Eco-News: Extinction
According to the January 2009 National Geographic magazine the following animals are either extinct or will be soon. Most due to habitat destruction.
*Wild Ocelot – Gone from all U.S. states except Texas, driven out by human development. They still roam the wilds of Central and South America but there is not reliable data on their true numbers.
*Dusky Seaside Sparrow – Found mainly on Florida’s Merritt Island declined from 3,000 to zero as its salt marsh habitat was sprayed with DDT and taken over for use by the space program. The last Dusky died in 1987.
*Woodland Caribou – Reliant on old growth forest, woodland caribou are nearly absent from the lower 48 states. A few holdouts still cross from Canada into northern Idaho and Washington.
*Grizzly Bear – Shielded by the Endangered Species Act grizzlies are returning to old haunts while conservationists work to reconnect remaining habitat blocks in the northern Rockies. Humans nearly killed off these bears.
*California Condor – They survived the Ice Age but humans nearly killed off the species. Many of these scavengers were shot or poisoned by fragments of lead left behind by hunters. In 1985 only 9 wild birds remained. Captive breeding and reduced use of lead ammunition have brought the species back.
Estimations:
*Puerto Rican Crested Toad – 500-2,000 wild and 400 captive
*Masked Bobwhite (bird) – Nearly extinct in the wild, 700 captive
*Texas Blind Salamander – 150 captive, 100-1,000 wild
*Hawaiian Goose – 2,000 wild, 100 captive
*Polar Bear – 3,500 in Alaska
*Yellowtail Madtom – 5,000 wild, 800 captive
*Mexican Spotted Owl – 1,000 – 2,000
*Wolverine – Not officially listed however, some 300 remain in the lower 48 states
*Chiricahua Leopard Frog – 5,000 adults
It is truely sad and disheartening to realize just how many species have either disappeared or are on the verge of extinction due to the betterment of mankind. Surely there is room on this great planet for both man, plant and animal.
Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco-Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products
www.countrymeadowltd.com
