FIND OUT MORE. Farming 66 • Fishing 67 • Forestry 67 • Habitats 82–84 • Human Impact 64–65 • Plants 88–89
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO SAVE WILDLIFE?
Preserving natural habitats protects all of the animals
and plants that live in them. All over the world, large
areas of wilderness are now protected as national
parks and reserves, where harming wildlife is illegal.
Types of forestry and farming that harvest resources
without damaging the environment are also
important. So is legislation against pollution.
WHAT ACTION CAN BE TAKEN TO SAVE
SPECIES ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION?
The Convention for International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES) restricts trade in threatened wildlife. In
addition, many zoos run captive breeding programmes
to save rare animals. In most countries, it is illegal to
harm or disturb rare species.HOW DO CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAMMES WORK?
As a first step, scientists find out about the needs of
the endangered species, so that suitable conditions
can be provided. Next, zoos lend each other animals
for breeding. If the programme is successful, some
of the offspring may be reintroduced to the wild.
HOW CAN ORDINARY PEOPLE HELP CONSERVATION?
One way to help is to join a large organization
such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) or
Greenpeace. Membership fees are used to pay for
conservation work or save areas of natural habitat.
You can also join local wildlife groups to conserve
habitats near your home.
HAS CONSERVATION SAVED WILDLIFE IN THE PAST?
Without conservation, there would be a lot less wildlife
around. In the second half of the 20th century,
conservationists helped stop large-scale hunting of
whales, allowing their populations to recover. Huge
areas of rainforest and other habitats have also been
protected, saving many species from extinction.Conservation
Governments, scientists, wildlife
organizations, and volunteers
undertake a range of conservation
work to protect wild places and the
species living there. We need plants
and animals for food, clothing, and
medicines. In addition, plants
provide life-giving oxygen. It makes
sense to protect the natural world.
1 SAFE FROM POACHERS
An endangered black rhino suckles her calf in the Ngorongoro Reserve
in Tanzania, Africa. Tourist fees help pay the park’s costs. Around
10 per cent of the Earth’s land area is now protected by reserves.1 BACK TO THE WILD
The Arabian oryx had been hunted to the brink of extinction by the
1970s. The last few individuals were taken to zoos and bred. In the 1980s,
a small number were reintroduced to Oman – where 300 live today.
MASAI HERDSMAN WITH CATTLE HERD 3
Farm animals, such as cattle, compete with wild animals for food.
As the number of people on the planet grows, so more
and more land is taken over by farming. This
leaves less space for wildlife to live in.Herdsman guards
his cattle from lions
and other predatorsCalf stays with mother
until more than a year old125
conservation