Words by Cheyanne Bryan
The bounce back of the UK’s beaver population to seeing sea otters swim again are success stories worth celebrating. Due to a variety of reasons, animals have sadly been falling off the endangered list and into extinction. We want to bring awareness to the heroic work of conservationists to make sure we are not losing the planet’s species.
Here are some animals that have no longer been classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Historically hunted for their fur, meat and castoreum, Eurasian beavers have been missing from the British Isles for a long time, However efforts started in the early 2000s saw conservationists reintroducing them back across the UK. Beavers hold a lot of ecological importance as they are known for being natural engineers which restores natural ecosystems and helps other species.
Many national charities have worked together to ensure the successful introduction of beavers into the UK such as the Wildlife Trust, the Beaver Trust and the RSPB. As of October 2022, beavers are now legally protected animals in England.
Known around the world as China’s national animal, the giant panda is one of the rarest bear species in the world - according to WWF. However, since 2021 (or 2016, according to IUCN), pandas are no longer classified as an endangered species.
National efforts from China and international organisations around the world have reduced the rate of pandas going extinct. Massive efforts have been made to protect their natural habitats, introduced breeding programmes and rule against the illegal poaching of the animal’s fur. You may come across videos of popular conservation pandas on social media and you can see what the clumsy creatures get up to.
Showing significant recovery of numbers in recent years, the humpback whale now has 40,000 living in and around Australia's waters. To stop the animal going extinct, legal protection has been put in place, including monitoring to establish additional safety requirements the aquatic animal may need, and increased protection of their habitat.
This bird is part of a widespread species found all over the world - except Antarctica. While they are known for their adaptability to various habitats, including coastal cliffs, mountains, and even urban areas, they fall prey to synthetic pesticides. The use of these pesticides, which were investigated by the birds through contaminated water ways, and fish, led to a significant drop in their population.
Cross-country work is still in action to continually care for the wellbeing of this species, and the pesticide that has affected their population drastically has been discontinued in the US.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Sharks Trust. This is a UK charity that is working to safeguard the future of sharks, skates and rays found in the British coast and internationally. Learn more here.
The WildLife Trusts. This is a charity body composed of 46 regional wildlife trusts. Together they work to look after nature reserves and protect wildlife across the UK. Find out more here.
WWF. This charity is the world’s leading wildlife conservation organisation. To ensure the survival of the environment and living things, WWF partners with many groups to meet this goal. Support them here.
This article aligns with the UN SDG Life Below Water, Life On Land.
