Sara Khan (9) | STAFF REPORTER
Endangered animals are species that are threatened by extinction, almost always directly because of the actions of humans. When an animal is listed as endangered, there are typically safety measures put in place to prevent the species from going extinct. Some of the precautionary measures taken are protecting the animal’s natural habitat from humans, rehabilitating injured or diseased animals, expanding growth of habitats, and more. Some propose the idea of shielding these animals from natural causes until their population is no longer considered endangered. However, others say that it is unnatural to do so, and not our responsibility. What is the best course of action in such a situation?
Obviously, we cannot simply trust that endangered species will simply return to healthy population levels on their own. It is a man-made problem, meaning that we must put work into solving it. However, it is a very difficult task. None of the solutions that we have are sure shot ways of preventing extinction, and there are many different factors to keep in mind when trying to stabilize the situation. Ecosystems are fragile things, and we have to keep in mind the food chain of that area so as not to exacerbate the issue.
But none of this should deter us from trying anyway. Again, endangered species cannot be trusted to simply reach stable population levels without intervention. Some wonder why we even should be concerned about animals going extinct, and question whether it’s worth all the effort. The thing is, when one animal goes extinct the entire ecosystem suffers. The animals that preyed on the extinct species will go without food, and the organism that was preyed on by the extinct species will multiply an unsustainable amount. The extinction of even one species can cause an entire ecosystem to collapse.
This means that we need to put all our effort into saving these species, no matter what it takes. It doesn’t necessarily mean continuing to protect these animals for all time, only until their population stabilizes. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and these are certainly desperate times.
