Everybody enjoys a trip to the zoo, or even better a safari, boat trip, or any kind of excursion to go witness nature’s beautiful creatures. However, there could be one day in our future where this will no longer happen and we won’t be able to see the gorgeous animals anymore.

A recent report from the famous “World Wildlife Fund” has discovered that because of humans, several species of animals are struggling to stay alive. Studies have been done that prove that in the last forty-two years, more than half of the animal population has decreased. The “Living Planet Report” organization has discovered a scary truth: by the year 2020, more than two-thirds of wildlife could diminish if things continue the way they are going today.

One of the leading causes of this phenomenon is “habitat loss, over-exploitation, pollution, invasive species, and climate change,” according to Colby Loucks, the senior director of the Wildlife Conservation Program. He further explains that the water species are being impacted the most because humans need water to survive, whether it be for farming (agriculture) or for our personal use when we should be using it for conservation.

Another main factor is poaching, or illegally hunting species of animals. This has especially been a problem in Africa, where forest elephants are being hunted at rates that are greater than the birth rates. This fact also holds true for several endangered snakes all throughout Europe.

In addition to the wiping out of the dinosaur species sixty-five million years ago, our world is facing the first mass extinction of animal life. The rate of extinction today is about one hundred times faster than average. This is a scary fact that we as a world have to realize.

There are several ways that we can learn how to protect the beautiful creatures that walk the Earth. For instance, recycling is a major key factor that will help to preserve wildlife. This will reduce the garbage flowing through our oceans and killing off more water species. We can also protect the habitats of these endangered species, places they depend on for their survival.

I encourage you to visit the WWF site, the World Wildlife Fund, where you can find several other ways to protect these beautiful creatures that walk our Earth. You can sign up to adopt animals, sign petitions, fund raise, and a variety of other choices.

Let’s work together to be mindful of our wildlife because one day, it might not be here.  Protect our environment and our species to prevent this scary truth from occurring.