SCI219

Environmental Issues

(Global Marker)

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Group Assignment

Endangered Animals

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Nyu Precillia (B0900851)

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Jocelyn Lee Ker Sin (B0901006)

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Priscilla Andrus Kumar (B0901138)

What is an endangered animal?

According to dictionary, endangered animal means animal in danger of extinction or it is an organism that faces the danger of disappearing from the face of the earth if nothing is done to thwart extinction.

Based on the sample taken by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2006 it is a shocking discovery that the percentage of endangered species is as high as 40 percent of all organisms.

For example, African elephant, Rhinoceros, Amur leopard, Giant panda, Eastern Lowland Gorilla, Polar Bear, Marine Turtles, Tree Kangaroos, Lion-Tailed Macaque, Mandarin Duck are the endangered species. The best way to say that an animal is extinct is when a certain animal has not been seen over fifty years in the wild which means that they would no longer exist upon this planet.

One of the primary factors in the endangerment or extinction of a species is the habitat destruction or pollution of its native habitat. Furthermore, overhunting, and intentional introduction of alien species also contribute to the endangerment or extinction.

It is important that steps are taken to preserve these species as they are all important parts of our natural ecosystem.

Extinct animals around the globe

Tasmanian wolf
Thylacine, Thylacinus cynocephalus

The Tasmanian Wolf is not a wolf, but a carnivorous marsupial and a relative of wombats and kangaroos. It even has a pouch. Tasmanian officials promoting ranching paid bounties to hunters. Believed to be extinct for well over half a century, unconfirmed reported sightings persist.

Quagga
Equus burchelli quagga

The quaggas were a subspecies of the Plains Zebra that became extinct in the late 1800s. They were once believed to be their own species, but recent DNA analysis has shown that quaggas were actually Plains Zebras. There are six known subspecies of the Plains Zebra. Quaggas differed from other Plains Zebras in that their stripes faded in to a solid brown color at the midsection. They populated South Africa's Cape Province.



Steller’s Sea Cow

Steller's Sea Cow was discovered in the Aleutian Islands by George Steller while exploring with Vitus Bering in 1741. They grew as large as 35 feet long and weighed up to three-and-a-half tons. Sailors ate their meat and used their leather. They were easily killed and vanished from their only home within 30 years after Steller's discovery.



DODO
Roland Savery

In 1505, Portuguese explorers discovered the island of Mauritius and the 50 lb flightless Dodos which supplemented their food stores. Imported pigs, monkeys and rats fed on the Dodo's eggs in their ground nests. The last Dodo was killed in 1681.

The Golden Toad
Incilius periglenes

The Golden Toad is sometimes referred to as the Monteverde Toad or the Orange Toad. It was only known to exist on a high altitude ridge in Monteverde, Costa Rica. It last bred in normal numbers in 1987, and its breeding sites were well known." Its demise is attributed to a combination of factors, including airborne pollution and, due to its restricted range, global warming. The golden toad is extinct by 2007.

The Baiji Dolphin
Lipotes vexillifer

An expedition organized by The Baiji Foundation in late 2006 sought evidence that Baiji white dolphins still existed in their only habitat, the Yangtze river in China. The Foundation published a report on the expedition and declared the species functionally extinct in 2006. What does functionally extinct mean? It means too few potential breeding pairs remain to ensure that the species will survive.

Endangered animal In the world

Facts About Endangered Species

According to scientists, more than one and one-half million species exist on the earth today. However, recent estimates state that at least 20 times that many species inhabit the planet.

• There are more than 1,000 animal species endangered worldwide.
• There are more than 3,500 protected areas in existence worldwide.
• These areas include parks, wildlife refuges and other reserves.
• They cover a total of nearly 2 million square miles (5 million square km), or 3% of our total land area.
  
  
  African Elephants
  Loxodonta africana
  





African elephants once numbered in the millions across Africa, but by the mid-1980s their populations had been devastated by poaching. The status of the species now varies greatly across the continent. Some populations remain in danger due to poaching for meat and ivory, habitat loss and conflict with humans.
Elephants are important because their future is tied to much of Africa's rich biodiversity. Scientists consider African elephants to be keystone species as they help to maintain suitable habitats for many other species in savanna and forest ecosystems.
Subspecies:
Savanna elephant(Loxodonta africana africana)
Forest elephant(Loxodonta Africana cyclotis)


Africa Rhinos

Rhinos once roamed throughout Eurasia and Africa, and were known to early Europeans who depicted them in cave paintings. Within historical times, rhinos were still widespread in the African savannas and the tropical forests of Asia. Today however, very few rhinos now survive outside national parks and reserves. There are five species of rhino, three species are found in Asia and two are found in Africa.Black rhino and white rhino are found in Africa. There are two subspecies of white rhino, the southern white rhino is now most abundant rhino in the world and is listed as endangered. The northern white rhino is critically endangered. There are four subspecies of the critically endangered black rhino, eastern, southwestern, southern central and western. The western subspecies is thought to be extinct.

Amur Leopard
Panthera pardus orientalis

This is the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), also known as the Far East leopard, the Manchurian leopard or the Korean leopard. Its population is less than 40 individuals.IUCN's 2000 Red List of Threatened Species classifies the subspecies as Critically Endangered, and the CITES has listed it on Appendix I. The Amur leopard has some very distinguishing features. Apart from its long winter coat, the Amur leopard is easily told apart from other leopard subspecies by its widely spaced rosettes with thick borders. It also has longer legs, probably an adaptation for walking through snow.


Giant Panda
Ailuropoda melanoleuca

The giant panda is the rarest member of the bear family and among the world’s most threatened animals. Today, the giant panda's future remains uncertain because its population is less than 2,500 mature in the wild.As China's economy continues rapidly developing, this bamboo-eating member of the bear family faces a number of threats. Its forest habitat, in the mountainous areas of southwest China, is increasingly fragmented by roads and railroads. Habitat loss continues to occur outside of protected areas, while poaching remains an ever-present threat.



Eastern Lowland Gorilla
Gorilla beringei graueri

Separated from western gorillas by about 560 miles of Congo Basin forest, eastern gorillas inhabit the upland and mountain forests of eastern Central Africa. The eastern lowland gorilla subspecies exists only in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They are found at lower altitudes along the western wall of the Albertine Rift Valley in eastern DRC. There are no reliable estimates of their numbers due to lack of census data in remote regions, as well as the unknown impact of decades of civil conflict in eastern DRC. The largest protected population in Kahuzi Biega National Park has declined noticeably in the past ten years due to war-related habitat destruction and hunting.


Marine Turtles
Cheloniidae / Dermochelyidae families

Six of the seven species of marine turtles are listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered, and the outlook is increasingly grim. In the Pacific, leatherbacks are heading for extinction, fast, and in the Mediterranean, green turtle numbers have plummeted.Marine turtles appear to have the potential to reproduce abundantly: females can lay hundreds of eggs in one nesting season. But even under "natural" conditions, relatively few young turtles survive their first year of life.Predators such as crabs, foxes, and birds often kill the hatchlings as they make their way from the nest to the sea, and when they reach the shallows, many more small turtles are taken by fish. When humans harvest turtle eggs, disturb or degrade nesting beaches, the scales become tipped even more heavily against young turtles.It takes decades for surviving juveniles to reach maturity and start to breed, and adult turtles must live to reproduce over many years if the population is to thrive. But escalating mortality on the high seas, in the nets and long-lines of fishing fleets, and from pollution and disease, means fewer and fewer turtles are living long enough to reproduce.



Polar Bear
Ursus maritimus

In 1973, Canada, the United States, Denmark, Norway and the former U.S.S.R. signed the International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears and their Habitat. This agreement restricts the hunting of polar bears and directs each nation to protect their habitats, but it does not protect the bears against the biggest man-made threat to their survival: climate change. If current warming trends continue unabated, scientists believe that polar bears will be vulnerable to extinction within the next century. WWF provides funding to field research by the world's foremost experts on polar bears to find out how climate change will affect the long-term status of polar bears. Of all of the wildlife species in the Arctic, the polar bear is perhaps the most fitting icon for this ecoregion. Its amazing adaptations to life in the harsh Arctic environment and dependence on sea ice make them so impressive, and yet so vulnerable. Large carnivores are sensitive indicators of ecosystem health. Polar bears are studied to gain an understanding of what is happening throughout the Arctic as a polar bear at risk is often a sign of something wrong somewhere in the arctic marine ecosystem.


Tree Kangaroo

Tree-kangaroos are macropods adapted for life in trees.Unlike their close cousins, their arms and legs are approximately the same length. Tree kangaroos also have much stronger fore-limbs to help in climbing the trees they inhabit.They are mostly found in the rainforests of New Guinea, the far north east of Queensland and nearby islands, usually in mountainous areas.Although mainly found in mountainous areas, several species also occur in lowlands, such as the aptly named Lowlands Tree-kangaroo.The interesting thing about tree kanagroos is that they stuck to their roots.Millions of years ago the early Marcopods (kangaroos) came down from the trees and started to evolve their unique way of living and moving. However, at some point on this evolutionary timescale, the tree kangaroos decided to return to the trees... and no one has yet found out why.

Lion-Tailed Macaque

The habitat of this small monkey is India's tropical rainforests. Many of these forests have been cleared and replaced with tea and coffee plantations. Unlike some other animals, the lion-tailed macaque has not been able to adapt to these new habitats. Poachers have also captured baby macaques, often killing their parents in the process, for illegal export to collectors.



Mandarin Duck

The mandarin duck (the brightly coloured male is illustrated) may often be seen on ponds and lakes in Britain, but its native home is across eastern Asia, in Russia, China, Korea and Japan. It may be found on water which is near forests, but the forests are being felled and the water drained, making the duck more and more endangered.

Endangered animals in Malaysia

The population of these animals has been decreasing over the years and some are said to have become extinct. Many years ago, Malaysia is a rainforest country where all types of animals are able to live together peacefully. Now, some of these animals in Malaysia are under serious threat and are facing the possibility of becoming extinct.



Black Shrew
Suncus ater

The Black Shrew is a white-toothed shrew only known from Mount Kinabalu in the Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo. It is listed as a critically endangered species due to habitat loss and a restricted range. It is the smallest shrew of its kind and lives in parts of middle Asia. It rarely been seen by human and there is no official record on its size. However, witnesses have estimated the size to be 20 – 100 mm. They tend to be aggressive towards each others and are mostly solitary creatures.



Sumatran Rhinoceros

Sumatran Rhino is the smallest rhinoceros measuring about 250 centimetres in length and 120-145 centimetres tall (shoulder). It is also much lighter than other rhinos, weighing about 500-800 kilograms. The 2-horned rhino can normally be found in swamps and rainforests of Asia countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and India. However, these solitary animals are facing the threat of extinction due to the poaching of their horns.



Malayan Tapir

Tapir is a pig-like animal with a short snout. They inhabit the forest regions of South America, Central America and South East Asia. Their closest relatives are the horses and rhinoceroses, and all 4 species have been classified as endangered. In Malaysia, only 1 of the 4 species of tapir exists. Tapir mainly survive on the forest’s resources such as berries, leaves and fruits. They have not many natural predators in the forest thanks to their thick skin and ability to run fast. As for Malayan Tapir, its strange body colour is often misunderstood as a large rock when lying down. This serves as a good camouflage for the creature. However, their numbers are fast declining due to their habitat loss (establishment of plantations, forest burning and logging), and the hunt for their meat and hide and it is now estimate 369 Malayan Tapir exists in Malaysia.

Mouse Deer

Mouse Deer or better known as Sang Kancil in one of Malaysia’s folklores, is a small creature about 70 centimeters long, 30-35 centimeters tall (shoulder), and around 5-8 kilograms in weight. That’s the estimated size of the Greater Mouse Deer while the Lesser Mouse Deer species is estimated to weight around 2 kilograms. Mouse deer’s can only be found in Malaysia, Borneo and parts of Indonesia. They survive mostly on fruits and leaves. They are also believed to be nocturnal creatures.


Orang-utan

There are basically 2 species of Orangutan – the critically endangered Sumatran species and also the endangered Bornean species. Both these species could only be found in the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. The name Orangutan is actually derived from the Malay language Orang Hutan which means “forest man”, due to the similarity between the Orangutans’ behavior and those of the human beings. Orangutans are very intelligent creatures, said to be the smartest creature on Earth after human. However, their numbers have been on a decline in the past few decades due to active logging activities and forest fires.

Causes of Endangerment

When discussing the causes of endangerment, it is important to understand that individual species are not the only factors involved in this dilemma. Endangerment is a broad issue, one that involves the habitats and environments where species live and interact with one another. Although some measures are being taken to help specific cases of endangerment, the universal problem cannot be solved until humans protect the natural environments where endangered species dwell.

There are many reasons why a particular species may become endangered. Below are several factors leading to endangerment:


Habitat Destruction

The habitats are constantly changing because of the continuous change occurring in the planet. Rapid habitat loss is the main cause of endangerment. Rapid habitat loss is caused when changes that are supposed to be gradual happens at a very fast pace until there is no time for individual species to adjust and react in the new environment. Human beings are the biggest influence on rapid habitat loss. For example, human activities have caused the loss of microbes in soils that is important in supporting tropical forests , thus resulting in the destruction of habitats. Results of human activities also include the extinction of fish and various aquatic species in polluted habitats.

Although it is not easy to realize that human beings have a given a great impact on specific species, but it is obvious that human activities have greatly contributed to the endangerment of species. If the destruction of forests still continue at a very fast pace, massive amounts of animal species will fade away. This is because it will take centuries for a destroyed forest to be re-grown and these forests are the very habitat of these animal species. For example, although tropical forests may look as though they are lush, they are actually highly susceptible to destruction. This is because the soils in which they grow are lacking in nutrients.


Introduction of Exotic Species

Native species are animals that are part of a specific geographic area. They are well adapted to their local environment and are familiar to the presence of other native species within the same general habitat. Exotic species which are intruder are introduced into new environments, either intentionally or accidentally by human activities.

However, exotic species may seen harmless but they are able to cause serious disruption which can affect the delicate ecological balances.
Introduced exotic species are able to put native species in danger by preying on them. This results in the alteration of the natural habitat and will cause a greater competition for food. Examples of exotic species are insects, rats, pigs, cats, and other foreign species have actually caused the endangerment and extinction of hundreds of species during the past five centuries.


Overexploitation

A species that faces overexploitation is one that may become severely endangered or even extinct due to the rate in which the species is being used. Due to the trade in animal parts, many species continue to suffer high rates of exploitation. Even today, there are demands for items such as rhino horns and tiger bones in several areas of Asia. It is here that there exists a strong market for traditional medicines made from these animal parts.


Pollution

Pollution has a great impact on the natural environment and the organisms that live in it especially to endangered and threatened species that rely heavily upon specialized environments or lie high upon the food chain. Pollution is directly or indirectly responsible for eradicating and creating endangered species.

By the 21st century, the Earth is full of chemical pollution. Furthermore, the threat posed by atmospheric pollution and climate change threatens to degrade and destroy habitats for creatures from polar bears to plankton.
These threats multiply with time. For instance, pesticide poisoning of the water weakened the Amphibians’ natural immunity to fungus that has already wiped out several species and critically endangered many others.

Ways to save the Animals

Global Environmental Organization

World Wildlife Fund WWF

WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. WWF is global organization acting locally through a network of over 90 offices in over 40 countries around the world which vary in their degree of autonomy.

WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Since 1985, WWF has invested over US$1,300 million in more than 11,000 projects in more than 100 countries.WWF runs about 1,300 projects at any one time.WWF has over 5 million supporters WWF's international campaigning tool, has over 100,000 activists from more than 170 countries.


The Common Sense Environmental Fund (CSEF)

The Common Sense Environmental Fund (CSEF) is a global wildlife conservation organization. They work to achieve a world where wildlife conservation is the main concern and trained conservation professionals in every country are engaged in ensuring species survival.

Their mission is to bring about a world where wildlife is abundant and extinctions are rare, a world where people esteem wildlife and recognize the importance of biological diversity to their own well-being.CSEF works worldwide to save threatened species from extinction, protect habitat and open space, and improve ecological health through collaborative projects with scientists, researchers and educators.

CSEF believes the conservation of flora and fauna is key to maintaining ecosystems, and there are cultural, ethical, aesthetic and economic reasons to conserve species.


IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, assists the world find practical resolution to our most urgent environment and development challenges. It supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy, laws and best practice.

IUCN aims to create a just world that values and conserves nature. Its vision is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.

IUCN develops and supports cutting-edge conservation science. IUCN runs thousands of field projects and supports governments, NGOs, international conventions, UN organizations, companies and communities. Other than that,

IUCN helps implement laws, policy and best-practice by mobilizing organizations, providing resources and training, and monitoring results.