There is some debate over the best way to save endangered animals. Some say zoo conservation programs and species survival plans are the best way to protect biodiversity and ensure that animals are reproducing and surviving those critical early years, when young offspring are so vulnerable. Others say the “adopt an animal” programs and donating money toward the purchase of nature preserves are best. Some animal rights activists believe in putting pressure on governments to regulate habitat destruction, poaching and human interference as the only way we’re going to see any progress. In the end, the solution may very well consist of a combination of all these ideas, as well as some new innovations.
The Sumatran tiger is one of the world’s most endangered animals, particularly because they are highly coveted in the world of poaching and their habitat is rapidly being destroyed by the logging industry. The island’s nature preserve houses 100 tigers but the poachers have managed to find their way into the park to kill. Three similar breeds of tiger — the Bali, the Java and the Trinil — have already gone extinct. It is believed that there are less than 400 Sumatran tigers in the wild. Similarly, the Siberian tiger has been whittled down to less than 200 existing in the wild. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has 1,000 tigers in their breeding programs, which has female tigers birthing several cubs each year.
Another one of the most endangered animals is the South China tiger. This feline is said to be the ancestor of all modern-day tigers. The population is so small (60 in captivity) that they are expected to be extinct within a decade. In 1959, there were 4,000 in the wild, but Mao Zedong declared them “pests” and ran campaigns to exterminate them until 200 were left in 1982. No wild South China tigers have been spotted in over 25 years, so they are now considered “functionally extinct,” save for a few scattered tigers in zoos around the world. Since then, the Chinese government has pledged to help conserve them in zoos and on preserves.
“It’s sad to see in my lifetime the loss of so many species. It’s like watching the end of the world in slow motion,” said Donna Fernandes, president of the Buffalo Zoo. In Buffalo, NY there are captive breeding and resettlement programs for 28 endangered species, including the snow leopard, Indian rhino, Siberian tiger, Puerto Rican Crested Toad and Golden Lion Tamarin. “I sometimes wish I could time travel back 200 years ago, and see the world the way it was,” she sighs, referring to the numerous endangered animals who have already met their end — including the Vancouver Island wolverine, the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, the Dusky Seaside sparrow and the Bay Spring salamander, which have gone extinct since 1960. Fernandes adds, “I’m hoping people will realize there is hope if they take an active role in changing their behavior, and in supporting organizations trying to halt extinction.”
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