Endangered+Species

**Pandas are dying out mainly because of one main reason: habitat loss. Their main source of food is bamboo, which takes a long time to grow. This problem wasn't present when pandas were spread throughout the whole south-east of Asia, including China. So, when a forest of bamboo was being consumed by the pandas, they would just move to another bamboo forest. Now that the forests have and still are being cut down, the Pandas are finding food to be a major problem. Industrialization causes people to clear off these lands for factories and agriculture. This causes bamboo forests in Asia started to decline tremendously. Wild pandas have been reported to die because of starvation, because they cannot reach the next bamboo forest quickly enough, or at all. They can now only be found in South-China. ** **Interesting Facts** **Female Pandas are only fertile for about 5 days. For a male to find a female in the wild, and quickly enough to mate with her while she is still fertile, is a small miracle. This contributes to the decreasing numbers of pandas because, there are fewer pandas surviving in the wild, and the habitat is filled with fences, walls, and roads.**
 * the PANDA [[image:panda.jpg width="149" height="181"]]**

** the SEA TURTLE ** **Help from Around the World** The “World Wide Fund for Nature,” or the **WWF**, is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. What the WWF is aiming to do is to help put a stop to the violence and misuse of the planet’s natural environment. They are focusing on conserving the world’s **biological diversity**, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Like they say, //“It’s not about keeping people out of nature, or turning back the clock, or preventing countries or communities from developing. It is about finding practical solutions for a healthy planet, where people and nature can thrive together, in a stable environment, now, and for generations to come.”// **Facts About Endangered Species ** *** There are more than 1,000 animal species endangered worldwide.**
 * Sea turtles have been in danger for some time, and unfortunately many have been lost due to our lack of action. Death is part of nature, but when humans contribute to the decrease in the number of a species, it is time to make some changes. There are seven types of sea turtles in the world, and unfortunately six of these are either threatened or endangered. These include the Loggerhead Turtle, Green Turtle, and the Leatherback Turtle. There are many types of issues that place the sea turtles in danger. Nesting is one of them. During the breeding season the female places itself in a very vulnerable position. Recreational development has destroyed many nesting areas, which can force a female to use a less suitable nesting area. Artificial lighting, like neon signs and street lights also disturb turtles and confuse them. Sea turtles are unintentionally caught and drowned by shrimp vessels. Unfortunately for the tangled turtles, the nets are not hauled in fast enough to save them. One step to help prevent this that we have taken is using turtle excluder devices which allow the trapped turtles to escape the net. Just like to everything, there are different opinions regarding these devices. Some believe that their shrimp catch is diminished as a result of their use. Gill nets and searching for oil and gas are also responsible for destroying habitats and injuring sea turtles . **
 * * In the United States, 735 species of plants and 496 species of animals are listed as threatened or endangered. **

For more information regarding the WWF, or endangered species visit this website...http://www.worldwildlife.org