Download Endangered species in Mexico

Endangered species in Mexico,
the goverment’s solution and
importance of animals in our
lives
Mariana Garza 1°B
ENDANGERED SPECIES IN MEXICO
Amur leopards
Native to southeastern Russia, the Amur leopard is listed as critically
endangered, with only 19 to 26 of the animals left in the wild.
Black Howling Monkey
Deforestation, hunting, and disease are the biggest threats for the endangered
Black Howling Monkey, which lives in the Yucatan Peninsula. The monkey named
for its unique vocalization, achieved through a resonating chamber in its voice
box, is both hunted for food and captured to be a pet. Groups as large as
10 monkeys hold "howling sessions" in the early morning, and can be heard
farther than a mile away, giving hunters an easy target.
San Quintin Kangaroo Rat
The majority of Mexico's endangered mammals (60) are rodents, like the San
Quintin Kangaroo Rat. This rodent species is critically endangered, and hasn't
been seen since 1986, so it may even be extinct. Everywhere suitable for the
kangaroo rat to live has been converted to agriculture, according to the IUCN.
Sea otters
Fur traders once hunted sea otters to near extinction, their numbers
dwindling to less than 2,000 during the early 20th century. The species now
exists in about two-thirds of its former range at varying levels of recovery.
Although the hunting of otters is no longer permitted except for limited
harvests by indigenous peoples, the species is threatened by predation,
poaching and entanglement in fishing nets.
Mexican axolotls
Known as the “Peter Pan” of animals, the Mexican axolotl is a unique type of
salamander that spends its entire life in its larval form and is found only in
Mexico's Lake Xochimilco. It lives underwater, and its odd apperance and ability to
regenerate body parts make it a popular animal kept in labs and schools. Fewer
than 1,200 Mexican axolotls remain today because the lake is drained to provide
water for nearby Mexico City, and it has suffered from the introduction of invasive
species like carp and tilapia, which eat the axolotls.
What is the goverment doing to protect
them?
Mexico has taken unprecedented actions in the past two decades to protect its wildlife
resources. It joined the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1991 and the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1993, then
established its own National Biodiversity Strategy. Landmark events include creation of the
Office of the Attorney General for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) in 1992 and the
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) in 1994, which elevated natural
resource conservation to the cabinet level for the first time in Mexico’s history. Again in
1994, Mexico enacted its Law for Endangered Species Protection.
In 1995, SEMARNAT established Mexico’s national wildlife agency. The same year, it joined
forces with the United States and Canada to create the Canada/Mexico/U.S. Trilateral
Committee for Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and Management. Then, in 2000, Mexico
enacted its General Wildlife Law, the country’s most comprehensive wildlife legislation. A
year later, it created the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), which
now manages 173 protected areas totaling more than 60 million acres (over 24 million
hectares), over 12 percent of Mexico’s land. More than one-third of these protected areas
are along the U.S.-Mexico border and encompass 6,855 square miles.
Why are animals important to humans?
Animals are our companions, our workers, our
eyes and ears, and our food. They appear in
ancient cave paintings, and on modern
commercial farms. We have domesticated some of
them, while others remain wild and are sometimes
endangered by our activities. They keep us
company, and while they can provide comic relief,
they also serve us as valuable assistants.