Well, we all thank God almighty for those species which were on
the verge of extinction, but they are still present with us on this
planet in large numbers. So, each creature has its own recovery story.
1. The Alligator- Also known as gators in short, have a uniqueness of being the noisiest reptiles. They make lots of noises like bellows, hisses, coughs and roars. Along with that, they have the capability of surviving in colder climates than any other crocodilian. Once upon a time in the U.S.A., these croc siblings were hunted mercilessly for their skins for leather products. Habitat loss too was a trouble. It was an endangered specie at that time.
Image courtesy of Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
But, people were resilient for protecting these reptiles. Breeding centers were established and strict laws were made. From that point of time, the gators' numbers started rocketing.
Thus from that time onward, the American alligator became a
protected specie and its name was removed from rare creatures'
list. It's a fantastic thing that these apex predatory reptiles are still with us.
2. The Grey wolf- Simply called as wolf; people think they are ferocious and it also reminds people of the bad wolf from 'Little red riding hood'. But they are loyal and intelligent animals. Also, they are apex predators and also the largest species of dog family.
Image courtesy of James Barker /
FreeDigitalPhotos.net
They are native to North America and Eurasia and homes are
colder habitats like Tundra and Taiga and their diet menu includes not only rabbits, hares, squirrels and other small rodents, but also heavy meats like bison, moose, elks (wapitis), wild boars and caribous.
They were extensively hunted for their soft fur and they were
also considered nuisance to livestock (cattle). Their abodes (habitats) were also destroyed.
Later, people realized that these furry creatures are plummeting
in numbers and they were good enough to protect these furry creatures. Now, there are large populations of wolves found in North America, Europe and Russia where they are kept in different areas like, one, where they may have human conflict and the other, their real home.
This made the animal to come out of the rare creatures' list. But in some areas, some subspecies and species are still considered as endangered and critically rare, e.g. Indian wolf, Red wolf.
And, finally comes the most popular protected species of the history. And that is none other than...
3. The American bison ( Bison)- Of course, it is the largest and the bulkiest herbivore of the American Prairies, it has been hunted in the beginning of 1900's for their skins being used for leather and other products. Secondly, they were also considered as a delicacy for their meats. As millions of them were hunted, their dead bodies lied and foul smell used to come. Due to that, passengers travelling inside the trains had to shut their windows to avoid the smell enter.
That time, bison were nearly extinct. But thanks to the efforts
made by people like, establishing breeding centers, taking some
animals and increasing their numbers in private estates and making tougher laws. And as the last law was established, this beast was fully protected and their numbers rocketed from 300's -500's and from 500's -1000's making the animal to disappear from the endangered list.
Along with that, other animals which disappeared from the endangered list are the trumpeter swan, rabbit- eared bandicoot,
raptors (birds of prey like golden eagle, bald eagle and many
vulture species of India and elsewhere), duck-billed platypus etc.
So after hearing these success stories, all of you and other people
will definitely get motivated for conserving wildlife. And let's
see and hope that these success stories should happen with tigers, rhinos, snow leopards and many other rare creatures.
