THE CHALLENGE OF THE ENVIRONMENT PART 3
Another challenge for the environment is the continued disappearance of forests in Asia, Africa and South America and the continent of Australia. These forests are considered biodiversity hotspots due to the abundance of different animals and plants. These forests also house animals that are not found anywhere else in the world, for example, Lemurs of Madagascar are an ancient group of species of monkeys which aren't found anywhere else in the whole world.
Orangutans are not found anywhere else except some islands in Borneo and Sumatra, known for its distinctly orange coat, they are exceptional climbers and spend years lazily exploring trees for fruits high up from the forest floors. The Sumatran tiger is the smallest subspecies of the Tiger and is limited to the heavily forested Indonesian island of Sumatra. The forests of Northeastern Australia house some extraordinary endemic wildlife as the isolation of the continent helped these animals evolve without any predators to hunt them down.
These amazing animals have captured the awe of scientists and researchers the world over due to their uniqueness. The forests of New Zealand are also home to a lizard called Tuatara which has a third eyelid in the centre of their heads. The famous Kiwi bird of New Zealand are also on the verge of extinction, but, thankfully they are under supervision and I hope these cute and tiny nocturnal bird's numbers grow.
The two varieties of Pandas i.e. the Great Pandas found in Southeastern China are endangered as there are only 1600 left in the wild, the main cause behind their low population are its lazy behaviour and increasing development. The Red Panda that lives in the Himalayas stretching from North Eastern India, Western parts of Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan is much better off with around 10000 left in the wild. India has successfully released many captive bred Red Pandas into the wild. They are found at an altitude of 2,000 to 4,000 metres.
The same cannot be said of the Snow and Clouded Leopards whose numbers are on a constant decline. Only 2500 Snow Leopards can reproduce, these are found at an altitude between 3000 to 4500 metres above sea level where snow is almost perennial it has a white coat providing good camouflage in the snow, found in Kashmir and parts of Northeastern India, also found in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia and mountainous regions of China.
The Clouded Leopard's numbers are better with around 9000 left, it lives in the foothills of the Himalayas, parts of China, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia. Their numbers are also on the wane. It is the smallest of the big cats and has a distinctly different coat with black markings on a brownish background.
There are many examples of such endangered and endemic species. The monkeys of South American forests are unique and unheard of and these dense and dark forests still hide many secrets. The forests of Papua New Guinea are home to the vibrant and colourful Birds of Paradise. The males are known to make elaborate displays of affection to females as it dances on a special platform made by leaves and branches.
The forests having endangered species need to be conserved against further deforestation or the world might never ever see these extraordinary creatures. These forests are vital so that greenhouse effect is minimized and the food chains of the ecosystem remain running. The cutting down of forests has caused serious damage to the ecosystem as floods alternate with droughts and the river channels get clogged up with mud thus, making it difficult for many fishes.
The rampant building of dams on the River Mekong that flows through many Southeast Asian nations has hampered the forests and the fisheries and agriculture industries on which countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. The cutting down of trees for development of a nation is not good news for any of the carnivores living in these forests as the food chain may go haywire creating difficulties for the environment.
The good news is the increase in population of Royal Bengal Tigers, which make up about 75% of the entire tiger population in the world, but, the rampant poaching for their bones considered to be having mythical powers of healing, which is a very big lie as scientists have found no such evidence in the majestic creature's bones. The Indian and Sumatran Rhinoceros is also in a critical situation as their continued hunting for it's horns is ringing alarm bells the world over. Last year, the Thailand police seized 10,000 tusks of elephants at the Bangkok Airport, a huge crackdown on the smuggling of animal products which is increasing.
Orangutans are not found anywhere else except some islands in Borneo and Sumatra, known for its distinctly orange coat, they are exceptional climbers and spend years lazily exploring trees for fruits high up from the forest floors. The Sumatran tiger is the smallest subspecies of the Tiger and is limited to the heavily forested Indonesian island of Sumatra. The forests of Northeastern Australia house some extraordinary endemic wildlife as the isolation of the continent helped these animals evolve without any predators to hunt them down.
These amazing animals have captured the awe of scientists and researchers the world over due to their uniqueness. The forests of New Zealand are also home to a lizard called Tuatara which has a third eyelid in the centre of their heads. The famous Kiwi bird of New Zealand are also on the verge of extinction, but, thankfully they are under supervision and I hope these cute and tiny nocturnal bird's numbers grow.
The two varieties of Pandas i.e. the Great Pandas found in Southeastern China are endangered as there are only 1600 left in the wild, the main cause behind their low population are its lazy behaviour and increasing development. The Red Panda that lives in the Himalayas stretching from North Eastern India, Western parts of Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan is much better off with around 10000 left in the wild. India has successfully released many captive bred Red Pandas into the wild. They are found at an altitude of 2,000 to 4,000 metres.
The same cannot be said of the Snow and Clouded Leopards whose numbers are on a constant decline. Only 2500 Snow Leopards can reproduce, these are found at an altitude between 3000 to 4500 metres above sea level where snow is almost perennial it has a white coat providing good camouflage in the snow, found in Kashmir and parts of Northeastern India, also found in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia and mountainous regions of China.
The Clouded Leopard's numbers are better with around 9000 left, it lives in the foothills of the Himalayas, parts of China, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia. Their numbers are also on the wane. It is the smallest of the big cats and has a distinctly different coat with black markings on a brownish background.
There are many examples of such endangered and endemic species. The monkeys of South American forests are unique and unheard of and these dense and dark forests still hide many secrets. The forests of Papua New Guinea are home to the vibrant and colourful Birds of Paradise. The males are known to make elaborate displays of affection to females as it dances on a special platform made by leaves and branches.
The forests having endangered species need to be conserved against further deforestation or the world might never ever see these extraordinary creatures. These forests are vital so that greenhouse effect is minimized and the food chains of the ecosystem remain running. The cutting down of forests has caused serious damage to the ecosystem as floods alternate with droughts and the river channels get clogged up with mud thus, making it difficult for many fishes.
The rampant building of dams on the River Mekong that flows through many Southeast Asian nations has hampered the forests and the fisheries and agriculture industries on which countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. The cutting down of trees for development of a nation is not good news for any of the carnivores living in these forests as the food chain may go haywire creating difficulties for the environment.
The good news is the increase in population of Royal Bengal Tigers, which make up about 75% of the entire tiger population in the world, but, the rampant poaching for their bones considered to be having mythical powers of healing, which is a very big lie as scientists have found no such evidence in the majestic creature's bones. The Indian and Sumatran Rhinoceros is also in a critical situation as their continued hunting for it's horns is ringing alarm bells the world over. Last year, the Thailand police seized 10,000 tusks of elephants at the Bangkok Airport, a huge crackdown on the smuggling of animal products which is increasing.
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