Wildlife Conservation

Biodiversity Benefits• Animals: • have a right to exist• all have a niche• Are indicators of the health of the environment

Extinct• A species is gone forever

Passenger Pigeon• Wiped out 1914 due to hunting and deforestation• Were billions of them

Quagga• Wiped out in the 1870’s due to mass hunting• Resembles horses and zebras

(Doh-Doh) Dodo Bird• Wipes out in 160O’s due to over hunting• About 3 feet tall

Saber toothed cats• Wiped out thousands of years ago due to climate

change of loss of prey (man overhunting)

Endangered• A species is close to extinction

Chinese Giant Salamander• Largest amphibian• Exploited for food

Amur Leopard• Found in Russia (extinct in Korea and China)• Deforestation, Development, Illegal hunting

Greater Bamboo Lemur• Madagascar (only place Lemurs are found)• Over habitat loss and hunting

Leatherback Sea Turtle• Loss of beach habitat to lay eggs (development,

erosion, climate change)• egg theft by humans

Threatened Species• Species with larger numbers, but conditions point to

there numbers dropping quickly in the near future.

Koala• Loss of habitat due to development and

overgrazing.

Polar Bears• Loss of hunting habitat (frozen sea)• Global warming, melting ice caps