EXTINCTION

We are always hearing about extinct and

endangered animals, but do you know what
these terms actually mean?
 WHAT IS
EXTINCTION

Extinction of a particular animal or

plant species occurs when there are no
more individuals of that species alive
anywhere in the world - the species has
died out. This is a natural part of
evolution.
Extinction occurs when the last
members of a species die because they
cannot acquire the food, water, shelter,
and/or space necessary to survive.

 WHAT IS
EXTINCTION

But sometimes extinctions happen at a

much faster rate than usual. For
example, at the end of the Cretaceous
period 65 million years ago, a mass
extinction caused the death of many
different types of animals and plants,
including the dinosaurs.
Today human intervention is also
causing rapid extinction. It is this type of
extinction, caused by humans, that we
deal with in these pages.
FOUR CATEGORIES
1 2
A VULNERABLE specieswhich has been categorized by
the International Union for Conservation of Nature that is
ENDANGERED is used mostly to describe animal species
threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that
that are not doing very well animals usually become
are threatening its survival and reproduction improve.
endangered because of over hunting or the destruction of
Vulnerability is mainly caused by habitat loss or
their habitat. Outside of the animal kingdom, you can say
destruction of the species' home.
anything that seems to be dying out is endangered, like
The examples of vulnerable species are Blue sheep,
good manners, phone booths, or the art of letter writing.
Asiatic elephant, Gangetic dolphin.
Example of Endangered are the Amur tiger, red panda .

3 4
A CRITICALLY ENDANGERED species is extremely likely
A species that is EXTINCT in the wild is one that has
to become extinct in the immediate future. Some of the
been categorized by the International Union for
species considered as critically endangered .
Conservation of Nature as known only by living
Example of critically endangered are Kemp’s ridley sea
members kept in captivity or as a naturalized
turtle, brown spider monkey, Chinese alligator, black rhino,
population outside its historic range due to massive
northern hairy-nosed wombat, Philippine eagle, red wolf,
Malayan tiger, northern white rhinoceros, etc.
habitat loss.
Example of species extinct Alagoas curassow (last
unconfirmed sighting reported in the late 1980s, listed
extinct in the wild since 1994).
MORE EXAMPLE OF THE
DIFFERENT CATEGORIES
GIANT TORTOISE

Population Classification: vulnerable

Pinta Island
The giant tortoise is an iconic species from the
Galápagos and is only found on these islands. They are
the largest living tortoise in the world.
1. The giant tortoise is threatened by introduced species to
the islands, such as dogs and cats which prey on young
tortoises, and cattle which compete for grazing
vegetation.
PHILIPPINE
CROCODILE
Population Classification: Critically Endangered
Found in Northern Sierra Madre
The Philippine crocodile is usually seen as the bad
livestock and man-eating animal. But in reality, what
they usually eat, especially the critically endangered
Philippine crocodile are snails that help farmers by
controlling introduced pest species in their rice fields.
This is among the rare animals in Philippines and in
the world. Compared to other crocodiles, the critically
endangered Philippine crocodile is smaller than usual
which is around 5 feet in length and just over 30
pounds.
DODO

Extinct
Island of Mauritius
-The dodo had historically had been considered lazy
and clumsy. However, it is now thought to have been
well-adapted for its ecosystem. It is presumed that the
dodo became flightless because of the ready availability
of abundant food sources and a relative absence of
predators on Mauritius.
-The last widely accepted sighting of a dodo was in 1662.
The extinction of the dodo called attention to the
problem of human involvement in the disappearance of
species.
THE CAUSE AND EFFECT
CAUSE
- The main modern causes of extinction are
the loss and degradation of habitat (mainly
deforestation), over exploitation (hunting,
overfishing), invasive species, climate
change, and nitrogen pollution.
water purification, but also spiritual and cultural
Humans have caused extinctions and put
species at risk of extinction through a
variety of activities, including:
Deforestation, habitat destruction,
agricultural activities, and urbanization,
which remove organisms from the
environment, and limit resources and
space available for species populations.
EFFECT
- Each time a species goes extinct, the world
around us unravels a bit. The consequences are
profound, not just in those places and for those
species but for all of us. These are tangible
consequential losses, such as crop pollination and
ones.
As species go extinct, they are taken out of the food
chain. Animals that ate the newly-extinct species
have to find new food sources or starve. This can
damage the populations of other plants or animals.
Furthermore, if a predator goes extinct, its prey's
population can proliferate, unbalancing local
ecosystems

PREVENTION
ON ANIMAL
EXTINCTION
BUY ECO-
FRIENDLY
PRODUCTS

Work for more environmentally-friendly (or at least more

environmentally conscious) habits. First of all, beware and be
aware of what you buy, and what you use. Always avoid buying
potentially damaging products for the environment: avoid large
corporations’ products that involve resources and processes
which have a harmful impact on the animals – and especially
on the endangered ones.

This also applies to cosmetics: avoid products

made by companies that test their products
on animals. Remember: we must stop animal
testing, they don’t know the answer!
FOLLOW THE 3-R
RULE: RECYCLE,
REUSE, REDUCE

Separate and treat the discarded solid waste of the manufacture

of new products. Come on, get creative! Recycle paper and
cardboard, plastic, metals, glass and all the rest: you will be able
to create new, fantastic objects.
The 3-R rule also applies to a more sustainable life in general:
every small energy-saving change can have a huge impact on
the health of threatened animals.

Small actions, big changes

EAT LESS MEAT

Be greener! We are literally “eating our way to extinction”. The

meat industry is not only damaging farmed animals, but also
wild ones – and especially the ones in danger of extinction.
Studies warn that meat-eaters are actually speeding worldwide
animals extinction.
Every meal counts
By eating less meat – whether one day a week or one meal a
day – you will lower your dietary carbon footprint and take a
step to protect wildlife.
SPREAD
AWARENESS:
GET INVOLVED

Talk to your family and friends. If you can’t convince them to

change their habits, at least try to warn them, and make them
more aware of their actions. Start by spreading the advantages
of buying eco-friendly products, of eating less meat, and of
buying souvenir-greeting-cards when on holiday!
Tell the world! Let’s Stop the sixth mass
extinction.
Last but not least, be a voice for endangered species on social
media: share posts, reels, tag your followers. Social media are
also a great way of getting informed, and eventually, take more
direct action. Stand for animals! together we can stop animal
extinction.