Every day more species are becoming endangered. Many animals, like the Hippopotamus, face dangers ranging from reduced habitat space to poachers. What can you do to help protect these animals?
Open Question
Donate to wildlife organizations or volunteer with them. There’s tons of them to choose from all over the world or in your own backyard. =)
Education! If humans do not understand and/or have an appreciation for animals, they will not care. Zoos, animal outreach programs, and non profit organizations all provide tons of useful information on how to help. As for a direct action that we can do right now, do not buy any form of animal merchandise – ivory, gorilla hands, voo doo asian medicine, anything like that. If we buy it, the poachers see this as a demand.
For me: I love the animals as much as i can and i set my mind to making a career to help animals and doing little things like donating in the mean time.
One thing that is very useful is to spend the very few dollars it is to buy acreage of forest so that noone can hurt any animal in that area!
I agree with mountain man, Education may be the key to saving such animals from extinction. But even with education the people who live in the areas of these endangered animals are going do what they need to get by and if that includes poaching these animals then thats what their going to do regardless of what the right thing to do is. So to help the animals from extinction you gotta help the people first. Help them economically so that the poaching of endangered species no longer has to be an option.
Even the simplest of things can help. Making sure you recycle, reduce your carbon emissions, make sure you are using energy in the most efficient ways. All of those things can help. Some endangered species are endangered due to the fact that the climate they live in is changing. Species such as the Golden Toad (Bufo periglenes) and the Harlequin frog (Atelopus various) of Costa Rica have disappeared as a direct result of Global Warming.
The reduction of habitat space will be a very difficult puzzle to solve. Because the logging industry is such an important resource for many countries like Costa Rica and Brazil they rely on it for a large part of the country’s income. Unless another profitable resource is found it is unlikely that those countries will stop the destruction of these important animal habitats.
Source(s):
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_d…
P.S. I love your show.
Hey,Dr Brady
* One of the most important ways to help threatened plants and animals survive is to protect their habitats permanently in national parks, nature reserves or wilderness areas. There they can live without too much interference from humans. It is also important to protect habitats outside reserves such as on farms and along roadsides.
* You can visit a nearby national park or nature reserve. Some national parks have special guided tours and walks for kids. Talk to the rangers to find out whether there are any threatened species and how they are being protected. You and your friends might be able to help the rangers in their conservation work.
* When you visit a national park, make sure you obey the wildlife code: follow fire regulations; leave your pets at home; leave flowers, birds’ eggs, logs and bush rocks where you find them; put your rubbish in a bin or, better still, take it home.
* If you have friends who live on farms, encourage them to keep patches of bush as wildlife habitats and to leave old trees standing, especially those with hollows suitable for nesting animals.
* Some areas have groups which look after local lands and nature reserves. They do this by removing weeds and planting local native species in their place. You could join one of these groups, or even start a new one with your parents and friends. Ask your local parks authority or council for information.
* By removing rubbish and weeds and replanting with natives you will allow the native bush to gradually regenerate. This will also encourage native animals to return.
Step 2 Make Space For Our Wildlife
* Build a birdfeeder and establish a birdbath for the neighborhood birds.
* Plant a tree and build a birdhouse in your backyard.
* Start composting in your backyard garden or on your balcony. It eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers which are harmful to animals and humans, and it benefits your plants!
* Ask your parents not to use harmful chemicals in your garden or home.
Step 3 Recycle, Reduce, And Reuse
Encourage your family to take public transportation. Walk or ride bicycles rather than using the car.
Save energy by turning off lights, radios and the TV when you are not using them.
Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth and use water-saving devices on your toilet, taps and shower head.
Ask your parents to buy products and food without packaging whenever possible. Take your own bag to the store. It will reduce the amount of garbage and waste your family produces.
Recycle your toys, books and games by donating them to a hospital, daycare, nursery school or children’s charity.
Encourage your family to shop for organic fruits and vegetables.
Step 4 Make Your Voice Heard
* State and territory government conservation agencies are responsible for the management of national parks and the protection of wildlife. They are sometimes supported by public foundations.
* Tell your family, friends and work mates about threatened species and how they can help them.
* Start a group dedicated to protecting a threatened plant or animal in your area or perhaps to help care for a national park.
* Write articles or letters about threatened species to newspapers.
* Ring up talk-back radio programs to air your concerns, or arrange to talk on your community radio station.
Source(s):
Those are some of the key steps toward a better future
Thank You
There are lots of little things you can do. Most importantly educate people every chance you get to. The more they know, the more likely they are to take the time to perserve. You can recycle, to try and keep landfills under control so that we can perserve the wildlife around. You can donate and volunteer at organizations.
Greetings from a fellow former Hoosier!
I have to agree with so many of the answers already given, education is the key. And it goes hand in hand with activism for habitat protection and environmental laws. We can only protect what we know something about and if we cannot preserve what we have, so many things will be here and gone and we won’t even know they were here in the first place.
Just imagine what we could have done with “Super Croc”! No doubt, the late, great, Steve Irwin could have given us pointers.
It’s up to us to protect and enjoy those things that God has given us on this earth.
i think to preserve wildlife, we can do a lot of contribution.
endangered species of animals like hippopotamus are mainly killed for their tusks and the skin which is used to make leather and sufff. knives are also made from the tusks of hippo. we can save these animals by not buying products made from their skin or tusks. if the demand would be less, gradually less products will be made and less hipppos will be killed. more wildlife organizations must be launched where endangered animals must be saved in their natural environment and protecting both male and female species, so that number of these animals can be increased.
we should have special classes in the schools so that the students can learn how important it is to save animals species and hunting licences should not be issued and it should be made illegal to hunt animals.
many people keep pandas as pets but they must be handed over to the organizations that can keep them in their natural surrondings and their number can be increased.
also in some countries, garbage from the houses,shops is dumped in to the rivers which mostly destroys the aquatic life.
factories must not dump their poisnous liquids in the oceans.
the american navy ships use powerful sonars to measure the depth of the sea, the ultrasonic rays released from the sonar are really dangerous for especially whales. that’s why sometime they come to the beaches.
electronic devices should be recycled so that to prevent air and soil pollution, which is very harmul for humans and as well as animals.
deforestation must be decreased and we should grow more and more trees so that these endangered species do not lose their homes, their habitats.
we must treat animals very friendly.
this way, we can protect our best-est friends, animals!!!!!
My favorite undersea animal is the manatee. I have adopted Brutus and I write to the governor to make sure that my “baby” and his family remains protected. I feel that protecting one animal is the best way to protect others.
Take a risk. People often think that they’re making a difference just by telling others about it. Truth is, you’ve gotta go out where they are and take some action
I don’t know if education helps in saving endangered species. A lot is being shown in television channels about conservation and protection of different species, their habitat and how we are affecting them. Even then we ignore these warnings and pleas and hunt them or send them to the brink of extinction.
For instance, tigers which are protected in India are considered to be priced for their skin. Who buys these skins? Similarly, the horn of a rhinoceros is considered to be a medicine for virility whereas studies have proved that the horn is nothing but compressed hair. But who lusts after these horns? Then what about elephants’ tusks, famed for ivory?
All the above are bought by the people who can spend a large amount of wealth to possess or covet them despite being educated enough to know that its illegal for a good reason. They generate enough greed in the minds of the ordinary poacher to murder these innocent beasts. So does education really help? No, as far as I am concerned.
People say that we are supposed to protect our rainforests. How do we do that? By cutting down more of them every second so that it will keep our newsprint prices low.
The only thing education has taught us is that doing all this is dangerous. Just like it has taught us that smoking is dangerous for our health. But do all educated people heed to dangers they already know about?
We treat environmentalists and conservationists as mavericks and a threat to our urban lifestyle which demands more from nature and makes us less self-sufficient.
I just hope that by trying to minimize my carbon footprint as a city slicker, I can contribute my bit to conservation. I will try to reduce the use of paper, switch off lights and television when I leave a room, and change my attitude towards animals and birds that have every right to share the earth with us. I know its a tiny drop in the ocean but I’m sure that I will never buy a rhino’s horn or ivory and treasure them. I’d rather see them on a rhino or as a tusk of an elephant.
I think you’re looking for everyday things a person can do, as, in the extreme, you could go to Rwanda and guard mountain gorillas for the rest of your life.
One thing would be to join organizations dedicated to protecting these animals (such as the World Wildlife Fund.) You could just be a contributing member and pay a small annual fee; or you could be a more active member and volunteer your time and resources to help these organizations work towards their goals. Whenever you give to charities, you should research them and make sure you agree with their goals and know how your money will be spent.
It’s also a good idea to educate yourself so you know when you buy a product you aren’t inadvertantly supporting a company or process that hurts these animals (for instance, buying a type of wood that only comes from South American rainforests.)
People can also make a big difference by speaking out. Hang up signs at your desk telling people about the issue. Add a tag line to your e-mails. Speak up when people talk about the issue. Always be sure to have directions handy telling people where to go to learn more and join in.
Speaking up also includes writing letters and calling public officials. Write to members of Congress and the White House; write to leaders in other parts of the world.
If you’re really dedicated, you can organize fund raisers and use your special talents to help (for instance, if you’re a good public speaker, give talks at organizations and schools about the issue.)
I usually join organizations and donate. Every little bit counts!
I would say education however if you have not scene from this site the problem with people is they just don’t care about the planet or even about each other. Why do people kill animals and destroy habitats? It’s just greed and in poor countries how can you get them to care about animals unless they care about each other first. If you can make it more important to the local people to take care of what they have and value it you would have a better chance of saving the species people have to have that extra incentive. Like food and a stable living.
Throwing money at a problem never works especially in poorer countries where corruption rules the land. The people that need the help never get it so they revert to destroying the animals and the land for pennies. It is not right but these people do not have much value they have learned money talks so that’s all they listen to.
I do my part reduce, reuse, and recycle. But in reality the only place I can help is where I live and no one seems to care that species are dying out in there own backyards yet they seem to overlook it because they are too occupied with there own “stuff” to care about all the other creatures that share our home with us it’s very sad.
Source(s):
I’m a Biology major and I would love to be out there with you helping to save the planet, but what we all really need is one big attitude adjustment.
Dear Dr. Brady Barr,
Honestly I don’t really know exactly what I can do to protect the lives of the endangered animals. I guess, the facts might vary from animal to animal. But now that you have kindly asked about it, I’ ll definitely search on the internet to know about this. As I now think that all of us should care enough to know about them. I know that I don’t kill animals. I believe we should show compassion to all our animal brothers and sisters. For this reason, I have left off eating all kinds of red meat. I desire to become a full vegetarian very soon.
After knowing about the endangered animals, I’ll definitely do my best, to do what I would discover to be best for them. Besides, donating money to organisations who are working on this is an excellent idea.
I thank you earnestly for posting this question. It has thrown light on my ignorance.
Well, like the saying goes, “Word of mouth is the best advertisement!” I think we need to talk more about the danger of losing these animals. We need more “extinction education” within the schools..starting in elementary schools…on ways to prevent the extinction of animals and how to care for them and their surroundings. Ways to improve our environment so that we, as humans, are able to take care of our animals. We learn so much from them. They deserve our care.
donations
Answer hidden due to its low rating
Well it probably to late by now, because the population of Hippo’s in all Zoo around the world, will prevent what Communist China has done with their endangered Panda Bear.
China doesn’t sell Pandas to zoos they are all least for millions of dollars per year.
America has had great success in our breeding program, which is reported second to none.
But the bottom line is they always comes down to ownership, the answer to that is “China”.
Whom have you ever seen standing in khakis with a big riffle holding the head of a Panda by the ears? I think the answer is obvious.
“Exclusivity” Imagine Africa leasing there animals way back in 1800’s? to all comers, along wit the ability to enforce pouching for money, no big game hunting, except to thin out over population of A type of animal…..Big country’s always push there way around the world.
Source(s):
My view ?
Answer hidden due to its low rating
well, first off not to feed the animals at the zoo because that is the zookeepers job, and because u can endanger animals more!!!
2nd- support any anti-animal endanger club u can
3rd- love life urself and the animals
Source(s):
Mee!
Answer hidden due to its low rating
I would think that going with not harming anything doing with habitats and wildlife. Plants are also good maintain cause some herbivores could die by not having them or the animals that they depend on could decrease the numbers anyways just love nature and dont hurt it in anyway
Answer hidden due to its low rating
I don’t hunt , I only fish.
Answer hidden due to its low rating
I give money to PETA and Green Peace Monthly. I also bought an older home instead of a new one, to help reduce encroachment by suburbs.
Answer hidden due to its low rating
Not running it over. Not hunting it (the endangered species that is). I will still continue to hunt deer and everything else legal in their respective hunting seasons. I really don’t see where donations help, because it seems there is always a new endangered species coming out every season. What am I supposed to do? I don’t have the money or time to go to different countries or in the middle of the woods to stop a poacher.
As for their habitats being destroyed. Have government building stop. The whole government housing where they destroy a bunch of acres of land for low income families. And all the shopping plazas, malls and everything else that involves destroying not only the woods/forests, but farm land, too. That is apart of history being paved over. I don’t care about the animals. They can find a way to adapt at the people’s expense because it is the people who is doing it. So that is why people have a problem with squirrels, raccoons and other wildlife going through their trash, getting inside their houses, and otherwise damaging their property. I am talking on a national front and not international due to reasons that I have no means to protect internationally, heck, not even nationally, I am but a mere human. So locally, but even then they are my thoughts and I hate seeing forests and woods destroyed just to put in a new super shopping center or other crap that is already across town or more than two already exists within the same town. The animals. How many people can honestly say they think about the poor endangered species and animals driving to a mall or some store? Not many. And when asked about it, they give a precious answer of sugarcoating and start talking out of their butts saying we need to donate, stop buying the stuff that is made from the animals, preserve wildlife in national parks and all this other stuff they can think up when asked directly about it. But how can the common man actually perform this? Answer: They cannot. Look at all the protests and wildlife activists, what do they get done that will not be done somewhere else, then? Or done later on when they understand they cannot stop it?
But what is really ironic is where people say protect the wildlife, but once a wildlife (deer come to memory here) starts destroying the property, it is all of a sudden ok to hunt them and kill them. It is ok to do what they forbade us to do until it happens to them.
Go talk to contractors and businesses that are destroying the land to throw up another stupid Super Wal-Mart or a Super K-Mart when there was one across town, but nooooo, the people need a SUPER one, not a regular one. So let us destroy more land up and take away the precious wildlife’s habitat and then have people complain about it while they drive to it and continue to shop there. While the closed down store is just sitting there doing nothing but wasting tax payer’s money.
Poachers and the Hippopotamus. What am I going to do about them? How do I even start with that? I can come up with solutions to stopping the taking away of habitats in communities. But no one listens, anyways, they don’t care. And even if the place shuts down it just remains there abandoned until either bought up or destroyed and another plaza, mall, shopping center etc. takes its place. But as for animals in other countries, why not provide stricter laws on poachers? You catch them they go to jail for 5-10 years, maybe more. Or, this is drastic, but hey, protecting the valuable endangered species, toss a poacher in with some hungry lions and let that be an example to others if caught. Have tougher laws and in some cases cruelty to poachers. I feel sorry for the endangered species, but what is a donation going to do? They get more money to count and people still poach, still take up land for frivolous buildings (most the time) and species are still added to the endangered list.
So why not take some extreme measures just as a experiment. If it does not work, it does not work, move on to a new idea. Why sit around and ask people who, honestly, don’t give two craps about it especially about a hippo, because what are they really going to do? Send 10 dollars, maybe more, to a donation and still hear about the species being hunted and poachers still roaming around?
Answer hidden due to its low rating
well nothing,human growth will continue,predictions of earths population in 2050 will be 10billion.Wildlife will be pushed away from expansion for humans. If i want to protect them i dont know what i can do to help them like that but maybe the ecosystem.
Answer hidden due to its low rating
Not sure if you agree with this, but from the practical point of view-
If they can not adapt to the environment, let them go, unless they are proved to be very useful and not on suspected values (such as one day one of these animals may help cure cancer, etc.). Otherwise, we are just wasting our energy on something that will not work.
This does not mean that people should not be careful about using the resources. Poaching these exotic animals is wrong.
We should document their life to show appreciation for them.
Answer hidden due to its low rating
Many people don’t realize that Hippos are killers. Maybe people in Africa should not wash?
Maybe you should be looking closer to home, the top level predators in America. Do you have a bear in your back yard?
Answer hidden due to its low rating
research is the key to
anything
Answer hidden due to its low rating
well, all these animals may not be safe in their natural habitat and i don’t support cages or an enclosed area for them. this can be very much troublesome.so wat i feel is the natural habitat shud be more secure than ne thing else on this earth. it is difficult but to save the endangered species we need 2 put our step first so tat we can lead others on the same path. and to increase some space for them we can tell the poachers to stay away from the area.
the habitat shud not go off without getting noticed.
Answer hidden due to its low rating
Sir, maybe we should not protect them. I was watching a history show and learned that man kind is predestined to self destruct, and disappear so maybe we should just let history take its course, and lose the animals, then we humans will go next and the world will start all over again.
Answer hidden due to its low rating
I don’t care about endangered animals