| 04 there was a determination that over fifteen | | | | its habitat it has lost over half its population in only |
| thousand species of plants and animals on the | | | | the last three generation. |
| planet were facing extinction. The reasons for this | | | | As far as the great predator species go, there |
| are varied, but the primary factor has become | | | | are several that people easily recognize facing |
| humanity's reckless destruction of their local | | | | extinction in only another generation or two. The |
| habitats and the global eco-sphere. There are | | | | cheetah and the Florida cougar. |
| many well known animals on the list to go extinct | | | | The cheetah is on the endangered species list, but |
| as early as the year 2010. | | | | there is one breed most people do not know of. |
| The african elephant is a well known creature to | | | | The species of cheetah known as the asiatic has |
| people around the world. Despite the ban on | | | | reached a critical population point and without |
| hunting them in many countries, ivory poaching still | | | | extreme measures to aid its survival it will go |
| exists and their numbers dwindle rapidly. The four | | | | extinct shortly. There are only fifty known |
| known varieties of asian elephant: Indian, Ceylon, | | | | members of this species left in the world. They |
| Sumatran, and Malaysian, have lost half their | | | | live in Iran. |
| population in the last few generations. | | | | The Florida cougar, also known as the Florida |
| Several species of whale are doing far worse | | | | puma or Florida panther, has an estimated mature |
| than even the elephant. The right whale has no | | | | population of fifty adult individuals. efforts to |
| more than two hundred and fifty fully adult | | | | Recover the population are now in place to retain |
| members of its species left alive. At least twenty | | | | the current current number of native panthers in |
| percent of their population continues to die off | | | | the area. Even with great funding, this is a hard |
| with every generation. The blue whale, largest | | | | agenda, as the cougar needs contiguous locations |
| animal species to ever live on the earth, has | | | | for habitat. Every breeding family, forming one |
| continued to loose half it's population over the last | | | | male and two to five females, needs 200 square |
| few generations. | | | | miles of living habitat. A group of 240 panthers |
| A smaller whale species, topping out at a mere | | | | needs 8,000 to 12,000 square miles of habitat and |
| eighty feet in length compared to the eighty two | | | | sufficient diversity to avoid inbreeding due to a |
| feet length of the blue whale, is the fin whale. This | | | | small population size. Many areas of Southern |
| gentle sea creature has faced a drop in population | | | | Florida are quick-developing, and decreasing habitat |
| similar to its cousin species. | | | | threatens this animal. |
| One creature that no one would mistake is the | | | | Without immediate action these well known |
| gorilla. This sociable and gentle creature can weigh | | | | species will die, and be lost forever in our own |
| up to six hundred pounds and stand erect at over | | | | lifetime. |
| six feet in height. Sadly, due to the destruction of | | | | |