About Endangered Animals Causes

From rats to cats, and elephants to eagles, there is an organization built around protecting and preserving the species. Endangered animals are those in danger of becoming extinct within a relatively short period of time. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, as of 2011, there are 1,171 animals on the Endangered Species list in the United States alone. Most will agree that saving endangered species is worth the time and effort governments, both U.S. and around the world, put into conservation efforts because of benefits to the Earth's biodiversity.

  1. Nonprofits

    • Manatees are covered by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

      Nonprofit organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF.org), Natural Resources Defense Counsel (NRDC.org), Defenders of Wildlife (defenders.org) and Greenpeace (greenpeace.org) are just some of many nonprofit organizations that exist to help animals recover their numbers through habitat preservation and legislation. The Pew Charitable Trust (pewtrusts.org) awards grants to many charities that work towards conservation and preservation of endangered species, among their other interests and pursuits. In addition, there are hundreds of species-specific organizations such as the Save the Manatee (savethemanatee.org) and Big Cat Rescue (bigcatrescue.org) as well as common animal welfare organizations like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS.org) and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (peta.org) with branches dedicated to the preservation of wild animals, many of which are endangered.

    Museums

    • The Northern Right Whale was nearly hunted to extinction. It got its name from hunters, who called it the "right whale" to kill because of its size.

      Museums also have taken an active role in endangered animal causes. The American Museum of Natural History (amnh.org) in New York City and the Smithsonian's own National Museum of Natural History (mnh.si.edu) both offer comprehensive educational exhibits and programs to raise awareness of the animals on the endangered species list. The more knowledgeable world citizens become on the need to stop extinction before it is too late, the more those animals stand a fighting chance of recovery in the wild. Working with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the Smithsonian offers specific exhibits, podcasts and virtual galleries of a handful of endangered animals, including the manatee, Northern right whale, American crocodile, Galapagos tortoise and the animals of the Arctic.

    CITES

    • The ivory from the elephant's tusk was once used to make billiard balls and piano keys.

      The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, is an agreement among a variety of countries to arrest the decline of wild animals and habitats. It came about in 1963 at a convention whereby representatives of 80 countries, including the United States of America, met to form an agreement that would ban the import and export of endangered animals and animal products into and out of their respective countries. Membership in CITES is voluntary, and a country joins by declaring its commitment to stop the illegal wildlife trade. As of 2011, there are approximately 5,000 species of animals protected under CITES agreements.

    Additional Considerations

    • The Gray Wolf was almost killed off entirely in 1930. Conservation efforts have brought them back to a healthy population.

      The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services works cooperatively with the National Park Systems to raise awareness of the animals preserved in national parks throughout the United States and enforce laws to help stop the decline of the numbers of animals living in the respective parks. Fines and penalties are stiff for those who run afoul of those laws. Additionally, universities and colleges throughout the world offer curricula on endangered animals, biodiversity and ecology. Animal collections, such as zoos, licensed by the American Zoological Association, partner and participate in exotic and rare animal captive breeding programs to help stabilize threatened populations.