Geography - Environment-Wildlife Conservation

Akshar

10. D

2016-2017
Introduction
Wildlife refers to all organisms living freely in natural habitats without constraints. They exist
along with other species in the natural cycles of life. In some cases, the population of a certain
species in an area decreases, and threatens extinction. When this happens, the species is thereby
declared endangered until its population is restored to a safe level. To help make that happen,
several measures are taken to protect that species. These measures are collectively referred to as
wildlife conservation. They are taken by certain organizations that are dedicated to increase
general welfare such as NGOs and wildlife research departments.

Causes
There are many causes for the endangerment of wildlife, and therefore the need for wildlife
conservation. They mainly originate from anthropogenic activity. They include:

- Loss of habitats, because of deforestation, agriculture, urbanization, mining, and other

similar activities, for food, constructions, growth of crops, harvesting and gathering of
natural resources, expanding cities or towns
- Hunting and poaching for food, skins, coats, and other expensive materials like ivory.
Without restraints, it can heavily set back the population of a species. Even with hunting
being banned in many natural habitats, illegal poaching still occurs.
- Pollution released from factories, industries, power plants, and other centers of
production, along with disposed waste from households, sewers, and the above
contaminate the environment. This includes natural habitats and the wildlife in it. They
get poisoned either from direct contact, through the environment, or from consuming it in
food. Because of this they are either infected with diseases, or killed. It can also harm
their offsprings through genetic disorder, and other organisms as well if they consume
already contaminated organisms and from the lingering effects of the contamination.
- When, in area, the balance between predators and prey is unequal, the predators die from
lack of food, or the prey dies from too many predators.