Imagine you are an animal that lives in the forest. How would you feel if a group of giant humans came and started chopping down the trees that make up your home? Now imagine you are an animal that lives in the ocean. How would you feel if a fisherman let his net go in the water, did not retrieve it, it got stuck around your neck, and you started suffocating? Or imagine that you live in the rainforest and people just keep coming in and destroying your home. Rainforests are at a rapid decrease and will soon be no longer existent. Also, imagine you are an elephant and your brother or sister just got taken away and killed, just for their tusks! Not only would you regret not taking a stance, but you would regret living every day, knowing you could have done something to prevent their death. It is depressing to think about all the animals that you love will continue to become extinct. This is why we, as humans, NEED to take a stance. The animals that we love are relying on us to save them! There are so many different ways we are making matters worse, how we are affected, and how we could fix them.

To start off, there are so many things we do today, that we probably should not. For example: fishing. The fact that people like to fish in their leisure time could be a great thing, unless you keep every fish you catch and do not throw any back. “Overfishing is almost certainly the most important factor [of extinction],” so if we all are willing to only keep about one fifth of the fish we catch, or less, we could already be back on the right track to help save the fish. If we just eat the fish there will be hardly any left in the ocean, rivers, streams, creeks, and other water sources, so just cut back on eating all the fish you catch and start throwing some back.
Secondly, stop polluting! “Smoke from power plants could be polluting the air local wildlife needs to survive.” and the fact that some of us feel that it is okay to litter does NOT help. If we would just stop littering and help pick up the trash, instead of throwing it on the ground, pick it up.

Thirdly, we should stop bringing animals into the zoos. There are a few zoos that only accept injured animals that cannot return to the wild, which is a great example to set. By enclosing wild animals, their population goes down in the wild and they will soon only start to exist in zoos and other enclosures.

Fourthly, “The lifeless body of a gray whale, washed up on a beach after it was ensnared in a discarded fishing net.” (Harris) This is terribly sad to know that because someone was being stupid and took the life of a poor, innocent whale. Also, “A result of habitat disturbance can result in a young being abandoned.” (Harris) This is terrible! Please do not do anything you may regret or something you know will harm others!

To add on, “The four main reasons animals are in trouble: habitat destruction, overhunting, trade in rare species, and competition from introduced species.” We as humans can prevent habitat destruction, overhunting, and trade. If we stopped doing all of this, the animals would have a more ensured safety.

Not only are the animals in danger, but we are too. We are affected in so many ways that people do not even realize because “The loss of endangered species threatens entire ecosystems; plant and animal extinction affects he natural food chain, the delicate balance that the flora and the fauna [different parts of the ecosystems] of each natural ecosystem is otherwise able to maintain.” (Whittaker)Therefore, if we do not do anything to stop the extinction of species, our ENTIRE ecosystem will be all messed up, which we do not want to deal with. All we have to do is take a stance and stop this extinction and nothing will have to be tampered with. You may think that you do not have to do anything because you are only one person, but if more people feel this way, billions of people would be doing nothing, which is not the way to a livelier future.

People believe it is okay to kill predators because they are saving others from harm, but “Even the killing of predators can cause problems. For example, if all the foxes in a field were killed, the population of the rabbits might grow very large. They might then eat too many plants, killing off important plant species. Without their food, the rabbits too could die out.” (Irvine)Killing off important plants could be very harmful because the natural circle of life would be stopped and, again, would be tampering with nature. This is why it is highly important to not focus on killing all predators and stop this.

We are also affected because when birds die out, other animals in that food chain will suffer, which is why pesticides need to be scientifically tested before being used because “In the 1900s, a newly developed pesticide, was used to kill insect pests, as well as harmful ones. Birds that ate the insects laid weak eggs had trouble finding food. Soon, there were fewer birds in the countryside.”(Irvine) This can NOT happen again, so all pesticides need to be tested!

Lastly, there are so many different ways we could help these threatened species and so many resourceful things we can do. One example of someone being resourceful is, “harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince wax the first best-selling book published in the United Kingdom printed on paper made only from forests certified as ‘well managed’ by the Forest Stewardship Council.”(Cynthia) What a great thing to do! Not only were forests protected, but they were also used in a good manner.

Now, how can we end this? There are millions of ways you can become a part of saving threatened species. One way is to dispose of balloons correctly by throwing them in the trash, and NOT on the side of the road, or releasing them to the sky because, “once balloons burst, animals can mistake them for food and can choke. Cut used balloons into pieces before putting them in a bin. Avoid balloon releases as the balloons can land anywhere.”

A second way is to avoid Chinese or Sky lanterns. “The debris from Chinese lanterns, also known as sky or flying lanterns, can have devastating effects on animals. Pick up the debris if you see it lying around and use alternatives to Chinese lanterns, such as static candles and nightlights.” (RSPCA)


A third way to end animal extinction is to avoid throwing away dirty containers and containers in their full form and recycle them. “Attracted by leftovers, animals will forage inside and get their heads trapped. Larger animals may get their tongues caught or damaged by sharp edges. Animals such as cats, foxes, gulls, rats and dogs often rummage in rubbish bins. Clean cans and containers, drop lids inside cans and pinch cans shut. Cut containers in half. Try to recycle where possible.” (RSPCA)If you do this, you are seriously helping the environment, so do it!

A fourth way is to be extremely careful when disposing of elastic bands. “These get caught around necks of small animals and beaks of birds. They can also be swallowed, causing an animal to choke.” (RSPCA)Now, would you want this to happen? Therefore, just be careful when disposing of elastic and you, yourself, have already saved an animal.

A fifth way is to be aware when you want to throw away fishing tackle because “Line can get caught around legs, wings, necks and beaks, and hooks can pierce skin and muscle or be swallowed causing internal injuries. It is estimated that around 8,000 swan rescues take place each year. Many of these swans have injuries caused by fishing tackle.” Therefore, throwing away your fishing tackle is very important and there are many different ways of doing that, such as” Take unwanted line home and cut it into small pieces before putting it in a bin. Wrap hooks in newspaper before putting in a bin.”(RSPCA) Taking these preventions can do such a great thing for the community, nature, and wildlife, so why not do something about it?

Another prevention you could take is by depositing of glass carefully. Many injuries happen because people do not deposit it correctly. Some ways to prevent these deaths are to, “Clean and recycle glass at a bottle bank...Bottles and jars break easily, leaving sharp pieces that can cause serious injury. Animals can get trapped in glass jars…” (RSPCA)

Plastic bags can also cause many deaths because “Animals can climb inside and suffocate, or eat them and choke. Each bag takes hundreds of years to decompose and are not broken down once eaten so can kill more than one animal. Tie a knot in all bags before disposing of them. Better still, reuse or recycle.” (RSPCA)

The last thing that many people do that they should not is not being attentive when throwing away plastic can holders. You should be more aware because there are choking hazards because “Animals can get entangled [and]…this can cause deep sores, wounds, and choking. Always tie the loops before putting in a rubbish bin or recycling bin.” (RSPCA)

As you can see, there are many different ways we are making matters worse, how we are affected, and how we could fix them. There is no need not to take a stance because it is as easy as 1-2-3! So what are you waiting for? Go pick up trash in the community or next time you want to throw away something, check to make sure it is safe! Please, these animals are depending on you!