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“Save Us” - Rare and Endangered Species
I. What is an Endangered Species?
An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming extinct not
only because it is few in numbers but also because of other factors such as loss of habitat and
overexploitation.
According to the IUCN Red List Statistics, 40% of all organisms based on the sample of species
that had been evaluated in 2006 are endangered. Different nations have come up with their own
respective laws in order to look after and save these endangered species. There are laws that
prohibit hunting and land development in order to help save some endangered species. But in
spite of this only few at risk species obtain legal protection.
II. List of Some Endangered Animals
Mammals
Where Listed as Endangered
Asian Elephant
South-Central and Southeastern Asia
Asiatic Lion
Turkey to India
Baluchistan Bear
Iran, Pakistan
Brown Bear
China, Mexican Holarctic
Cheetah
Africa to India
Dwarf Musk Deer
China
Great Indian Rhinoceros
India
Himalayan Musk Deer
China, southern slopes of Himalayas
Indus River Dolphin
Pakistan
Red Deer
Afghanistan, Morroco, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, France
Snow Leopard
Central Asia
Tibetan Antelope
China, India, Nepal
Tiger
Temperate and Tropical Asia
Table A
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Birds
Where Listed as Endangered
Bar-tailed Pheasant
Burma, China
Cheer Pheasant
India, Nepal, Pakistan
Eurasian Peregrine Falcon
Eurasia south to Africa and Mideast
Great Indian Bustard
India, Pakistan
Giant Scops Owl
Philippines
Hooded Crane
Japan, Russia
Imperial Pheasant
Vietnam
Relict Gull
China, India
Peacock Pheasant
Philippines
White Crane
Siberia, Iran, China
White-winged Wood Duck
India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand
Table B
Reptiles and Amphibians
Where Listed as Endangered
Black Softshell Turtle
Bangladesh
Peacock Turtle
Burma
Chinese Alligator
China
Indian Sawback Turtle
India
Japanese Great Salamander
Japan
Mugger Crocodile
Bangladesh, India, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Philippine Crocodile
Philippines
River Terrapin
Bangladesh, Burma, India, Indonesia, Malaysia
Spotted Pond Turtle
North India, Pakistan
Yellow Monitor
West Pakistan, India, Bangladesh
Table C
III. Causes of Endangerment of Some Species
According to the website endangeredspecies.com, “Endangerment is a broad issue, one that
involves the habitats and environments where species live and interact with one another.
Although some measures are being taken to help specific cases of endangerment, the universal
problem cannot be solved until humans look after the natural environments where endangered
species dwell.” It means this issue cannot be solved unless humans looked into the natural
habitat where these endangered species inhabit.
The major factors that result to the endangerment of some species are loss of habitat, disease
and overexploitation, climate change, pollution and other human activities.
Whenever there are changes in a species’ environment, it is either forced to survive by adapting
to the change in the environment or eventually perish. These changes in the species’ habitat
could be either brought about by natural forces or human activities.
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Diseases and overexploitation of some rare species also cause them to become endangered. If
a species does not have the natural genetic defense against particular pathogens, an
introduced disease can have severe effects on that specie. On the other hand, unrestricted
hunting of some animals caused them to become endangered and eventually become extinct.
Sea cow was discovered in 1741 in the Indian Ocean and was used as food by visiting sea-otter
hunters. It became extinct 27 years after its discovery.
Climate change, pollution as well as other human activities greatly affects the population of
many species- both terrestrial and aquatic.
IV. Importance of Maintaining a Species
According to Wilcove and Master, species should be saved for “aesthetic and moral
justifications; the importance of wild species as providers of products and services essential to
human welfare; the value of particular species as indicators of environmental health or as
keystone species crucial to the functioning of ecosystems; and the scientific breakthroughs that
have come from the study of wild organisms. In order to do this, we need to know the reasons
behind why many species are becoming endangered. In other words, we need them for our
survival, thus it is significant to preserve the diversity of life.
An ecosystem is a community where living things, including plants and animals, and non-living
things work together. These endangered species are basically part of an ecosystem. Their
disappearance could lead to an imbalance in a particular ecosystem which would later on affect
the other species in that ecosystem.
Most species could prove useful to human development and to the preservation of ecosystem.
Many of them provide products such as medicine and provide researches that result in some
important scientific discoveries.
V. Ways Preserving Endangered Species
There are several ways in which one can help to preserving endangered species. One way is to
help save the disappearing habitat where these species dwell. Another way is to stop or at least
lessen those activities that could contribute to pollution and bring rapid changes in the
environment which could affect the survival of these at risk species.
VULNERABLE SPECIES - A species particularly at risk because of low or declining
numbers or small range, but not a threatened species.
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