2. SAVE ENDANGERED SPECIES
The recent, credible announcement that an international team of scientists is
planning to create a baby mammoth through cloning has inspired much
speculation about the possibility of using the cloning process to save
endangered species. Unfortunately, cloning is not the
answer to the earth’s problem of plummeting biodiversity. Not only will the
process probably always be too expensive to create significant numbers of large
wild animals, but the animals produced would end up being virtual carbon copies
of one another, and therefore lacking in the genetic diversity necessary to sustain
a population. As always, the way to conserve endangered species is to stop
exploiting them, and to preserve their habitats.
3. One Third Of All Amphibian Species Are In Danger Of
Extinction.
Koalas Struggle To Survive As A Species.
Time Is Running Out For Tigers.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: The Eastern Cougar Is
Extinct.
Africa Loses A Wild Rhino A Day.
HERE ARE SOME FACTS
4. Amur leopard (Pantherapardus
orientalis)
STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
SPECIES.
POPULATION: FEW THAN 40
INDIVIDUALS LEFT OF THIS LEOPARD
SUBSPECIES THAT SHARES ITS FRIGID
HABIT WITH THE SIBERIAN TIGER.
TRENDS: DECREASING DUE TO
HABITAT LOSS AND ILLEGAL HUNTING.
ALSO THREATENED BY A LACK OF
GENETIC DIVERSITY DUE TO ITS SMALL
POPULATION.
FOUND: KENYA
6. Javan Rhinoceros
(Rhiniceros sondaica)
Status: Critically Endangered
Species
Population: Only 60 left
Trends: Populations of African and
Indian subspecies appeared stable,
perhaps even increasing slightly,
until recently. But an upsurge in
poaching in recent years has
placed all species in renewed
jeopardy.
Found: Uganda
10. THENORTHERN SPORTIVE LEMUR(Lepilemur
septentrionalis)
Status : Critically Endangered
Population : fewer than 100individuals remain.
Trends : Virtuallyall of them aredeclining
dramatically in population, mostly because of
habitat loss due to logging in the forests wherethey
live—but also because of illegal hunting.Many
lemurspecies are listed as Endangered or Critically
Endangeredbythe InternationalUnionfor the
Conservation of Nature(IUCN).
Found : Kenya
12. NorthernRight Whale (Eubalena
glacialis)
Status : Critically
Endangered
Population : around 350
individuals left
Trends : Although the right
whale is now protected, its
small remnant population
continues to suffer losses
due to entanglements in
commercial fishing gear.
Found : Sri Lanka
14. THE LITTLEDODO BIRD (Raphus
cucullatus)
Status : Critically Endangered
Population : 100 individuals left
Trends : They are disappearing at an alarming
rate due to habitat loss and illegal hunting.
Found : Uganda
16. The Leatherback Sea Turtle
(Demochelys coriacea)
Status : Endangered
Population : Between34,000 and 36,000
individuals left.
Trends : The leatherback’sproblems include
theft of its eggs by humans, illegalhunting and
nesting-habitatloss due to beach development,
and the erosion of beaches due to global
climatechange. In addition, leatherbacks
sometimesdie after ingesting plasticdebris
they find floatingin the ocean, which they
mistake for food such as jellyfish.
Found : Sri Lanka
18. The Giant salamander
(Andrias davidianas)
Status : Critically Endangered
Population : 100 individuals
left.
Trends : Decreasing at an
alarming rate due to habitat
loss and logging of trees in
forests.
Found : Uganda
20. Ivory-billedWoodpecker(Campephilus
principalis)
Status : Most critically endangered
species
Population : 35 individuals left.
Trends : The ivory-billed woodpecker
owes its near- or complete extinction
to habitat loss (logging) as well as
over-exploitation by humans, who
hunted it for its feathers.
Found : Kenya
22. Status : Critically Endangered
Population : 100 individuals left
Trends : Illegal hunting and trapping
are the main factors pushing the
Saola toward extinction. Southeast
Asian forests have experienced a
huge upsurge in poaching over the
last few years. The Asian unicorn is
also threatened by deforestation.
Found : Sri Lanka
The Saola (Pseudoryx
nghetinhensis)