Animals Recovering From Extinction
By: Deanza J Andriansyah
Edited by: Fiorina Siamir
In 2021 alone, the Fish and Wildlife Service stated that 23 species had gone extinct. According to Columbia Climate School, the leading causes of extinction are habitat loss, mostly through deforestation, over-exploitation through hunting and fishing, invasive species, climate change, and nitrogen pollution. Why should we care about the extinction of animals? What effect does it have on our ecosystem? As explained by Jane Marsh in environment.co, when animals go extinct, their predators are forced to find food from another animal and the extinct animal’s prey can grow rapidly in numbers. This causes an imbalance in the ecosystem and damages the populations of other living species.
Furthermore, extinction in animals also affects humans. As humans share an ecosystem with endangered species, Marsh writes, ‘Without the necessary resources for survival, we’re compromising the survival of human life by contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and loss of biodiversity.’ Humans that rely on a particular species for food, fur, or trading have to find an alternative to rely on for these resources. According to Cornell University, humans could be more at risk for a disease if one species were to be extinct.
Fortunately, many animal species have also been recovering. In 2022, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the black rhinos in Namibia are one of those species making a comeback. In 2020, they were classified as ‘vulnerable’, which was then changed to ‘near-threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) after its population had increased by 11%. Despite the species being threatened by poaching, its population has risen steadily since 2012.
According to world-renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, the panda bear was officially removed from the endangered list in 2016 when its population was boosted to over 1,800. The IUCN pointed out its 17% increase in population since 2014. As reported by BBC, experts credited this change to ‘Chinese efforts to recreate and repopulate bamboo forests.’ Without bamboo, pandas are likely to die of starvation as it makes up most of their entire diet.
Next is the white-tailed eagle, which is widely spread across Eurasia. Due to significant habitat changes, white-tailed eagles became extinct in the United Kingdom in the 19th century. Fortunately, they have increased up to 30% in the past decade.
Many other animal species have also made a comeback, such as the snow leopard, beaver, Iberian lynx, and more. There are a multitude of ways we can prevent animal extinction, from buying eco-friendly products to not purchasing goods made from endangered species. Of all our environmental issues, it is heartening to see that several animal species are recovering and restoring our ecosystem. To more habitable spaces for our beloved animals!