Definition of Endangered Species

Animal or plant species in danger of disappearing from the planet forever

A species in danger of extinction, whatever its origin, plant or animal, will be considered as such when its permanence in the world is compromised at a global level.
That is, if it is not cared for or measures are proposed to preserve it, in the short term, it will disappear forever. When a species becomes extinct its exponent will disappear and when its last representative dies there will be no reproduction and therefore not even think about new generations.

There are two factors that could lead to a situation of danger of extinction such as the one mentioned: direct predation on the species and disappearance of a resource on which it depended absolutely to continue existing, either as a consequence of human action, changes in the environment, the succession of a natural disaster (earthquake) or gradual changes in the weather.

In order to declare a species extinct, the absence of its direct observation in the natural environment for more than fifty years will be considered in principle.

When addressing this issue we cannot ignore the so-called rare species which are those that consist of small populations and then This question of little natural quantity makes them sensitive to their disappearance and therefore an even greater protection will be demanded on the themselves.

Organizations and laws that protect species

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural resources (IUCN) is an organization dedicated exclusively to the conservation of resources natural and since its foundation in 1948 it has been dealing with these issues. Meanwhile, with respect to the last year, 2009, the IUCN has reported that at the moment there are 2,448 species of animals and 2,280 species of plants that are in danger, while 1,665 taxa of animals and 1,575 plants are but in danger critical.

Given this situation, it is that many nations of the world have strict legislation in order to thus be able to with the weight of the law On its side, protect all those species that are in danger of subsistence, for example, the prohibition and penalty of the practice of hunting is one of the most used resources.

We should all understand that the extinction of a species is a fact for the moment irreparable and irreversible, which will affect, either directly or indirectly, the food chain, the Balance of the natural system and also to the human being himself.

The state of conservation is the data to follow and that in some way will tell us the probability that this or that species has the possibility or not of continuing to survive in the present and in the near future and that as mentioned above is closely related to factors such as population, its distribution, natural and biological history, and predators.

Endangered animal species today

Sticking to the case of animals in danger of extinction, because without a doubt, it is the one that is most talked about, there are many species that are currently in serious danger. Recurring causes are climate change, poaching and the destruction of their habitat; As we appreciate, all of them are a direct or indirect consequence of the intervention of the human being.
Today, species such as whales, some species of sharks, polar bear, pygmy elephant, snow leopard, rhinoceros are certainly in a state of conservation. Javanese penguin, kangaroo, tiger, the largest feline on our planet is also in concrete danger, its population has decreased by 60% as a result of the invasion of man to their habitat and also because of the calamity caused by poaching, bluefin tuna, Asian elephant, mountain gorilla, vaquita porpoise, Sumatran orangutan and the leatherback turtle, among others.

And the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) turns out to be the body in charge of regulating the trade of those endangered species in order to guarantee their survival.

In most countries, regulations have been issued to precisely protect these species in danger of extinction and of course also the natural environments that they inhabit, otherwise the crusade would be in vain. Normally within these laws the categories of danger of extinction are indicated, the most common being immediate risk and threatened species.