Extinction: Inevitable or Avoidable?

Now that I’ve covered a spread of the different animal species that have been categorised at differing levels of endangerment, I feel as though I should address a few of the issues that you may be considering at this point. Whilst I have indeed managed to highlight what is hopefully some new information that you were unaware of previously, I feel that there is still plenty to address.

My desire to steer clear of the favoured or more publicised species that are endangered was not out of a form of preference for those species that I did report on, but rather a desire to see a more even spread of focus within the animal kingdom. Tigers, Pandas, Whales; all of these creatures are, in my opinion, suffering from overexposure – people are so used to seeing these creatures stamped across leaflets, shoved in their face during television adverts and furiously campaigned for so often that the general public has almost become ‘desensitised’ to their plight.

This is not to say that what has befallen this species is not terrible – I truly understand the need to campaign for and protect these species wholeheartedly; I merely feel that the large number of other species that are in trouble require highlighting as well before they quietly slip away into extinction without anyone noticing due to the spotlight that is currently illuminating the cause of those famous species, leaving little room on the world stage of welfare for those other species that in some cases may actually be in a worse position.

I do not wish to blame the species or insinuate that it is their fault that other species are suffering, but I do have to blame the fickle nature of mankind. In saving the ‘prettier’ species, whose plight has been publicised more, we can sit around and pat ourselves on the back when they survive, forgetting about the other species that die out behind the ‘blackout curtain’ of our own media focus. I feel like this is a damning approach to take when looking at animal conservation and without having our hearts 100% dedicated to the preservation of every species, we end up spoiling the efforts we have made in the face of everything that we should have done.

This is not to say that I believe conservation efforts have not been made. I know full well that every species categorised on the list of endangered species that is not currently of no concern will have some form of research being undertaken into how best to help the species. Conservation and breeding efforts are being made for those species where available, but unless we reverse the damage that we have done, all we are doing is fighting a battle in attempting to rewind time and the damage we have caused, a battle that proves worse for us in the long run – we cannot return species from extinction, so every day we struggle just to get those species to a stable level.

I hope that this blog has shown the state of species beyond the marketable ‘core’ of the animal world and that you have seen the need for a fair spread of animal welfare efforts. Humanity is the driving force behind some of the most destructive and naturally disruptive actions and effects that have been wrought upon the wildlife of this earth and it is now left in our hands to reverse this damage; we need to be dedicated to the cause, otherwise we will see the extinction of those species that are slowly slipping away day by day which will sadly mean that, despite our best efforts, our destructive nature has won out and we are the only species that can be held accountable. 

Critically Endangered Species: The Brazilian Merganser

Looking like a bird you might see if you popped down to the local park or river, the Brazilian Merganser is a bird that you will probably never have fed bread to before. This is because it is unfortunately one of the six most threatened waterfowl in the world, with an estimated number of around 250 or less left in the wild, with none in captivity.

Originally located entirely within central-south Brazil and neighbouring Paraguay and Argentina, the Brazilian Merganser has declined to the point where all confirmed populations are known to be in Brazil, with speculation suggesting that there may be a few individuals left in Argentina and in Paraguay, although this is seen as unlikely.

They prefer habitats that are rocky and mountainous where they can find clear and clean water with river rapids. Once they have found a territory, they are loathe to be moved which provides issues when the habitat becomes destroyed as the birds will continue to persist in the area, even when food sources are destroyed and the river stops providing prey species. This is seen as the key risk to the Merganser as their stubbornness and tendency to be steadfast means that environment destruction has a much greater effect on the species.

Unfortunately, Brazil is well known for the amount of habitat destruction that has affected the Merganser in such a large capacity. Soil erosion caused by deforestation or development work leads to river silting, which causes a blanket layer of silt to cover and kill river plants and wildlife, stifling the food sources that the Merganser relies upon. Hydroelectricity plants are a recent development that has caused an unknown amount of damage by transforming rivers and creeks into lake systems.

Whilst trophy hunting originally provided the cause for the species decline it has slowly become other, more indirect effects that have contributed the most towards the loss of the Brazilian Merganser. As there are none kept in captivity and a very restricted area in which these birds can live, the chance that the Merganser will return is very slim. We must pay more attention to the signs of species decline in order to prevent any other species reaching this level of decline, that may be irreversible. 

Critically Endangered Species: The Hawaiian Monk Seal

Seals in Canada have been featured heavily in environmental news throughout the last few years, with environmentalists highlighting the vicious slaughter that is undertaken each year that has caused number of seals to plummet. Unfortunately other species of seal have been left out of the limelight thanks to this atrocity and as such have been left to suffer in their own ways.

One such species is the Hawaiian Monk Seal. Native only to Hawaii and its surrounding waters, this particular monk seal is one of only two left alive in the wild, the other being the Mediterranean monk seal, as the Caribbean monk seal is now extinct, which is an altogether likely outcome for the Hawaiian monk seal species as well as their numbers continue to decline, to the point where they are now categorised as critically endangered.

As the Hawaiian Islands are so far from another suitably sized landmass, the monk seals are forced to exist around the Hawaiian Isles. This makes it very important that the seals are not tampered or interfered with in any way; unfortunately incidental fishing accidents take a heavy toll on the seal population, and their natural predators of Tiger and Galapagos sharks cause issues during breeding season for the pups that are already at risk from pollution, fishing traps and other hazards. Thanks to the limited ecosystem that the seals are exposed to, there is no option for a population ‘boom’ as their environment could not sustain it.

Plans are in place to aid the dwindling monk seal populations and whilst the conservation efforts so far have had a good impact, it will take a long time for the populations to grow to a steady and sustainable level. The real threat lies with the lack of safe places for the seals to breed or give birth uninterrupted, as they are unlikely to return to any beaches where they have previously been disturbed. This decline in safe landmass has had a massive effect on their breeding habits, and if it is not reversed then we can only expect worse things for the monk seal further down the line. 

Critically Endangered: The African Wild Ass

The African Wild Ass may leave you confused as to the differences between an ass and the domesticated donkey as the two look very similar, but rest assured that the similarities between these two are no coincidence – a majority of the domesticated donkeys that you can see throughout Africa will probably share DNA with these hardy creatures at some point in their genetic line.

This is thanks to the wild ass being well suited for life in the desert or a semi desert environment, with tough digestive systems that can break down the tough desert vegetation and extract moisture very efficiently from their food – couple this with a reduced requirement for water and you have an animal with the perfect breeding for life in the desert. This is why we can see so many hardy donkeys and mules being used in everyday life in the African desert, as many will have been bred from domesticated donkeys that have mated with these wild asses to generate these preferred characteristics that enhance the donkeys natural abilities.

Unfortunately, this mating has meant that the wild ass genetic line has become diluted over time, meaning that despite a lot of mixed young being born, a reduced number of true Wild Asses have been produced, leading to a prolonged decline in the species. Thanks to the sparse spread of food and water sources in the desert, the Wild Ass cannot live in large herds like other species of wild horse as the ecosystem simply cannot support them. The intermittent herd system that is used instead means that small groups of wild ass can be found across a large area, keeping in contact by braying – their brays can be heard up to distances of 3km so they have a fairly large range and can still be in contact with others.

Around 570 individuals exist in the wild and whilst this would normally be cause for concern there are hopes that the efforts that have been made to help this durable species will be enough to prolong its survival and ensure the return and successful repopulation in Africa. A reserve that has been established in Somalia and if the wild ass that exist there are properly protected it is hoped that they may well recover from their current low. 

Critically Endangered: The Californian Condor

Reminiscent of a vulture, the California condor is the largest North-American land bird with a very limited area that it inhabits, with populations ranging between the Grand Canyon area, Zion national park, coastal mountains of central and southern California and northern Baja California. It is also one of the world’s longest living birds, as it can reach ages up to 60 years old in the wild.

Despite this longevity, the Californian Condor population declined drastically in the 20^th century thanks to poaching, lead poisoning and habitat destruction – this decline reached such a severe point that eventually a conservation plan was put into place that culminated with the capture of the 22 surviving wild condors that were put into breeding programs to try and reverse the damage that has made the Californian Condor one of the rarest bird species in the world; as of December 2011 there were only 390 in existence, with 210 of these in the wild.

The California condor has played an extensive and important role within the Native American culture. With a differing role for each tribe, it has mythological and ritualistic importance that has led to it being revered and hated, seen as a good luck charm or portent of bad fortune. Whilst this would appear to be a good thing in some cases, both options have often led to the condor being killed, either to fend off bad luck or to bring good luck to a tribe. It is believed that this superstition gradually helped the slow decline of the condor.

The low birth rates and mating habits of the condor have not helped with the repopulating attempts that have been made, as the California condor mates for life and only produce eggs every other spring. Scientists have managed to increase the birth rates in some cases by taking eggs away from the condor, which often ‘double-clutch’ (lay a replacement egg) when the first egg is lost, eaten or stolen. This egg that is removed from the nest can then be hand reared with a puppet and help increase the population further, whilst there has been no loss in the wild.

Conservation efforts and breeding programs are slowly starting to see an increase in the condor numbers across the Americas and hopefully, given time, we will see the Californian condor expand across the continent and flourish with new populations. Until that point, we can only hope that breeding efforts continue to prove successful and the wild populations grow strongly in the face of more and more land development that adds dangers of power lines and a lack of prey species to feed on. The California condor is no longer in as bad a position as it used to be in, but it will take a long time before it is out of the danger zone. 

Endangered Species: The Markhor

As the national animal of Pakistan, you could be easily deceived into believing that the Markhor was a species that was looked after, or at the very least in a stable position in terms of endangerment. Unfortunately this is not the case, as there are only around 2,500 mature breeding individuals left in the wild with an overall population of close to 4,000 including the young and infirm.

Found in north-eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, southern Tajikistan and southern Uzbekistan, the Markhor is a hardy creature that survives in mountainous terrain between elevations of 600m to approximately 3,600m, typically in scrub forests with pines and oaks. Their diet shifts with the seasons from grazing in summer to browsing in winter and the cold months, which is when their mating season begins. Markhor have few young during this period, up to two or rarely three, which is part of the reason that the species population is declining.

It has been postulated that the Markhor was used to help breed many of the domestic goat species that have been used throughout the ages, as many of their signature characteristics can be traced through the genetic line. Egyptian goats and their horns seem to lend some weight to this theory, although there are enough differences to suggest against a close relationship. It is understandable why the Markhor is suited to be a genetic patriarch, as their ability to survive in rough conditions and their adaptive seasonal diet are perfect characteristics for feral or farmed goat breeds.

Part of the reason for the Markhor’s decline is thanks to the fashion of hunting them during the time of British India, where colonialists enjoyed them as prey due to the dangerous and challenging nature of the hunt in the high and mountainous terrain. In more recent times, they are still hunted for food by natives in India, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.  They have also been captured for use in private game ranches in Texas, but as of yet have not escaped with enough numbers to create a breeding population in the wild, like the Ibex and other species have managed in the past.

 Excessive hunting of the Markhor over the last few centuries that has carried on to present times has put intense pressure on the Markhor, making a species that is already spread out and fragmented that much more in danger, as overexploitation has pushed this hardy creature that can survive whatever the elements throw at it into a dangerous decline which, unless we work hard to change the way it is viewed as hunting product, will all but disappear. 

Endangered Species: The Dhole

You could be forgiven for assuming that you’d seen a Dhole before at the end of your garden or rooting around in bins, as they are remarkably similar looking to the foxes that we can expect to see in our own countryside. They are the only extant member of the genus Cuon, which differs from the Canis genus by the reduced numbers of molars and a greater number of teats that make the Dhole genus a distinct and stand out species in the Canid family.

A highly sociable animal, the Dhole can be considered a sort of wild dog that has a distinctive pack lifestyle not unlike the wolf. They live in large packs, but split into much smaller groups to hunt as this is more favourable for their preferred prey, which they will hunt over long distances to tire out before the kill is made. Unlike wolves, and critical to the pack mentality, pups are allowed to eat first to promote a strengthening of the unit as a whole rather than the requirement for wolves to weed out the weakest members of a pack when food sources are scarce.

Native to South and Southeast Asia, the Dhole preys upon medium sized ungulates but are known to be bold enough to attack larger and more dangerous animals, including wild boar, water buffalo and on some occasions even tigers. Despite this tenacity and seeming fearlessness, they are also wary of interfering with humans and prefer to leave livestock alone where possible, perhaps a learned defence against reprisal from angered farmers. Unlike many Canids, they more readily eat fruit and vegetable matter for pleasure, and not only when prey species are scarce; Dhole in the Tien Shan Mountains during summer are known to eat large quantities of rhubarb, perhaps to provide much needed hydration.

Their decline isn’t thanks to a constant pressure of hunting or for any one reason – whilst in the past, Dhole furs were well paid for and seen as a fashionable material with which to make accessories and clothing. Whilst this caused a decline in population at the time that was drastic, Dhole populations have kept up a relatively unmoving level of reproduction since then and, whilst endangered, do not appear to be at current risk of becoming critically endangered.