Hayer

Amrit Hayer

Prof. Richardson

English 1201

March 24, 2019

Humans the cause of Endangered Species

I chose to write and research about endangered species because it has become a very

controversial topic in today's society. The topic of endangered species pops up on socials media

and other outlets more often these days due exotic creatures being affected. I also wanted to

know more about this topic because I became very interested in why these animals were

becoming endangered in the first place. As a child, I have always loved animals and they have

been a big part of my life. I have had multiple animals as pets like dogs, parrots, and even a

monkey though that was when I lived in India. I grew up caring for animals and took these

animals for granted for thinking that they would always be with me. One day, my parrot passed

and I was heartbroken thinking that I would never see that animal again but nowadays creatures

like these are becoming endangered or extinct so people will never see these species again and

the generations ahead of us will miss the luxuries of being able to witness these exotic creature if

they aren't saved. The main cause of species becoming endangered are due to human actions. So

endangered species need to be saved because if human actions have put them in this problem it

should be our responsibility to save them and endangerment of species could cause problems to

the food chain which would cause other species to die off. For my research paper, I will be
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discussing how humans have caused species to become endangered. I will be providing reasons

to species becoming endangered and reforms to help save the endangered species from becoming

extinct. People need to start being more careful before the creature we all knew growing up are

gone.

“An endangered species is any species of animal, plant, or other living thing that will

become extinct if nothing is done to stop the cause of its decline” (Ricciuti). Endangered species

has become a bigger topic today because popular animals like giraffes and rhinos are becoming

endangered. Endangered species have increased over the years due habitat loss, hunter, poachers,

and pollution. As you see many of these reasons are by human causes and these reasons continue

to grow as human population grows. Animals big and small are becoming endangered “like the

black rhinoceros and elephant of Africa” (Ricciuti) or “the little Moapa dace” (Ricciuti). Hunting

and poaching is a big cause because many of these exotic animals are killed and traded for

money which people keep as trophies. The biggest reason why these species become endangered

is habitat loss which happens when humans interfere and destroy animal habitats to build

buildings, parks, and other locations. Pollution also an another factor for why species become

endangered because pollution affects the the wildlife’s food and habitat to an extent where they

have to migrate to somewhere else.

The hunting and poaching plays a big part in endangered species becoming extinct.

Though these endangered species could just die in the wild by being attacked or eaten by other

animal but hunting can be more devastating because hunters kill more and more often. One

example of animal trading that goes on is with black-winged mynas “Fewer than 500
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black-winged mynas remain in the wild in Indonesia, but each year more of the songbirds are

captured and sold as pets” (New York Times). Animals can often be killed for sports like “in the

early 1800's, 2 billion passenger pigeons lived in the United States. Because they were

slaughtered for sport and food, by 1914 the last one had died in a zoo” (Ricciuti). Hunters also

kill animals for their skins like cheetahs, tigers, and other wild animals. With today's growing

fashion, many of these exotic animals are killed everyday which puts them at the brink of

extinction.

(Breyer).

Some species are seen as threats to community so government or hunters are paid to kill them

“wolves have been wiped out of most areas in which they lived because they sometimes prey on
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domestic animals” (Ricciuti). Animals also have been killed or wiped out because of their

dangerous history like in Central Asia, “people have killed the endangered snow leopard because

of its attacks on sheep and goats” (Ricciuti). This shows how hunting can affect these animals or

even animals that are already endangered.

Some animals aren’t even dangerous but “harmless species are, sadly, endangered

because of their threatening appearance or reputation, including several types of ​bats​, ​condors​,

non-poisonous ​snakes​, ​amphibians​, and lizards” (Freedman). Hunting and poaching can animals

towards the brink of extinction. One way to fix this problem would be to create laws that

penalize those who hunt these endangered species. Poachers can also affect animals that are on

the brink of extinction like poachers cut and steal the horns off rhinos because in different

countries it is considered a form of medicine. Once the horn is cut of the rhino’s head, it puts

them at a high risk of death which causes their risk of extinction “like elephants for their ivory

tusks and rhinos for their horn. The horn is sold at exorbitant prices as cures from everything

from hangovers to cancer” (Greentumble).

Another reason why humans are a big part in species becoming endangered is habitat

loss. Habitat loss is the destruction of natural shelter of the wildlife. Humans destroy natural

habitats to many animals to create buildings, homes, parks, and other sorts of building. The

destruction of their homes causes them to immigrate to a different region, which they’re not

adapted to. When these animals aren’t adapted to these new locations, they often die off due to

diseases or weather. There are many reasons why habitat loss is the biggest factor to putting

species on the endangered list and those are “Deforestation, agricultural spread, water extraction,
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mining and human migration have either destroyed the only habitats the species can survive in or

driven the species to a severely fragmented habitat” (Greentumble).

Habitat loss has always been the biggest cause of species becoming endangered because

the animals are forced to reside in a unsafe environment where they are unable to naturally

evolve. Many of the America’s biggest cities are places where many animals had previously

lived are being taken over as these cities continue to grow “Los Angeles, a city and its suburbs

home to 19 million people is an enclave where mountain lions live side-by-side with humans”

(Greentumble).

Some reforms to habitat loss would be that we should stop destroy animals filled lands

for building and other things. Conservation groups try to help keep animals in their habitats

because “many non-profit groups like the Nature Conservancy clean up coastlines and establish

nature preserves to prevent further harm to native environments and species around the

world”(Bove 1). Or we need to carefully and correctly moves those animals to similar areas to

those they lived in. Many conservation groups work hard to keep these animals in their habitats,

“All over the world, conservation organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund, Rainforest

Action Network, and Friends of the Earth, are helping to conserve species and habitats”

(Ricciuti).

Another problem that causes many exotic species to become endangered is when they are

introduced in a friendly environment. Exotic creatures wouldn’t fit in native or friendly

environment because they could be harmful to the native creatures in those areas and it would be

like keeping a tiger next to farm of cows or sheep. Exotic creatures can’t naturally evolve in a
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friendly environment where they are unable to hunt or live freely. “Exotic species often have a

predatory or competitive advantage over native species” (Bove).

Exotic species compete for their food and they could get hostile around other animals that

don’t belong around them. These native species can be killed by the exotic species because most

times they haven't developed natural defenses against them. One example of this would be when

they introduced goats to the galapagos during the 20th century and “These goats fed on the

tortoises' food supply, causing the number of tortoises to decline rapidly” (Bove). This caused

the the tortoises to rapidly become endangered and it caused them to move so they could find

different feeding grounds. Some countries have banned the introduction of exotic species in

native animal lands so it doesn’t make them endangered or extinct. For example, “the United

Kingdom has placed raccoons, mongooses, and cabbages on their invasive species list, all of

which are barred from entering the country” (Bove). They have done this because this would

prevent these exotic species from coming in contact with the native species.

Human caused pollution has also became a big cause in recent years for the

endangerment of species. We build industrial companies like coal factories and others in areas

where animals reside which affects them because they breathe in the air around them. Many

animals have almost became extinct from pollution like “the Peregrine Falcon almost became

extinct in Canada when DDT was widely used prior to becoming banned in the U.S. and

Canada” (Greentumble). Though the US is cutting down on the pollution but even then species

are still being affected and that puts them at a risk of endangerment. There a many chemicals and

products that pollute the wildlife like “Human development of animals' habitats pollutes the
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natural landscape with petroleum products, pesticides, and other chemicals, which destroys food

sources and viable shelters for the creatures” (Bove). This can either force animals to move to

different areas where they can’t adapt or they just die off from the pollution. When the animals

food source is affected it becomes harder for them to find clean and safe food to eat.

Sometimes there are also other reasons why many species end up on the endangered list

that are not caused by humans. These other reasons why species become endangered are

parasites and diseases which are by natural cause. Parasites and diseases have effectively wiped

out all kinds of animals in the wild. There is a variety of parasites that cause these species to go

endangered “which include tiny organisms, worms, and insects that feed off other species”

(Ricciuti). Many fungi and bacteria can affect the food or the water the animals consume which

can make them very sick or even kill the animals. Though these things can’t be stopped because

they occur at a natural rate, other things can be stopped like overhunting, poaching, habitat

destruction, and pollution. Algae can also be a big factor for species becoming endangered

because “sometimes certain algae can cause "red tides" in coastal waters, producing chemicals

that kill many birds and fish” (Ricciuti).

Humans are not always at fault of species going endangered because long before humans

came, many animals became extinct. This happened because extinction and endangerment is a

natural part of evolution. “Fossil records show that long before people came along, factors such

as overpopulation, competition, sudden climatic change, and catastrophic events like volcanic

eruptions and earthquakes drove the decline of numerous species” (Bove). This quote shows the
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many reasons before human conflicted reasons why species went into endangered status then

extinct.

Some species are affected by their own genetics because “a species whose gestational

period is lengthy, or who have small numbers of offspring at each birth has the potential to

become endangered more readily” (Bove). Species that already in critical condition of

endangerment can have a harder time reproducing due to their genetic nature. Animals that have

a weak genetic makeup are for example would be “manatees or giant pandas” (Bove) because

they are closer to extinction every generation.

Even Though there is other reasons to why species become endangered, humans are the

bigger cause and problem. Humans affect the endangerment of species more than natural causes

because “In modern times, however, species threatened by human activities are becoming extinct

at a rate that far exceeds the pace of extinction throughout most of geologic history”

(Endangered Species). This means we have caused species towards extinction more than

meteors did to dinosaurs millions of years ago. Humans put affect endangered species mostly

through habitat destruction and overhunting.

The ways we can save these creatures are by creating laws and reforms to help them from

facing extinction. Many government agencies like “(NGOs) whose sole purpose is to stop illegal

poaching, especially of animals like elephants and rhinoceroses” (Bove) work hard to prevent

these animals from extinction. The government needs invest more money into agencies like these

so they can help save more animals from poachers and hunters. There are many international

efforts in place to help preserve these animals. Like in “1971 Convention on Wetlands of
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International Importance that promotes wise use of wetlands and encourages designation of

important wetlands as ecological reserves” (Endangered Species). Laws like these help protect

the habitats of these creatures that already in an endangered status. Many government agencies

like the “ESA, have and international component that deals with species migration and trade

across borders” (Endangered Species) to help prevent endangered species from being kept as

pets or taken into a native area where they don’t belong.

In conclusion, humans have been the biggest risks to causing species to become

endangered. Humans have a big hand in over hunting and poaching of exotic species which

causes them to die. Humans also destroy animal habitats to build buildings, parks, and stores

which causes the species to migrate to an area where they might not fit. Another reason humans

are at fault is that we cause pollution which can ruin the food source for the species and cause

them to get sick or even die. Humans also make problems worse when they introduce exotic

species in to a native environment which can cause harm to the native species or even the exotic

species. We need to start working to fix our actions because are the main cause why these

species become extinct or endangered. We need also create laws and reforms to help the species

with an endangered status so they won’t become extinct.

Works Cited

Bove, Jennifer. “Reasons Animals Become Endangered.” Thoughtco., Dotdash, 26 Sept.

2018, ​www.thoughtco.com/how-species-become-endangered-1181928​. Accessed March 2, 2019.

Breyer, Melissa. “Culling of Endangered Wolves Increases Poaching, Contrary to

Arguments Otherwise.” ​TreeHugger,​ Treehugger, 11 Oct. 2018,

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www.treehugger.com/endangered-species/culling-endangered-wolves-increases-poaching.html​.

Accessed April 3, 2019.

Greentumble. “10 Reasons Why Species Become Endangered.” Greentumble,

Greentumble, 18 Jan. 2019,

https://greentumble.com/10-reasons-why-species-become-endangered/​. Accessed March 2, 2019.

“Endangered and Extinct Species.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Mar.

2019, ​www.nytimes.com/topic/subject/endangered-and-extinct-species​. Accessed March 2,

2019.

"Endangered Species - Human Causes Of Extinction And Endangerment, Why Are

Endangered Species Important?" Science Encyclopedia - JRank Articles,

https://science.jrank.org/pages/2467/Endangered-Species.html

Freedman, Bill, and Laurie Duncan. “Endangered Species - Human Causes Of Extinction

And Endangerment, Why Are Endangered Species Important?” Bacteria, Microorganisms,

Drinking, and Microbes - JRank Articles,

http://science.jrank.org/pages/2467/Endangered-Species.html​. Accessed March 1, 2019.

Ricciuti, Edward R. “Endangered Species.” How the Brain Learns Best, Grolier Online,

2003,​http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/endangered_species/background/inde

x.asp?article=endangeredspecies​. Accessed March 2, 2019.