What are endangered animals or endangered species? These are defined as threatened animals that are on the verge of vanishing from the face of the earth or are declining at a rapid rate.
These rare animals exist in tiny numbers and can be lost forever in case we humans do not take prompt action for the purpose of putting a halt to their decline. It is important to cherish wildlife and save the animals because they help maintain the balance of the environment, without which the human race wouldn’t be able to survive for long.
Amongst the list of endangered animals, the common ones are monkeys and elephants. There are about two hundred and sixty four species of monkeys existing in the world but a lot of these species are endangered because of several reasons like excessive hunting, illegal logging or destruction of their natural habitats, and so on. Many species of primates are fast declining in population because they are hunted for their body parts, which are then used for the purpose of making traditional medicines.
One of the top endangered species of monkeys is the Black Spider Monkey. These reside in Brazil, in the tropical rainforests. The reason why they are endangered is because of humans and their activities such as deforestation and logging, which causes destruction of the monkey’s natural habitat.
Because of the fact that their habitats are destroyed, they tried relocating to another habitat and surviving there, but failed miserably. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the population of these monkeys has declined by thirty five percent more during the last five decades.
In order to protect the habitats of black spider monkeys, WWF (World Wildlife Fund) is working on raising funds and protecting these forests in order to provide these helpless monkeys with a home. WWF is promoting responsible forest management and also protecting them in order to help the monkeys survive and multiply. The general public can take action by providing donation to these associations that help in preserving the endangered animals.
Another rapidly declining species of monkey would be the Dryas monkeys. Also known as the Salonga monkey, these species of monkeys are found in the Congo basin and are classified as critically endangered because there are very few of these left in the world. At present, they are found only in the Kokolopori Reserve of Congo. These monkeys mostly feed on flowers, fruits and leaves and at times they feast on invertebrates.
Some of the reasons why the Dryas monkeys are rapidly declining is because of poaching (for their meat), habitat loss (due to logging) and what’s worse is that a lot of people are ignorant about this endangered species of monkeys.
Squirrel monkeys are slender monkeys that have a short but dense coat which is grey in color. These monkeys have white face while their legs, ears, throat and back are yellow or greenish-grey in color. They can be found in the northern part of Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru and are considered to be endangered species.
These are critically endangered as well and it is said that there are probably less than two thousand of these animals in the wild. The Costan Rican Ministry for the Interior and the National Zoo is in a constant effort to preserve these animals by raising money to protect them and their natural habitat.
What needs to be done about these endangered animals or monkeys is that more awareness should be spread so that everyone can join hands in promoting and protecting them. The government should also support the proposals that would increase the funding for endangered species. Ordinary people can come together to contribute and support various groups that engages in supporting and preserving endangered animals like elephants, primates and other rare animals.
