Endangered Species Day: Protecting Earth’s Biodiversity

Founded in 2006, Endangered Species Day is a global initiative to protect all threatened flora and fauna, and it occurs on the third Friday of May. Beyond raising awareness, it promotes a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of life in ecosystems.

It also encourages understanding of laws such as the Endangered Species Act and emphasizes the need for collective efforts to enforce these laws. Be one of the biodiversity warriors through this day.

Quick links: Endangered Species Day

Why Endangered Species Day Matters

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies a species as endangered when it's threatened by habitat loss, climate change, or overexploitation.

Endangered Species Day underscores the impact of human activities such as deforestation, pollution, climate change, and wildlife trade on ecosystems.

Various groups face all sorts of challenges to delicately balance the needs of communities living near endangered species and the conservation of these lives.

This day recognizes their efforts and sacrifices by calling out support from the world.

Every living organism is vital to the Earth's ecosystem. Let’s honor the advocacy to save them through Endangered Species Day.

Data and Statistics

According to the IUCN Red List version 16, out of the 91,222 animal species assessed, 17,658 are threatened species (CR, VU, EN), and 1,563 are extinct or possibly extinct.

As for the Plantae kingdom, there are 71,000 assessed plant species. Over 27,000 are threatened, and 802 are already suspected to be extinct.

Around 1 million plant and animal species risk extinction due to uncontrolled drivers of biodiversity loss. Current extinction rates surpass the average of the past 10 million years.

Most Recent Extinct Animals

• Australia’s Mountain Mist Frog was last seen in the wild in 1990 and has recently been officially extinct in 2021. Including other local frogs, it suffered a steep decline mainly because of a fungus.
• A Hawaiian native, Po'ouli, lived a short life. Its population declined immediately after its discovery in 1973. Only three remained in 1997, and the last one was seen in 2004. IUCN declared them extinct in 2019.
• The US Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern Puma subspecies, once widespread across the eastern United States, extinct in 2018. Causes of extinction included deforestation, overhunting, and loss of prey.
• The Catarina Pupfish, native to Mexico, was declared extinct in 2018. Its extinction was primarily due to groundwater extraction and predation from introduced species.
• The Bramble Cay mosaic-tailed rat was a small rodent native to a tiny island in the Great Barrier Reef. Upon its extinction in 2016, it became the first mammal species to be declared extinct due to human-induced climate change.

Brief Timeline of Endangered Species Day

Endangered Species Day Themes and Hashtags

Aside from the hashtags below, check out the ones that are specific to an endangered animal:

• #EndangeredSpeciesDay
• #ProtectOurSpecies
• #Biodiversity
• #Conservation
• #ActForWildlife

Conclusion

Endangered Species Day reminds us to preserve biodiversity and protect wildlife. It raises awareness about threats against dwindling population and highlights the importance of collective action.

Let us take practical steps to help protect all species at risk of extinction.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)