“Be diligent in serving the poor. Love the poor, honor them, my children, as you would honor Christ Himself.”
St. Louise de Marillac
Four Endangered Species in North America
By Katelyn Rieder, Communications Co-op
Throughout April, we shared a series of social media posts highlighting some of North America’s most endangered animal species. Our goal was to raise awareness about these remarkable creatures and inspire action to support their conservation.
On National Endangered Species Day, May 16, we are reminded of the importance of celebrating, learning about, and taking action to protect some of Earth’s most vulnerable creatures.
The preservation of plant and animal species plays an important role in maintaining the balance of our world. An example comes from Yellowstone National Park during the 1920s, when, lacking a broader understanding of ecosystems, early park managers viewed native wolves as a threat. It became a mission to hunt and remove as many wolves from Yellowstone as possible. Because of the absence of the apex predator, elk populations in Yellowstone boomed, vegetation was picked clean, and food webs were drastically altered. Thankfully, wolves were reintroduced to the park in 1995 to slowly but surely stabilize the ecosystem. More information can be found on the Yellowstone Wolf Project webpage.
While most species are no longer under such direct threat from human intervention, animals now face threat due to indirect causes—such as climate change.
In honor of National Endangered Species Day, we invite others to learn more about four of North America’s endangered animals and what we can do to support their survival:
Red Wolf
The red wolf is the most endangered member of the canine family. Declared extinct in the wild during 1980, the population now mostly survives in captivity, with a small group living in a North Carolina refuge. Red wolves live in close-knit packs formed around a breeding pair, with older offspring helping to raise the younger pups.
Several organizations provide support to red wolves, specifically Wolf Haven International and American Wolf Foundation. Both nonprofits seek to help red wolves flourish in captivity so that they may eventually be able to live on in the wild. Through awareness and coexistence—particularly with farmers and ranchers who will be affected by wolf reintroduction—they hope to see a world where red wolves can thrive without human assistance.
The main action we can take individually to help red wolves is being more environmentally conscious. Recycling and keeping waterways clean of hazardous materials provides not just red wolves, but all of Earth with the environment they are meant to thrive in.
Vaquita
The vaquita is the rarest marine mammal, to the extent that we have hardly any photos of it. Most “photos” online are actually artist renderings based on information. Vaquitas live in the Gulf of California, with a worldwide population estimated to be no more than 10 individuals. Increases in illegal fishing operations since their discovery in 1958 is the leading cause for their near extinction.
The vaquitas circumstance is dire and many organizations seek to aid the cause, such as the Porpoise Conservation Society, Save the Whales, and the World Wildlife Fund. All of these sites provide information and resources about vaquitas, as well as ways we can help.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, fishery bycatch (the accidental capture of other marine life in fishing nets) is one of the top threats to the vaquita. Specifically, illegal fishing for the endangered fish, the totoaba, often catches vaquita on accident.
We as individuals can not only work to keep our environment (specifically our waterways) clean to help the vaquita, but also urge for stronger restrictions in fishing. Actions such as signing petitions, writing to government representatives, or donating to conservation efforts are ways we can help.
Monarch Butterfly
The beloved monarch butterfly was declared an endangered species in 2022 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Monarchs rely on milkweed not only as their primary food source, but also as the only plant on which they lay their eggs. Due to factors such as climate change and urban development, millions of acres of milkweed have been destroyed—contributing significantly to the monarch’s decline.
The World Wildlife Fund continues to be an excellent source for educational materials and up-to-date information on conservation efforts. Additionally, The Monarch Sanctuary Project and Xerces Society dedicate their effort specifically to the monarch butterfly and other insects.
Our SC Motherhouse’s Seton Garden has several milkweed plants that welcome many monarchs during these warmer months. In addition to cultivating these plants, avoiding the use of pesticides in gardens creates a safer environment for not just monarch butterflies, but also many other creatures.
Black-footed Ferret
In the Great Plains of North America, more than 300 wild black-footed ferrets now roam. These are the only ferrets native to the continent and are plagued by habitat loss and disease. Thanks to multiple concentrated efforts these furry critters are making a slow return to the wild after once being thought extinct. The return of ferrets to the wild helps restore the health of the grassland ecosystem and its surrounding environment.
Nonprofit organizations such as Black-footed Ferret Friends and Revive & Restore dedicate resources to spreading awareness and supporting conservation efforts of the black-footed ferret. One such effort is the North American Grasslands Conservation Act, which aims to incentivize land protection and increase funding for grassland restoration. Not only can we support this legislation, but also care for our local environments and organizations.
Animals can come under threat for a variety of reasons, such as habitat destruction, climate change, predation, and more. It is essential that we do our part to negate some of the damage done both through spreading awareness, supporting organizations, and donating our time or resources when possible. May we continue educating ourselves and others on the beauty of our world and how we can help its creations flourish.
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