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My name is Juniper Wolfe, and welcome to Endangered Animals Overload!

Agriculture is a major workforce in the United States.  Farmers across the globe provide over 80% of our food resources today.  They also have a vast influence on endangered animals.

Farmers require many plots of land to feed our growing populations, and each year they cut down acres of trees to create more “useful” land, resulting in habitat loss.  We’ve already discussed why this is a problem in my previous post.

Changes in arable farming practices have been identified as important factors in the decline of wildlife. Significant declines in the brown hare, seen below, have been recorded associated with changes in the availability of high quality food at certain times of year. Declines in the Pipistrelle Bat, seen photographed below, are in part likely to have resulted from lower abundance of insect prey in farmland.

In the Sussex study area in southern England, between 1972 and 1990, invertebrates such as spiders and other insects have declined by  4.2% every year.  Many groups of beneficial insects game birds eat and natural predators to the aphid are declining at faster rates.  Without these species, the invasive and harmful aphids will be able to move freely, eating any crops in their paths.  Other important species such as bee species are particularly threatened.

Aphids taking over farmlands

Why are these species going extinct in farmlands?  Over the millennia, wildlife has moved into farmland. An abundance of seed from crops suited birds like finches and buntings, while the regular disturbance of the soil helped plants make the most of open-soil conditions.  Rows of hedges surrounding these lands replicated habitats on the edge of woodlands, providing a combination of shelter, warmth and flowering plants. Old trees in orchards perfectly suited lichens and insects. Wildlife adapted and became reliant on the way the land is used, so why is agriculture to blame for their numbers declining?

It’s because there have been rapid changes in consumer tastes.  Growing urban populations and a dramatic decline in traditional farming methods in the mid-20^th century have had a devastating impact on the wildlife that depends on farmland. According to the State of Nature report, 60% of farmland species are now in decline. Farmer’s newfound dependence on chemicals, a switch to winter wheat (meaning no seed-rich stubble is left overwinter), the destruction of hedgerows and the loss of untidy field corners and ponds, have degraded or destroyed the homes of a huge range of animals.

These changes have also impacted the wider landscapes.  Long ago, spaces were connected by hedges and patches of woodland and grassland, but with many of these empty spaces, nature reserves have become isolated by a vast “moat” of farmlands. This has put more pressure on species that can no longer move freely across the landscape to feed and breed.

What can we do about it?  It seems like a hopeless cause, since people must eat and the food must be grown or farmed.  While it’s true that we need to keep these farmlands, it isn’t a hopeless cause. Wildlife used to depend on farms once, and it can very easily be that way again.  Farmers just have to switch to the old methods of farming.  Wildlife and Agriculture can work in synchrony again.  This isn’t only important for the wildlife, but the farmers as well.  This way they can save wild animals like bees that pollinate their crops, or earth worms that provide nutrients to their soil.

Thanks for reading, and until next time on Endangered Animals Overload!

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My name is Juniper Wolfe, and welcome to Endangered Animals Overload!

Bycatch is the unwanted fish and other marine creatures caught during commercial fishing for a different species.  Each year, 38 million tonnes of sea creatures are unintentionally caught and thrown back into the ocean dead or dying.  Annual casualties include 300,000 small whales and dolphins, 250,000 endangered loggerhead turtles and critically endangered leatherback turtles, and 300,000 seabirds, including 17 albatross species.  How, in the 21st century, can we be so backwards as to treat living creatures like waste products?

40% of creatures caught by fishers are just bycatch.  This unselective way of commercial fishing is therefore the biggest threat to marine species.  Furthermore, as the fishing gear can destroy entire underwater ecosystems, this unethical way of fishing kills more than what’s brought to the surface.

Some of the worst equipment involved in this mass-slaughter are drift nets and gillnets.  The gillnets, of up to 30 meters high, either hang just under the water surface or are anchored to the seabed. Fish of a certain size get caught on it by their gills or fins, but many whales and dolphins (which breathe air) also get caught in the nets.  When they can’t reach the surface to breathe, they suffocate.

Drift nets are lengthy, free-floating, 26-49 feet deep nets, each as long as 55 miles. Drift nets are used to snare fish by their gills in the open water, however, they often catch migrating dolphins, turtles, sharks, or small whales.  They even can catch seabirds that were diving for food.  Every animal caught in that deadly snare is thrown away, back into the ocean to be eaten.  Drift nets are an extremely destructive fishing device.

I do not, however, suggest we end commercial fishing, as it will put millions without jobs, billions without seafood, and harm many coastal cities’ economy.  Commercial fishing isn’t necessarily bad; especially since there are companies and programs designed to reduce the marine animal’s death toll.  However, there are some companies in need of more intelligent fishing methods that can significantly reduce bycatch; such as nets with openings for turtles to swim out of, special hooks to avoid turtle bycatch, and the use of odours to deter sharks from bait on long lines.  These are just a few examples of selective fishing methods that significantly reduce bycatch.

If changes could be made via petition or votes to implement these new fishing methods into every commercial fishing company, we could minimize this needless and unfortunate slaughter.

It is high time to put an end to this sad chapter of our relationship with marine species.

Thanks for joining me!

My name is Juniper Wolfe, and welcome to Endangered Animals Overload!

There are many animals facing extinction today for various reasons discussed in previous blog posts, such as over-exploitation, ocean trash, pollution, habitat loss, and climate change.  In this post, however, I would like to highlight some animals in dire need of our help.  While each endangered animals case deserves attention, these seven instances showcased here are likely to be extinct within a few years.  They can not wait.

The Northern Right Whale above is heavily affected by hunting and climate change.  There are less than 450 of them still swimming the seas.  The sea’s warming waters are killing krill, the tiny, shrimp-like creatures that Right Whales eat.  As a result, whale reproduction levels have decreased and their death toll has increased.  16 of the Right Whale’s dwindling population were found dead in 2017 alone.  Other threats facing the near extinct species are commercial fishing gear, illegal hunting, and accidental ship strikes.

The next species I would like to highlight is the Amur Leopard.  Only 40 known individuals still roam the wild today.  Their biggest threats include poaching, illegal trade, and habitat loss.  Due to climate change, prey is also scarce for these predators.

With only 30 individuals left across the board, the lesser-known Vaquita is the smallest and rarest marine mammal.  Many have died due to fishing gear or fishing related accidents such as getting caught in nets.  Pollution also plays a role in the specie’s disappearance.

Almost all Lemur species are listed as endangered or critically endangered, however, one species has fewer than 20 members left.  The Northern Sportive Lemur from Madagascar is one of the most endangered species in the world.  The main threat facing this species is habitat loss due to logging and clearing out forests.

The Javan Rhinoceros was once a majestic species, roaming and ruling throughout Asia  These days however, the 60 Javan Rhinos left stick to a National Park on the southernmost tip of the Island Java off of Indonesia.   The main reason this species is endangered is due to poaching.  Habitat loss also is a factor to the disappearance of these Rhinos.

Between Vietnam and Laos is a creature so rare that they’re referred to as the “Asian Unicorn.”  Saolas don’t look a lot like unicorns, though. They got their name because to see one is an incredibly rare and seldom seen event.  Only a few hundred of the Saolas exist today.  Hunting drove the species to the brink of extinction, and the ever-shrinking forests drove them out of their homes entirely.

There are nine subspecies of Tigers in the world, four of which are now extinct.  The other five are expected to join them soon, should current patterns continue.  All subspecies combined number to 3,000 tigers left in the world.  Poaching is the biggest threat to Tigers.  A single tiger can sell for up to $50,000 in the US.  This means that a poacher who kills a tiger can support his family for many years.  Due to this incentive, we may not have any tigers left soon.

With enough awareness, however, we can change the course of their survival.  With our help, these species can be roaming the wild for years to come.

Thanks for reading, and until next time on Endangered Animals Overload!

Thanks for joining me!

My name is Juniper Wolfe, and welcome to Endangered Animals Overload!

We have discussed so many problems facing endangered species already, however, there are a lot more we haven’t.  One topic we have yet to cover is trading wildlife illegally. Each year, hundreds of millions of plant and animal species are being torn from their natural habitats to be sold as food, pets, ornamental plants, leather, tourist attractions, and medicinal testing.  Some of this trading does occur legally, and doesn’t affect the wildlife populations.  However, the majority occurs illegally, and threatens many endangered species existences.  The sheer numbers of animals taken and destroyed each year can’t be sustained for long.  Eventually, the rainforests will run out of animals: They can not reproduce at the same rate they are being taken.

Wildlife trade isn’t a problem when it’s being done legally.  The illegal side to wildlife trade is what truly damages the ecosystem.  Populations of species on earth declined by an average 40% between 1970 and 2000, and second only to habitat loss, illegal wildlife trade is the most monumental reasons why.

An obvious problem associated with wildlife trade is that it can cause overexploitation to the point where the survival of a species turns from likely to nonexistent.  Such overexploitation often results in mass extinctions or a severely threatened species.  In addition, human populations have increased, so the demand for those resources wildlife provide has increased as well.  This specific brand of overexploitation has affected countless species. While this has been well-publicized in the case of tigers, rhinoceroses, and elephants, many other species are affected, such as Pangolins, exotic bird species of nearly every kind, and turtles.

Many people participate in the wildlife trade and don’t even know they’re doing it.  There’s more to the trade than just animals or plants.  Anything like coffee, paper, furniture, and even bedding could have come from an illegal wildlife trade, and the general population would never know that their hard-earned money went to support the illegal capture of wildlife.

There are always ways that we can help end illegal wildlife trade, and that’s simply to stop buying their products.  One of the things a person can do to find out if the products they use are illegally obtained is to stick to certified products.  If a person doesn’t know where a product came from, they don’t need to buy that specific brand.  Some certifications to look for include the Forest Stewardship Council seal when you’re looking to buy wood, paper, or paper products.

The Marine Stewardship Council sticker insures that seafood products are legally obtained.  Yet another company, EcoHealth Alliance, provides a database of pets healthy for people, the animals, and the environment.  These animals are never illegally obtained.  There is a program anyone can use called Wildleaks that allow you to anonymously report wildlife crimes around the world.

With everyone’s effort and everyone’s time, the illegal wildlife trade will end.  All we have to do, then, is begin.

Thanks for reading and until next time on Endangered Animals Overload!

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My name is Juniper Wolfe, and welcome to Endangered Animals Overload!

So far, we’ve discussed a lot of factors that affect our endangered species and cause some species to become endangered.  Things like invasive species, habitat loss, overexploitation, and ocean trash have all made the books.  Even the topic whether or not we should keep zoos was discussed.  It would be negligent of me to ignore an issue as giant and controversial as Climate Change.

Climate change is, according to NASA, caused by mostly human activities.  They state that, “Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels… has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂),” and that, “To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities has increased concentrations of greenhouse gases.”

Climate change means an increase in droughts that will threaten crops, animals, and people.  The oceans also will warm, melting ice caps and glaciers, increasing the sea level.  It goes without saying that this is a problem for penguins and polar bears.

Climate change poses a threat to a species, it’s habitats, people, and our livelihoods. A report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC), finds that many life-forms are moving north or into deeper waters to survive as their habitats change.  They’re also being forced to change their behaviors. For example, many birds are nesting, breeding, and migrating earlier because spring arrives sooner now than it has before.

There won’t be many survivors should this pattern continue.  The only animals equipped to face such changes are species who don’t require any specific temperature, food, or habitat.  This means animals like the Koala, who only thrive on Eucalyptus trees, don’t have a chance.  Animals like the American Pika have already gone extinct in many areas they used to thrive.  The Polar Bears also are heavily affected by climate change.  Their habitat is literally melting before their eyes.

American pika, Ochotona princeps, (c) William C. Gladish

Since most of climate change is caused by people, we can do something about it, however, it won’t be easy.  It would require some major lifestyle changes.

The first thing we can change is our mode of transportation.  Cars may only account for 15% of total emissions, but the average car produces 6 tons of carbon dioxide annually.  That’s a lot.  There are new modes of transportation, though, that can reduce those numbers dramatically or stop them all together, like electric and hybrid vehicles.  Electric cars have no tailpipe emissions while hybrids have very few emissions.

There is one detail most people overlook about Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, however.  Their electricity has to come from somewhere, and if one drives electric cars but lives far away from a direct energy source, that energy source has to come to them.  Then, it emits as many toxins as a normal car.  Therefore, they wouldn’t exactly be doing any favors to the environment.  If they do live near an electricity source, Electric Vehicles are the best thing since sliced bread!

Other things we can do are simple things, like changing to more energy-efficient light bulbs.  Not only will this save the environment, but it’ll save money too!  Look for an Energy Star label when buying new appliances: this ensures that you get the most energy-efficient appliances out there, and with good quality.  You can wash clothes in cold or warm water instead of hot, or winterize your home to prevent heat from escaping.  Idealistically, if everyone did these things, climate change itself could go extinct.

Thanks for reading, and until next time on Endangered Animals Overload!

Thanks for joining me!

My name is Juniper Wolfe, and welcome to Endangered Animals Overload!

Last week, we talked about Habitat Loss; one of the biggest threats to biodiversity.  But I believe there is another threat just as deadly; Invasive Species.  Invasive Species are a plant or an animal introduced into an area where it’s not native, resulting in the species ‘taking over’ the area.

But why, exactly, are invasive species so terrible?  It all has to do with the food chain.  A new species in a new place will not have any natural predators.  There’s nothing to cut back the numbers, especially as these plants or animals reproduce.  Then, they have to compete with the native species for their food, shelter, and water sources.  Sometimes, the native species are the food.  Because of this, the native animals are often driven to new locations or extinction.

According to National Geographic, some of the species that have gone extinct due to invasions include the Yunnan Lake Newt, which went extinct in China in 1979 due to exotic fish and frogs in their habitats; the Hawaiian Thrush, which went extinct by 1985 due to invasive predators; and the Guam Broadbill, a bird that went extinct when the brown tree snake was introduced to its habitat in 1983.  Keeping invasive species from destroying native species is an extremely important step in the conservation of life on our planet.

A great example of how devastating an invasive species can be is a plant species called Kudzu.  Kudzu has found its way to America and dug its claws deep into the south.  It can thrive in a lot of different weather and soil conditions, and chokes the life out of entire forests when given the chance.  There are entire hills in Tennessee that once were covered in trees, native ivys, and grasses, but now have been smothered by Kudzu.

Invasive species are often spread by human activities, most times unintentionally. People and the goods we use travel around the world very quickly, and they often carry uninvited species with them.  Ships can carry organisms in their ballast water, or water carried in the ship’s tank, while smaller boats may carry them on their propellers.  Insects can get into wood, shipping pallets, and crates that are shipped around the world.  Some ornamental plants kept in gardens can escape into the wild and become invasive.  Some invasive species are accidentally or intentionally released pets.  For example, Burmese pythons, a common exotic pet, are becoming a big problem in the Everglades.

The only thing we can do to help prevent invasive species taking over is to prevent invasive species coming in.  For example, we could check our boats for invasive species, like the Zebra Mussel.  We can keep a sharp eye out for our exotic pets, and be sure to never simply release them.  If you own a garden, you could plant native species where they belong, instead of planting exotic species wherever they could possibly grow.

We should learn to identify any invasive species, and report any seen to your county extension agent or local land manager.  Regularly clean your boots, gear, boat, tires, and any other equipment you use outdoors to remove insects and plant parts that may be harboring an invasive species.

When camping, buy firewood near your campsite (within 30 miles) instead of bringing your own from home, and leave any extra for the next campers.  Insects and plants can easily hitch a ride on firewood you haul to or from a campsite—you could inadvertently harbor stowaways!

Thanks for reading, and until next time on Endangered Animals Overload!

Thanks for joining me!

My name is Juniper Wolfe, and welcome to Endangered Animals Overload!

Most threats to Endangered Animals stem from human activities; like hunting, trash in the oceans, “zoothanasia” (or putting animals down in zoos), and especially things like habitat loss.

There is simply no denying that some habitat loss occurs naturally; like when a volcano erupts and covers the previously green lands in black rock and ash.  Things like wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and desertification occur naturally and destroy the habitats of endangered species.

However, about half the world’s tropical forests have been cleared by humans, not natural causes.  Those forests alone cover 31% of the entire world.  That being taken into account, that means that in 2016, we’ve lost 73.4 million acres of forests to deforestation.  73.4 million acres that animals could have been living in; that entire species could have been living in.

Because over 80% of the earth’s land animals live in forests or jungles, it’s incredibly alarming that deforestation (which specifically targets forests and jungles) destroys 18.7 million acres of forests annually, equivalent to 27 soccer fields every minute.

In fact, if current deforestation levels proceed, the world’s rainforests may completely vanish in as little as 100 years, according to National Geographic.  Can you imagine your grandchildren or great grandchildren learning about rainforests through a history book?  Or can you better imagine those history books teaching about tigers, jaguars, orangutans, gorillas, and every other animal that lived in those jungles we so carelessly chopped down?

Not only is deforestation devastating for the animals that live there, but people as well.  Trees are important to the water cycle, and even lessens the pollution in water.  The trees also prevent soil erosion, which in turn prevents silt entering lakes and streams and contributing to an area’s poor health.

Many native tribes live in the rainforests of the world, and their destruction is the destruction of these peoples’ homes and way of life. For example, the film “Under the Canopy” takes a look at the Amazon rainforest and the people who live there, including an indigenous guide named Kamanja Panashekung. “Kamanja’s community is one of over 350 indigenous communities throughout Amazonia that depend on the rainforest, as we all do, for the air we breathe and the water we drink,” M. Sanjayan, Conservation International’s executive vice president and senior scientist, said in a statement.

Fortunately, just like the ocean’s trash, this is entirely within our controls.

Most would believe that just planting more trees would alleviate the problem.  While it would certainly help and I strongly encourage it, it doesn’t fix all of the problems deforestation causes.  Therefore, there are additional precautions we can take to limit what we have to cut down, and to replenish what has already been destroyed.

Things we can do to slow deforestation down is to limit our use of paper products.  We can recycle, reduce our use of tree oils (such as palm oil), or buy recycled products.  Another, and really cool, way to help decelerate the amount of deforestation is to look for a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification on wood and wood products.  The FSC and Councils like it are working to make sure that our use of recycled products is maximized so that our need for more resources is minimalized.  Looking for such labels ensures you also don’t buy anything that was illegally logged.

Through planting trees, these additional efforts, and simply being aware of the effects deforestation has on our planet and Endangered Species, deforestation could become a thing of the past.

Thanks for reading, and until next time on Endangered Animals Overload!

Thanks for joining me!

My name is Juniper Wolfe, and welcome to Endangered Animals Overload!

After going over the things that most concern our animals on land, it’s time for attention to be turned to our animals in the oceans.  What, then, is the biggest threat to oceanic animals? Unfortunately, the biggest threat is something completely within our control. The biggest threat to them is trash. 

It seems a little hard to think about unless you live right by an ocean, but ocean pollution has become such a threat to oceanic species that an estimated 700 Marine Species will go extinct from ocean trash if we don’t change our ways.

Every year, an estimated 14 billion pounds of trash is dumped into our oceans.  Personally, that’s 14 billion pounds too many.  To make matters worse, there’s no sign of those numbers decreasing.  In fact, by an estimate done by The Washington Post, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans.

Not only are plastics and trash incredibly harmful to sea creatures, but there are chemical or harmful substance spills as well.  A single oil spill in 2010, the BP oil spill, alone killed more than 82,000 birds, 6,000 sea turtles, 25,900 marine mammals, and harmed a number of fish so high that it wasn’t even counted.

There are far too many instances of marine life dying off in an area because there’s just too much trash or waste.

Fish, today, have a pretty hard life.  Imagine a colorful little Mandarin Fish swimming in the ocean, just peacefully passing by, flashing its bright orange and blue colors all around it.  But, the fish has a plastic bag caught on its tail.  Now, swimming is pretty hard.  When it’s hungry, it searches around for food, and with its little eyes, it sees a teeny something floating away.  It looks edible enough, so the fish goes for it.  Turns out, it was only a piece of paper from Mc. Donald’s that someone carelessly threw out into the waters.

The poor fish, then, goes hungry.  Our little fish just keeps swimming, bag on tail and paper in stomach.  But, our fish can’t see the old, ripped up translucent net a fisher cast off his boat weeks ago.  Our poor little fish friend is caught.

Yes, life today is hard for them, but it doesn’t have to be.  This is completely within our controls, it is just a matter of doing something.

What we can do to help creatures like our little fish are simple things, really.  Things like recycling plastics, recycling grocery bags or using reusable grocery bags.  We could avoid plastic disposable water bottles like the plague, and instead use reusable water bottles.  In fact, if the only thing we do is reduce our plastic water bottle usage, that cuts down on the bulk of the ocean trash.

For more ideas on how to cut down on ocean trash, visit this site.

Thanks for reading, and until next time on Endangered Animals Overload!

(WARNING: While I would love to only present the good, happy sides of Endangered Animals, the dark parts are there, too.  Some photos contain graphic scenes that may be disturbing for some viewers.  Viewer discretion is advised.)

Thanks for joining me!

My name is Juniper Wolfe, and welcome to Endangered Animals Overload!

Today in the Endangered Animals world, we are tackling head-on another immense and controversial issue: Hunting.  The truth is, all of us know someone who hunts, and know someone who despises it.

Hunting for food is a way for people to live, and a way people have lived for centuries.  I know me saying this seems strange.  Most animal activists would tell you to just go buy meat at the store, but then what does that solve?  Hunting, if played by the rules, gives the animal just as fair a chance as the human.  The same can’t be said for meat at the stores.

Why should I advocate against hunting when it’s store-bought meat that’s less humane?

The point that’s being made here is that hunting for food isn’t bad.  Hunting for food hasn’t ever driven an animal to extinction, because humans would only kill what they needed.  It’s animal killing contests and hunting for sport that drives species to the brink of extinction.

Animal killing contests lay waste to animals across the globe, endangered or not.  The point of these killing contests is that you kill the biggest or smallest or as many animals you can find to win some cash or a “title.” These animals aren’t being killed to be utilized, or to be eaten, or even because they’re ruining farm lands or threatening human life; but because they’re there.  There’s no need for the mass slaughter, excepting the fact that you might win a nice-sized trophy.  There is nothing less humane than that.

Hunting for sport isn’t much better.  In fact, the American Bison, once sacred to the native indians and numbering at around 100 million, were reduced down to only hundreds because of the systematic hunting for sport.  Again, nothing was taken or utilized of the bison but the tongues, to prove the hunt was successful.

Back in the 1800’s, when coal trains were new, many people would ride on trains until they came across a Bison herd.  Then, the doors would be thrown open, and guns would fire out, hitting as many Bison as they had rounds.  After the shots ended and most of the herd were dead or dying, a person would be sent out to collect the tongues, and tongues only; returning back to the trains and back to the city, leaving millions of Bison rotting in their wake.  Thankfully enough, due to conservation efforts, the Bison still roam.

It’s not so much the hunting that I dislike, but rather the immense waste of letting them rot.  What, then, did they die for?

There is a way we can prevent this, though.  A very simple way that really only requires numbers.  Wherever you live, a petition can go a long way.  Letters, like the samples in this link, provide a good, sound basis to send to whomever may be of authority near you.  Your opinion holds so much more power than you think.

Thanks for reading, and until next time on Endangered Animals Overload!

Thanks for joining me!

My name is Juniper Wolfe, and welcome to Endangered Animals Overload!

Today we’re continuing the topic of Endangered Animals near you.  More specifically, in zoos and aquariums.

Earlier this week I read a post about how dangerous and cruel zoos and aquariums are.  It stated the opinion that these places and all those like it should be shut down completely.  Zoos and aquariums are a controversial issue and the time for this concern, I feel, is now.  There’s no question that there are some zoos out there that neglect and abuse their animals, however, shutting them down isn’t the answer.  What those zoos need now is a reform.

A negative side to zoos is that animals can suffer.  In a study of zoos done by the University of Bristol, they found that elephants in captivity were less healthy and died sooner than their wilder counterparts.  Additional studies in Dolphins and Orcas have shown that living in captivity decreases their mental stability.

Animals kept in zoos have a serious lack of privacy; and no amount of pretty murals on the walls can deflect the confinement and stress of living to be display pieces.  They have no physical or mental exercise in those small spaces and are often unhealthy.

Then there’s the issue of the zoos’ breeding programs.  The records all show that people love to see baby animals.  To increase interest and to turn a better profit, zoos will breed animals just for the sake of having a cute little baby to lure people in, even if they can’t afford to keep it.  Because of this, older animals and often the cute baby itself are sold off or even destroyed.

Zoos were made as entertainment, and for some zoos that’s all those animals are; a source of entertainment.  No deed is too terrible so long as enough money is earned to pay your conscience.  But there are some zoos that were made for conservation efforts and the love of the animals. In fact, zoos on average spend over $160 million per year on conservation projects, and have saved 31 species from extinction.  Their good deeds shouldn’t be undone because some zoos need better guidance.  There is no doubt zoos have room to improve, however, closing them down isn’t the answer.

Truly, zoos educate people on animals they wouldn’t have otherwise known existed.  A nationwide study including more than 5,500 visitors from 12 institutions found that visits to zoos or aquariums prompted individuals to reconsider their roles in environmental problems and to even see themselves as part of the solution.

As for animal cruelty at zoos, while it does happen, it’s not near as rampant as some would believe.  In fact, the most common victim of animal abuse are dogs with over 70% of all animal abuse cases.  Cats are an estimated 21%, with only 24% reserved for the rest of the animals on earth.

Another argument heard all the time is that, “If you want to see exotic animals, you should see them in the wild!”  However, for 30%-35% of America, a trip to Africa is out of the question.  For roughly 50% of us, a zoo will be as close as we can get.

The animals do suffer from the strain of mental captivity, however it can be combated by only keeping captive-bred animals and providing proper simulations and larger enclosures.

We need to fight to keep our zoos, because without them, less and less people will care about endangered species.  Regardless if you love zoos or hate them, they are necessary.  Without zoos, the animals inside would be forgotten.

Thanks for reading, and until next time on Endangered Animals Overload!