Blue whales were almost hunted to extinction until they were put under a protective law. Today, they are listed as an endangered species.
California condors are endangered because they have been poached, or hunted and killed illegally. They are also endangered because of lead poisoning and habitat destruction.
There are many animals that are in danger of becoming extinct. Humans are largely to blame for their endangerment. Over-hunting and habitat destruction are only a couple of ways that humans are endangering animals.
The golden lion tamarin, a monkey, is endangered because of habitat loss and resultant inbreeding.
Zebra mussels were brought to North America in the ballast water of ships. Since 1988, the zebra mussels have pushed native freshwater mussels to near-extinction. The zebra mussel invasion is a great example of time delays.
This image shows the true extent of invasive species introductions. In 1988 zebra mussel distribution was limited. However, their population sizes and locations have increased exponentially in the past 20 years.
Sea otters are herbivores and eat mainly sea urchins. Sea otters have been over-hunted in the past 100 years for their beautiful (and expensive) fur.
Sea otters are carnivores and eat mainly sea urchins. Sea urchins graze on kelp. Thus, otters help control herbivore grazing.
After their introduction to the United States in 1988, Zebra mussels were present in small numbers in the Great Lakes region.
In the last 20 years, zebra mussels have spread from the Great Lakes to most major freshwater areas in the Eastern United States.
Not only do zebra mussels out-compete native species for food and space, they also are a nuisance and attach (in the numbers of thousands) to boats and other water equipment.
The giant panda is endangered because of habitat loss and low birth rates in the wild and captivity. In the past, poaching also lowered the numbers of surviving pandas and they became listed as an endangered species.
The red wolf has been endangered because of predator control measurements and over-hunting. The red wolf was thought to be a threat to livestock and that is why it was hunted so heavily.
Snow leopards are endangered because their bones are often used in traditional Asian medicine. Also, their habitat has been damaged and snow leopards sometimes attack herds of goats and sheep for food. The owners of these animals want to kill the snow leopards so they don't keep attacking the herds.
