The number of people on the planet is only increasing, cities are expanding, that is, conditions are being created for the disappearance of representatives of flora and fauna. Scientists estimate that the extinction of living organisms has increased 1, 000 times compared to the natural rate of decline. And some experts generally sound the alarm and compare the current situation with the extinction of dinosaurs, which was 65 million years ago.
Black book
Many people know what the Red Book is, but few suspect the existence of the Black Book of extinct animals. It contains all kinds of flora and fauna that have disappeared from the face of the Earth since 1500. And the data in this book are disappointing, 844 species of animals and 1000 species of vegetation have disappeared forever. Statistical data was entered into the document by processing the information of naturalists, naturalists and natural monuments, ancient manuscripts and sketches.
Against this background, the idea of creating a Red Book arose, in which information about representatives of flora and fauna that are threatened with extinction will be entered. However, it cannot be said that she helped somehow rectify the situation.
XVI-XVIII centuries
Over the course of three centuries, many species have been recorded in the book of extinct animals. The rodents living in Haiti and the Fernando di Noronha archipelago, the nocturnal bird from Ascension Island, have disappeared.
In the XVII century, more than 10 species of birds finally disappeared, this is the Martinique Macaw, the shepherdess Debois, Dodo and others. Lost tour and paleopropithecus, giant fossa, the closest relative of mongooses.
In the next century, Caroline parrots, Reunion pink dove, Steller cormorant and others disappeared. Giant land turtles and relic pink pigeons, Steller cows and cormorants ceased to exist on the Mascarene Islands.
XIX-XX centuries
The most striking example of extinct animals through the fault of man is a wandering dove. According to eyewitnesses, they were very voracious birds, so they were uncontrollably destroyed in the sky over North America during their migration. The last individual of this species died at the zoo in 1914.
Because of delicious meat, heather grouse was exterminated. Due to the excellent qualities of the skin, the quagga suffered. This equine animal in front resembled a zebra, and in the rear it was the color of an ordinary bay horse.
The wingless shag became a victim of the greed of the connoisseurs of its fluff and delicious meat; the last individuals were exterminated in 1844 on a small island near Iceland. And in almost 99% of cases, all these animals became extinct due to human fault.
Current situation
The problem of extinction of biological species is not far-fetched. Today, about 40% of all representatives of flora and fauna are threatened with extinction. If the trend continues, then in 100 years the bill will go to millions of individuals.
The data of the International Union for Conservation of Nature are horrifying; 1 species or subspecies disappears annually. Regional extinction is not uncommon, that is, in a particular region or country, a certain species of animal or vegetation disappears.
Snow leopard or snow leopard
An endangered animal, the first category is assigned to the irbis in the Red Book of Russia. To date, according to experts, no more than 100 individuals are left in the country.
This is a unique wild cat that does not know how to growl, only to purr. In appearance, it is very similar to a leopard, has a squat body fit and a long tail. Males are larger than females and can reach 55 kilograms.
The habitat of the snow leopard is Mongolia, the central part of Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the western part of China and Tibet. It is sometimes found in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. As the prey increases, snow leopards rise in the subalpine and alpine zones, and in winter, respectively, fall on the territory of coniferous forests.
The inexorable decline in the population of this wild cat is associated with the enormous popularity and beauty of its fur. For a long time, the skin of the snow leopard was at the peak of popularity. Even today, in some stores in Mongolia, you can buy animal skins, despite the fact that shooting snow leopards is prohibited.
Amur tiger
Another endangered animal is the largest tiger on the entire planet, living in snowy areas. To date, this representative of the fauna is listed in the international Red Book. We can still meet him in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories. Russian statistics say that about 450 individuals remained in the Amur tiger. Although he was taken under protection back in 1947. Throughout the world, the population over the past century has decreased by 25 times.
An interesting feature of the animal is that for the winter its hair brightens so that it is easier for the beast to disguise itself. They are almost always on the move, constantly looking for prey and go around their possessions. The beast almost never catches up with its victim if the first attempt was unsuccessful. If the number of animals in the forests is reduced, then they descend closer to human settlements and attack dogs and livestock.
Chimpanzee
An endangered animal, again due to human activities. A surge in mortality has been observed for the past 25-30 years. The extinction of the species is associated with the destruction of the natural habitat of chimpanzees. In Africa, trees have been rapidly being cut down recently, on which monkeys sleep, and slash-and-burn agriculture is actively used. Children of chimpanzees are caught for the sake of sale, and adults are shot for meat. Another factor that leads to a reduction in the population is human diseases, to which chimpanzees are very susceptible, and contacts between them and humans occur more and more often.
African elephant
This large mammal is also endangered. And this is due to poaching for ivory. Over 10 years, by 1990, the population was halved. So, in 1970 there were 400 thousand individuals, in 2006 only 10 thousand remained elephants. In the Gambia, Swaziland, Burundi and Mauritania, African elephants have disappeared altogether, while in Kenya the number has decreased by 85%.
Despite all attempts by the state to save this endangered animal, poachers are engaged in ivory mining to the present.
Galapagos Sea Lion
This inhabitant of the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador is also already endangered. Compared to 1978, the population declined by 50%. First of all, this is due to strong fluctuations in the temperature of the water surface, which negatively affects the climate near the Pacific Ocean. The proximity of residential settlements to the habitat of the sea lion also negatively affects the number, most often the cause of animal mortality are dogs, bringing infectious diseases to their habitats.
