Conservation

As the human population grows, lots of animals and plant life are threatened with extinction.

Much of this happens because of overhunting, the destruction of habitats, and global warming.  

It’s scary to think that some animals and plants could disappear forever.

However, there are many people and organizations that practice conservation, to help save species of plants and animals.  Conservation is the practice of protecting animals and plant life.

This is done by protecting habitats through making them wildlife reserves, national parks, and through breeding programs in captivity.

There are many success stories for conservation.  Panda breeding programs have been very successful.

The panda’s status of ‘endangered’ has been lowered to ‘vulnerable’.  The southern white rhino, the American bison, and the golden lion tamarin monkey aren’t endangered now thanks to conservation.  

Many countries also made wildlife reserves.  These are large areas of land and forest that can’t be developed.  

Reserves cover 10% of Earth’s land.

There is still a long way to go to protect the planet.  People can start by joining local conservation organizations.