ANIMAL EXTINCTION What does life mean to you?
How many deaths does it take for us to realize how much damage we’re causing? “Life is extinct on other planets because their scientists were more advanced than ours.” - Anonymous Extinction is the end of an organism or group of organisms, usually a species. Extinction happens in two main ways. Of course, some extinction is natural, and cannot be helped. Lack of food, water, and other important resources necessary for survival is part of the problem. Not to mention inability to reproduce, and climate and/or major changes in the habitat. While some change in climate and habitat may natural, some is due to the development and uncompassionate attitude of humans. Housing and other commercial developments play a large role in the destruction of natural animal habitats. Pollution plays a large role in the climate change of the world, causing disasters such as the melting of the ice caps, which is dually changing the climate and destroying natural habitat all in one. Another cause of extinction is the buying and selling of endangered animals to zoo’s as well as for other private collections. These issues may not seem like such a big deal, they most certainly are! Even though there are millions of species in existence today, hundreds more have already gone extinct, and these numbers are not getting smaller. Nearly1/4 of mammals and 1/3 of amphibians are in danger of becoming extinct, and the United States is at the top of the list for countries with the greatest rate of extinction.
Did you know that humans are the only species aware of their eventual death? “He who refuses to learn deserves extinction.” -Rabbi Hillel Did you know that the Permian-Triassic extinction event about 250 million years ago was the deadliest? More than 90 percent of all species perished. Did you know the Ordovician-Silurian extinction, about 440 million years ago, involved massive glaciations that locked up much of the world's water as ice and caused sea levels to drop precipitously? Did you know many scientists think the evidence indicates a sixth mass extinction is under way? The blame for this one, perhaps the fastest in Earth's history, falls firmly on the shoulders of humans. Did you know an extraterrestrial impact is most closely linked to the Cretaceous extinction event? A huge crater off Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula is dated to about 65 million years ago, coinciding with the extinction. Whatever the cause, dinosaurs, as well as about half of all species on the planet, went extinct. Did you know massive floods of lava erupting from the central Atlantic magmatic province about 200 million years ago may explain the Triassic-Jurassic extinction? About 20 percent of all marine families went extinct, as well as most mammal-like creatures, many large amphibians, and all nondinosaur archosaurs. Did you know The Tyrannosaurus Rex went extinct 65 million years ago? It was one of the largest animals. It measured up to 43.3 feet in length and 16.6 feet in height. It weighed approximately 7 tons. Did you know there are 38 known species of mammals that are extinct? Did you know that the main causes of extinction are: the impact of introduced species, disease, pollution, and excess hunting?
Did you know that Nigeria is one of the countries’ in Africa most plagued by extinction? The Nok people of central Nigeria produced the earliest terracotta sculptures found in the country. In the northern part of the country, Kano and Katsina has recorded history dating back to around 999. Hausa kingdoms and the KanemBornu Empire prospered as trade posts between North and West Africa. At the beginning of the 19th century under Usman dan Fodio the Fulani led the centralized Fulani Empire which continued until 1903 when the Fulani population and land were divided into various European colonies. Between 1750 and 1900, between one to two-thirds of the population of the Fulani jihad states consisted of slaves. Spaniard and Portuguese explorers were the first Europeans to begin trade in Nigeria in the port they named Lagos and in Calabar. The Europeans traded with the ethnicities of the coast and also negotiated a trade in slaves, to the detriment and profit of many Nigerian ethnicities. Consequently many of the citizens of the former slave nations of the British Empire are descended from a Nigerian ethnic group. On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained its independence from the United Kingdom. Nigeria re-achieved democracy in 1999 when it elected Olusegun Obasanjo, the former military head of state, as the new President of Nigeria ending almost 33 years of military rule excluding the shortlived second republic by military dictators who seized power in coups d'Êtat and counter-coups during the Nigerian military juntas of 1966-1979 and 1983-1998. Although the elections which brought Obasanjo to power in 1999 and again in 2003 were condemned as unfree and unfair, Nigeria has shown marked improvements in attempts to tackle government corruption and to hasten development.
-Nigeria is in the upper left area of Africa -Abuja is the capitol -Population: 152,217,341 -Area: 923,768 -Official language: English -Average life expectancy: 47 years old -Religion: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Freemasonry, Chrislam, and Bahai -Mortality: 91.54 deaths/1,000 live births
Is YOUR country abusing? Current situation: In most Chinese provinces, there are no laws against animal cruelty. They hold horse fighting events as entertainment. (To get the horses to fight those involved will present a mare that is in season so that the stallions are aroused. The mare will then be removed. Added to this the horses are whipped until they are in frenzy, so that they will put on a good show. Usually the horses do not fight to the death but there are always casualties. Often these injuries will result in a horse having to be destroyed.) China holds The Animal Olympics. Many of these animals are muzzled, frightened, taunted and more, in order to make them "perform". As of 2006 there were no laws in China governing acts of cruelty to animals. They sell keychains with animals in them, Brazilian. Stats: China has an appalling record regarding human and animal rights. Among the cruelty to animals in China there is: The slaughter of cats, dogs and other animals by skinning them alive. The use and export of this fur to countries such as ours. Dogs beaten to death on the streets of China on a regular basis. A population that still seems to enjoy the cruel spectacle of animal suffering. Case study November 2009. Seven ducks were found injured and one killed after being shot with arrows in a park lake. The police expected the people who shot the arrows used some type of air gun with arrow-shooting functions. Police said they’d investigate further into the situation.
Solutions -
Report it. Sign petitions. Write to the governor to make laws against it. Join an organization against it. Volunteer at shelters. Adopt pets.
What can you do to stop animal abuse in your city? Current situation Abandonment, mutilation, beat, torture, and neglect are all examples of crimes committed regarding animal abuse. Indiana has multiple laws against animal cruelty and there are a lot of police officers that deal with animal abuse cases. Case study At the first thought of animal neglect, one may usually picture domestic animals such as dogs and cats, but there are many other animals that are being abused and mistreated. For example, recently in Indianapolis two ponies were rescued from a Marion county home where it was clear they were not being cared for. Both were victims of many health issues including dental, malnutrition, and a disease called laminitis which affects the hooves and causes extreme pain. Abuse and mistreatment of healthful species is one of the factors that can ultimately help contribute to extinction. What should the government be doing? The government should be promoting the general well being of animals as an important factor to our everyday lives. They provide us with food, companionship, and help regulate the food chain and the natural way of things. Animals are not a renewable resource and will not last forever. Mistreatment of un-endangered animals could ultimately play a role in them becoming an endangered species. This could result in loss of food for us, or many other terrible things.
Don’t wait for it to be our turn to be extinct before you decide to act.
Endangeredspeciesinternational.org Earthportals.com Time.com Guardian.co.uk Animalport.com Factsaboutanimals.net Dosomething.org