Wildlife thrives in the desert, rainforest, savannahs, mountains and any other biome.
Wildlife is a concept that refers to the set of animals, plants and fungi that have not been domesticated and that live in a place without their introduction into it by humans . That is why the notion is associated with wildlife in its natural state.
It is important to indicate that there is wildlife both in places with little presence of people and in large cities. In colloquial language, however, the idea is usually associated with those specimens that do not have contact with people .
Wildlife characteristics
Wildlife is made up of organisms found in their natural habitat , developing through evolutionary processes. These species, neither introduced by man in their place nor domesticated, do not need human intervention to survive.
However, anthropogenic activity influences wildlife in multiple ways. The overexploitation of natural resources, pollution, poaching , the introduction of other species, global warming and habitat destruction are factors that threaten wild plants and animals.
These damages to flora and fauna lead to a deterioration in biodiversity , with negative effects for humanity. It is common for wildlife protection laws to be sanctioned and for conservation NGOs to get involved to address the problem.
Wildlife management requires laws that protect nature.
Main threats
Wildlife faces multiple threats. The exploitation of natural resources , which involves the use of nature's products in the economic system, is the most important due to its extended scope.
It is common for this exploitation to become overexploitation , given that nature often does not have the reproductive capacity necessary for the recovery of the affected populations. Population declines, in this framework, can lead to extinction.
Overfishing is an example of this overexploitation that harms wildlife. When the ocean's renewal capacity is not enough to cover the rate of fish extraction, species can disappear from a region or even become extinct.
Species introduced by humans into an area can become a problem for wildlife, especially when they act as invasive species . In these cases, they generate an alteration in the ecosystem .
If you destroy a habitat, the survival of wildlife is at risk. Urbanization , deforestation and agriculture cause this situation, which can also occur due to climate change .
It should be mentioned that if one species disappears, a domino effect is created that affects all wildlife due to food chains . A mammal that ceases to exist in an area can also cause a bird to disappear, to mention one possibility, which in turn multiplies insect and reptile populations.
Poaching is another wildlife threat. An example is the black rhinoceros , whose population fell by 96% in just over two decades (1970 to 1992) due to the actions of hunters.
As for pollution , it sickens or kills living beings in different ways. Contaminated soil prevents plant growth, while animals can die from inhaling pollutants in the air.
Environmental education is important to raise awareness about the importance of wildlife.
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife conservation includes multiple measures. The protection of the habitat involves the protection of all living beings that reside in it: therefore, the creation of protected areas such as nature reserves and national parks is an initiative that takes care of wildlife and ecology in general.
By controlling the felling of trees in forests, deforestation is prevented and wildlife is protected. Habitat restoration through forest regeneration, meanwhile, contributes to sustainability .
Endangered species , on the other hand, are usually the focus of special policies aimed at their conservation. Combating trafficking of species categorized in this way is essential.
In some contexts, although it may seem contradictory, the selective and organized killing of specimens is constituted as a tool to protect wildlife. A government may decide to exterminate thousands of animals of an invasive species that puts the existence of native species in a habitat at risk.
World Day
World Wildlife Day was proclaimed in 2013 by the United Nations ( UN ), and is celebrated every May 3 . The purpose of the day is to raise awareness about the benefits that species of wild animals and plants bring to the planet.
Thus, emphasis is placed on the importance of modifying human behavior to prevent the disappearance of species and to prosecute crimes committed against the environment . The UN also invites the population to learn about endangered species and share knowledge to work as a community towards conservation.