Wildlife in Danger

Being mammals ourselves, we tend to feel passionately about the plight of other mammals, such as tigers and pandas. Most endangered species are threatened by habitat loss, while a significant percentage continues to be hunted despite dwindling population sizes. According to the IUCN, some 20 percent of all known mammal species are either threatened or endangered. That’s nearly 1,100 endangered species.  They are threatened by habitat loss, while a significant percentage continues to be hunted despite dwindling population sizes.

• The ‘Addax’ is a rare antelope found in the deserts of Northwest Africa. Fewer than 500 individuals remain in the wild.

• African Wild Ass’ found in Ethiopia and Somalia, though their range once included Egypt, Sudan and Israel. They are threatened by hunting and habitat loss.

• The ‘Anoa’ is one of the smallest cattle species, and one of the most endangered. They are found in the remote, undisturbed lowland forests of Sulawesi and nearby Southeast Asian islands, and tend to retreat to higher elevations of the forest in response to human presence. They live alone or in pairs, and spend much of their time feeding on grasses, leaves and herbs.

• The ‘Arabian Oryx ‘ is an antelope that lives in nomadic herds. Now extinct in the wild, it once occurred throughout the Arabian Peninsula.

• The ‘Asian Buffalo’ is a cattle species in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand. The Asian buffalo is threatened by hunting, interbreeding with domestic stocks and loss of habitat, and there may be only a few thousand individuals left in the wild.

• Asian Elephants’ are somewhat smaller than African elephants and rapidly declining due to loss of suitable habitat throughout its range.

• The ‘Bactrian Camel’ is a two-hump camel with a shaggy coat and an almost U-shaped neck. It is the only remaining Old World camel in the wild. It lives in the harsh arid plains along the border between China and Mongolia, and can withstand temperatures from minus 20°F to 100°F. Hunting and competition with grazing domestic species have led to a drastic decline and there are currently fewer than 2,000 animals in the wild.

• The ‘Black-footed Ferret’ is a carnivorous mammal with short ears, a short snout and five toes on each foot. The black-footed ferret is currently listed as extinct in the wild, but captive breeding programs may allow for successful reintroduction of wild populations.

These are just some of the mammal species that human continue to eliminate from existence.

Due to the badly strained natural conditions around the world, a lot of animals and fish are now classified and topping the endangered species list.  Animals were made to take care of themselves and if possible keep in the wild.  This is not anymore as currently due to the changing weather patterns and the depleting nature animals have been forced to seek refuge from man.  Man has remained the worst enemies of some of these animals making them top the endangered species list.

The lion is currently facing extinction in Kenya due to human interference with nature and cultural believes.  A Moran’s initiation to manhood can only be-done after completely having fought a lion and killed it.  If we consider the number of Moran’s in a given area, does the lion have any peace while around these individuals? Secondly, lion’s are hunters and if they are unable to catch their prey in the wild, they will come for the Moran’s domesticated animal thereby causing the human lion conflict.

This has been a big concern to the Government who are trying all they can to protect these endangered animals that for years have been part of the tourist attraction around this beautiful country. Interestingly and worth noting, the lion has also endangered itself.  Male lions are known to kill all the cubs of their new mate.  This they do to avoid siring cubs that were not their own.  This in itself, I find being rather selfish. But all in all, this is their nature and we have to learn to live with it.

The current number of the African lion in the wild is worrying and a lot has to be done by both the government and conservation bodies in protecting them from harm and danger but from the human threats and their counterparts the animals. The human lion conflict is the greatest danger facing the lion and a solution has to be found for this to come to an end amicably.  Hunters who consider this a sport are also one of the world’s greatest threats to the lion.

Reference: Illustrated Encyclopedia of endangered animals.