April 22 of every year is the International Mother Earth Day, a day set aside for civic action and participation in protecting our environment and preserving planet earth. This day reminds us of critical action we need to take to protect our environment. Earth Day informs us about what we have and what we are losing by the impacts our activities have on planet earth. Earth Day is important in that it keeps man in constant check of how he has been diligent in safeguarding what nature has bestowed on mankind – all the creatures and the planet we live on.
This year’s Earth Day theme, ‘Protect our species’, is a clarion call to man to protect threatened and endangered species. In the complex web of life, and by virtue of the way the cosmic Host has designed His creatures, all living things have intrinsic value with each playing specialised role. These threatened and endangered species include, but not limited to bees, whales, giraffes, insects, coral reefs and elephants. Human-driven activities are chiefly responsible for the rapid reduction and subsequent extinction of wildlife populations. Some of these species of animals become extinct as a result of habitat loss, pollution, poaching, deforestation and climate change.
About five years ago, it was estimated globally that 41 per cent of amphibians are facing extinction; 22 per cent of flowering plants are at extinction risk and about 13 per cent of all birds are disappearing from the planet. These staggering figures of mass extinction are alarming because, in the long run, we depend on nature for survival, so mankind is also at risk as nature depreciates or reduces. In reality, it is the world’s poorest people whose livelihood depends on nature that are mostly affected when nature is damaged.
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), last year, said the country’s wildlife was under threat. The foundation revealed that 148 animals and 146 plant species found in Nigeria were threatened, with some species near extinction.
Some of these endangered species have, however, received succor at zoological gardens that act as their safe haven. Although not all animal species confined to the zoos are endangered, some are being prepared for release into their natural habitats. Zoos help greatly in the protection of species facing extinction. Scientists have also said another way to protect endangered species is to create protective reserves where they can breed naturally. To this end, in the past and till date, these animal parks have helped thwart the extinction of threatened species. Gone is the era where animal parks were created for entertainment only.
We must radically change our relationship with nature in order to stem the rot of mass extinction. The best way to save endangered and threatened species is to protect the special places where they live. This way, we offer ourselves an unending protection, not only for our environment, but also for planet earth. The earth will then be a livable place for others when we leave. Let me close with this Native American proverb, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
Kayode Ojewale ,
kayodeojewale@gmail.com.
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