of the Cretaceous period changed very quickly, most
likely because of an asteroid striking the Earth.
Human activity can also contribute to a loss of
habitat. Development for housing, industry,
and agriculture reduces the habitat of native organisms. This can
happen in a number of different ways.
Loss of Genetic Variation
Loss of genetic variation can occur naturally. Cheetahs are
a threatened species native to Africa and Asia. These big
cats have very little genetic variation. Biologists say that during
the last ice age, cheetahs went through a long period of
inbreeding. As a result, there are very few genetic differences
between cheetahs.
Human activity can also lead to a loss of genetic variation.
Overhunting and overfishing have reduced the populations of
many animals. That means there are fewer breeding pairs.
Besides, there are many different reasons such as pollution,
invasive species, human-wildlife conflict,etc which make the rate
of animal extinction alarming.
3. How are things going?
Within the last 500 years, human activity has forced more than
800 species into extinction. About 65 species are only found in
captivity or in cultivation.
Also, there are currently at least 38,500 species under threat, and
over 16,900 species believed to be endangered, according to
the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the
world’s most comprehensive information source on the global
conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.
Among the animal species listed in the Vietnam Red List, there are
species that are only found in Vietnam and are not found anywhere
else in the world, such as: White-tailed Pheasant, Northern Snub-
nosed Langur, and Langur five colors... and species discovered for
the first time in the world in Vietnam, currently they have not been
seen or rarely seen in other countries. These animals are at high risk
of extinction, so it is necessary to protect and prevent all hunting.
III. Conclusion
In conclusion, protecting endangered species is crucial for
maintaining the balance of our planet's ecosystems, preserving
biodiversity, and ensuring the sustainability of human populations.
The threats to endangered species are numerous and often driven
by human activities, such as habitat destruction, over-exploitation,
and pollution. However, there are many ways that we can work
towards protecting these species. By taking action to protect
endangered species, we can ensure that our planet remains a
diverse and thriving home for all species, including humans.
We must transform our relationship with our natural world,
recognizing that we are a part of that world, and not separate from it.
That means making individual decisions that respect species and
ecosystems, and calling on governments to do the same.
