Ways in Which Endangered Species Are Conserved

Literally thousands of species of plants and animals are considered at risk or endangered throughout the world. Factors such as pollution, habitat loss and illegal hunting all play a role in the possible destruction of a species. In order to prevent extinction, practices and programs have been developed to give nature a fighting chance of survival.

  1. Endangered Lists

    • The first step in animal and plant conservation is assessing that a problem exists. With so many species in the world it is vital to pinpoint where help is needed. Using worldwide studies of population numbers for certain species, along with identifying current threats and habitat status, researchers compile lists of endangered species. The results of such studies demonstrate whether an animal requires conservation efforts or whether it's a species that requires continued study. Species on the lists are categorized in a number of ways from least concern, threatened, vulnerable, endangered and extinct in the wild.

    Nature Reserves

    • Nature reserves are one of the main methods of helping conservation. A nature reserve is a designated area that is often run by the government. All wildlife within the area of a reserve is legally protected from hunting, habitat destruction and the effects of pollution. Reserves exist across the globe with many in North America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Reserves are often patrolled by park rangers or wardens who police the areas, watching for illegal hunting or activities that can cause damage to the natural habitat.

    Captive Breeding

    • Not everyone agrees with the concept of keeping animals in a zoo environment, but there are some positive results of doing so. Aside from helping to educate people about animals that they may otherwise never see, many zoos have captive breeding programs. Some species owe their continued existence to captive breeding such as the Californian condor and the scimitar horned oryx. Captive breeding programs work to increase species numbers in a controlled environment and will exchange animals with other zoos to help improve genetic diversity.

    Reintroduction

    • As a result of some captive breeding projects, it can sometimes be possible to reintroduce animals into the wild. The sad fact is that some species do not even exist in the wild anymore, and only a few may be left in captivity. This was almost the case with the Mexican wolf. Hunted to near extinction, the wolf became an endangered species in the mid-70s. A captive breeding program was started with a few specimens captured from the wild. Reintroduction programs seek to find suitable areas to reestablish a wild population of an endangered species.