Endangered species •

The Real-Life Teddy Bear is No Longer Endangered

March 14, 2016 By Sebastian Mc’Mannen Leave a Comment

The black bear population has been cut from the endangered species list

STATES CHRONICLE – Teddy bears were inspired by real-life black bears living in the U.S. Back in the time when Theodore Roosevelt was president he went hunting with some fellow politicians. Although back then hunting was a very normal and manly activity, the president refused to kill a bear.

The scene was immortalized in drawing and published. Soon after, toys in the form of teddy bears started to be made and sold as a reminder to the American citizen of how kind-hearted their president was.

Unfortunately, despite the president’s gentle deed, Americans didn’t realize that the bear population needed protection. Although in those times the black bears were indeed not endangered, continuous hunting eventually led to them being threatened by extinction.

Overhunting wasn’t though the only factor leading to the Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi black bear extinction. Loss of habitat had also decreased considerably the bears’ chances of survival. The black bear population was listed as endangered in 1992 when the Fish and Wildlife Service found there were only 150 bears left.

The latest count reported a number between 500 and 750 bears existing in the U.S. territory. This means the population of black bears is definitely on the right track, as people have been doing their best to protect and save them in the last two decades.

Seeing the numbers, the Fish and Wildlife Service decided to cut the black bears from the endangered species list. However, even if the bears are no longer on the list, they still need protection so that their numbers don’t drop again.

If we think about president’s Roosevelt hunting story, maybe Americans should have followed his example and protect the bears. Leaving aside whatever entertainment hunting brought to the gentlemen of those days and to people nowadays, we should, at least, consider protecting the animals and not going around helping them go extinct.

After all, we are also destroying their ecosystems, so even if we don’t hunt them down, we are leaving them without food or shelter, which cannot possibly be good for their survival as a species.

And since the teddy bears are so popular and loved, even beyond U.S. borders, why shouldn’t we love and protect their real-life versions?

Image source: www.bing.com

Sumatran Orangutans Are Twice as Many

March 10, 2016 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

Although they are many Sumatran orangutans are still endangered

STATES CHRONICLE – An incredible number of animals on Earth are on the list of endangered or threatened species, and there are very few that manage to get cut from the list as climate change, pollution, and heavy hunting are still on the rise and still affect environments.

One of the species in this situation is the Sumatran orangutan. While it was thought that their numbers are few, a recent count showed that approximately 14,600 individuals can be found in the Sumatran wild, which is about 8,000 more than it was previously thought.

Although this sounds like good news, at a closer look it is not good at all. The researchers who did the count believe the high numbers are not due to population increase but to the fact that previous counts were not thorough enough.

This happened because it was thought that orangutans avoid too high elevations. However, researchers claim to have seen them in such areas as well. Therefore, it seems that the orangutan population is distributed more widely than expected.

Even though there are many of them, Sumatran orangutans are still considered to be in danger. According to the researchers, 4,500 of the individuals will disappear by 2030. The main reason behind this predicted disappearance is the fact that in the area there are many development projects planned.

If no one stops these projects from being implemented, the numbers of orangutans will drastically decline in only a few years. The Sumatran orangutans, going by the scientific name of Pongo abelii live only on this island, and they happen to be one of two species of orangutan, their cousins living in Borneo known as the Pongo pygmaeus.

Orangutans are highly endangered because of deforestation. Trees are gone which means their homes are gone, and food also becomes scarce. Deforestation happens either because people cutting the trees sell the wood, either because they are cutting the trees to make room for development projects. Either way, this makes it harder for orangutans to survive.

Now the plan is to convince developers to change their plans and move out of the area populated by Sumatran orangutans. In this way, the population should last longer without much loss.

Image source: www.bing.com

Monarch Butterfly and Manatee Populations Rising

March 1, 2016 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

Monarch butterflies are on the rise but still endangered.

The list of endangered animal species is very long, and it seems like every day, another new species is put on the list. However, there are also animals which manage to have a good comeback and may be cut from the infamous list.

Recently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially announced that the monarch butterfly population has increased by 255 percent after being protected in a special reserve in Mexico. Another report also claims that the manatee population in Florida is also on the rise for the second year in a row. This is why manatees are no longer on the endangered species list but on the threatened one.

When it comes to monarch butterflies, their situation has improved compared to last year when they populated only a 2.8-acre area in the reserve especially created for them. This year, they already occupy about 10 acres of the reserve which is a great improvement.

Seeing the monarch butterflies are truly endangered, authorities started planting milkweed last year. Milkweed is used by monarch butterflies for both food and shelter. Moreover, authorities asked homeowners to cut down on the use of insecticides to keep the risk for the butterflies to a minimum.

Although the population has seen an increase in numbers, it’s still a long way to go before they could reach their “usual” numbers. Back in the ‘90s, monarch butterflies were at their highest numbers. Since then, the population decreased by 90 percent. The main reason was the loss of habitat.

The habitat of monarch butterflies has been destroyed due to weather conditions and climate change as well because of heavy use of pesticides. Therefore, it is advised that farmers find more natural ways of protecting their crops, without harming the environment and insects or animals nearby.

Plus, as climate change is also an issue, researchers will be keeping an eye on changes happening to environments, which could be blamed on global warming. If CO2 emissions will indeed be cut as it was planned and promised in the climate talks happening in Paris, vegetation should recover, which means the natural habitat of monarch butterflies could be restored.

Image source: www.bing.com

Mysterious Deaths of Sperm Whales Are Caused by Squid Hunt

February 9, 2016 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

STATES CHRONICLE - Recent news reported the mysterious deaths of sperm whales caused by squid hunt.

STATES CHRONICLE – Recent news reported the mysterious deaths of sperm whales are caused by squid hunt

STATES CHRONICLE – Recent news reported the mysterious deaths of sperm whales are caused by squid hunt.

Scientists believe they have discovered the cause of the unusual deaths of dozens sperm whales in Europe. Last month 30 sperm whales were left stranded on the beaches of the North Sea leaving scientists wonder how such thing might have happened.

Dr. Peter Evans, head of the Sea Watch Foundation, said all of the 30 sperm whales that died might have come from the same pod of juvenile males. This group was located near Norway’s west coast. The sperm whales are believed to have migrated in search of squid.

This theory is backed up by the necropsy results of the whales’ examined carcasses. Experts claim they discovered a particular squid species in the guts of the dead animals. It is believed such type of squid is usually found in the Norwegian Trench, in the northeastern part of the North Sea.

As Dr. Evans noticed,

“the animals which were first stranded in Holland had quite a lot of a particular species of squid in their stomachs – which they can catch, up in the Norwegian Deep.”

Researchers think the young sperm whales swam too far from their habitat so as to find the prey. Normally, these marine animals are used with depths over 10, 000 feet. However, they ended up trapped in a surprisingly shallow part of the North Sea.

In this area depths reach almost 164 feet, and water is below 65 feet. Sperm whales use echolocation to find prey and navigate. In shallow waters, though, they are powerless. Eventually, they reach too close to the chore where they remain stranded and defenseless.

At first, it was believed that perhaps human intervention is to blame for the deaths of so many sperm whales. However, scientists didn’t find any evidence to sustain such idea. According to statistics, mortality rate among whales and other mammals was high even when humans weren’t involved as much as they are nowadays.

Moreover, sperm whales have been considered an endangered species for so long that researchers think their population may experience a resurgence. This idea came up after so many sperm whales have been spotted in this area in the last months.

Photo Credits: Wikimedia

Manatees and Green Sea Turtles Are Out of Immediate Extinction Danger

January 17, 2016 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

The manatee is also called a “sea-cow” because of its gentle nature and vegetarian diet.

STATES CHRONICLE – According to the US Wildlife and Fish Service, manatees and green sea turtles are out of immediate extinction danger. This is due to the fact that their numbers have slightly increased, but it doesn’t mean that they are entirely safe, they just made a step back from being declared endangered to being categorized as being threatened. There is still a lot of work and time needed for them to be completely out of danger.

It appears that the good news is not that good at all, and many believe that this change in status will only hurt the manatee and green sea turtle population. Activists in Belize say that the “threatened” status is not relevant at all, since the population increased in only some parts of the world, in others they remain endangered but treated as threatened.

What does that mean? It means that although manatees and green sea turtles are out of immediate extinction danger, there are areas in which the population is still at very low levels, but their status being that of “threatened”, poachers will make them a target once more, and they could eradicate an entire habitat.

A good example of how humans can interfere directly with the population of an endangered species is the fact that last year an alarming number of 40 manatees died because of human interference factors. What is more frightening is that even though 2016 began a couple of weeks ago, there have already been 4 manatee deaths recorded.

The manatees are gentle creatures that can grow up to 13 feet long. They are docile, curious and even friendly. There even are parts in Florida when people can swim with the manatees. Other regions have banned this not because the animal posed a threat to humans, but on the contrary, because humans disturb them too much.

The main reason for their low numbers is the increase in boat population, especially boats with a propeller system. Studies showed that the manatee can hear sounds that are of a higher frequency than the noise made by an engine, this makes the sea creature unaware of the dangers of a ship until it is too late. If we also take into account their natural curiosity we can see why the manatee population is decreasing rapidly.

Marine wildlife researchers fear that the fact that both manatees and green sea turtles are out of immediate extinction danger, fundraisers for the protection of the animals will not have the same success and the whole population that took so much effort to increase might decrease back in a few years.

Image source: www.wikimedia.org

African Giraffe is Facing Extinction, Conservationists Reveal

December 5, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

New sad statistics are showing that the number of some giraffe species has decreased by 40% in the last 15 years. Conservationists fear that the African giraffe is facing extinction if this continues in the near future.

Experts say that there are less than 80,000 giraffes in Africa at the moment. This means that there are 60,000 less giraffes than there were fifteen years ago, when there were more than 140,000 African giraffes. The reason for this worrying fact is the continuous poaching and bush meat hunters. The conservationists blame them for this rapid decline of the African giraffe number.

Dr. Noelle Kumper who is part of the Zoological Society said:

“Many of the threats to rhinos and elephants are the same for giraffes. The threats are local. It’s loss of habitat and increasingly it’s poaching, but not for the international trade, its bush meat hunting.”

Dr. Kumpel explained that while there is a difference between poaching for rhinos and elephants than for giraffes, the dangers are the same. The African giraffe is facing extinction and it will disappear completely if things do not change dramatically. He said that many African people kill giraffes and eat them because of extreme poverty. Some kill and sell African giraffe meat bones and brains claiming that it’s an efficient treatment for curing HIV and AIDS. This helps the illegal trade increase everyday.

The biologists say that there is little conservation effort made to help the African giraffes, even though there are very present in zoos.

Dr. Julian Fennessy is the director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and a spokesperson for the state of the African giraffes. He said:

“Being delicious is one thing, but there’s also a bucket-load of meat, and they’re not difficult to hunt. People love giraffes but they are taken for granted. People assume that they’re everywhere. They see them on branding and postcards and think they are okay. But the decline of their natural habitat has seen their numbers fall dramatically.”

Despite the fact that the African giraffe is facing extinction, authorities still don’t bother to take measures and protect this animal.

US Lists White Rhinos In Endangered Species List To Curb Poaching

September 14, 2013 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Initiating a step towards curbing the rampant poaching of rhinos, the United States has listed the southern white rhinoceros as ‘threatened’ under the Endangered Species Act.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced this week that it will take immediate action to protect the rhinos, thereby closing the possibilities exploited by poachers and traffickers looking to cash in on the worldwide demand for rhino horn.

US is a hub for the rhino horn trade, and products often transit here en route to South East Asia.

The practice of traffickers mislabeling the horns of other protected rhino species as coming from the white rhino so as to avoid restrictions on sale and transport is prevalent here.

Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell said the action will protect the southern white rhino as a threatened species under the ESA “similarity of appearance” provisions and will strengthen international law enforcement efforts designed to crack down on what is being called a “poaching crisis.”

“As both a transit point and consumer destination for illegal rhino horn products, the United States plays a vital role in curbing poaching and wildlife trafficking,” Service Director Dan Ashe said in a statement.

With the initiative, the FWS is exploring other regulatory and policy options in an effort to strengthen the investigation and prosecution of poachers and traffickers.

Of the five rhino species currently found in the wild, four are fully protected as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The four species of rhinos are: Javan, black, Sumatran, and Indian. The southern white rhino is the fifth and final addition.

Between 2002 and 2012, Americans imported 116 horn carvings, 206 horn pieces, 63 horns and 688 hunting trophies (including the head and horns of a rhino), according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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