The third Friday in May of each year is Endangered Species Day. It's a day set aside for everyone to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species. The day was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction 'as a consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation' by then-US President Richard Nixon in 1978. The act is administered by two Federal agencies, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
So why is this day so important? Because there are currently 41,415 species of animals on the IUCN Red List. Of those, 16, 306 are listed as endangered species threatened with extinction. That's a HUGE number! Think about it. When they're gone, they're gone; lost to us forever except in picture books. What makes this so scary...and so very sad...is that the number is up from 16,118 from just last year. That's an increase of 188 animals that the earth could soon lose permanently. The total number of extinct species is now a whopping 785. In the last 500 years, due to human activity , over 800 species have been forced into extinction. And a further 65 are found only in captivity or in cultivation.
Just try imagine the world without Polar Bears, Sumatran Tigers, Elephants, or Rinoceros. It's hard for me to fathom. And those are just a few of the beloved animals whose lives are in danger. There are countless others, too. Many not as well known, or as beautiful, or as cuddly. But they should matter as well. Take us frogs for instance. Of the 6,260 amphibians (frogs and toads, salamanders and newts, and caecilians) assessed, nearly one-third of species (32.4 percent) are globally threatened or extinct; that's 2,030 species! And thirty-eight percent of those 2,030 species are considered to be already extinct. Like the rest of the animals on the endangered species list, there is a growing number of frogs that keep getting added to it each year.
This is a serious concern...or should be...for all of us. Please help save animals that are in imminent danger of disappearing. There are many groups that are doing incredible work to find ways to preserve the world's animals. But they can't do it without your help. help spread the word by using #EndangeredSpeciesDay on on your social media. My friends and I thank you for help and and concern..
And since it's Friday, I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and restful weekend. I hope to see you all back here on Monday!
So why is this day so important? Because there are currently 41,415 species of animals on the IUCN Red List. Of those, 16, 306 are listed as endangered species threatened with extinction. That's a HUGE number! Think about it. When they're gone, they're gone; lost to us forever except in picture books. What makes this so scary...and so very sad...is that the number is up from 16,118 from just last year. That's an increase of 188 animals that the earth could soon lose permanently. The total number of extinct species is now a whopping 785. In the last 500 years, due to human activity , over 800 species have been forced into extinction. And a further 65 are found only in captivity or in cultivation.
Just try imagine the world without Polar Bears, Sumatran Tigers, Elephants, or Rinoceros. It's hard for me to fathom. And those are just a few of the beloved animals whose lives are in danger. There are countless others, too. Many not as well known, or as beautiful, or as cuddly. But they should matter as well. Take us frogs for instance. Of the 6,260 amphibians (frogs and toads, salamanders and newts, and caecilians) assessed, nearly one-third of species (32.4 percent) are globally threatened or extinct; that's 2,030 species! And thirty-eight percent of those 2,030 species are considered to be already extinct. Like the rest of the animals on the endangered species list, there is a growing number of frogs that keep getting added to it each year.
This is a serious concern...or should be...for all of us. Please help save animals that are in imminent danger of disappearing. There are many groups that are doing incredible work to find ways to preserve the world's animals. But they can't do it without your help. help spread the word by using #EndangeredSpeciesDay on on your social media. My friends and I thank you for help and and concern..
And since it's Friday, I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and restful weekend. I hope to see you all back here on Monday!
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