Information About Endangered Animals

Many of the world's wildlife suffer from dwindling populations. Scientists call these species "endangered," meaning that without human protections, they may become extinct. Tigers, giant pandas, polar bears, rhinoceroses, and seven different whale species are among thousands of such endangered species.
    • China's giant panda is one endangered species.

    History

    • Humans didn't notice species disappearances until the late 1700s when over-hunting and food-source destruction wiped out Steller's sea cow. In the 1950s, governments and conservation organizations began monitoring and regulating such activities.

    Types

    • The World Conservation Union (IUCN) tracks the status of global wildlife on its "Red List." It maintains three main categories of threatened wildlife: critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable.

    Causes

    • Over-hunting is one cause of endangerment. Even if regulations exist, poachers continue to illegally trade some endangered animals. Loss of habitat, largely the result of human activities, is equally devastating to wildlife populations.

    Solutions

    • Endangered animals need protected habitat, hunting regulations and enforcement. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) also advocates community-based natural resource planning to protect local livelihoods and wildlife.

    Considerations

    • Scientists predict global warming will cause extinctions. For example, if polar bears' sea ice habitat melts, they will migrate to Alaska's Arctic plain, which is only tenuously protected, the National Wildlife Federation says.