Importance of Endangered Animal Species Conservation

According to the 1996 IUCN list of threatened animals, there were over 5,200 vertebrates and invertebrates species that could be pushed into oblivion in the wild. The director general of the World Wildlife Fund International says that we can lose important animal species that are important for the ecological balance, if we don't do anything about the disappearing rate.

Importance of Endangered Animal Species Conservation Correspondent: A century from now human numbers may well have doubled and more people means more competition for their habitat of wild life. According to the 1996 IUCN list of threatened animals. There are over 5,200 vertebrate and invertebrate species could be pushed into oblivion in the wild. Claude Martin: (Director General WWF International)-We are not at all exaggerating to threat to buy diversity in fact some people project that we’re losing species at the rate that we would be confronted with a very severe problem soon in the next century because we will have lost a number of key species and keystone species that are essential for the maintenance of the ecological balance. Correspondent: Without the grounds for concern for conservation since the 1960’s many more species would have disappeared and that concern is fully justified. It’s not just the elimination of its habitat that reduce the population of 5 sub species of tiger in Asia to about 5,000 it’s skin and body parts are also in demand. This tiger was shot in Burma by poachers its bones will be ground for use of traditional medicine. Some had way has been made in East Asia to discourage poaching but the illegal trade in endangered species continues. People take more than laws to safeguard tigers and other threatened species. Bangkok the capital of Thailand as recently as 10 years ago, virtually every kind of local species captured in the wild was on sale here. Dwindling numbers in the wild rather than official control is the main reason why today fewer animals are on open sale and you don’t have to look too hard to find species – the international agreement to control the trade in endangered species. The hard pressed authorities simply don’t have enough resources to enforce regulations so wild life conservation NGOs and Voluntary Animal Welfare Organizations have a vital role to play. WAR the Wild Animal Rescue in Bangkok provides veterinary care a temporary home and the possibility of rehabilitation for dozens of rare species every year. Leoni Vejjajiva: (Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand)-A small organization like us hasn’t have the money or the power or the influence to do an awful lot. We do what we can. Correspondent: WAR Managers to look at a fraction of the animals taken from the wild for each one rescued there’s a harrowing story to tell. Stuart Beale: (Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand)-Give that this age would probably spend about 50% of its time hanging on to its mother. We’ve given this little cuddly toy to hang on to instead the chances are you’re gong to have to shoot 5 or 6 mothers in order to get a baby that survives the fall. Then as often as not you have to break the arms of the baby given in order to get it off it’s mother and so any given that’s on sale for the pet trade represents probably about 10 gibbons in the wild, 10 dead mothers and babies. Correspondent: Cola is another of WAR’s lucky few. She’s a 9 month old Asiatic Black Bear rescued by a tourist before she could be sold. Her gall bladder was destined to be used as a popular Chinese remedy and her paws would be made into soup. According to Stuart Beale her paws alone could fetch up to $700 U.S. each. Cola should be safe here and her future is farm from certain. Stuart: What you should normally do with a bear like Cola is about getting on towards about half grown. She would probably go to spacious bear sanctuary in a place called –-. The problem we’ve got with Cola is that – is run by the real forest department it’s being cut and they hardly have enough money to keep the animals let go – animals so we’re not really quite sure what we can do with that. Correspondent: Rescuing the creatures here is only part of the story. The longer the rescued animals spend in contact with humans the more their behavior is changed. Over the 50 animals cared for by WAR every year only 5 individuals will be released back to the wild for their chances of survival are slim.