INTRODUCTION

Wildlife protection is the practice of protecting wild plant and animal species and their habitats.
The goal of wildlife conservation is to ensure that nature will be around for future generations to
enjoy and also to recognize the importance of wildlife and wilderness for humans and other
species alike. Many nations have government agencies and NGO's dedicated to wildlife
conservation, which help to implement policies designed to protect wildlife. Numerous
independent non-profit organizations also promote various wildlife conservation causes.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, wildlife in the United States gets a majority of
their funding through appropriations from the federal budget, annual federal and state grants, and
financial efforts from programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve
Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. Furthermore, a substantial amount of funding
comes from the state through the sale of hunting/fishing licenses, game tags, stamps, and excise
taxes from the purchase of hunting equipment and ammunition, which collects around $200
million annually.
Wildlife conservation has become an increasingly important practice due to the negative effects
of human activity on wildlife. An endangered species is defined as a population of a living
species that is in the danger of becoming extinct because of several reasons.Some of The reasons
can be, that 1. the species have a very low population, or 2. they are threatened by the varying
environmental or prepositional parameters.

WHY WILDLIFE MATTERS

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Biodiversity
Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in any given area. Humans have identified 1.7 million
species (groups of living organisms that interbreed) but estimates of total number of species on
the planet go up to 100 million. Tropical rainforests contain the most biodiversity, and
invertebrates (animals without backbones) comprise half of the worlds identified species.
Biodiversity makes extinction by disease less likely, as a more diverse population is likelier to
adapt and rebound from challenges.
Legal Protections
In the US, the Endangered Species Act designates threatened and endangered species and sets up
programs to protect their habitats. Globally, the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) unites the international community in
protecting endangered species from human exploitation. These laws and others like them
recognize the value of wildlife and represent important steps towards protecting biodiversity.
Human Impacts
Because of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all the species in an
ecosystem, the elimination of just one can have drastic and
sudden effects on those remaining. There are five known
mass extinctions in the earth's long history and many scientists
say that humans are creating the sixth mass extinction today.

This

mass extinction is happening through the legal and illegal

trade

at-risk species, expanding cities which destroy habitats, and

human-driven

climate change. These changes are happening so rapidly that many

in

animals cannot adapt.

WHAT WE CAN DO
Everyone can and should join the action to protect wildlife. Here are a few suggestions how:

Recycling and reducing energy consumption. Recycling helps protect wildlife in two
ways. Firstly, it reduces waste pollution and secondly, it reduces the pressure on natural
resources which helps prevent further destruction of wildlife habitat that is one of the
main threats to biodiversity. Reduced energy consumption and utilisation of renewable
energy resources, on the other hand, reduce the levels of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gas emissions. These are warming the planet and changing the climate which
could trigger mass extinction of species if not reversed.

Avoiding herbicides and pesticides. Besides uncontrolled human interventions in the

environment and increased energy consumption, chemicals such as herbicides and
pesticides are posing the greatest threat to wildlife species. They are used in large
quantities in agriculture and effectively protect the crops from pests and diseases.
However, they are extremely toxic to wildlife, especially insects although some are toxic
enough to kill small mammals and birds. Their use should therefore be strictly avoided in
the gardens and ideally, in crop production as well.

Buying wildlife-friendly products. Organically produced food, furniture that is made

from ethically sourced wood, clothing that is made from eco-friendly fabrics, products
from recycled materials, etc. all help preserve wildlife either directly or indirectly by
preserving their habitat.

Creating wildlife habitat in the garden or backyard. Bird and bat boxes, bug houses,
bird feeders, bee boxes, planting wild flowers, etc. will be appreciated by wildlife
species. And by moving in or visiting the garden more often, they will also help keep the
garden pests at bay, pollinate fruit trees and vegetables, and delight children with their
presence.

Driving carefully in the countryside. About 1 million animals excluding insects are
killed every year on the British roads. So drive carefully, especially when driving in the
countryside and unpopulated areas.
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Joining a wildlife conservation organisation. Many organisations that are working

concretely on conservation of wildlife depend on volunteers to carry out their
programmes and activities. They are happy to welcome every new pair of hands and ideas
on how to make the coexistence between wildlife species and humans more harmonious.

CONCLUSION
The Earth is home to millions of plant and animal species, many of which, however, are
threatened with extinction. Loss of wildlife is closely related to the loss of biodiversity which
affects the health of our planet as a whole. In addition, biodiversity plays the key role in human
survival and quality of life both directly and indirectly through forming a core of the global
economy.