Example Essay on Endangered Species

Essay on Endangered Species

After we hear of the term species, a class of folks getting popular attributes and designated by a well-known name comes to mind. However, as soon as the word endangered is used in conjunction with species, this gives us an additional perspective, along with negative. Thus, an endangered species is really a species threatened by extinction. The Puerto Rican Parrot falls under this category. This parrot has observed an extravagant population decrease more than the last 5 hundred years. However, there stands a very good chance for its recovery through captive breeding programs.

Before the invasion from the Columbus and other Europeans in 1493, the Puerto Rican Parrot was once a flourishing species throughout the forested regions of Puerto Rico, in addition to its surrounding islands of Culebra, Vieques, and Mona (Pasquier 134). Around 1493, there have been an estimated 100,000 parrots that existed (N. Snyder, et al., eds. 117). For that reason on the European invasion, man hunted the Puerto Rican Parrot as food, and settled farmers shot the birds to be able to protect their crops. The wild population for nestlings was in good demand. Thus, the Puerto Rican Parrot was indeed a well-liked pet. Over all, the most pressing thing that contributed on the decline in the Puerto Rican Parrot was the near island-wide removal of its original habitat (Pasquier 134-135).

Today, the Puerto Rican Parrot is critically endangered and is absolutely a single on the rarest birds inside world. Efforts to prevent extinction with the Puerto Rican Parrot started out as soon as it was officially deemed endangered on March 11, 1967 (Velasquez 17).

Representative Acevedo-Vila (D-Puerto Rico) holds high regard for ones Puerto Rican Parrot:

“The Puerto Rican parrot is probably the most crucial cultural symbols in Puerto Rico, representing our environmental and wildlife richness. Unfortunately, in 1967, the Puerto Rican parrot was placed over a list of endangered species, and due to the fact then, very good efforts were underway to make certain that it does not cease to exist.” (Pombo)

In 1975, within all of the rainforest on the Luquillo Mountains, only thirteen wild parrots have been recorded to be in existence. In addition, only eight parrots have been in captivity for breeding purposes. By 1989, the wild parrot population had mainly because elevated to 48 birds. However, on September 18, 1989, Hurricane Hugo swept across Puerto Rico, reducing the wild parrot population to approximately 20-22 birds. Seven many years later, by August of 1996, the wild parrot population had once again increased to 48, with the captive population at 87 (N. Snyder, et al., eds. 117).

The most recent population survey from the Puerto Rican Parrot took location at the end of March 2002. In accordance with the survey, 144 captive parrots for instance 16 nestlings have been held in aviaries. The remainder consisted of 21-24 wild parrots. The wild parrot population is extremely low and suggests that either the population is declining rapidly, or the parrots are dispersing inside or outside of undetermined websites from the Caribbean National Forest (United States).

Fortunately, the Puerto Rican Parrot population does seem ready of recovering (Revkin F1). The House of Representatives approved $1.7 million for its recovery. The funds were put forth toward the construction of the new aviary facility in Puerto Rico (Pombo). The Parrot’s habitat, now completely confined within the boundaries in the Caribbean National Forest, is protected from most threats. That is produced possible by an intensive process of search and conservation that started in 1968. This untitled process was founded by the Globe Wildlife Fund for Nature, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service.

A captive breeding system started out in 1970. Currently, the parrots involved in captive breeding are comprised of beneficial genetic diversity and genetically represent the wild population. The very first captive produced nestling was born in 1979. This nestling, in addition to numerous other captive-produced parrots, has been utilized to bolster wild production.

This is done by transporting nestlings from aviaries to wild nests or releasing mature parrots into the wild. Consequently to the efforts of captive breeding, the Puerto Rican Parrot populace has significantly increased because 1970 (N. Snyder, et al., eds. 118).

In order for ones Puerto Rican Parrot populace to enhance steadily, not just does the general public need to support captive breeding, but our political leaders must do so as well. “Captive breeding works. It's important that we assist programs which will succeed during the recovery of endangered species,” says Representative Pombo from the U.S. House of Representatives (Pombo). Therefore, the capability with the Puerto Rican parrot to expand its population inside a amount of natural and human-altered environments must not be underestimated and will be the key to its recovery.