Scientists have been telling people for some time now that there is a large scale extinction taking place among wildlife species. The number of birds in many portions of the world has dropped dramatically. Fish stocks that were once plentiful are dwindling. Iconic animals such as the the tiger and the rhinoceros are on the verge of extinction.
While humanity has been made aware of the problem of animal extinction, many have not made the connection as to why this is important to humans. Many ask why they should care about wildlife conservation.
Biodiversity of animal species is critical to promoting prosperity among those who live in third world countries. As many as three-fourths of the population live in rural areas where they depend on animal life to provide food sources to sustain themselves and their families. If animal life is depleted, many humans will suffer the consequences.
A case in point is found in the African nation of Sierra Leone. In that nation, pollution of the water and too much fishing has led to a steep drop in fish stocks. Most in Sierra Leone depend on fish as their primary protein source. If the fish stocks drop off too much more, many people may be in danger of malnutrition.
Wildlife Conservation requires the preservation of animal habitat, and this is critically important for human life. Habitat loss contributes to animal extinction, and habitat loss means that there is a loss of trees that are beneficial to humans. Trees help to filter out greenhouse gases and modify the climate of the planet. As more and more trees are felled and wildlife habitat is lost, the fate of humans may also be in the balance.
People need to care about wildlife because all of the web of life in interconnected. What happens to one strand of the web has consequences for the other strands. For instance, when bees are killed by the use of certain pesticides, they are not able to pollinate the fruit trees and grain crops that people rely on for their survival. This one small insect is a necessary component of life on planet earth.
While it is important to help wildlife in order to help humanity, it is important to care about wildlife for its own sake. Each creature has the right to exist and carry out its purpose on this interconnected planet.
