The massive destruction of the wildlife habitat is the biggest threat faced by many species today. And to create awareness about this issue we observe National Endangered Species day every year on Friday in May to increase the responsiveness of people about the importance of wildlife conservation efforts for all endangered species. This year, we are celebrating National Endangered Species day on May 21.

The very first international Endangered Species Day was celebrated in 2006. It is believed that the first Endangered Species Day was celebrated in the United States. Between 1960 to 1970, the concerns about animal wellbeing were increasing globally, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 was also signed into law on 28 December to raise the importance of wildlife conservation and restoration efforts for animals. In India, the government propagated the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 to prohibit the hunting of wild animals from extinction. However, poaching and habitat loss are still the biggest threats in front of endangered wildlife.

Protecting all the endangered species has some major values that extend far beyond simply keeping pretty animals alive. From their role in ecosystems and agricultural production to their contributions to medicine, these animals do far more than many of us ever realize. And the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF India), was founded for voicing the objective of ensuring the conservation of all such significant wildlife and natural habitats.

Since 2008, the WWF-India has also started a ‘Threatened Species Conservation Programme’ and apart from the species like Indian rhino, Asian elephant, and Royal Bengal tiger, it also includes species like Nilgiri Tahr, Asiatic Lion, golden mahseer, snow leopard, black-necked crane, Indian pangolin, smooth-coated otter, sarus crane, house sparrow, Ganges river dolphin, Himalayan quail, great Indian bustard, leopard, gharial, and brow-antlered deer. There is no better way to track the health of these species and our ecosystems that live in them through living organisms. If these species go extinct somehow, then we lose these vital and natural monitors of our environment.

On the grounds of the COVID-19 crisis, Endangered Species Day 2021 will primarily be celebrated through online events, digital activities, and other separate activities of people. There are several ways by which even we can help protect the wildlife. To protect some of the endangered wildlife, we should refuse to buy products made from animals. Always take care that the things you are buying are not made of any skin, ivory, or fur from any animals.

In India, many wild animals live near residential areas where they risk being crushed by vehicles. So, to protect them, people should drive slowly whenever they see animals crossing the roads. You can also donate to support the organizations that work to help endangered species and organize events to keep wildlife and wild places protected.

The current unfortunate status of endangered animals and the huge destruction of wildlife habitat is one of the biggest threats faced by many species. Agreed or not but all the loss of wildlife habitat has been caused by us for the sake of development. And the best way to protect these endangered species is to save the places where they live, which means protecting wildlife habitats. Healthy ecosystems depend on plants and animal species as their foundations. When these species become endangered, it is a sign that our ecosystem is gradually falling apart. Each species that is lost triggers the loss of other species within its ecosystem. We all depend on these healthy ecosystems to purify our environment, and thus we urgently need to protect these species.
__________________________________

Reference –

• www.endangered.org
• www.nwf.org
• www.wwfindia.org