Why are Animals Endangered?By Irina Ignatova of http://www.tropical-rainforest-animals.com
Some experts even point out that modern rates of extinction are as much as 1,000 times higher than historical “background” rates. Many animals reside within tropical rainforests. So let’s have a look at the main causes of why so many animals are endangered. While there are many direct and indirect factors that affect the animal well-being, there is no reasonable doubt that the human agency is the most critical factor in endangering many animal species. First and foremost, animal habitat loss and fragmentation as a result of human demand for land and other natural resources is a major cause for biodiversity loss. Perhaps one of the saddest examples of that is the case of gorillas which live only in several rainforest areas in Africa and are now classified as critically endangered. Over the years, mountain gorillas lost a lot of their forested habitat mostly because of logging and farmers’ use of wood for charcoal. Second, though the international community has undertaken major steps in curtailing wildlife trade, it still presents real danger to wild animals. Wild animals are sold to be used as pets, as well as for “bushmeat” trade, body parts trade and trade for biomedical research. We are also increasingly concerned about pollution and global warming having a negative effect on the wildlife. As an example, there are founded suspicions that the recent disappearance of some species of tropical frogs is just one effect of global warming In another example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted that by the middle of the 21st century increased temperatures and lack of sufficient amounts of water may lead to the replacement of some parts of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil by savannah. We can certainly help improve the state of the global environment and the well-being of wild animals by taking simple steps to save the natural resources (such as recycling and lower levels of consumption in general) as well as by
investing in green industries |
