We know we need to protect the endangered species, but are we putting any efforts towards it? Some could argue that extinction is something that needs to happen, being that it’s normal and natural. Over the past year, we have had global impacts and human intervention cause animal extinction to grow more rapidly.

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Global warming has an impact on animals, and 2017 was a year to show it. This sudden change in the climate is damaging animals to the point where their genomes are affected. This harsh environment could potentially lead to animals going globally extinct if they don’t adapt quickly which is horrible. A notable example to show this are turtle nesting sites, where when the sand is altered to a higher temperature, it interferes the hatchlings sex, making more females than males. As of 2017, there was an estimated 200,000 female green turtles, with very little numbers of males. This harm could lead to a dramatic collapse in population and lead to extinction. 

Another example would be polar bears. With an increase of heat, these bears have limited ice on which they depend on to hunt, breed, and rest. This has made the bears move faster than normal to keep up with the receding ice, in turn making them rely on their fat store until they are able to go hunting again. They have now gotten to the point of starvation, especially the females with their cubs. More and more habitat fragmentation goes on; this gives opportunities to develop oil and gas. On the beginning of January,2017 the scientist forecast estimated that a shocking two-thirds of the polar bears will be killed of by 2050.

 

Also, climate change might disrupt the migration pattern

of the monarch butterfly, because the colder winters

could alter the route, and the heat could shift their

habitats up north. This past year, 22 million fewer

butterflies migrated. 

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In addition, blue and hunchback whales now need to

migrate further to feed themselves due to food

limitation since as the oceans get warmer the food the

whales would normally eat are also migrating to cooler

waters. These whales have also experienced decreasing reproductive rates because of climate fluctuations. Although these whales are known to be loners, in early March of last year, about 200 hunchbacks were spotted together off South Africa; most likely on the hunt for food.

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Humans have also had a tremendous impact on this rapid increase of animal extinctions. We as humans are the reason for deforestation, poaching, and illegal wildlife trade among other things. In fact, scientist believe we are the cause of climate change. We are damaging ourselves, the environment, and animals. For instance, we put sea turtles at risk when they are caught in shrimp trawl nets, on hooks, or in fishing gill-nets. When the sea turtles are caught this way, they may drown because they need to reach the surface to breathe. They are also being breed for trade or human consumption, some are even killed for use of medicine and/or religious ceremonies. 

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Adding to that, the poaching of wild tigers is one of the biggest threats their species face. This is because every part of them is traded off into illegal wildlife markets. The reasoning behind this is for the use of medicine or simply a status symbol. A tiger’s death leaves behind even more deaths, due to the fact that if a female is killed and she has cubs, they will die with no one to protect them and, the possibility for further breading ends. If a male dies, intensive competition will rise for his territory leading to even more death. 

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Another reason humans are responsible for animal extinction, is the increasing demand for ivory and think about it, is it worth it? For ivory we could lose a whole species. This has been one of the main reasons for elephant poaching, so much so that 1 for every 12 elephants in Africa is killed due to poaching.

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In short, animal extinction is something that is important and must be dealt with. A single species going extinct surely will affect many things, such as the food chain which will unbalance everything. How could we live without animals? We just simply can’t. I believe that if we are responsible for all of this animal extinction, like the scientist say, than there must be something we could do about to give the animals a better life.