The Animals

The most important part of P~A~A~N's mission is to help the animals. Whether that means an entire colony of them, or just that one who finds himself in a cold shelter alone and in dire need of a "forever" home. On this page, you'll find contributions from P~A~A~N members of their views as well as facts of what is going on relating to animals. Some of us find it easier to close our eyes to the fact that many animals die needlessly just because we can't find the time in our busy schedule to get our pets spayed/neutered. This one precious act, surprisingly, can save many lives! Please keep that in mind the next time you look at your pets.

All submissions are the views of the submitter and are not necessarily the views of P~A~A~N. If you feel you have something to say about the subject or wish to add to this page, please email us.

(Quick Fact: According to one study, plant and animal species are becoming extinct at the rate of 17 per hour.)

 

"Hi, remember me?

     I am your pet, or at least I was.  I am sitting here, in a pen, in a room with other unwanted unloved pets.  In short, I am on "doggie/kitty deathrow".  I am alone, and frightened.  Why haven't you come to take me home?  Don't you love me anymore?

     What did I do that was so terrible, that you don't love me anymore.  Wasn't I always happy to see you?  Wasn't I the one who was there no matter how bad things got?  I licked your hand, and the tears from your face.  I protected your home and possessions, when you weren't there.  All I ever asked from you, was a food dish, water dish, a warm place to sleep, and a little bit of lovin' every now and then, did I ask for too much?

     Why did you throw me out to wander the streets?  The first meal I had in three days, was when the man in the uniform picked me up, and brought me here. I didn't know what this place was, but I sure was grateful for the food.  Now I find out that if you aren't here in 3 days, and someone else doesn't adopt me, they're going to put me to sleep, permanently. 

     PLEASE COME AND GET ME!  I know I am old, and can't play like I used to, but I still love you.  I don't want to die, I still have a lot of good dog years left in me.  I just want to come home and be with you.  When I do close my eyes for the last time, I want your face to be the last thing I see, not a stranger in a uniform.

                                                              Hoping and praying to see you soon

                                                              Your loving pet."

Submitted by Dragonryder

 

"Dear Earth Bound Entity,

     Remember that cat you kicked yesterday?  He was one of mine. Remember the starving dog, that you threw rocks at?  He was mine too.  I unfortunately entrusted the care of my children, into the hands of irresponsible humans, like yourself.

     I see you in the church pew every Sunday, and I hear your hollow prayers.  You say you believe in my son, and you even repeat his words in you "holy hymns."  But do you actually understand what he was saying?

     When you sing the song, "Whatsoever you do"  do you just say the words, or do you mean them?  I think you just say the words.  My son said, "Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, that you do unto me."  Well, you seem to think that is only applies to the two-footed variety of animal.  YOU ARE WRONG! 

     This applies to ALL of MY CHILDREN, right down to the lowliest earthworm.  I created all of you.  I put the animals on the earth for your use, NOT YOUR ABUSE!  You think they are stupid and worthless, because they do not look and think like you?  They do not speak the same as you, so they are expendable?  Oh, how wrong you are.  They are just as precious to me as any of you on two feet.

     My animals, do not kill for the sake of killing, only as a means of survival (i.e. food and shelter.)  They do not destroy forests and streams, they do not pollute the beauty that I have bestowed upon them.   YOU DO!  

     When you were tossed out of Eden, it was of your own fault, YOU DID NOT LISTEN.  I didn't punish them, for they have never disobeyed me.  I punished you.  Haven't you ever wondered why the animals can understand every word you say, and you can not understand them?  That is because you have shut off your hearts.  To understand them, YOU MUST LISTEN WITH YOUR HEART!   They way you treat my little ones, tells me that you have no heart.

     They ask nothing of you but love, food, water and shelter.  Is that so much?  You were given this entire earth as your domain, and what do you do with it?  Where are all the trees I planted, the grass, the crystal blue waters?  I'll tell you, they are here with me, just like all of my creatures, that YOU have DRIVEN TO EXTINCTION! 

     Keep up with your wasteful ways, and pretty soon, the earth will be a barren place, and you will have nothing of beauty.  Oh, one last thing, keep destroying and abusing what I gave you.  MY doors are always open to that which you do not want, but they will not be open to you, if you do so.

                            This has been a public service announcement from

                                             Your Creators,

                                    The God and Goddess."

Submitted by Dragonryder

"Furry" Facts

Tiger extinction

Tigers are on the brink of extinction. There are only between 5,000 and 7,400 tigers left in the wild and the number keeps shrinking. Of the 8 species of tigers, only 5 are still in existence today. Once they are gone, they will be gone forever. What would life be like if we couldn't show our children and our grandchildren the beauty if these animals? It would be a great tragedy. That is why something must be done now before they become extinct.

The biggest threats to the tiger's survival are poachers and loss of habitat. Poachers illegally hunt and kill the tigers for their fur, bones and other parts. The poachers get money for them on the black market. The other problem is that as the human population moves into the tiger's habitat. As the tigers move on, some of the groups of tigers get separated from others. Human populations prevent these groups from ever finding each other. As a result, these segregated groups begin inbreeding within their groups to the point where over time, the tigers give birth to unhealthy cubs with life threatening birth defects. This is known as "population fragmentation"

The ways that we can help prevent the extinction of these beautiful animals is to support politicians who push for tougher laws on the sale of animal parts overseas. Preservation of tiger reserves needs to be enforced with stiffer penalties for those who break the law. Educate yourself and others on tigers. Learn everything you can about these how to save these animals. Knowledge truly is a powerful tool. Start writing campaigns and petitions to send to the politicians in India. The more support the better. Financial support to tiger preservation groups will help. They are doing great things for these animals and they need support. Most zoos have information available for organizations in your region. Check with them for more information.

Extinction

  

Extinction is a word which has an uncomfortable air of finality about it, rather like death! Whereas people are rarely unanimous in their definition of the word CONSERVATION, there can be no doubt that to practically everyone (including quite young children) extinction means to be wiped out and completely destroyed. To become extinct is to be gone forever. In fact the process of extinction follows this simple rule:

"A Species Becomes Extinct when its Death Rate is Continually Greater than its Birth Rate".

Extinction generally occurs under one of three headings:

1. Natural Extinction

This happens when a species declines in numbers gradually but steadily at the end of its evolutionary period on earth. The length of the period depends largely on the success of the species as a whole and its ability to adjust to changes in climate and vegetation and the appearance of predators or (in the case of predators) the disappearance of prey. It is worth remembering that a species dying a natural evolutionary death is nearly always replaced by new forms or groups.

 

 

2. Direct Extinction

This occurs when Humans destroy animals in such numbers that they become completely exterminated and cease to exist as a species. The motivations for destruction on this scale can usually be attributed to one of the following reasons: (i) profit (and often - greed), (ii) competition with animals for food, habitat or both, or (iii) the sheer enjoyment of killing. We kill animals for their meat, oil, hides, fur, feathers, shells or eggs. We trade in live animals; often at the expense of a dwindling population in the wild state. Some animals are killed because of superstitious dread; others are killed to provide souvenirs for tourists. Animals are still being killed by trophy hunters and by those who take pleasure in dispensing death (from a safe distance).

 

 

3. Indirect Extinction

Many of the species now facing imminent extinction do so not because Humans have set out to destroy them - but rather because they have stepped in the path of his "progress". Of all the causes of indirect extinction the most widespread and devastating must be the destruction of habitat.

 

 

Record of Destruction

At the present time there are about 5,000 species of animals and more than 25,000 species of plants facing extinction. Some of these are already poised on the brink of completely disappearing and may well be beyond all hope of salvation now whatever attempts might be made to save them. With the human race multiplying at the rate of one million more people every six days; the destruction of tropical rain forests at the frightening rate of 50 acres per minute; and the probable loss of approximately 800 square miles of wild habitat each day to human needs - it is hardly surprising that there are so many endangered species of animals and plants.

It is interesting to look at the way in which the disappearance of animal species in ever-increasing numbers is related to the steady increase in the size of the world's human population over the past three hundred years. The figures look like this:


17th Century

By the middle of the century there were about 450 million humans on earth and 7 animal species became extinct.


18th Century

550 million humans on earth and 11 more species became extinct by mid-century.


19th Century

By 1850 the human population had increased to 900 million and 27 species were lost.


20th / 21st Century

To date there are just over 6000 million people on earth. So far this century we have lost 68 species of animals.

It is worth noting that, of the animals that became extinct during the 20th century, 64 disappeared between 1900 and 1960. Since then only four species have been lost. This may be an encouraging indication of Man's awareness of the threat to Nature in recent years and his attempts (as yet all too feeble) to repair some of the damage while there is still time to do so.


Activities & Projects

Suddenly, the word EXTINCTION has not one, but several possible definitions depending upon the species being studied or discussed and the reason for its decline or extermination. As teachers will very quickly appreciate, this opens up a wide-ranging subject for class or project work of all kinds, suitable for any level of age or academic ability.

There are many absorbing activities linked with the study of extinction ranging from simple model making and artwork to detailed studies of ecosystems, or deductions concerning climatic changes which brought the Age of Reptiles to a comparatively abrupt end.

 

Case Histories

An interesting study for both individuals and groups is the compilation of typical case histories showing why plants and animals are endangered or why they have become extinct.

These case histories could include any of the following:

 

 

Dodo (extinct)
The flightless pigeon of the Mascarene Islands.


Tiger
Fifty years ago there were more than 100,000 tigers - now there are fewer than 5,000 left and the chances of survival are not good. Passenger pigeon (extinct) A classic example of direct extermination. Countless millions of these birds were killed within 30 years in North America, the last one died in 1914.


Quagga (extinct)
Wiped out by hunters -1878.

Rhinoceros
Any of the five species will make an interesting study. In evolutionary decline - being accelerated by poachers who sell horn (which is attributed with magic powers).


Great whales
Man's predation on the whales from the earliest times to the present day provides scope for a very detailed and well documented study.


Hawaiian goose (Ne-ne)
Success story. Down to last thirty survivors before Wildfowl Trust commenced rescue programme. Now increasing in numbers and released again in Hawaii.


Remember that Humans too can become extinct, and there are already too many records of tribal extinction around the world.

Threatened and Endangered Species System (TESS)

Summary of Listed Species
Species and Recovery Plans as of 03/03/2003
 

Group

 Endangered Threatened Total Species U.S. Species with
Recovery Plans**
U.S. Foreign U.S. Foreign
Mammals 65 251 9 17 342 53
Birds 78 175 14 6 273 77
Reptiles 14 64 22 15 115 32
Amphibians 12 8 9 1 30 14
Fishes 71 11 44 0 126 96
Clams 62 2 8 0 72 57
Snails 21 1 11 0 33 22
Insects 35 4 9 0 48 29
Arachnids 12 0 0 0 12 5
Crustaceans 18 0 3 0 21 13
Animal SubTotal 388 516 129 39 1072 398
Flowering Plants 570 1 144 0 715 572
Conifers and Cycads 2 0 1 2 5 2
Ferns and Allies 24 0 2 0 26 26
Lichens 2 0 0 0 2 2
Plant SubTotal 598 1 147 2 748 602
Grand Total 986 517 276 41 1820* 1000

Total U.S. Endangered -- 986 (388 animals, 598 plants)
Total U.S. Threatened -- 276 (129 animals, 147 plants)
Total U.S. Species -- 1262 (517 animals***, 745 plants)
 

* There are 1851 total listings (1288 U.S.). A listing is an E or a T in the "status" column of 50 CFR 17.11 or 17.12 (The Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants). The following types of listings are combined as single counts in the table above: species listed both as threatened and endangered (dual status), and subunits of a single species listed as distinct population segments. Only the endangered population is tallied for dual status populations (except for the following: olive ridley sea turtle ; for which only the threatened U.S. population is tallied) . The dual status U.S. species that are tallied as endangered are: chinook salmon , gray wolf , green sea turtle , piping Plover , roseate tern , sockeye salmon , steelhead , Steller sea-lion . The dual status foreign species that are tallied as endangered are: argali , chimpanzee , leopard , saltwater crocodile . Distinct population segments tallied as one include: California tiger salamander , chinook salmon , chum salmon , coho salmon , steelhead . Entries that represent entire genera or families include: African viviparous toads , gibbons , lemurs , musk deer , Oahu tree snails , sifakas , uakari .

** There are 561 distinct approved recovery plans. Some recovery plans cover more than one species, and a few species have separate plans covering different parts of their ranges. Recovery plans are drawn up only for listed species that occur in the United States.

*** 9 animal species have dual status in the U.S.

(Information gathered from The US Fish & Wildlife Services website)
 

 

 

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