Turtles and pandas are two animal species in a difficult situation. On them weighs a danger of extinction and if nothing is done, it is likely that their respective populations decrease drastically in the future.
Sea turtles taken in a destructive hurricane
On land and sea, turtles have been crisscrossing the world for several million years, they have survived mass extinctions since time of dinosaurs to today.
Unfortunately, since the arrival of men on earth, their population has been threatened, it has drastically decreased to the point that turtles are among the most threatened virtues of extinction.
Small as they are, sea turtles are perfect defenseless victims at birth.
Marine species are endangered by human activity on two points:
- Water pollution
- Intensive fishing
First of all, water pollution brings a lot of waste in the waters, turtles are mainly feeding on jellyfish and they often confuse it with plastic bags. When a turtle ingests plastic it risks an almost Certan suffocation.
Then, intensive fishing threatens many turtles especially in the Pacific, near the Japanese coast. Although the hunting of turtles for commercial purposes is prohibited, it often happens that large fishing ships collect whole pounds of sea turtles. In addition, fishing prohibitions of the marine animal have prompted the development of a black market which does not comply with any legislation.
Underwater the vision of the animal is not optimal, result, it can confuse jellyfish with plastic bags especially when they are transparent.
Land turtles are also victims of human activity
The situation of terrestrial turtles is better than that of sea turtles but it is not perfect far from it.
The species suffers from a destruction of its natural habitat, in fact, the regions inhabited by the animal crumble for the benefit of increasingly large agricultural areas. The development of cultivated spaces pushes turtles to hide in increasingly small areas and sometimes without they being able to meet their food needs.
This small animal is perceived as a trophy in many cultures. It is not uncommon to see tribes hunted to use them as decoration or pendants, this attitude has caused the death of many specimens of the species and has irreparable consequences on its living spaces.
The species is essential to the marine and terrestrial ecosystem, its loss would be a drama for biodiversity, whole ecosystems are based on the action of vertebrate.
On Earth the turtle arouses lively interests, unfortunately, it is often used as a trophy.
Giant pandas can see the end of the tunnel even if nothing has yet been done for their survival
When the film Kung-Fu Panda released indoors in 2008, the whole world discovered Chinese culture and its flagship animal: the giant panda.
The Chinese bear in black and white colors has become so popular that millions of children (and even adults) started collecting it in a plush. Thus, the Pandas Light as well as Panda sofa have become large fashion, abandoning conventional teddy bears.
Likewise, other accessories have appeared and have popularized like the Pandas bracelets which offer an exotic and fun style to their wearer.
But this film also enabled a real awareness, the giant pandas are threatened with extinction. To save the emblem of the country of the rising sun of NGOs like WWF engages in defense projects of the species, the Chinese government also applies measures to protect it since it has opened several centers where more than fifty captivity pandas live.
Its centers make it possible to study the two -colored bear to help it reproduce, improve its health and understand its functioning in order to release it in nature. In Chengdu, more than 10 pandas are closely monitored, visits are sometimes allowed, but you will have to go to China to see them.
With a consumption of more than 10 kilos per day, the giant panda is the first bamboo eater in the world.
Promising results
After several decades of decrease, the population of the panda increased to the courtyard for the last ten years, so that one counts the increase of 10% of the number of wild pandas identified. This improvement does not mean that the species is from business.
Indeed, ecological threats weigh on him and the bamboo forests in which he lives are increasingly undermined by the expansion of peasant cultures. As a result, the bear is forced to live in ever smaller regions where it struggles to eat and reproduce.
This herbivore needs more than 10 kilos of bamboo per day to live. With a total of such, it is difficult for him to find something to eat if his habitat is reduced.
In addition, poaching of panda represents a huge financial resources for the underworld, although the government applies the death penalty to fight panda hunting, nothing can ensure that there is no black market.
The efforts are paying, but it will be necessary to redouble it to ensure the survival of the panda in the wild.
