The age we are living today is the age of science and technology. The innovation of scientific and technological ideas and tools have made our life somewhat comfort and easier but at the same time we are forgetting our bio-diversity, our nature, our mother Earth. Humans are forgetting that it's our prime duty and responsibilities to conserve our nature, our bio-diversity, our ecosystem to create a stable place to live and survive in our coming future.
Without the conservation of nature or our bio-diversity, our existence will be in a threat. Conserving bio-diversity and its component is the one and only way we can able to a build a sustainable life on this planet. The more we make animals or plants endangered the more we are putting ourselves forward to extinction. So the more we dedicate our work in preventing the endangered animals from becoming extinct, the more we are creating a stable life on this planet.
So, here is this thing I want to talk and share with you all steemians - the animal species that have gone extinct since 2000, the dawn of our 21st century.
1. The Western Black Rhinoceros
Despite conservation efforts, the species mostly found in Cameroon was killed off by poaching. Not only poaching caused its extinction, the other causes were sports hunting and industrial revolution in Africa which destroys natural settlement of this species.
2. The Golden Toad
The golden toad was declared extinct in 2001. Endemic to Costa Rica, its entire population lived in a 4 square kilometres area. The species fell victim to climate change and global warming. The change in temperature and reduction in rainfall due to these activities were the major cause for these species to sustain the life.
3. The Christmas Island Pipistrelle
The Christmas Island Pipistrelle was officially declared extinct in 2017. One cause of its decline was due to the introduction of invasive species like the yellow crazy ant, accidentally brought to the island in 1930. Pipistrelle is a bat like organism. Yellow crazy ant form colonies with their groups in trees branches and soil surface due to which Pipistrelle found it difficult to continue their life on their own natural habitat. Below is the picture of invasive crazy yellow ant.
The yellow crazy ant is native to Madagascar island but it has extended its colonies to Caribbean islands, Australia, and Hawaii. These insects are infectious and can cause serious damage to animals and plants found in those islands.
4. The Chinese River Dolphin
Also known as Yangtze River Dolphin, they once swam the Yangtze river which is Asia's longest river and world's third longest river. They were wiped out by water pollution, increasing boat traffic, and construction of water dams. There was a rumour of a sighting in 2016, but scientists consider their return "highly unlikely" and the evidence was a verbal claim by an investigators of 11 teams rather than showing photo.
5. The Pyrenean Ibex
This species was declared extinct in 2000. A team of scientists had tried to save the species through cloning, but the clone died within the minutes of being born (Clones are organisms that are exact genetic copies). Endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, these species were hunted for their large curving horns. The last animal of these species named Celia was killed in 2000 and she was killed due to a branch falling from a tree. Putting Celia's DNA in empty goat's egg, the scientist make more than 50 cloned embroy but only one was formed but couldn't survive more than a minute.
How to Protect Endangered Animals or Species?
Our life is dependent on animal ecosystem. Our life remains as long as animal's has its existence in this planet. Due to extinction of animals, our ecosystem will become imbalanced, food chain cycle and food web cycle is imbalanced and that can lead to cataclysmic events. So, from my point of view we can do following tasks to prevent animal from being extinct:
I suggest everyone not to buy products that are made by hunting and killing the endangered animals.
We can educate every people around the globe and raise public awareness on how important the animal ecosystem are to our mankind and humanity.
We should carry out afforestation and reforestation programmes on empty barren land where animals found difficulty to sustain life.
The main cause for extinction of animals is pollution, so its our main duty to protect earth and its species from polluted land, air, water. This not only prevents animal from being extinct but protects earth from global warming and greenhouse effect.
I suggest to vote for political candidates who promise and supports to protect the nature and environment.
What is a fish without a river? What is a bird without a tree to nest in? What is an Endangered Species Act without any enforcement mechanism to ensure their habitat is protected? It is nothing.
-Jay Inslee
We all have a responsibility to protect endangered species, both for their sake and for the sake of our own future generations.
-Loretta Lynch
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