Kelly

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Sabrina Kelly

Professor Malcom Campbell

UWRT 1104

November 9, 2017

How Do Humans Impact the Endangerment of Animals? How can they help?

In society today, the human race doesnt realize the severity of their actions. These

actions include; unsustainable hunting/logging, littering, industrial development, poaching, and

deforestation. These issues have been piling up, causing things like habitat loss and global

warming. These issues are major threats to three very critically endangered animal species,

which include; the amur tiger, polar bear, and red panda. These three species are great examples

of animals on the verge of extinction solely due to the hands of the human race. The polar bear

population is at approximately 22,000-31,000, according to the WWF (world wildlife). Threats

causing the title of endangerment involve polar bear- human conflicts, industrial impacts,

unsustainable hunting, and global warming. Meanwhile, the Red panda population sits at about

10,000 remaining (Red 2017). This is caused by poaching and loss of nesting/food. Lastly, the

amur tiger is at a declining number of 540 individuals remaining (Amur 2017). These tigers are

decreasing drastically due to habitat loss from humans. The habitat loss comes from illegal

logging, mining, fires and more caused by humans. Showing how big of an impact humans can

have by doing even something as little as littering, can make an animal species not only

endangered but almost to the point of extinction. Many people keep doing these things not

knowing how negatively they are impacting not only the environment around them, but also the

wildlife living around them. Making stricter laws/acts to protect animals and environments can

help, along with better awareness toward the issues. If animals ever become extinct there is a
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Sabrina Kelly

Professor Malcom Campbell

UWRT 1104

November 9, 2017

very good chance that humans will be in a dilemma. Without animals there is no biodiversity,

and without biodiversity there is no food, clean water, medicine curing illnesses, and oxygen. If

animals are nonexistent in the environment other parts of nature will fail and humans lives will

have to change drastically.

Polar bears are a prime example of how largely impacted species can be from the action s

of the human race. Threats to this specie include global warming, Developing industries, illegal

hunting, and human conflicts. WWF states, Because of ongoing and potential loss of their sea

ice habitat resulting from climate change, polar bears were listed as a threatened species in the

US under the Endangered Species Act in May 2008., supporting the concept of global warming

affecting the polar bear species from the melting of ice in the Arctic due to climate change.

Global warming comes from many actions bestowed by humans including; littering, emissions,

and more. Things like a small oil spill can greatly affect the population of this specie. Their food

scarcity is high due to their diets being mainly some fish and ringed/bearded seals. So, when an

oil spill occurs, it affects their food chain and can be fatal when it becomes far-ranging within the

Arctic. Another threat involved human conflicts, this only occurs because of the increase in

carters, global warming, and oil industries in the Arctic. These threats force polar bears to spend

more time offshore, causing more human interactions/conflicts. The more humans push them off

their land, the worst it will get.

The red panda species have become endangered to the point of major vulnerability from

the actions of the human race as well. Red pandas are declining over much of their range due to
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Sabrina Kelly

Professor Malcom Campbell

UWRT 1104

November 9, 2017

habitat loss and fragmentation. Forests are being cleared for timber extraction, agricultural

development and livestock grazing even within national parks and wildlife reserves. This results

in the loss of nesting trees and the bamboo understorey on which the species feeds. also

hunted for its pelt, The Edge of Existence not only clarifies the threats of the specie in great

detail, but it also shows how all of the threats are by the hands of humans. Not only are these

pandas getting hunted for their pelts to make hats, but they are also getting starved and forced off

their homes from deforestation. The unique biology of these animals makes them very vulnerable

to threats. They are unique in their behavior and specialized in its habitat requirements,

according to The Red Panda Network. Their vulnerability makes them even more likely to reach

extinction, even with several attempts of conservation. Humans play a very huge and negative

part in the endangerment of the red pandas specie, to the point where if extreme measures arent

taken, they will go extinct in a matter of a few years. Yes, their unique biology makes it harder

for them to survive in extreme measures, but humans make it a lot harder.

The Amur Tiger is declining at an alarming rate, with about 540 individuals remaining

(Amur 2017). This is due to the ongoing threats of human interactions and habitat loss. These

human interactions can include hunting/poaching and attacks. Human-tiger conflicts lead to

mortality of tigers and humans (Goodrich et al. 2011). These conflicts mainly stem from tigers

losing their habitats and being forced to graze closer to humans and domestic animals. Habitat

loss is shrinking due to, the growing population of human being and economic

development, according to WWF in China. Other sources also conclude that economic
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Sabrina Kelly

Professor Malcom Campbell

UWRT 1104

November 9, 2017

development such as, agricultural expansion, timber cutting, new roads, human settlement,

industrial expansion and hydroelectric dams; are pushing tigers into small and smaller areas of

land (Tiger habitat Loss). This source also states that, Without wilderness, the amur tiger will

not survive. All these threats coincide with humans being the problem behind all the reasons

the amur tiger is endangered, possibly declining to the point of being extinct. This specie shows

the major problems that are effecting not only the amur tiger, but also different breeds of tigers

that are endangered.

Somehow more laws need to be placed for protection of animals and the environments

around them. These laws should be stricter and have bigger consequences for breaking them,

hopefully, decreasing the laws from being broken and worsening the status of certain species and

habitats. Many humans dont realize the importance to the environments they are destroying and

the animals they are killing. Without animals, we dont have biodiversity; this refers to animals,

plants, fungi, and bacteria. Without diversity we wouldnt have food, clean water, some

medicines for curing illnesses, and oxygen. Many people believe that without animals, theses

essential things that keep humans healthy, wont be accessible. Nature will simply stop providing

these things for humans. If this was to happen, humans might even become extinct too. Lack of

these kind of essentials can also destroy cultures and the way humans live. The extinction of

animals can cause stress on the way humans live creating stress and being more prone to

illnesses that cant be cured if biodiversity is killed off. Awareness for this issue should increase

a lot so more people will know the consequences of their actions. This may help with the threats
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Sabrina Kelly

Professor Malcom Campbell

UWRT 1104

November 9, 2017

and decreasing the chances of reoccurrence. So, when animals eventually become extinct what

will humans do? No one knows for sure, but we do know what could happen. Nothing good can

come from animals going extinct. The human race needs to use their many resources to try and

save the environment and animals around them.

These three species of animals not only show how bad of an impact humans are on their

species, but also on other endangered species that live in the same environment. The amur tiger

is the worst in regard to threats and level of endangerment of the three species. Having more

threats and more human interactions have caused this specie to not only become endangered, but

also have about 540 lasting individuals left. Meanwhile, red pandas are the most vulnerable due

to their biology and living needs. Deforestation and hunting/poaching are the main issues with

the red panda specie that is affecting their habitats and survival. Polar bears are facing a massive

decrease in artic ice from global warming, illegal hunting, and developing industries around the

artic environment. These threats from all three species are from the doings of human beings and

their inconsideration for the environments around them. Even with laws protecting species and

environments from hunting and logging, humans still break the law for their benefit for money

and industry production. The solution to all of this is simply making the consequences more

severe for breaking laws/acts made to protect certain habitats and species. More awareness may

also help avoid laws from being broken. This awareness should touch on the importance of the

animals and environments being killed off.

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Sabrina Kelly

Professor Malcom Campbell

UWRT 1104

November 9, 2017

Moved down [1]: Photograph by Joel Sartore, National
Geographic Photo Ark. (2010, September 10). Siberian
Tiger. Retrieved November 06, 2017, from
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/s/sib
erian-tiger/

Polar Bear. (n.d.). Retrieved November 06, 2017, from

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear

EDGE :: Mammal Species Information. (n.d.). Retrieved

November 07, 2017, from
http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?
id=19

Red Panda. In: Red Panda Network.

https://redpandanetwork.org/red_panda/. Accessed 7 Nov
2017

Red Panda. In: WWF.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/red-panda. Accessed
7 Nov 2017

Tiger | Panthera. In: panthera.org.

https://www.panthera.org/cat/tiger. Accessed 7 Nov 2017

Amur Tiger. In: WWF.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/amur-tiger. Accessed
7 Nov 2017

(2013) Illegal Logging in the Russian Far East: Global

Demand and Taiga Destruction. In: WWF.
https://www.worldwildlife.org/publications/illegal-logging-
Work Cited in-the-russian-far-east-global-demand-and-taiga-destruction.
Accessed 7 Nov 2017
Amur Tiger. WWF China, en.wwfchina.org/en/what_we_do/species/fs/amurtiger/. Goodrich JM, Kerley LL, Smirnov EN, et al (2008) Survival
rates and causes of mortality of Amur tigers on and near the
EDGE :: Mammal Species Information. EDGE of Existence, Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik. In: Journal of Zoology.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-
7998.2008.00458.x/full. Accessed 7 Nov 2017
www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?id=19.
Amur Tiger. In: WWF China.
https://en.wwfchina.org/en/what_we_do/species/fs/amurtiger
Euan Ritchie Lecturer in ecology, Deakin University. Extinction: Just How Bad Is It and Why Should /. Accessed 8 Nov 2017

We Care? The Conversation, 1 Nov. 2017, theconversation.com/extinction-just-how-bad-is-it- Tiger Habitat Loss. In: Tigers in Crisis.
http://www.tigersincrisis.com/habitat_loss.htm. Accessed 8
Nov 2017
and-why-should-we-care-13751. ... [1]
Formatted: Centered
Formatted: Line spacing: double
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Sabrina Kelly

Professor Malcom Campbell

UWRT 1104

November 9, 2017

Goodrich, J. M., et al. Survival Rates and Causes of Mortality of Amur Tigers on and near the

Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik. Journal of Zoology, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 30 May

2008, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2008.00458.x/full.

Illegal Logging in the Russian Far East: Global Demand and Taiga Destruction. WWF, World

Wildlife Fund, 16 Apr. 2013, www.worldwildlife.org/publications/illegal-logging-in-the-russian-

far-east-global-demand-and-taiga-destruction.

Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark. Siberian Tiger. National Geographic,

10 Sept. 2010, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/s/siberian-tiger/.

Polar Bear. WWF, World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear.

Red Panda. Red Panda Network, redpandanetwork.org/red_panda/.

Red Panda. WWF, World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/species/red-panda.

Tiger | Panthera. Panthera.org, www.panthera.org/cat/tiger.

Tiger Habitat Loss. Tigers in Crisis, www.tigersincrisis.com/habitat_loss.htm.

Formatted: Justified, Line spacing: double

Formatted: Justified
 Kelly 8
Sabrina Kelly

Professor Malcom Campbell

UWRT 1104

November 9, 2017

Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark. (2010, September 10). Siberian Moved (insertion) [1]
Tiger. Retrieved November 06, 2017, from
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/s/siberian-tiger/

Polar Bear. (n.d.). Retrieved November 06, 2017, from

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear

EDGE :: Mammal Species Information. (n.d.). Retrieved November 07, 2017, from
http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?id=19

Red Panda. In: Red Panda Network. https://redpandanetwork.org/red_panda/. Accessed 7 Nov

2017

Red Panda. In: WWF. https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/red-panda. Accessed 7 Nov 2017

Tiger | Panthera. In: panthera.org. https://www.panthera.org/cat/tiger. Accessed 7 Nov 2017

Amur Tiger. In: WWF. https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/amur-tiger. Accessed 7 Nov 2017

 Kelly 9
Sabrina Kelly

Professor Malcom Campbell

UWRT 1104

November 9, 2017

(2013) Illegal Logging in the Russian Far East: Global Demand and Taiga Destruction. In:
WWF. https://www.worldwildlife.org/publications/illegal-logging-in-the-russian-far-east-global-
demand-and-taiga-destruction. Accessed 7 Nov 2017

Goodrich JM, Kerley LL, Smirnov EN, et al (2008) Survival rates and causes of mortality of
Amur tigers on and near the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik. In: Journal of Zoology.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2008.00458.x/full. Accessed 7 Nov 2017

Amur Tiger. In: WWF China. https://en.wwfchina.org/en/what_we_do/species/fs/amurtiger/.

Accessed 8 Nov 2017

Tiger Habitat Loss. In: Tigers in Crisis. http://www.tigersincrisis.com/habitat_loss.htm.

Accessed 8 Nov 2017

Euan Ritchie Lecturer in ecology, Deakin University (2017) Extinction: just how bad is it and
why should we care? In: The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/extinction-just-how-bad-
is-it-and-why-should-we-care-13751. Accessed 8 Nov 2017

Formatted: Centered
Page 6: [1] Moved to page 7 (Move #1) sabrina kelly 11/14/17 4:57:00 PM
Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark. (2010, September 10). Siberian
Tiger. Retrieved November 06, 2017, from
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/s/siberian-tiger/

Polar Bear. (n.d.). Retrieved November 06, 2017, from

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear

EDGE :: Mammal Species Information. (n.d.). Retrieved November 07, 2017, from
http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?id=19

Red Panda. In: Red Panda Network. https://redpandanetwork.org/red_panda/. Accessed 7 Nov

2017

Red Panda. In: WWF. https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/red-panda. Accessed 7 Nov 2017

Tiger | Panthera. In: panthera.org. https://www.panthera.org/cat/tiger. Accessed 7 Nov 2017

Amur Tiger. In: WWF. https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/amur-tiger. Accessed 7 Nov 2017

(2013) Illegal Logging in the Russian Far East: Global Demand and Taiga Destruction. In:
WWF. https://www.worldwildlife.org/publications/illegal-logging-in-the-russian-far-east-global-
demand-and-taiga-destruction. Accessed 7 Nov 2017

Goodrich JM, Kerley LL, Smirnov EN, et al (2008) Survival rates and causes of mortality of
Amur tigers on and near the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik. In: Journal of Zoology.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2008.00458.x/full. Accessed 7 Nov 2017

Amur Tiger. In: WWF China. https://en.wwfchina.org/en/what_we_do/species/fs/amurtiger/.

Accessed 8 Nov 2017

Tiger Habitat Loss. In: Tigers in Crisis. http://www.tigersincrisis.com/habitat_loss.htm.

Accessed 8 Nov 2017

Euan Ritchie Lecturer in ecology, Deakin University (2017) Extinction: just how bad is it and
why should we care? In: The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/extinction-just-how-bad-
is-it-and-why-should-we-care-13751. Accessed 8 Nov 2017