Are Animals Worth It?

Are Animals Worth It?

Thirty years ago, congress passed a law to protect animals that are at risk of becoming extinct. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 outlined the responsibilities of the government and citizens concerning these animals. It requires that every five years, species are evaluated, and it is decided whether they are okay, endangered, whose population is so low that it is in danger of becoming extinct, or threatened, who are not in as much danger, but whose population is small enough for concern. Threatened and endangered species are then placed on a list, the “red list,” and closely monitored until conditions improve and population numbers increase enough that they can be removed. But how are these animals monitored and how is it possible to get them to the point that they can be removed from the “red list”? To find the answers, many conservationists and scientists have turned to technology. Technology has enabled scientists to help animals reproduce, improve their habitat, and protect them. There are a few disadvantages and opposing viewpoints to this issue. Is it worth the money to use these technologies to save a species from becoming extinct? And more importantly, is it right for humans to intervene with nature? From cloning to satellites, technology has helped save many species from extinction, but is it worth it?

One popular method of trying to increase the numbers of endangered species is by in vitro fertilization, or test tube babies. Scientists take the sperm from a male and an egg from a female and united them in the laboratory, then place the embryo into a surrogate mother, which is usually put inside a similar animal. For instance, a Bengal tiger cub was born to a Siberian t...

... middle of paper ...

...emale leatherback turtle and her habits in order to fully understand this critically endangered marine animal.

8. Ryder, Oliver A. "Cloning Advances and Challenges for Conservation." Trends in

Biotechnology. 20. 6(2002): 231-32.

This is a scholarly article. It explains the successes in cloning mouflon (an endangered sheep) and this may be a way of conserving endangered species in the future. It explains both the benefits and the challenges of cloning for these purposes.

9. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: The Endangered Species Act of 1973. Department of the

Interior. 20 May, 2003 http://endangered.fws.gov/.

This is an official website provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It provides lists ofthe endangered and threatened species, information on conservation, as well aslinks to laws and regulations concerning endangered species.