This July 2011, the organization in charge of releasing the Red List for critically endangered animal species from around the world, the International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN came out with the 2011 updated list. These are endangered animal species, beautiful but helpless in the face of so much danger. The hope of IUCN is to create greater awareness among the private citizens so that they can make an effort to either spread the list or volunteer to help in any small way.
Some of the animals listed are the Siau Island Tarsier, the Dwarf Salamander, and the Bog Turtle.
The Siau Island Tarsier is a googly-eyed tiny creature from Indonesia. Their problem is an active volcano and meat hunters. However, if you find a picture of this tarsier species, you would automatically wonder how anyone could eat such a cute and lovable looking animal.
You can only find this animal in one island in Indonesia. In the last 10 years, their population has dropped by more than 80% because one average male can consume at least 5 of these animals in one meal.
The Dwarf Salamander comes from Guatemala’s forests. Unfortunately, they live in an area where wood is a necessary commodity as firewood and for farming. There is an effort to curb the cutting down of the trees where these animals live, but it is not enough to take the salamanders off the critical list.
Finally, the Bog Turtle is the smallest turtle in the world. They can fit into a 3 inch shell and they live in wetlands in the United States. Sadly much of the wetlands are being developed in the name of progress. This has resulted in a drastic shrinking of their natural habitat.
There are other critically endangered animals on the Red List like the Harlequin Toad, 19 frogs, and several amphibians. Along with the list is a report which contains encouraging news of an increase in the wild antelope population allowing IUCN to remove it from the Red List and give it a tag of being “vulnerable.”
| | endangered species
Indeed there are a lot of educational projects that have been launched by several environmentalist groups and tourism councils against the continued destruction of the environment, more particularly, the continuing decrease in the area of occupancy and population of endangered animals. Although the projects may have already been pulled off, still there is yet a positive effect that environmentalists look forward too. Despite the continued release of environment conserving projects such as charities, tree-planting activities, and pet adaptation, the list of endangered animals remain unchanged as there are still no significant good effects that have been seen brought by these certain projects. But environmentalists groups and tourism councils still remain optimistic that there is hope for the restoration of the habitats of endangered animals and its biodiversity. With that being said, they have already involved children in the move to restore the environment and its inhabitants. Endangered animals for kids are very appealing issues since kids are very fond of pets. Endangered animals for kids are indeed of great concern. And with this, children could get involved in various projects that environmentalist groups and tourism councils launch to make the movement for environment protection and animal welfare.
There are various ways that children could help make an impact in the preservation of the environment and the prevention or perhaps restoration of endangered animals. Below are some ways that could help children be aware of the said issue and in turn could get them involved in environmental projects.
Make orientations and seminars for children
Environmentalist group should first stir up awareness among children regarding the underlying issues of environmental preservation and animal preservation. With this, they will be fully aware of what this particular issue brings and of course, they could very well benefit from saving the environment and the inhabitants in it.
Organize adopt-a-pet activities
With this activity, children could be more involved in saving the animals from being either poached, or exported to other countries. With this, they could take care of young animals with the supervision of their parents. Children can then release their pet animals as soon as it could already take care of itself.
Let children participate in various environmental activities
There are several environmental preservation activities that children could participate in to. They could join tree planting activities in their local water sheds or nature parks. They could also participate in environment cleaning activities. Along with these activities are expert environmentalists that could orient children on why they should take care of the environment and its inhabitants.
| | Education
Knowledge about endangered animals for kids to understand life and biodiversity does not have to wait until they are in their teens. The children today are much smarter in terms of being aware about the world outside their world, and can easily relate to different about Mother Earth.
Education about endangered animals for kids should be basic but not incomplete. Therefore, as parents, it is our duties to try to incorporate care for humanity and animals in daily activities.
The children and parents today are fortunate to have conveniences like the internet and quick global communications to help understand and enjoy learning about animals and people from all over the world. Truly, today’s global village has never been more apt in describing how we relate to people, animals, and events.
The main focus when teaching children about animals which may not be around when they become adults should be on biodiversity, culture, scientific value, and environmental health. These may be big words to swallow for a 10 year old child, but as long as it is broken down into simple examples, they will be able to grasp the essence, even if they can’t remember the terms.
For example, biodiversity refers to how everything living on earth relate to each other, and affect each other. An animal cannot survive without food, and plants cannot survive without oxygen and sunlight. Trees can scatter seeds through the wind, water, or animals and start growing with the help of the sun and water. Even people need all living things to survive. Ask your child to imagine a world without animals – not just dogs or cats, but elephants, tigers, and fish. Life would be less colorful and beautiful. It would also be more of a struggle to survive because of less food, and raw materials for basic needs like clothing and shoes.
The cultural value of an education regarding endangered species would refer to the sudden loss of beauty around us. A Giant Panda, dolphins, or whales would make the world seem emptier. Many of our art work use animals as inspiration, and would we even have airplanes without birds?
Without animals, we also would not be able to develop medicines and cures like the snake venom, or even have items like soap, shampoo, or cleaning agents. Mother Nature, through plants and animals, have taught use the value of science and how we can use to become better human beings.
Finally, education on endangered animals should also concentrate on environmental health. By taking care of our animals and making sure they don’t become rare or extinct, we can appreciate and even develop eco-tourism for countries in dire need of additional means of earning money. Also, by making the environment is health, we ensure that there will enough food and water for everyone, including animals and plants.
Reference: Illustrated Encyclopedia of endangered animals.
| | Wild Animals
First off, you need to rule out buying endangered animals for kids. It is not only very risky, it is also illegal. Pets like turtles are adorable, extremely attractive, and low maintenance. However, there are some species of turtles that are illegal to own. The general rule to determine this is to avoid buying a turtle shorter than 3 inches long.
All children deserve to have pets. It helps them mature by teaching them to care for others. Endangered animals for kids can be very tempting because it sets you and your child apart from the rest. For this sole reason, there have been instances where an endangered species has been found living inside a home or residential lot. If the endangered pet is not trained well, and can potentially bite or harm a person, then the people in the house are at risk. It also includes placing your neighbors and everyone in your neighborhood as possible victims should the pet escape.
There are many other options to choosing a pet. Ask your child if he or she would want something to cuddle or not. This would rule out many choices like the snakes, fish, and birds. Also, the parent or guardian should have an a say in the final decision. This is mainly because a child is still too immature to handle the care and maintenance of an animal on his own. Eventually, yes, this will be possible, but initially, it will be a joint effort.
It is also significant to take the child’s personality into consideration when selecting a pet. There are some pets that do not live long, no matter how well it is taken care of. These are guinea pigs, fish, hamsters, and mice. When choosing a dog or cat, there are some breeds that are very active and do not enjoy being carried like the beagle. If your child has had any history of respiratory ailments, you will need to stay away from pets with a lot of fur or hair.
Finally, all animals have health risks. Reptiles may carry the salmonella bacteria, and dogs have worms. Most doctors would not recommend an active pet like a dog before the child reaches the age of 5. They do not have control over their instincts yet, and could start pulling on the tail or ears, which might cause the animal to turn on them.
Take your time in selecting a pet for your child. This will be the newest member of the family.
| | Pets
