We, the humans have exploited our own environment for too long and to ensure the sustainable development of environment to ensure that the future generations can have life supporting environment, it is absolutely mandatory to go green and enjoy the greenery of the world. There is no view more amazing than the splendid enthralling beauty of nature; hence, there is the need to preserve this austere beauty of nature.

- Caspian Tiger - Of all the tigers known to the world, the Caspian tiger was the third largest. It is commonly stated that the Caspian tiger finally disappeared sometime in the late 1950s; the year given is usually 1959 and the accompanying information often makes reference to the last specimen as having been shot in Golestan National Park, Iran. Yet other reports state that the final Caspian tiger was captured and killed in Northeast Afghanistan in 1997. Hunting, and loss of habitat and large wild prey are the primary causes of the loss of the subspecies.

- Dodo bird – Around 1505 the Portuguese became the first Europeans to discover the dodo. By 1681 it had been driven to extinction by humans and the feral dogs, pigs, rats, and monkeys introduced by Europeans to Mauritius. The last one was killed in 1681. Having evolved over millions of years to take maximum advantage of its splendid isolation, its size and inability to flee from predators ushered it into extinction in an evolutionary instant. Although the tale of the dodo’s demise is well documented, no complete specimens of the bird were preserved; there are only fragments and sketches.

- Great Auk - A strong swimmer, the great auk wintered as far south as Florida and southern Spain. The last authenticated sighting of this species was from Fire Island off the coast of Cape Reykjanes, Iceland, on June 3, 1844. At that time a pair of adult Great Auks were caught and killed by collectors. The adults had laid an egg and were incubating. Today, around 75 eggs of the Great Auk remain in museum collections, and about again this number of skins.

- Steller’s Sea Cow - Although they look rather like whales or sea lions, the order’s closest relatives are elephants and hyrax. The Steller’s Sea Cow was slaughtered for its meat and leather. They grew as large as 35 feet long and weighed up to three-and-a-half tons. It was discovered in the Bering Strait in 1741 by the naturalist Georg Steller and vanished from their only home within 30 years after Steller’s discovery.

- Tasmanian Tiger - This is one of the most fabled animals in the world and was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. The arrival of European settlers marked the start of a tragic period of conflict that led to the tiger’s extinction. The last known member of the species died in Hobart Zoo on 7th September, 1936. Ever since that specimen died in captivity, there have been sporadic but unconfirmed reports of tigers being sighted in the wilds near their old habitats. Most of the recent reports of Tasmanian Tigers come from the Island of Tasmania, a state of Australia, which lies just south of the eastern portion of the continent.

- Quagga - This is an extinct subspecies of the plains zebra, which was once found in great numbers in South Africa’s Cape Province and the southern part of the Orange Free State. When the Quagga mare at Amsterdam Zoo died on 12 August 1883, it was not realised that she was the very last of her kind. Because of the confusion caused by the indiscriminate use of the term “Quagga” for any zebra, the true Quagga was hunted to extinction without this being realised until many years later. A selective breeding programme was started in 1987. This aims to retrieve the Quagga genes, and to eventually produce individuals that will be comparable to the very varied 23 preserved Quaggas in the world’s museums.

This are only a few of the valuable species we have lost. For a list of the extinct species so far, visit AboutExtinction.com. Here are some quick facts about extinction today:

- 137 species are estimated to go extinct each day
- 50,000 species are estimated to go extinct each year
- There are more than 1,000 animal species endangered worldwide.

For the Defi Pour la Terre website, the campaign is more striking: Running a half empty machine, taking a bath instead of a shower or leaving the light on for no reason destroys the planet. Remember: turn your monitor off along with the computer, unplug chargers if you don’t use them and use water wisely. A bit of attention can go a long way!

1. Prairie Dog – Prairie Dog After a large extermination effort in the early 1900s, prairie dogs habitat had been reduced by 98%. Their population was drastically reduced, from almost 100,000 to 3,000. They are one of only two prairie dog species with federal protection, and estimates were below 1,500 individuals in the 1970’s. Their persecution started in the 1920s because it was believed that the species damaged rangeland. The species received the status of endangered in 1973 and was reclassified as threatened in 1984 after some minor recovery. By 1981, that number had nearly tripled, back to almost its original number just eight years after the passing of the Endangered Species Act. Colonies at Bryce Canyon were reestablished in 1974, and the park now protects a few major populations.

2. Whooping Crane – Whooping CraneIn the late 1800s, there were about 1,500 birds in Western Canada and the U.S. Conservation efforts begun in 1938 have resulted in a slow increase. Now, there’s an effort to reintroduce the birds to their winter home in Florida. But that involves teaching the captive-bred birds how to migrate from their northern nesting grounds by following an ultra-light aircraft. In 40 years, the cranes’ population increased from 50 to approximately 500.

3. Grizzly Bear – These Brown Bears were once abundant in North America, but now are close to disappearing forever. The grizzly bear is listed as threatened in the contiguous United States, and endangered in parts of Canada. What is more worrying is that bear hunting is still legal in Alaska and some parts of Canada. Still, it seems that these symbols of Earth are making a come-back: the population increased from increased from 271 to over 580 bears in the Yellowstone area between 1975 and 2005

4. Bald Eagle – The bald eagle is probably some of the most successful American wildlife story. Bald EagleIt reached the edge of extinction due to hunting, habitat loss and the effects of pesticides. Bald eagle populations dropped from more than 100,000 nesting eagles at that time to only about 400 breeding pairs in 1963. Adult female birds were affected the pesticide DDT that prevented them from laying healthy eggs. The bird was declared an endangered species in the U.S. in 1967. After massive conservation efforts, there are more than 7,500 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states today.

5. Gray Wolf – Heavily persecuted in Europe, the wolf became extinct in England in 1486, Scotland in 1743, and Ireland in 1770. In the first part of the 20th century in North America, it was believed that wolves caused widespread livestock losses, thus reducing their population considerably. Heavy involvement in this issue lead to a massive increase of the population in Northern Rockies, Southwest, and Great Lakes, the reintroduction experiment being a resounding success.

6. Green Sea Turtle – Probably the oldest animal on Earth, that witnessed the dinosaurs’ destruction, Green Sea Turtlethe green turtle was hunted for food and for the cosmetics and clothing industries. Being an important part of the the beach/dune and the marine systems, their extinction would have a negative impact on these environments. Although still on the endangered species list, efforts lead to an increase in the creatures’ nests. Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, the Marine Mammal Center in Northern California and the Sea Turtle Inc. organization in South Padre Island, TX are only a few of the organizations involved in saving these fascinating animals.

7. Key Deer – Hunted enthusiastically over a century ago, the key deer was a rare animal in the 1950, only 25 members of the species remaining. The conservation movement for these creatures began in Louisiana, aided by the new Federal laws. Road kills from drivers on U.S. Route 1 are one of the major threats for these animals, 40 deers being killed each year. To help with the conservation efforts, key deers were given the National Key Deer Refuge, 8,500 acres of land on Big Pine. today, their population is close to reaching 1,000.

8. Florida Panther – The Florida panther, Florida’s state animal, is one of the most endangered mammals on earth. Florida PantherOnce on the brink of extinction, the population is now getting close to 100 felines. Two of the most important threats for the panther are are automobile injuries and aggression between panthers for territory. The loss of habitat has the most important impact on the population, since panthers need large areas with an adequate number of prey. Scientists say Florida’s current panther population is perhaps the greatest it’s been in the past fifty years.

9. Kirtland’s Warbler – Fire suppression led to decline in suitable habitat for nesting, while nest parasites led to a decrease in the number of Warbler birds. It has restrictive breeding range requirements, preferring 5-20 year old jack pine trees and sandy soil for its nest. From 210 pairs in 1971, the birds population reached 1,000 pairs in 2001 due to intense conservation efforts following the Endangered Species Act. Today, 150,000 acres of public land are reserved for Kirtland’s warbler management.

10. American Alligator – The American alligator is one of the two living species of Alligator and one of the largest reptiles in North America. American AlligatorHumans are the American alligators main threat to survival. Sadly, they are hunted for their meat and their skin used to produce various leather goods. Conservation efforts have helped the American alligator make a comebac, now being fully recovered and consequently removed the animal from the list of endangered species.

There are several factors responsible for the corals’ destruction. Ocean pollution, fishing nets and the increasing temperature of the planetary ocean are among the most important. As water temperatures rise, algae living on the coral surface die and leave the bare calcium carbonate substrate exposed that bleaches the corals causing their death.

Since corals have a fix structure, they are the only organism that cannot run away from pollution. They need clean water and plenty of light to live, reproduce and feed. The algae that live inside these corals give them their fantastic colour.

Conceived by coral expert Tom Goreau of the United States and German architecture professor Wolf Hilbertz, both members of the Global Coral Reef Alliance, the project started at the beginning of the new century and has already achieved remarkable results. Te Karang Lestari Project — “coral preservation” in Indonesian — is the world’s largest coral nursery ever built using this technology.

The Karang Lestari Project also received the SKAL Ecotourism Award 2002 for the world’s best ecotourism project. SKAL is the world’s largest tourism and travel organization.

To repopulate the area as quickly as possible with coral and fish, coral nurseries were built using the Electrolytic Mineral Accretion Technology (BiorockTM) of Hilbertz and Goreau.

1. Greater Horseshoe Bat – There are fourteen species of bat in Britain and all of them are endangered. horseshoe batThe greater horseshoe bat is one of the rarest. There are currently 35 recognised maternity and all-year roosts and 369 hibernation sites. Current estimates range between 4,000 and 6,600 individuals. They have also suffered from the use of insecticides (poisonous chemicals sprayed on to crops to kill harmful insects) which have deprived the bats of their insect food.

2. Siberian Tiger – It is highly endangered and there may be fewer than 200 in the wild, probably all in special nature reserves. The are hunted because a poacher can feed his family for a year on the proceeds of just one tiger kill.

3. Loggerhead Turtle – This threatened reptile lives in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the Black Sea and AtlanticLoggerhead turtle Ocean. The turtle was once intensively hunted for their meat and eggs, but its fat was also used in the cosmetic industry. Many of these animals die annually caught in the fishing nets of crabfishers. In Turkey, hotels have been built right on its breeding sites.

4. White Tailed Fish Eagle – Before man experimented with the use of pheromones, this spectacular bird of prey was much more numerous than it is today. They have also been hunted by shepherds and gamekeepers that considered them a threat to their sheep or birds. With intense conservation actions, the populations in eastern Europe recovered, recovery plans are aimed at colonizing some traditional breeding areas in Europe.

5. Mandarin Duck – This bird can be seen Britain, but its native home is across eastern Asia, in Russia, China, Korea andmandarin duck Japa. Worldwide population status is unknown, the current Asian population being somewhere under 20,000. Extinction of these beautiful birds is due to mainly loggers, hunters and poachers. Known predators include mink, raccoon dog, otters, polecats, eagle owls and grass snakes.

6. Lion-Tailed Macaque – These animals live in several areas in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Many of India’s Lion-tailed macaquetropical forests, the monkey’s natural habitat, have been cleared and replaced with tea and coffee plantations. As with so many mammals, currently the main threat in the wild is destruction of their habitat. Poachers have also captured baby macaques, often killing their parents in the process, for illegal export to collectors. They are considered to be the most endangered monkey, with only 400 individuals left in the wild. They are hunted for their flesh and fur.

7. Jackass Penguin – Once the most common sea-bird in in South Africa, the jackass penguin is the only penguin to beJackass penguin found in Africa. Because they live so far north, and in a relatively accessible region, African penguins have been particularly vulnerable to human depredation. Considering the decline in food supplies, seals now prey on the penguins instead. Oil pollution also threatens them, as does the taking of their eggs for food.

8. Mountain Gorilla – The Virunga volcanoes region in eastern Zaire, Rwanda and Uganda is the onlyMountain Gorilla home of the highly endangered mountain gorilla. They are frequently killed by traps and snares intended for other animals, face habitat loss and are vulnerable to many of the same diseases as humans. It depends on dense forests for survival and these are steadily being cut down to make way for crop growing and livestock grazing. Humans and gorillas are 98% genetically identical so they are also exposed to human disease. This is the most endangered of the gorilla subspecies, only about 700 mountain gorillas remain in the wild.

9. Numbat – They inhabit woodlands in Western Australia, this is the only state in which they are found in the wild. The NumbatThe numbat is now extinct throughout much of its range. It survives in the wild only in a small area in the southwest corner of Australia. When man introduced predatory animals such as cats, dogs and foxes, these animals ate many numbats. Their numbers are still declining since many of the areas that constituted their habitats are being cleared for farming and mining.

10. Black Footed Ferret – This is one of the most endangered mammals in North America, an animal on the edge of Black Footer Ferretextinction in the wild. Loss of habitat is the primary reason black-footed ferrets remain near the brink of extinction. The remaining prairie dog colonies are small and fragmented, separated by great expanses of cropland and human development. By the year 2010, biologists hope to have 1500 ferrets established in the wild, with no fewer than 30 breeding adults in each population.