Preface

A science assessment reviews the state of knowledge on a particular issue or topic in order to
identify implications for policy and for further research. In 1992, the issue of biodiversity
conservation floated to the surface of the Canadian government's policy agenda, with the Prime
Minister taking a leading role in achieving international agreement on the Convention on
Biological Diversity at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio
de Janeiro.

The Convention on Biological Diversity has three objectives: conservation of biological

diversity, sustainable use of its components, and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising
from the use of genetic resources. It calls for the creation of national strategies to attain these
objectives.

We have covered all about the biodiversity and the endanger species which have been listed in
the Indian endanger species and the reason of threats of biodiversity. The detail given here are
the statistics of year 2000.

1
 Acknowledgement

We thankful to the madam MRS.RADHARANI who has made us understand about what the
biodiversity is? She made us understand about how to present the report and the area to be
covered. We were guided for making the presentation and format of making the presentation.

We are also thankful to all your friends who helped us to collect the information about the
environment and made us realized about the endanger species. We are even thankful to
Microsoft for providing Microsoft word and PowerPoint which helped us to make our report and
presentation slides.

Summary
2
Biodiversity is the total richness of biological variation which is result of genetic diversity. The
scope of biodiversity ranges from the genetic variation of individual organisms within and
among populations of a species to different species existing together in ecological communities.
Definitions of biodiversity may also include spatial patterns and time related (temporal)
dynamics of populations and communities on the landscape. The geographical scales at which
biodiversity can be considered range from local to regional, state or provincial, national,
continental, and ultimately to global. Biodiversity is valuable for several reasons. First,
biodiversity has its own intrinsic value, regardless of its worth in terms of human needs. As such,
ethical arguments exist regarding the loss of biodiversity. Scholars and the lay public alike
debate the issues surround whether humans have the right to diminish or exterminate elements of
biodiversity, all of which are unique and irretrievable. There are profound philosophical and
practical question as to what extent the quality of human existence is diminished by these losses.

In addition to its intrinsic value, biodiversity offers a great deal of utilitarian value. Humans have
a requirement for the products of other species and exploit wild and domesticated species and
their communities to provide food, materials, energy, and services. In the United States, for
example, about one-quarter of prescription drugs have active ingredients obtained from higher
plants, and these uses contribute approximately $40 billion per year to the worldwide economy.
Biodiversity also provides extensive ecological services that are directly or indirectly important
to human welfare. These include biological productivity, nutrient cycling, the cleansing of water
and air pollutants, erosion control, provision of atmospheric oxygen, removal of carbon dioxide,
and other functions related to the integrity of ecosystems.

Threats to the biodiversity means effect to the entire world lack of goods which are obtained
from the biodiversity will not be able to obtained so it is necessary to learn how to conserve
biodiversity which will help to preserve endangered species. If those species are not made to
grow then they will not exist in this world.

Table of content

3
 Content Page
No.

Preface 01

Acknowledgement 02

Summary 03

Table of content 04

Introduction 05

Threats of biodiversity 07

Protecting and restoring biodiversity 13

Placement and Design of Nature Reserves 16

Poaching: Wildlife Criminals in our Back Yards 21

Conclusion 27

References 28

4
 1. Introduction

Biodiversity

The worst thing that can happen during the 1980s is not energy depletion, economic collapse,
limited nuclear war, or conquest by a totalitarian government. As terrible as these catastrophes
would be for us, they can be repaired within a few generations. The one process ongoing in the
1980s that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by
the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly that our descendents are least likely to
forgive us.

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

--E.O. Wilson, 1985

In its narrowest sense this term refers to the number of species on the planet, and it also is
used more broadly as an umbrella term. Biological diversity refers to the variety and
variability among living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur.
Diversity can be defined as the number of different items and their relative frequency. For
biological diversity, these items are organized at many levels, ranging from complete
ecosystems to the chemical structures that are the molecular basis of heredity. Thus, the term
encompasses different ecosystems, species, genes, and their relative abundance (Office of
Technology Assessment, 1987). Or to paraphrase: biodiversity is the number and variety of
species, ecological systems, and the genetic variability they contain.

Our estimates of the number of unknown species greatly exceed our count of the number of
known species. Most experts estimate the world's species diversity at 10 to 30 million, but that
is very approximate. Fewer than 2 million species are "known to science"--meaning that they
have been classified by a specialist. Most published accounts put the number of known species
at 1.4 million, but it may be approaching 1.8 million at this writing, due to the progress of
science. The estimates of 10 to 30 million species are based on expert opinion of how many
species are yet to be formally identified. One study of insects in the forest canopy found five out

5
of six to be new species. Even vertebrates are not completely known--it is estimated that nearly
half of the freshwater fishes of South America are undescribed. New finds are made
continuously in the tropics, and exploration of deep-sea hydrothermal vents recently led to the
discovery not just of new species, but of new life forms at the family level (20 families or sub-
families). When you consider that virtually every species has its own parasite, and how many
groups such as nematodes and bacteria have yet to be well-studied, it is apparent that the
estimates of 10 to 30 million are not out of line.

The global distribution of biodiversity--its geography--is interesting in its own right, and
relevant to conservation. Biological diversity is greatest near the equator, and declines toward
higher latitudes. Tropical rain forests are especially known for their exceptional diversity. Some
locations, known as "hotspots," harbor an unusually rich local diversity, perhaps because
conditions there favored evolutionary diversification.

The global distribution of biodiversity--its geography--is interesting in its own right, and
relevant to conservation. Biological diversity is greatest near the equator, and declines toward
higher latitudes. Tropical rain forests are especially known for their exceptional diversity. Some
locations, known as "hotspots," harbor an unusually rich local diversity, perhaps because
conditions there favored evolutionary diversification.

2. Threats of Biodiversity

Extinction is a natural event and, from a geological perspective, routine. We now know that
most species that have ever lived have gone extinct. The average rate over the past 200 million
years is 1-2 species per million species present per year. The average duration of a species is 1-
10 million years (based on the last 200 million years). There have also been several episodes of

6
mass extinction, when many taxa representing a wide array of life forms have gone extinct in
the same blink of geological time.

In the modern era, due to human actions, species and ecosystems are threatened with destruction
to an extent rarely seen in Earth history. Probably only during the handful of mass extinction
events have so many species been threatened, in so short a time.

HUMAN ACTIONS THREATENING BIODIVERSITY.

There are many ways to conceive of these; let's consider two.

FIRST, we can attribute the loss of species and ecosystems to the accelerating transformation
of the Earth by a growing human population. As the human population passes the 6 billion
mark, we have transformed, degraded or destroyed roughly half of the world's forests. We
appropriate roughly half of the world's net primary productivity for human use. We appropriate
most available fresh water, and we harvest virtually all of the available productivity of the
oceans. It is little wonder that species are disappearing and ecosystems are being destroyed.
Reduction of animal habitats and the
introduction of non-native species are
two of the greatest human factors that
increase species loss.

World Conservation Monitoring Centre

SECOND, we can examine six specific types of human actions that threaten species and
ecosystems--the "sinister sextet."

Over-hunting
Over-hunting has been a significant cause of the extinction of hundreds of species and the
endangerment of many more, such as whales and many African large mammals. Most

7
extinctions over the past several hundred years are mainly due to over-harvesting for food,
fashion, and profit. Commercial hunting, both legal and illegal (poaching), is the principal
threat. The snowy egret, passenger pigeon, and heath hen are US examples. At US $16,000 per
pound, and US $40,000 to US $100,000 per horn, it is little wonder that some rhino species are
down to only a few thousand individuals, with only a slim hope of survival in the wild. The
recent expansion of road networks into previously remote tropical forests enables the bush meat
trade, resulting in what some conservationists describe as "empty forests" as more and more
wild animals are shot for food.

The pet and decorative plant trade falls within this commercial hunting category, and
includes a mix of legal and illegal activities. The annual trade is estimated to be at least US
$5 billion, with perhaps one-quarter to one-third of it illegal. Sport or recreational hunting
causes no endangerment of species where it is well regulated, and may help to bring back a
species from the edge of extinction. Many wildlife managers view sport hunting as the principal
basis for protection of wildlife.

While over-hunting, particularly illegal poaching remains a serious threat to certain species, for
the future, it is globally less important than other factors mentioned next.

Habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation

Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation are important causes of known extinctions. As
deforestation proceeds in tropical forests, this promises to become the main cause of mass
extinctions caused by human activity. All species have specific food and habitat needs. The
more specific these needs and localized the habitat, the greater the vulnerability of species to
loss of habitat to agricultural land, livestock, roads and cities. In the future, the only species that
survive are likely to be those whose habitats are highly protected, or whose habitat corresponds
to the degraded state associated with human activity (human commences).Habitat damage,
especially the conversion of forested land to agriculture (and, often, subsequent abandonment as
marginal land), has a long human history. It began in China about 4,000 years ago, was largely
completed in Europe by about 400 years ago, and swept across the US over the past 200 years
or so. Viewed in this historical context, we are now mopping up the last forests of the Pacific
Northwest.

In the New World tropics, lowland, seasonal, deciduous forests began to disappear after 1500

8
with Spanish and Portuguese colonization of the New World. These were the forested regions
most easily converted to agriculture, and with a more welcoming climate. The more forbidding,
tropical humid forests came under attack mainly in twentieth century, under the combined
influences of population growth, inequitable land and income distribution, and development
policies that targeted rain forests as the new frontier to colonize.

Tropical forests are so important because they harbor at least 50 percent, and perhaps more, of
the world's biodiversity. Direct observations, reinforced by satellite data, document that these
forests are declining. The original extent of tropical rain forests was 15 million square km. Now
there remains about 7.5-8 million square km, so half is gone. The current rate of loss is
estimated at near 2 percent annually (100,000 square km destroyed, another 100,000 square km
degraded). While there is uncertainty regarding the rate of loss, and what it will be in future, the
likelihood is that tropical forests will be reduced to 10-25 percent of their original extent by late
twenty-first century.

Habitat fragmentation is a further aspect of habitat loss that often goes unrecognized. The forest,
meadow, or other habitat that remains generally is in small, isolated bits rather than in large,
intact units. Each is a tiny island that can at best maintain a very small population.
Environmental fluctuations, disease, and other chance factors make such small isolates highly
vulnerable to extinction. Any species that requires a large home range, such as a grizzly bear,
will not survive if the area is too small. Finally, we know that small land units are strongly
affected by their surroundings, in terms of climate, dispersing species, etc. As a consequence,
the ecology of a small isolate may differ from that of a similar ecosystem on a larger scale.

For the future, habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation combined is the single most
important factor in the projected extinction crisis.

Invasion of non-native species

Invasion of non-native species is an important and often overlooked cause of extinctions. The
African Great Lakes--Victoria, Malawi and Tanganyika--are famous for their great diversity of
endemic species, termed "species flocks," of cichlid fishes. In Lake Victoria, a single, exotic
species, the Nile Perch, has become established and may cause the extinction of most of the
native species, by simply eating them all. It was a purposeful introduction for subsistence and
sports fishing, and a great disaster.

9
Of all documented extinctions since 1600, introduced species appear to have played a role in at
least half. The clue is the disproportionate number of species lost from islands: some 93 percent
of 30 documented extinctions of species and sub-species of amphibians and reptiles, 93 percent
of 176 species and sub-species of land and freshwater birds, but only 27 percent of 114 species
and subspecies of mammals. Why are island species so vulnerable and why is this evidence of
the role of non-indigenous species? Islands are laboratories for evolution.

Domino effects

Domino effects occur when the removal of one species (an extinction event) or the addition of
one species (an invasion event) affects the entire biological system. Domino effects are
especially likely when two or more species are highly interdependent, or when the affected
species is a "keystone" species, meaning that it has strong connections to many other species.

A keystone species is one whose influence on others is disproportionately great. A seminal

study of marine invertebrates in the rocky intertidal region of Washington State found that the
top predator, a starfish, facilitated the coexistence of many other invertebrates by selectively
consuming mussels, which otherwise would crowd out other organisms. Thus a keystone
species is one whose presence or absence both directly and indirectly influences other species
through food web connectivity. Contrary to what some may think, not all species are
"keystones", and it requires careful experimental studies to identify keystone species.

Pollution
Pollution from chemical contaminants certainly poses a further threat to species and ecosystems.
While not commonly a cause of extinction, it likely can be for species whose range is extremely
small, and threatened by contamination. Several species of desert pupfish, occurring in small
isolated pools in the US Southwest, are examples.

Climate
A changing global climate threatens species and ecosystems. The distribution of species
(biogeography) is largely determined by climate, as is the distribution of ecosystems and plant
vegetation zones (biomes). Climate change may simply shift these distributions but, for a
number of reasons, plants and animals may not be able to adjust. The pace of climate change
almost certainly will be more rapid than most plants are able to migrate.

10
The presence of roads, cities, and other barriers associated with human presence may
provide no opportunity for distributional shifts. Parks and nature reserves are fixed
locations. The climate that characterizes present-day Yellowstone Park will shift several
hundred miles northward. The park itself is a fixed location. For these reasons, some species
and ecosystems are likely to be eliminated by climate change. Mountaintop species are
especially vulnerable. The plants and animals found on high mountains of the American West
include many remnants of a Pleistocene fauna that long ago was displaced toward the arctic, or
upslope. With further warming, many of these mountaintop species likely will be eliminated.

A changing climate will have many other effects. The southern extent of the Everglades, today
the site of the most ambitious and expensive restoration project ever undertaken, may be
underwater, along with significant areas of human habitation. Agricultural production likely
will show regional variation in gains and losses, depending upon crops and climate. Some coral
reefs will expand, and others will contract or die off. Ecological changes due to an altered
climate are difficult to forecast, but expected to be serious.

As a consequence of these multiple forces, many scientists fear that by end of next century,
perhaps 25 percent of existing species will be lost.

3. PROTECTING AND RESTORING BIODIVERSITY

We must make every effort to preserve, conserve, and manage biodiversity. Protected areas,
from large wilderness reserves to small sites for particular species, and reserves for controlled
uses, will all be part of this process. Such systems of protected areas must be managed to take
account of a range of ecological and human-induced changes. This is no small task; yet humans

11
must be equal to this challenge, or risk becoming irrelevant.
--Peter Bridgewater, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Australia

Many species and ecosystems will disappear over the next century. However, starting with
recognizing the problem, and then identifying management objectives, much can be done to
alleviate this trend. A sound strategy would emphasize improving our management of existing
protected land, and strategically adding new protected areas. Ecological systems have
considerable potential to recover if appropriate restoration measures are taken. Ultimately we
wish to manage populations and ecosystems sustainably, so that they may be utilized and
enjoyed by future generations. These are the goals of science-based management.

Extent of protected areas

The World Resources Institute estimates that there are 8,163 protected areas worldwide,
managed for various objectives ranging from strict nature protection to controlled harvesting.
They cover 750 million hectares (1 hectare = 2.5 acres) of marine and terrestrial ecosystems,
which is about 1.5 percent of the Earth's surface, and 5.1 percent of national land area. In many
developing countries, the existence of protected areas creates conflicts for local people, who
may depend upon that area for their subsistence. Often, enforcement of laws protecting parks is
minimal.

The map below, created by the World Resources Institute and the World Conservation
Monitoring Centre, reflects the global variation in land protection.

12
World Conservation Monitoring Centre, World Resources Institute
This map represents the percent of protected areas in the world in 1993. Today, the amount of protected land is on the increase.

Protection of biodiversity requires a network of reserves, including some large enough to

protect many species and wide-ranging species, located where appropriate habitat exists, and
protected from exploitation. Due to growing awareness, the amount of protected land is
increasing. However, it is unlikely to ever exceed 10 percent of the Earth's land surface, and
even that amount may be optimistic. Nonetheless, parks and sanctuaries can be very effective,
protecting a significant fraction of an area's wildlife. Protected lands receive different levels of
protection. Some lands are highly protected as nature reserves, others as scenic areas, and still
others provide for multiple uses, including resource extraction.

IUCN World Conservation Union Protected Area Categories Based on Management Purpose
(from the World Resources Institute):

• Category I. Strict Protection: Sometimes called strict nature reserve/wilderness

areas. Protected areas managed mainly for science or wilderness protection. Generally
smaller areas where the preservation of important natural values with minimum human
disturbance are emphasized.

13
• Category II. Ecosystem Conservation and Tourism: Sometimes called national parks.
Generally larger areas with a range of outstanding features and ecosystems that people
may visit for education, recreation, and inspiration as long as they do not threaten the
area's values.

• Category III. Conservation of Natural Features: Sometimes called natural monuments.

Similar to National Parks, but usually smaller areas protecting a single spectacular
natural feature or historic site.

• Category IV. Conservation Through Active Management: Sometimes called habitat and
wildlife (species) management areas. Areas managed to protect and utilize wildlife
species.

• Category V. Landscape/Seascape Conservation and Recreation: Sometimes called

protected landscapes/seascapes.

• Category VI. Sustainable Use of Natural Ecosystems: Sometimes called managed

resource protected areas. Protected areas managed mainly for the sustainable use of
natural ecosystems.

1. Placement and Design of Nature Reserves

Where to concentrate one's efforts is a critical issue facing conservation groups and government
agencies. The uniqueness of an ecosystem, the number of species, especially endemic species
(species found only in that area) it supports, and the imminence of the threats to its survival all play a
role in the targeting of conservation activities. The World Wildlife Fund has identified 25

14
ecosystems around the world for highest priority.

The size and placement of existing protected areas around the world is determined by many factors,
and not necessarily primarily by conservation needs. Many are located in remote and unproductive
lands, or in areas of great scenic beauty, or as a result of a conservation-minded national leader,
philanthropist, or member of royalty. Some are in logged-over areas, and are only beginning to
recover to their original splendor. A map of US wilderness areas is a useful reminder that only a few
percent of rivers and total land area, at most, are protected. In the US, there is more protected land in
the West, partly due to its scenic beauty, but partly because much of this area is less productive.

At least until recently, the system of protected areas

has been almost entirely haphazard. Gap analysis is a
new approach based on mapping of vegetation,
animals (usually terrestrial vertebrates) and land
ownership in order to identify gaps in the network of
parks, reserves, and public lands that hopefully protect
the biodiversity they contain.

Gap analysis relies on three primary data layers.

These are:

1. The distribution of actual vegetation types,

delineated from satellite imagery.

2. The distribution of terrestrial vertebrates,

predicted from the vegetation distribution by
associating individual species with the vegetation
that characterizes their habitat.

3. The distribution of land ownership.

The process can be as simple as placing layers of

transparent mylar over a base map, such as a
topographic map, and tracing the information onto
separate layers of transparencies. The first gap
analysis looked at the distribution of three species of
endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers (forest birds) on

15
the island of Hawaii. It was possible to see the distribution of each bird species, and also locations
where all three species coincided. Logically, these areas would be conservation priorities. Although
the island had a number of nature reserves, none overlapped the birds' distributions. These maps
determined the site for a new reserve.

Extending this approach to a large scale depends on computer mapping of satellite images. Landsat
TM (thematic mapper) or other remotely sensed imagery may be used to construct vegetation maps.
Landsat TM receives seven spectral bands of reflected infrared light, in individual cells or pixels of
30m x 30m. Image classification uses those spectral data to develop a map of vegetation classes,
which is compared to ground measurements to improve accuracy. The resulting vegetation map is
geo-referenced, meaning that every location has a latitude and longitude or some other X-Y grid
location.

Specialized computer software, along with these spatial data and other information, make up a
Geographic Information System (GIS).

Using these data layers and a GIS, one can ask:

• What fraction of threatened species occurs within existing reserves?

• What fraction of each major vegetation type falls within existing reserves?

• Are areas of highest species richness found within existing reserves?

• Are areas of high endemism found within existing reserves?

This map of the distribution of a desert reptile, the gila monster, shows that its distribution falls
mainly outside protected land areas.

16
 USGS Gap Analysis Program
Distribution of Gila monster and protected areas.

Design of nature reserves

Many factors influence the design as well as the placement of nature reserves. These include the specific
habitat needs of species, the climate/soil/spatial requirements of ecosystems that one wishes to protect, and
possible conflicts with human use of the target location. We will focus on some biological issues.

Reserves must be of sufficient size to maintain "large enough" populations of all "important species."

• What is large enough? This depends on the species of course. But as a general rule of thumb, a
minimum "viable population" contains at least several hundred reproductive individuals. Several
thousand is more desirable. A reserve should be large enough to preserve a viable population of the
most wide-ranging species found therein.

• What are the important species? The answer to this question will vary. (Perhaps, all species?)
But species of conservation concern (rare, endangered), keystone species and economically
important species should certainly be considered.

Reserves should protect at least several populations, with a metapopulation structure. A metapopulation is

17
a "population of populations," or set of subpopulations that are spatially distinct, but have some migration
between them. Over a time span of a hundred years or more, a single population might experience
catastrophic bad luck--a storm, fire, disease outbreak, etc. The existence of multiple populations, with
limited dispersal and genetic exchange, provides insurance for the survival of the population as a whole,
while maintaining genetic diversity.

• Reserve design can encourage natural migration through the use of corridors and stepping-stones
for connectivity.

• Individual plants and animals can be physically transferred if necessary.

Reserves should also minimize edge and fragmentation effects.

• Round shapes, which minimize edge, should be favored over elongated shapes, which maximize
edge.

• Internal fragmentation of a reserve due to logging, farming, roads, power lines, etc., should be
avoided.

• Small areas can often be aggregated to create larger conservation blocks by including surrounding
land, even if some areas are given lower conservation priority. This can create a land mosaic
containing areas of varying conservation status, but under integrated management.

• Entire ecosystems should be incorporated if possible.

Reserves should consciously include the matrix of unprotected land in which they are embedded. Non-
protected areas make up more than 95 percent of the landscape, so parks and sanctuaries necessarily exist
in a matrix of developed land. Species wander outside of parks routinely. Future climate change raises the
alarming likelihood that the entire flora and fauna of parks will migrate outside their current sanctuaries,
as the climate within the park boundaries becomes unsuitable.

Priorities for reserve management include:

• Forming partnerships with public (agencies) and private (citizens) landowners.

• Education of landowners and the general public.

• Establishment of mechanisms to resolve land-use conflicts.

18
 1. Poaching: Wildlife Criminals in our Back Yards
The word "poaching" immediately conjures thoughts of massive elephants in Africa killed to
have their tusks sawed off and then left to rot, but in the United States poaching is just as deadly
and brutal.

Wildlife officials estimate that for every wild animal killed legally—tens of millions of animals
per year—another is killed illegally. And with scarce wildlife enforcement resources and
countless acres of open land, only a scant few percent of poachers are caught and punished for
their crimes.

19
Poachers destroy wildlife for nothing but thrills, parts and trophies.

What is Poaching?

Poaching is a broad term that includes, but is not limited to, killing endangered and threatened
animals, killing animals out of their hunting season, using illegal weapons, killing animals on
closed land, or leading others to kill animals illegally as an unlicensed guide.

The callous details surrounding each poaching case are often chilling. In one Utah case, two
teenagers participating in a group training dogs to chase black bears. After the party dispersed,
the two youths shot the mother bear and two cubs who had taken refuge in a tree, and then left
the bears abandoned on the ground.

Why do Poachers Kill?

Poaching is described by wildlife officers as everything from an "addiction" to a money-making

industry.

Many poachers "thrill kill" animals to obtain a trophy for the wall. A poacher may kill a large elk
or deer, chop off the head and valuable antlers and then in a degrading act leave the rest of the
animal lying on the ground. Some stockpile the antlers or submit macabre photos depicting the
kill to magazines that glorify the killing of a trophy animal.

Increasingly, wildlife officers find that organized poaching rings are proliferating because many
of the poached animals can be traded in a lucrative black market. A set of big-horned sheep
antlers may go for tens of thousands of dollars, and poachers can sell bear gall bladders to China
where they are churned up for an herbal remedy.

“Some animal products (such as rhino horn and bear gall bladders) are literally worth more than
gold.”

20
The population of rhinos in Africa decreased from 830 down to 740 within the last year. This
statistic is even more startling when you take into account that records show that many of the
animals have been successfully reproducing both in captivity and in the wild.

The rhinos are killed for the large horn located on the front of their heads, the horns are then sold
to some Asian countries and used in traditional medicine, and they can also be carved for
decorations as many tribes around Africa customarily do.

WWF’s “9 to Watch in 2009” list:

1. Javan Rhinoceros

Population: Less than 60. Location: Indonesia and Vietnam.

This is probably the rarest large mammal species in the world and is critically endangered.
Poaching and pressure from a growing human population pose greatest risk to the two protected
areas where they live. WWF teams actively monitor these rhinos and protect them from
poachers.

2. Vaquita

Population: 150. Location: Upper Gulf of California, Mexico.

21
The world’s smallest and most endangered cetacean, this tiny porpoise is often killed in gillnets
and could soon be extinct. WWF is working with local fishermen, local and international non-
profits, and private sector and government officials on an unprecedented effort to save the
vaquita. This includes establishing a vaquita refuge, buying out gillnet fisheries and developing
vaquita-friendly fishing gear and other economic alternatives for the fishermen and their
families.

3. Cross River Gorilla

Population: 300. Location: Nigeria and Cameroon.

The few remaining forest patches of southeastern Nigeria and western Cameroon are home to the
recently discovered Cross River gorilla, a subspecies of the western gorilla. But as its forests are
opened up by timber companies, hunters move in. Conservation measures are urgently needed
for this beleaguered animal, which is probably the world’s rarest great ape. In Nigeria, the
Nigerian Conservation Foundation, a WWF Affiliate, is working with communities in the Cross
River National Park to help save the Cross River gorilla.

4. Sumatran Tiger

Population: 400-500. Location: Sumatra, Indonesia.

Accelerating deforestation and rampant poaching could push the Sumatran tiger to the same fate
as its now-extinct Javan and Balinese relatives in other parts of Indonesia. Tigers are poached for
their body parts, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine, while skins are also highly
prized. WWF is researching the Sumatran tiger population with camera traps, supports anti-
poaching patrols and works to reduce human-tiger conflict as the cats’ habitat shrinks. Through
the efforts of WWF and its partners, the Indonesian government in 2008 doubled the size of
Tesso Nilo National Park, a critical tiger habitat.

5. North Pacific Right Whale

Population: Unknown, but less than 500. Location: Northern Pacific, U.S., Russia and Japan.

The North Pacific right whale is one of the world’s rarest cetaceans, almost hunted to extinction
until the 1960s. It is rarely sighted and has a poor prognosis for survival due to collisions with
ships, entanglement in fishing nets and the prospect of offshore oil and gas development in
Alaska’s Bristol Bay. WWF is working to improve shipping safety to avoid collisions and trying
to prevent oil and gas development in Bristol Bay, the whale’s primary summer feeding ground.

22
6. Black-Footed Ferret

Population: 500 breeding adults. Location: Northern Great Plains, U.S. and Canada.

Found only in the Great Plains, it is one of the most endangered mammals in North America
because its primary prey, the prairie dog, has been nearly exterminated by ranchers who consider
it a nuisance. Few species have edged so close to extinction as the black-footed ferret and
recovered, but through captive breeding and reintroduction, there are signs the species is slowly
recovering. WWF has been working to save the black-footed ferret and the prairie dog
population upon which the ferrets depend.

7. Borneo Pygmy Elephant

Population: Perhaps fewer than 1,000. Location: Borneo, Malaysia.

These smallest of all elephants must compete with logging and agriculture for space in the
lowland forests of Borneo. WWF is working to ensure protection of the “Heart of Borneo” and
tracks the elephants through the use of satellite collars to learn more about these little-understood
elephants.

8. Giant Panda

Population: 1,600. Location: China.

An international symbol of conservation since WWF’s founding in 1961, the giant panda faces
an uncertain future. Its forest habitat in the mountainous areas of southwest China has become
fragmented, creating small and isolated populations. WWF has been active in giant panda
conservation for nearly three decades, conducting field studies, working to protect habitats and,
most recently, by providing assistance to the Chinese government in establishing a program to
protect the panda and its habitat through the creation of reserves.

9. Polar Bear

Population: 20,000-25,000. Location: Arctic.

The greatest risk to their survival today is climate change. Designated a threatened species by the
U.S., if warming trends in the Arctic continue at the current pace, polar bears will be vulnerable
to extinction within the next century. WWF is supporting field research to understand how
climate change will affect polar bears and to develop adaptation strategies. WWF also works to
protect critical polar bear habitat by working with government and industry to reduce threats
from shipping and oil and gas development in the region.

23
Many of the elephants were brought here because their mothers were killed by poachers, leaving

the babies because without tusks they have little if any value on the black market. The rest
became trapped in man-made objects such as wells or ditches, which eventually led to their
caregivers abandoning them.

2. Conclusion
Wildlife belongs to all people, but poachers step into America's wild backyard set to exploit
animals with the knowledge that they probably will not be caught.

But by state wildlife agencies sharing information on poachers and citizens taking our role as
stewards of wildlife seriously, we can stop these killers.

• Equip yourself with knowledge. Headed out to go hiking or bird-watching? Know your
state's wildlife regulations and hunting seasons so you can readily identify violations.

• If you see suspicious activity, don't try to confront the individual. First, get a description
of the poacher, the vehicle, and surrounding area.

24
• Second, call your state wildlife enforcement department immediately. Timeliness is
necessary to catch poachers.

• Find your state's poaching tip line.

1. References

25