May 29th 2020
Published by Aakanksha Nair
Endangered Species Need You To Act Now
Endangered Species Need You To Act Now
Any Lion King fans here? What about Madagascar? Maybe Finding Nemo? What do all these movies have in common? The protagonist is an animal - a breathing, thinking, talking animal.
While the movies are animated and the characters imaginary, these traits about them still remain true - they breathe, think, and communicate. Just like our species. What’s different though, apart from our opposable thumbs and access to tacos, is that unlike their activities ours have been driving several of these amazing, beautiful species extinct.
You’re probably thinking, “not me! I don’t do anything that contributes to animal extinction”. Well, think again. Of course we love animals, or at least the ones that live with us: dogs, cats, hamsters, and even the occasional tigers. But this barely begins to scratch the surface when it comes to the vast list of species that exist in nature. This list has been dwindling in number due to our activities. Activities that we justify in the name of hobbies, fashion, or survival are actually causing widespread extinction: from hunting and animal tourism to industrial and land use activities.
Need proof? The day that you’re reading this poachers have managed to kill 100 African elephants for ivory, meat and body parts. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Today, the African elephant habitat has declined by over 50% since 1979, Asian elephants are now restricted to just 15% of their original range, only 5 rhino species remain 2 of which have 80 animals left in the wild, and only between 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears remain in the whole wide world.
The pandemic has had its own mixed effect on these numbers. On the positive side, people realized how ill-treated animals are and empathized with those kept in captivity. The lockdown also presented animals with the opportunity to explore lands previously inhabited by humans with deers roaming the streets and bears showing up in Markham. All in all it has highlighted the need to curb wildlife trade if we want to prevent another pandemic. However, the flip side is that organizations meant to protect wildlife have not included wildlife in their pandemic solution making it easier to facilitate the sale and consumption of wildlife during this lockdown.
Irrespective, the pandemic has at least got us thinking about the need to share a larger piece of the pie with our roomies on this planet. This dialogue that has been initiated can be the trigger that finally makes us conscious consumers. As reopening plans continue and as you resume being a consumer, make sure you indulge in decisions that help not just yourself but these animals as well. For starters, you can choose to spend your money on companies that have corporate social responsibility policies in place. A great example would be the eco-friendly fashion brand Awoke N’ Aware which will be donating 100% of itsprofits to Ol Pejeta for 30 days starting May 25th to help support their conservation efforts during COVID-19. Want to do more? You can symbolically adopt a polar bear by donating $8 per month, you can support movements that promote a ban on wildlife sale and consumption, or even just read to find more ways to help this cause. There’s a thousand ways in which we as a species have led to this mass extinction of animals, but there’s a thousand and one ways in which we can work towards reversing this impact. Doesn’t matter if you take a big step or small, as long as you move in the right direction and you move now.
You want to listen to Circle of Life now don’t you?
Expert Thoughts
Toronto-based marketer, Aakanksha, is a story-teller by profession and passion. When she's not working on marketing campaigns, you'll find her immersed in passion projects around animals, sustainable living and of course, story-telling.
- Aakanksha Nair -
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