Animals have become extinct and new speies have evolved since life began. Primitive human cultures may have eliminated some species, but the primary causes for species to become extinct have been natural ones.
Major environmental changes resulted in the eventual disappearance of species unable to adapt to new conditions.
Natural forces are still at work, but human activities cause most of the rapid and widspread environmental changes tht affect animals today. Many species have been unable to make the biological adjustments necessary for survival.
The planned or accidental intro. of exotic species to a region can also lead to extinction. An introduced species often has no natural enemies to control its spread, and native species may have no protection against it. The intro. of Dutch elm disease to North America, mongooses to Jamaica, and pigs to Hawaii resulted in the loss of native specoes having inadequate species.
Only since the 19th century has been a worldwide concern for the plight of species in their own natural environments. In earlier times, where human populations were small and modern technology was developing, the human impact of activities on natural populations seldom seemed significant.
Protection of animal species on an international scale was initiated as early as 1916. In 1916, the Migratory Bird Treaty between the U.S., Great Britian, Canada, and later Mexico was initiated. This treaty was a far-reasching wildlife conservation that measure from a U.S.-hosted conference in 1973.
In 1973, the conservation created an international treaty known as CITES. CITES stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. There are more than 100 nations that works together in this program to protect the endangered species through the worldwide control of exports and imports.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) of the Department of the Interior is authorized to assist in the development and management of the endangered species programs in foreign countries.
The Buffalo Protection Act of 1894 was one of the earliest official recognitions of an endangered species problems in the U.S. The buffalo herds roamed through North America that had been reduced to just a few individuals by the 1800's.
This law/act is to protect the few remaining buffalo in the Yellowstone National Park. This law/act was the first federal legislation that focused on conserving a once-vast wildlife resource. Other national laws and regulations followed.
In 1903, The National Wildlife Refuge System was started. Its purpose is to protect the habitats that harbored fast-disappearing wildlife species. Congress enacted the Bald Eagle Act to procted the national bird in 1940.
In 1948, The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) was founded. It is an organization of about 600 governmental and nongovernmental members representing 116 countries. The IUCN goal is to promote the protection of endangered and threatened "living resources."
