The Brink of Extinction

Surrounding the topic of the recent celebration of "Earth Day," a day set aside to honor environmental awareness, we mainly discuss things that threaten us. We often forget to stop and consider what our actions are doing to affect wildlife. We rely on these animals to maintain the stability of the earth yet we disregard them. We break down their forests for paper, deplete their food sources, and burn down their homes. We may be endangering ourselves for the future, but we've been putting wildlife in danger for centuries.

The red panda is remarked by many as either their favorite animal or just one they find undeniably cute. Children and adults both gather to see them in zoos and they are incredibly curious, smart animals. Sadly their population continues to decrease. In recent years it was said that their population rates dropped almost 40%. The reasoning for this is mostly due to human interference. They are at high threat of poaching and their habitat continues to be depleted for resources.

Similar to the red panda many whale species are at threat to total extinction. This is entirely at the hands of humans. Putting aside the threats they face in the wild, they often get put into captivity. Whales are fit for the oceans and confining them to small spaces such as the pools in Sea World is incredibly damaging to their health. Porpoises and killer whales are the main targets for captivity. Larger whales such as the North Atlantic right whale face more environmental issues. They are at a heavy risk of being slaughtered for blubber due to their weight. These larger whales also face the threat of collision with large boats and can get tangled very easily in fishing lines which, if it doesn't kill them, causes immense pain. Another uncommonly discussed threat to all ocean life is referred to as "ocean noise" or "sound pollution.” Human noises such as construction underwater, boats, and energy exploration, cause unnatural noise and pollution in the whales' habitats. Many whales rely on sound to navigate their homes. When they hear those sounds it drives them away from places that are vital to their survival.

Unfortunately for the Spix macaws, their ending in real life was worse than it was in the movie Rio. As of 2019, these birds have been classified as extinct in the wild. First discovered in 1832 these birds have been the face of animated movies, songs, and a lot of popular media. The macaws were targeted by poachers and collectors because of their distinctive feathers. However, even without the poachers, it is unlikely they would have made it. Their habitats faced extreme depletion. These birds had a very short range in areas they could live in. They have very specific needs and many of their homes had already been ruined. Deforestation started hitting their remaining habitats extremely hard. Between the 1980s-2000's it was stated that there was only one male macaw recorded in the wild.

For us as a society to increase our quality of life, we first have to take care of what is around us. Habitats like coral reefs, forests, swamps, and jungles are in increasing danger because they continue to be depleted. The fact is that we as humans cannot survive without taking care of the creatures and environments around us.