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.