Saving Endangered Species

(Written for MSN's New Thinker's Index with Hyundai website, originally published here.)

The new thinking behind saving the world's most endangered animals and plants.

Tiger

A number of projects around the world are working on increasing the number of the world’s tigers (currently estimated at 3,500). Project Tiger in India for example establishes tiger reserves and combats poachers. But the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) leads the pack. In late 2010 they formed part of a forum - which included many world leaders - that committed millions of dollars to tiger conservation.

Black Rhino

The western African black rhino was declared extinct in 2011, but efforts continue to preserve the species elsewhere. The focus is on preventing poaching – the rhino’s horn is a highly valuable commodity in traditional medicine – by establishing and expanding protected areas and improving law enforcement activity to counter poacher’s efforts.

Beluga Sturgeon

Sturgeon may be one of the oldest fish families in existence, but they’re struggling to survive in the 21st century, having been declared the most critically endangered group of species in 2010. Beluga Sturgeon is coveted for its unfertilised eggs – considered the finest caviar in the world. Both WWF and the Bern Convention work on preserving migration routes and promoting sustainable management of the fish, while the US has banned importation of beluga caviar since 2006.

Alligator Snapping Turtle

Dwindling numbers have been caused by habitat loss and hunting, but listing as a CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) species has enforced limitations on international trade and exportation from the US. At the same time, projects such as that by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency are seeking to reintroduce the turtle to protected river habitats.

Hawksbill Turtle

Also protected by CITES, the Hawksbill is nonetheless seeing its numbers decline thanks to the effects of climate change and continued poaching for its meat and eggs. Organisations such as the Wildlife Conservation Society and WWF are addressing the issues causing the deterioration of the turtles’ habitats, developing alternative livelihoods to prevent poaching and supporting trade controls.

Green-cheeked Parrot

Popular as pets due to their bright colours and ability to mimic the human voice, these Mexican birds have been afforded some protection since selling them in the US was prohibited. Also protected by CITES, measures are underway to monitor population decline, protect nesting areas, and use ranchers to prevent trapping and regenerate the birds’ habitats. But the illegal parrot trade remains a problem.

Mako Shark

This fearsome shark is vulnerable due to overfishing and being caught accidentally (bycatch) in fisheries for tuna and swordfish. Longfin mako sharks are also sometimes de-finned for use in shark fin soup and thrown back into the sea to die. To help improve numbers, WWF promotes smart fishing to prevent bycatch and encourages shark ecotourism, which has greater economic value than selling shark meat.

Goldenseal

This much sought-after herb is used in the treatment of infections, wounds and colds and flu. Found in Canada and the US, overharvesting and loss of habitat due to mining has seen the plant placed under the protection of CITES. WWF promotes sustainable and ethical harvest of the plant as well as increasing the supply of cultivated specimens. People buying the product can also demand to see proof it was collected sustainably or from cultivated specimens.

Big Leaf Mahogany

Deforestation in Latin America has seen a stark drop in the population of these slow-growing and highly valued trees. The big leaf subspecies was added to CITES in 2002 and campaigns by organisations such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and WWF have seen reductions in illegal logging activity. There’s also been investment in reforestation (above) and forest certification initiatives, as well as more focus on improvements in forest management and trade practices.

Giant Panda

Despite having become a symbol of conservation and protecting endangered species over the past three decades, work is still needed to protect the panda from extinction. Panda emblem bearers WWF are committed to improving, protecting and increasing habitat for pandas, as well as preventing poaching and continuing research and monitoring. In 2010 in China four pregnant pandas were reintroduced into the wild under strict supervision – work like this continues.