Why Do Species Go Extinct?

Why do species go extinct?” and “How fast does it happen?” Once armed with that information, one might do something about it.

WHICH WOULD YOU SAY ARE, AT THIS MOMENT, THE MOST ENDANGERED OF THE WORLD’S CREATURES?

There are too many to name. Something like 12 percent of all birds, a third of all amphibians and, likely, similarly large numbers of plants are in serious danger. What’s more, about 1 percent of all species on the planet are in such trouble that if we don’t do the right things immediately they will be gone in a decade.

The river dolphin in China was declared extinct just last year. Another small dolphin in the Sea of Cortez is in immediate danger.

WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO TO STOP EXTINCTIONS?

One of the things the people have done is start an NGO — a nongovernmental organization — called SavingSpecies.org.

One of the things we know is that many endangered animals live over large areas. But their populations become fragmented because of farming and development. The remaining creatures can’t find a date on a Saturday night. Sopeople have been trying to buy up degraded land around their broken environments and try to create land corridors for the wildlife.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY SUCCESSES YET?

Yes. On the Atlantic Coast of Brazil,people have been trying to help save the golden lion tamarin, an endangered primate about the size of a house cat. Last year, with the involvement of local conservationist groups, people helped purchase about 270 acres of cattle pasture that separated two patches of their habitat. This former pasture is now being replanted with trees. The two areas will soon be bridged, and it will be possible for lonely hearts to meet members of the opposite sex and go forth and multiply.

PROTECT OUR WILDLIFE