Protecting Threatened and Endangered Species (The Humane Society of the United States)

1. The survival of wildlife is jeopardized by the loss of habitat, over-hunting, the introduction of diseases or parasites, attempts to eradicate "pest" species, and the capture of wild animals and fish for the pet trade, research, entertainment, or other industries.

2. Once a population of animals is reduced by one or more of these human activities, it may be unable to withstand natural limiting factors in the wild that it might otherwise have survived.

3. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was enacted to preserve endangered and threatened species and the habitats on which they depend for survival.

4. The ESA works in two stages: First, the government protects a species from possible extinction, and then it takes steps to restore the species' numbers to the point where it is no longer threatened.

5. Besides the ESA, there are several other federal laws that protect endangered and threatened species, such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Wild Bird Conservation Act, and the African Elephant Conservation Act.

6. Human population growth and the consumption of open space and resources destroy habitat required by wildlife for survival.

7. Human development can disturb whole ecosystems.

8. Important wildlife habitat is rapidly lost or fragmented in the course of urban development, oil and gas exploration and extraction, and the conversion of land to agricultural uses.

9. Many wildlife populations may dwindle to a handful of individuals living in isolated pockets of habitat, separated by obstacles such as high-speed roadways and sprawling urban and suburban development.

10. To help minimize the effects of human population growth and land consumption, many scientists and conservationists urge governments to establish protected corridors, which connect patches of important wildlife habitat.