Endangered Species Coverage:

Conservation of Endangered Species and Law/Act

in Protecting and Conserving Endangered
Species

Group 1
 ENDANGERED SPECIES
An endangered species is defined under the ESA as "any species
which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant
portion of its range.” The first federal policy for the protection of
endangered species was the Endangered Species Preservation Act,
passed in 1966. This act was replaced in 1969 with the
Endangered Species Conservation Act, which acted to strengthen
the legislation. Finally, in 1973, the Endangered Species Act was
passed. This act was recently reauthorized.

 ENDANGERED SPECIES

The responsibility for the management of endangered species

in terrestrial and freshwater habitats falls on the Fish and
Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior. For marine
species, responsibility lies with with the National Marine
Fisheries Service of the Department of Commerce.

What is an endangered species? What is a threatened species?

-ONE THAT IS IN

DANGER OF

-ONE THAT IS LIKELY TO BECOME

EXTINCTION THROUGHOUT ALL OR

ENDANGERED WITHIN THE

A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THEIR
FORSEEABLE FUTURE.
RANGE.

 WHAT IS A MINIMUM VIABLE

POPULATION?
The smallest number of breeding

individuals that has a specified probability of

surviving for a certain time, without losing
its evolutionary adaptability.
ENDANGERED
SPECIES TOP
TEN LIST!
10. HAWKSBILL TURTLES
The Hawksbill turtle is one of the seven
species of marine turtles and is found in
nearshore tropical and subtropical
waters of the Atlantic, the Indian, and
the Pacific Ocean. Their numbers are
believed to be between 20,000 and
23,000 nesting turtles, although it is
difficult to assess their true population
numbers since marine turtles are the
true ocean wanderers.

9. SUMATRAN ORANGUTAN

The Sumatran orangutan is found

exclusively on the island of Sumatra,
Indonesia. They are listed as critically
endangered by the IUCN at present,
with less than 14,000 individuals in the
wild.
8. AFRICAN FOREST ELEPHANT

Deep in the dense, humid forests of West

and Central Africa, you can find the elusive
forest elephant, one of the two members of
the African elephant species. The actual
number of wild African forest elephants
remains uncertain due to their shy nature,
but we do know that they are critically
endangered species and have declined by
an estimated 86% over 31 years.
7. BLACK RHINOS

Between 1960 and 1995, black rhino
populations suffered dramatic losses in
their numbers due to large-scale poaching.
Around 2% survived the severe onslaught
of the past. As rhino conservation took
hold, their numbers have more than
doubled across Africa since the 1990s. But,
black rhinos are still listed as critically
endangered by the IUCN, with around
5,630 individuals in the wild.
6. YANGTZE FINLESS PORPOISE

The Yangtze Finless Porpoise is the

odd one out of its family as it is the
only living freshwater porpoise found
in the world. This aquatic mammal
currently resides in the Yangtze River
in China and is listed as a critically
endangered species.
5. TAPANULI ORANGUTAN

The Tapanuli orangutan is the newly

described species of orangutan, listed
as a distinct species in 2017. Only a
single, isolated population of
Tapanuli orangutans exist in the
wild, which is restricted to the
tropical forests of the Batang Toru
ecosystem on the island of Sumatra,
Indonesia.
4. MOUNTAIN GORILLAS

The Mountain gorilla is a subspecies of

the eastern gorilla, which lives in two
isolated populations in the high-
altitude forests up in the volcanic,
mountainous regions of the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Rwanda and
Uganda, and in the Bwindi
Impenetrable National Park of
Uganda.

3. SUNDA ISLAND TIGER

The Sunda Island tiger, or the Sumatran

tiger, is the smallest tiger subspecies in the
world, weighing up to 140kg. For
reference, the tigers that live in the Amur
region are the biggest of all the big cats
where males can weigh up to twice as
much as Sunda Island tigers. They are also
very rare - there are estimated to be
around 600 in the wild, and are only found
on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

2. AMUR LEOPARD
The Amur leopard is one of the rarest big

cats in the world, with only around 100

individuals left in the wild. Although
their wild population seems to be stable
and increasing, these leopard subspecies
are still critically endangered since 1996.
And there is a good reason that: Amur
leopards can only be found in a relatively
small region of the far east of Russia and
north-eastern China at present.
1. JAVAN RHINOS

Once found throughout south-east

Asia, Javan rhinos have suffered a
staggering decline in their numbers
due to hunting and habitat loss. The
lone wild population of Javan rhinos
is one of the rarest of the rhino
species around 75 individuals which
can only be found on the island of
Java, Indonesia.
15 ACTIONS TO
PROTECT
ENDANGERED
SPECIES

 15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES

1) Learn about endangered species in your area. Teach
your friends and family about the wonderful wildlife,
birds, fish and plants that live near you. The first step
to protecting endangered species is learning about how
interesting and important they are. For more
information about endangered species, visit
endangered.fws.gov

15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES

2) Create a backyard wildlife habitat. Put

bird feeders and other wildlife attractants,
such as bird houses and baths.

 15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES

3) Establish a pollinator garden with native

vegetation in your yard. Native plants provide food
and shelter for native wildlife. Attracting native
insects like bees and butterflies can help pollinate
your plants. Avoid planting invasive species. Non-
native plants can overtake and destroy native species
on which animals depend.

 15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES

4) Minimize use of herbicides and pesticides.

Herbicides and pesticides are hazardous
pollutants that can affect wildlife at many levels.
Reduce use of fertilizer. Excess fertilizer will
likely wash into streams and rivers and may lead
to amphibian deformities and deaths.

 15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES

5) Reduce your use of water

in your home and
garden so that animals that live in or near water can
have a better chance of survival. Don’t dump paint,
oil or antifreeze or other chemicals, which pollute
the water and can harm people and wildlife. Keep
litter and pet waste out of the street drain, which
often washes into rivers, lakes or the ocean.

 15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES

6) Place decals on windows to deter bird

collisions. Millions of birds die every year
because of collisions with windows. You can help
reduce the number of collisions simply by placing
decals on the windows in your home and office.

 15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES

7) Slow down when driving. Many animals live in

developed areas and this means they must
navigate a landscape full of human hazards. So
when you’re out and about, slow down and keep
an eye out for animals. Don’t litter because trash
can attract wildlife to the roadside.

15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES

8) Recycle and buy sustainable products. Buy

recycled paper and sustainable products like
Forest Stewardship Council wood products and
shade-grown coffee to save rainforests.

15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT
ENDANGERED SPECIES

9) Don’t litter/otherwise destroy sensitive

habitats, which may be home to native/visiting
species that are endangered or threatened.

15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT
ENDANGERED SPECIES

10) Organize or participate in a “clean up”

campaign of an important habitat in your area.
(Be sure to work with appropriate city
officials/environmental organizations.)

 15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES

11) Never purchase products made from

endangered species like ivory, coral and tortoise
shell. Buy exotic plants and animals only from
reputable stores.

15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES

12) Report any harassment of threatened and

endangered species. You can find a list of state
wildlife departments at this link
http://www.fws.gov/offices/statelinks.html
 15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES
13) Visit a national wildlife refuge,

park or other open
space. These protected lands provide habitat to many
native wildlife, birds, fish and plants. Get involved by
volunteering at your local park or wildlife refuge. To find
a wildlife refuge near you, visit this link
http://www.fws.gov/refuges/ To find a park near you,
visit http://www.nps.gov To learn more and get involved,
contact the Endangered Species Coalition at

 15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES

14) Be Vocal. Write a letter to your local newspaper

urging support of important species protection
measures. E-mail your Congressional
representatives asking them to support the
Endangered Species Act.

15 ACTIONS TO PROTECT ENDANGERED SPECIES

15) Join others (and organize) in the annual Stop

Extinction Challenge. Organized by Endangered
Species Coalition (usually in August).

 WILDLIFE RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION

ACT. (REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9147).

The Act provides for the conservation, preservation and protection of

wildlife species and their habitats, in order to preserve and
encourage ecological balance and biological diversity; it provides,
furthermore, for the control and supervision of wildlife capture,
hunting and trade; finally it pprovides for supporting and promote
scientific research on the protection of biodiversity.

10 ACTIONS YOU
CAN TAKE TO
CONSERVE
ENDANGERED
SPECIES

 10 ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO CONSERVE

` ENDANGERED SPECIES
1)Volunteer with endangered species conservation

Directory for ideas.
organizations; visit the ESC Member

2) Report harassment and cruelty toward animals;

threatened/endangered species are protected from these illegal
actions.

 10 ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO CONSERVE

`
ENDANGERED SPECIES
3) Never buy products made from threatened/endangered animals

illegal species trade.
or live animals and plants. Help end

less plastic. Walk, bike, bus.
4) Reduce your carbon footprint: use
Eat less meat. Advocate for climate change education and carbon
reduction policies.

 10 ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO CONSERVE

`
ENDANGERED SPECIES

less plastic. Walk, bike, bus.
5) Reduce your carbon footprint: use
Eat less meat. Advocate for climate change education and carbon
reduction policies.

6) Protect ecosystems and habitat: support laws creating open

space, wildlife crossings and corridors, and other protections.

 10 ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO CONSERVE

`
ENDANGERED SPECIES

7) Garden without pesticides and herbicides: toxic chemicals can

accumulate, and migrate up the food chain, harming and killing a
range of species.

8) Plant native plant species: cultivate native, regionally

appropriate plant species, creating habitat
for pollinators and other species.
 10 ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO CONSERVE
` ENDANGERED SPECIES
9) Travel compassionately: don't participate in activities exploiting
threatened/endangered species, such
as animal selfies, animal rides,
or trophy hunting.

10) Choose alternatives to single use plastic: reusable bags, utensils,

straws, and packaging; advocate for increased recycling and
measures like plastic bag bans.
RAISE YOUR VOICE TO SUPPORT THREATENED AND
ENDANGERED SPECIES
VOTE FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS, BE INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL
PROCESS.
ATTEND CITY AND COUNTY COUNCIL AND GAME AGENCY
MEETINGS
SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT ISSUES FACING ENDANGERED
SPECIES.
EMAIL, TWEET OR CALL YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
CREATE AND SIGN PETITIONS.
WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THANKYOU FOR
LISTENING!!