History of Endangered Species

Endangered species are species of animals that are close to extinction. Most times the endangerment of these species is because of humans. But in what ways are humans trying to protect these animals?

Endangered species is an ever growing problem all over the world. A species becomes endangered when it is close to extinction. Species become endangered mainly due to habitat loss, as well as loss of genetic variation. Endangered species are quite common. For example, elephants, tigers, sea turtles, whales, and gorillas are all endangered in the wild. Endangered species are incredibly dangerous for the environment considering that they are so close to extinction. If a species were to become extinct it could completely mess up the ecosystem where that species lived. The ESA Protection Act and Wildlife Protection Act are both acts that protect endangered species from extinction. They also help the companies that help fight against animal extinction, such as IRF and WWF.

My project discussed the history of endangered species and the history behind the protections of them. “Each and every animal on Earth has as much right to be here as you and me,” - Anthony D. Williams. Every animal on our planet plays a vital role in our ecosystem, from the smallest tree to the biggest mammal. We must call for the protection of all animals across the planet, no matter how big or small. If we don’t protect our animals now there will be no hope for the future of our ecosystems. If we allow specific species to become extinct, such as blue whales, elephants, and gorillas, we don’t know what could happen to the ecosystems that they are a part of. We must raise awareness for preservation laws, and provide animals with more security and protection or else we could end up with the extinction of vital animals in our ecosystems.

1. Endangered Species Act Of 1973

2. Harrington, J. (2019, October 14). Countries doing the most to protect endangered animals. In 24/7 Wall St. Retrieved from https://247wallst.com/special-report/2019/10/14/countries-doing-the-most-to-protect-endangered-animals/2/

3. Heise, U. K. (2016). Imagining extinction: The cultural meanings of Endangered Species. The University of Chicago Press.

4. Hodges, C. F. (2010). Brief summary of the endangered species act. In Michigan State University. Retrieved from https://www.animallaw.info/article/brief-summary-endangered-species-act

5. Kasnoff, C. (2021). Endangered species laws by country. In Endangered earth. Retrieved from https://www.endangeredearth.com/endangered-species-laws-i/

6. Listing and critical habitat overview (2021, November 3). In U.S. fish and wildlife service. Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/listing-overview.html