Around the world, habitats are being destroyed at record rates
, leaving many species of animals at risk of extinction. Scientists estimate that 40% of all species on Earth face extinction in the not too distant future. It is possible that some of these species are in your own gardens. So we have to think about animal protection on a local level as well as a world level.
So how can you help protect our endangered animals?
1. Find out which animals are on the endangered species list and see if any can be found near you. Doing this can help you find out what habitats, food, etc these animals prefer.
2. If you have some time to spare, head down to a local nature reserve and volunteer your time. Nature reserves do great work in helping to preserve habitats and give animals and plants an area in which they can flourish.
3. Switch to environmentally friendly alternatives. Many products we use for cleaning can pollute waterways so by switching to environmentally friendly products we can help our wildlife. Furthermore, avoid any products, which have been made from threatened or endangered animals. If there is no demand for these products then production will cease. Next time you go shopping try to find organic products that are made from sustainable sources. For example chocolate and coffee.
4. In your own garden or local area you can help animals by creating habitats. Helping butterflies for example is quite easy. Allow parts of your garden to grow wild and this will encourage them so you not only get to help them but you can enjoy them in your garden too!
5. If you can't dedicate the time to volunteering, or building habitats yourself then why not help other organisations. You can adopt an animal and help provide funding for their work. Adoption makes a great gift and it is a great way you can actually help change the world for the better!