ANIMALS IN DANGER

Perhaps the most famous rare animals is the panda. Twenty years ago it was nearly extinct. Now, its numbers are growing again. It's even become a symbol for wildlife conservation. But many other species have been less lucky than the panda. Sonic are already extinct. Today, many more are in serious danger. This is because man hunts them destroys and pollutes their habitat.

 

The Main problem Habitat

There is a serious habitat problem because :

• After pollution or destruction, habitats take many years (sometimes hundreds or even thousands) to grow again.
• Pollution and destruction change the balance of nature. Each species in a habitat (for example, wood, jungle, marsh or forest) needs and helps the rest. If one animal, bird or insect disappears, all the others suffer, too.

This is what's happening in the rainforests of South America, Africa and Asia. These are some of the world's oldest habitats. Or they were. Man is destroying an area of rainforest as big as Switzerland every year. But the problem doesn't stop there. Habitats and animals are disappearing in Europe, too. Since 1947 in Britain, for example...

• 50% oft he woods have disappeared.
• 50% of the marshes have disappeared.
• 95% of the meadows have disappeared. 

And what has taken the place of these green, natural places? Houses farms, cities, streets, roads and factories. Because of this (and pollution, too) several British species are dying. In fact scientists believe that 30 British animals, fish and birds may become extinct by the year 2000.The solution :

• protecting animals in danger by law
• opening more national parks
• building fewer new roads
• planting more new forests
• cutting pollution

The Hunting Problem

Man has always been a hunter. He still is. But many modern hunters don't just kill for food - they kill for profit. That's why so many rare and protected animals are still dying. Hunters like these are called poachers. In 1981 there were 15,000 black rhinos in Africa. Today, because of illegal hunting, that number is 4,500. In the 1970s there were 1.3 million African elephants. Today, because of poaching, there are under 85,000.In the I940s, 90% of skins and furs came from wild animals. Today that number is 15%. That's because most modern skins come from fur farms.
Fur Farm Facts:

• There are more than 2,000 in Scandinavia and 340 in Russia.
• They don't keep rare or protected animals.
• Fur farmers kill and sell over 34 million mink every year.
• Animals in fur farms live in good conditions and die without pain (the farmers give them an injection).

But what about the other 15% of furs? Well -these still come from wild animals. Hunters catch most oh them in traps. These are made of metal and are very sharp. Most animals caught in traps die very slowly. The USA traps over 20 million animals every year. The most popular furs are... mink, sable, fox, squirrel and lynx. These rare animals are all in danger because hunters kill them for their fur... snow leopard, jaguar, ocelot, indian tiger cat, lynx.
The solution : The fur trade argument.

• Stop the fur trade.
• It's wrong to keep wild animals in cages.
• It's wrong to kill animals for fashion and profit.
• It's wrong to kill wild animals in traps.
• It's wrong to sell the fur of rare, protected species.