Endangered species

We know about and can give names to about one millon animals; but, what we are unaware of, is that there are more than thirty million species of animals in the world. Every year, some of these species dissapear and we never see them again. But with thirty million different species, do one or two matter?
When discussing the causes of endangerment, it is important to understand that species are not the only ones involved in this dilemma. Our planet is continually changing, causing habitats to be altered and modified. However, when changes occur at a fast pace, there is little or no time for species to react and adjust to new circumstances. This can create disastrous results, and for this reason, rapid habitat loss is the primary cause of species endangerment. However, exotic species may also modify the ecological balance, and may produce an excess of unwanted, harmful consequences. The worst of these consequences became noticed when introduced species put native species at risk, by preying on them. This can alter the natural habitat, and can cause a bigger competition for food. Diseases, as well as pollution, are other factors that threaten lots of plant and animal species. For example, the rabies virus is presently destroying carnivore populations in Africa. Domestic animals often transmit the diseases that affect wild populations, demonstrating again how human activities are the beginning of most causes of animal endangerment. Pollution has seriously affected most of the terrestrial and aquatic species, such as penguins in the South Pole, where contamination is due to petrol ships, which drop their waste on polar cold waters; or Baji dolphins in China, who hit their heads on big ships, because of the litter thrown into the Yangtze River.
According to a Harvard biologist, Edward O. Wilson, 20 percent of the world's species will be extinct by 2030. As a consequence of this, many countries are starting to be aware of the critical situation, and they are working to help save endangered animals from extinction. There are organizations, such as Greenpeace, which try to make people aware of the problems that wild animals are facing nowadays. Some of the ways in which they are being saved include: habitat protection, captive breeding, and setting up nature reserves and parks. The first national parks opened more than a hundred years ago. One of the first ones was Gran Paradiso National Park in Italy, as well as Yosemite and Yellowstone in North America. In addition to those ways of saving endangered species, using alternative products, in place of products from rare animals, may also be included. For example, whale oil. The first principal use of whale oil (which is a liquid wax and not a true oil), was as an illuminant in lamps and as candle wax. However, with the 1986 International Whaling Commission, commercial whaling was banned, and whale oil has all but ceased to be viable. For most of its uses, jojoba oil, produced out of the seed of the jojoba (a shrub native to southern Arizona, southern California and northwestern Mexico), works well as a substitute. Governments are also helping, by making international agreements between countries to protect animals, such as the blue whale, indiscriminately hunted in Antartica. Scientists are installing gene banks, in which they keep an animal's genetic material. This technique may make it possible in the future to create a new animal of the same species, in a faster way, and it will also be possible to ensure the continuity of the species. Besides the work the government and the organizations are doing to preserve nature, we can all do something to help. We protect animals by protecting the natural world. We could start by leaving natural homes for small animals and birds (trees, flowers, among others), and use the bicycle more frequently, instead of polluting the air with cars. We could also promote the construction of more national parks, and the prohibition of zoos, for most of them are in bad conditions and are not intersted in helping animals, but presenting them as simple touristic attractions, in order to gain money. Another important thing might be to lower, or stop the usage of animal skin coats. Times are changing, and people feel differently about endangered species. Using a coat from a dead animal is not beautiful nowadays, when you know that so many species are dissappearing progressively.
Finally, it is important to mention that animals make the world a richer place, a more interesting and a more beautiful place for us to live in. Animals help us in many important ways. They give us meat to eat and milk to drink. In addition to this, scientists also learn from animals, and this helps them to understand people. We change things in our world quickly, but animals do it very slowly. People and animals live in one world. Our land is their land; our trees are their trees; our rivers are their rivers. We must protect animals from dissapearing, because at the same time we are protecting our world.

MEDARDO BENITEZ