Gold Arrow - Science & Nature - Wildlife in Danger

Task : Find out and display some information in the logbook about the habitat and needs of an endangered species and how they can be protected.

I was researching on endangered species and came across this list of animals that are considered endangered at the WWF site -> https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/directory?direction=desc&sort=extinction_status

One of the critically endangered species is the Sumatran Orang Utan. The Sumatran orangutan was distributed over the entire island of Sumatra and further south into Java. The species' range is now restricted to the north of the island with a majority in the provinces of North Sumatra and Aceh. Of the nine existing populations of Sumatran orangutans, only seven have prospects of long-term viability, each with an estimated 250 or more individuals.

The Sumatran Orang Utan habitat in north Sumatra is being lost at an extremely high rate, mainly due to fire and conversion of forests to oil palm plantations and other agricultural development. This species depends on high-quality forests. Widespread forest fires, many set deliberately to clear land for plantations, are becoming a regular disaster. Not only do fires destroy vast areas of orangutan habitat, but thousands of these slow-moving apes are thought to have burned to death, unable to escape the flames.

Sunda tigers are distinguished by heavy black stripes on their orange coats are critically endangered. The last of the Sunda island tigers estimated to be fewer than 400 today are holding on for survival in the remaining patches of forest on the island of Sumatra.

The natural habitat for both the Sumatran Orang Utan and Sunda Tiger is the forest. Forests are being destroyed and degraded at alarming rates. Deforestation comes in many forms, including fires, clear-cutting for agriculture, ranching and development, unsustainable logging for timber, and degradation due to climate change.

In order to protect the critically endangered species like the Sumatran Orang Utan and the Sunda Tiger we should try to reduce deforestation by using less paper, try to plant a tree, recycle paper and cardboard, use recycled products and only buy sustainable wood products.

This is in line with our Scouts SDG of Life on Land as the forests provide a home for millions of species and give us all clean air and water. We should protect and restore life on land, we need to stop deforestation and preserve biodiversity.. https://sdgs.scout.org/life_on_land