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Aztec Gold Online News

Aztec Gold Online News

Aztec Gold Online News

Today is Endangered Species Day

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Today is Endangered Species Day

By Tiffany Velazquez and Luciana Fernandez

 

 

On May 19, organizations across the world will acknowledge the problem of endangered

animals during Endangered Species Day. The day commemorates when the Endangered

Species Act (ESA) was set into law in 1973, under the presidency of Richard Nixon. This

act provides protection for the animals that are endangered from becoming extinct and

works to prevent other species from getting on the list. However, with the election of

Donald Trump and the Congress that was inaugurated in January, many attempts have

been made to dismantle the ESA.

 

 

Critics of the law say that the ESA doesn’t protect animals, but instead stops

development and hurts jobs from growing in areas that are protected from mining,

logging, fishing, etc. Now, more than ever, it is important that our generation stands up

for the species that are in danger of being extinct forever.

 

 

According to statistics, approximately 2,270 species are listed as an endangered or

threatened. All types of animal and plants are protected under the act, except bugs.

“It’s outrageous that the people in power don’t acknowledge that this is a problem,”

senior Eduardo Granados said. “Animal life needs to be preserved just like we value

human life, no organism is superior and we all should be able to coexist.”

 

 

Some ways to protect the endangered species are to get informed about the dangers of

animals going extinct. We need to strengthen and bring more attention to the ESA. Also,

to celebrate Endangered Species Day, call your congressman or senator and let them

know how you feel about laws that try to take away protections from wildlife.

 

 

We can also support conservation programs that are dedicated to preventing more

animals from making it the list. Another way to reduce threads to the wildlife is by

protecting the habitats that they depend on for survival; a way of doing this is by

avoiding contamination of the oceans and preventing construction on wildlife territory.

Remember, that even just one species going extinct upsets the natural order that we

benefit from. If a certain kind of bee or even rodent disappears, think about how that

could effect farms and the crops that we depend on for nutrition.

 

 

Some facts about the Animal Extinction is:

 

 

 801 animals have gone extinct

 64 animals are extinct in the wild

 3,879 animals are critically endangered

 10,002 animals are vulnerable

 

 

The Top Endangered Animals

 

 

 40 Amur leopards left

 80 Panther’s left

 300 Cross River Gorillas left

 500 Grizzly Bears left

 950 Camels left

 1,000 Giant Pandas left

 10,000 Blue Whales left

 20,000 Polar Bears left

 

 

All sources are from the World Wildlife Fund.

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