When it comes to Africa, what will recall us? Boundless grassland and adorable animals! Here we go!
According to Earth's
Endangered Creatures, most of the endangered African animals are mammals.
Charismatic mammals, such as the cheetah, the chimpanzee and the African
elephant, among others, are considered "flagship" species by the
World Wildlife Federation. These iconic animals help raise awareness of
conservation efforts. They are also animals that are primarily threatened by
human practices: unsustainable hunting, poaching, farming and agricultural
expansion.
African grasslands'
year-round warm temperatures, plentiful foliage, shrubs and occasional trees
shelter an extensive variety of wildlife. African grasslands, also known as
savannas, cover a large part of the African continent. Unfortunately,
poaching--the illegal hunting of protected species--and the use of Africa's
grasslands for farming and grazing livestock are putting many African animals
on the endangered list.
The cheetah is the fastest
land animal—able to run up to 70 miles per hour. It often chases down its prey
instead of ambushing it, as other cats do. For this reason, the cheetah is
referred to as the "greyhound of the cats," according to the Cheetah
Conservation Fund. It is one of the most specialized cats, having longer legs
and a leaner body than the other large cats. It is also the most endangered cat
in Africa.
The cheetah is poached for
its spotted pelt, killed to protect livestock and threatened by habitat loss,
lack of genetic diversity, high infant mortality rates and prey population
reduction. Captive breeding programs have long been considered futile since the
cat does not breed well in captivity. In fact, The Cheetah Conservation Fund
states that the zoo population of cheetahs unsustainable through breeding
programs—in order to keep them in zoos, they have to be wild-caught, which
defeats the conservation efforts of the zoological institutions.
The chimpanzee is in the
taxonomic family Homindae, which it shares with other great apes such as the
gorilla, orangutan, bonobo and human. The wild chimpanzee is found only in
Africa. The chimpanzee is a social creature that lives in a colony that can
number in the hundreds. A chimp communicates with others using vocalizations,
facial expressions and touches. It is one of the few animals, besides humans,
that use tools. According to the Jane Goodall Institute, however, the human is
the only species that uses tools for more purposes than a chimpanzee. They face
extinction due to habitat loss, global climate change, hunting and capture for
the pet trade. All of the non-human primates are endangered.
African Elephant
The African
elephant is the largest living land mammal and weighs in at around three to
four tons. An elephant lives in a herd of related females and their calves. A
calf will stay with its mother for several years.
According to the World
Wildlife Foundation, the African elephant is a keystone species because it
maintains habitats for other species. They influence the density of forests,
and scientists estimate that one-third of the plants in Africa germinate only
after passing through the elephant's digestive tract.
Most African
elephants reside in wildlife preserves in Africa, though the parks are not
large enough to support the population levels, and the range extends beyond
park boundaries. Human encroachment on the elephant's land makes that the number
of human-elephant encounters is increasing, which is bad news for both. Loss of
habitat is a severe and present issue for the African elephant, as is poaching
for its meat, tusks and skin.
Grevy's Zebras
Grevy's zebras inhabit Africa's dry grasslands. They
are between four and five feet tall and can weigh up to 900 pounds. In the
wild, they live up to 25 years. Members of the horse family, zebras can run as
fast as 35 miles per hour. When zebras group together, their black and white
stripes make it difficult for predators to single out individual zebras to
attack. Grevy's zebras are distinguished by their narrow stripes and a thick
solid black strip running down their back. Plant eaters, their main food source
are grasses. Grevy's zebras are endangered as of 2010.
The Wild Dog
African wild dogs can grow
to two and a half feet tall and three and a half feet long, and can weigh up to
60 pounds. In the wild, African wild dogs live for about 10 years. With four
toes on their front feet; large, rounded, bat-like ears; and a black, brown and
white patchwork fur, African wild dogs hunt in packs in the morning and the
evening. As of 2010, African wild dogs are considered the second-most
endangered carnivore in Africa.
White and Black Rhinoceroses
White and black rhinoceroses
are found in grasslands in eastern and southern Africa. Larger than the black
rhino, the white rhino can measure up to 13 feet long and weight up to 5,000 pounds.
Both varieties live between 40 and 45 years and have two horns. While both are
herbivores, white rhinos have wide mouths appropriate for eating clumps of
grass, whereas black rhinos have narrower mouths they use to skillfully grasp
foliage and leaves. Despite their names, both species are a brownish gray
color. Both black and white rhinoceroses are endangered as of 2010.
Leopards
Leopards are three to six
feet long and can weigh up to 200 pounds. Males are larger and heavier than
females. For nocturnal hunters, leopards that live in grasslands are a lighter
color than their counterparts that live in rain forests. Hiding their food at
heights where other predators can't reach, leopards are skilled climbers.
Widely hunted for their skins and whiskers, and poisoned by farmers trying to
protect livestock, leopards are endangered as of 2010.References: http://www.ehow.com/list_6585843_endangered-animals-african-grasslands.html#ixzz27r2z43ak
http://www.ehow.com/list_6721144_endangered-african-animals.html#ixzz27r2YM36W
that's wat a pity, I have never seem these amazing animals， thx for post this for teaching us wat r we missing...
ReplyDeleteThank you for having interests to read our blog! Indeed these animals are cute but they are dying as well!
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