Ishfaq Shafi
March 3 is the World Wildlife Day and the the theme this year (2020) is “Sustaining All Life On Earth”, encompassing all wild animal and plant species as key components of the world’s biodiversity. There are many number of animals who are in endangered stage .
The plight of endangered species
There are now 41,415 species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List, and 2700 of them are endangered species threatened with extinction. This includes both endangered animals and endangered plants.
Wildlife conservation is the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order to prevent species from going extinct.
Major threats to wildlife include habitat destruction, degradation, fragmentation, overexploitation, poaching, pollution and climate change. IUCN estimates that 27,000 species of the ones assessed are at risk for extinction but when expanding to all existing species, according to a 2019 UN report on biodiversity, this estimate is higher at a million species. It’s also being acknowledged that an increasing number of ecosystems on earth containing endangered species are disappearing. To address these issues, there have been both national and international governmental efforts to preserve Earth’s wildlife.
The real reason to conserve wildlife in the wild is to conserve the ecosystems in which the relevant animals (and plants) live, because these ecosystems provide us with clean air, clean water, food, and shelter. Forest removal has climatic effects, increases erosion and silts up rivers.
Wildlife consists of flora and fauna, i.e. plants, animals and microorganisms which are not domesticated by humans. On the other hand conservation is preserving and protecting wild plants, animals and their habitats. Therefore, we can say that the Conservation of Wildlife is necessary to recognize the importance of nature and other wildlife species. Rivers, prairies, forests, wetlands, oceans, and everything else in nature is the cradle for wildlife, which are disappearing rapidly. Habitat is the place where all living things find favorable conditions to survive, reproduce, and thrive. Pollution, land development, deforestation, and natural disasters are a few reasons why the wildlife and the number of species are decreasing rapidly today. When habitat is threatened or destroyed, the wildlife living in the habitat is threatened as well. When roads or new developments destroy the habitats of wild animals, they must move and find new places to thrive, putting pressure on the ecology and nature.
Economic importance
The wild life can be used to earn money. Wild plant products like food, medicine, timber, fibres, etc. are of economic value and the wild animal products such as meat, medicines, hide, ivory, lac, silk, etc. are of tremendous economic value. Wildlife provides us the raw and basic material to start any industry , factory etc for our earnings . Wildlife is also considered to be the one of the greatest factor for increase and better development of word trade and increase in national income. It also helps the farmers the most by providing a better way in ploughing and other techniques .Therefore, wildlife is of immense value to all in economic development. Since wildlife is the source of income to many they play a vital role in their life as the economic factor.
Wildlife Tourism
Wildlife tourism is an element of many nations’ travel industry centered around observation and interaction with local animal and plant life in their natural habitats. While it can include eco- and animal-friendly tourism, safari hunting and similar high-intervention activities also fall under the umbrella of wildlife tourism. Wildlife tourism, in its simplest sense, is interacting with wild animals in their natural habitat, either by actively (e.g. hunting/collection) or passively (e.g. watching/photography). Wildlife tourism is an important part of the tourism industries in many countries including many African and South American countries, Australia, India, Canada, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Maldives among many. It has experienced a dramatic and rapid growth in recent years worldwide and many elements are closely aligned to eco-tourism and sustainable tourism.
The Writer is columnist & freelancer writer and can be reached at [email protected]
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