Hobbies And Interests
Definitions
An endangered animal is one that has decreased in numbers so much that it becomes possible it could die out entirely. The primary organizations to rank a species or sub-species of animals as endangered are the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Normally, an animal appears on all three lists. A "critically endangered" species is believed to be on the verge of extinction without intervention, while a "vulnerable" species needs special care not to become endangered.
Habitat Loss
The single primary cause of animal endangerment is loss of habitat due to human industry and development. People cut down forests, dig mines, build housing and carry on other activities which destroy the animals' home. Some species have a very small area they live in; they are called endemic species. One example is the blue poison frog of Suriname. When one endemic species begins to die out, it can adversely affect an ecosystem, which leads to other species decreasing.
International Trade
There was a time that any animal could be freely caught or killed and it or its body parts sold. International regulations now contain this practice, but poaching and smuggling still go on. Some animals are sold live as exotic pets, some for their furs or tusks and some, predominantly in the past, for biomedical research. Up to 90,000 chimpanzees a year were used by Western laboratories up until the 1980s. In central Africa, local residents make money by hunting wild animals and selling them for food, called "bushmeat."
Other Causes
Some sensitive species suffer decline because of climate change or pollution. Amphibians tend to be particularly vulnerable, especially frogs. Others become threatened by invasive species, usually introduced by humans. The Galapagos turtles became endangered when domestic animals like goats, pigs and dogs consumed their food and ate their eggs. Some predatory species are at risk from farmers or ranchers who kill them to protect their own flocks. This is believed to be the primary cause behind the demise of the now-extinct Tasmanian tiger.