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Animals That Lost Their Lives and Homes Due to the Cutting Down of the Rainforest

Swathes of rainforest in countries from Madagascar to Peru disappear each day, destroyed by humans who cut the trees down to make room for livestock, farming and the production of materials. This activity contributes to the loss of habitat for hundreds of species of life forms, including animals, that thrive in the rainforest environment; the Rainforest Action Network estimates that an estimated 137 species of life forms vanish each day because of the obliteration of Earth's rainforests.

Birds
- The harpy eagle is an example of a bird threatened by deforestation. This bird of prey nests in the canopies of the Amazon rainforest, but its habitat is being reduced each year as acres of land are cleared of trees. Harpy eagles are particularly vulnerable because the raise young only once every two or three years. Their eggs usually taking a few months to hatch, and then the young eagles are unable to fly for a couple of months. The eagle parents need food while they are sitting on eggs, and they need to supply their young with food. As the forests disappear, food becomes harder and harder to find.
  
  Birds such as parrots and toucans are vulnerable too and have lost their homes because of the loss of the trees they thrive within. Many species of birds live in rainforests in South America, Africa, and Asia. Some are already facing extinction.
Primates
- Primates have also suffered due to habitat destruction. The orangutan, native to Borneo and Sumatra, is fast losing its rainforest home. Loss of habitat is the main reason the International Union for Conservation of Nature has placed the orangutan on its endangered list. Several species of lemurs native to the rainforests of Madagascar are now on the IUCN endangered species list, as are small primates in South America, including the black-faced lion tamarin in Brazil and the brown spider monkey in Columbia. The chimpanzee, another primate whose numbers have dwindled due to trapping and habitat loss in Africa, joins them on this threatened list.
Other Mammals
- The jaguar is another example of a suffering species. Huge cats that can grow up to 7 feet long, jaguars are most populous in the rainforests of the Amazon, although species of this mammal also live in North America, for example. While jaguars can live in swamps, their favored environment is the tropical rainforest. The habitats of jaguars are threatened by cattle ranching and logging activities.
  
  A denizen of the rainforests of Costa Rica, the sloth favors the forest canopies, which offer it camouflage against predators. The trees of the forest provide the sloth's home but also grant it a source of food. These trees are being destroyed by encroaching human farmers, and the sloth inhabitants end up on land where they are less able to survive.
Reptiles
- The chameleon lizard is an example of a threatened reptile. This Madagascar-dwelling lizard lives across a variety of environments, including deserts, but the majority call the rainforests home. These forests are being destroyed, a fact that also causes the Madagascar day gecko to suffer. These reptiles live in dense rainforests, but their numbers are dwindling due to both habitat destruction and overcollection by humans.

Animals & Science