Manatee - wild spotlight

Manatees are sometimes called sea cows, and their languid pace lends merit to the comparison. However, despite their massive bulk, they are graceful swimmers in coastal waters and rivers. Powering themselves with their strong tails, manatees typically glide along at 5 miles (8 kilometers) an hour but can swim 15 miles (24 kilometers) an hour in short bursts.

Manatees are usually seen alone, in pairs, or in small groups of a half dozen or fewer animals. From above the water's surface, the animal's nose and nostrils are often the only thing visible. Manatees never leave the water but, like all marine mammals, they must breathe air at the surface. A resting manatee can remain submerged for up to 15 minutes, but while swimming, it must surface every three or four minutes.

There are three species of manatee, distinguished primarily by where they live. One manatee population ranges along the North American east coast from Florida to Brazil. Other species inhabit the Amazon River and the west coast and rivers of Africa.

Manatees are born underwater. Mothers must help their calves to the surface so that they can take their first breath, but the infants can typically swim on their own only an hour later.
Manatee calves drink their mothers' milk, but adults are voracious grazers. They eat water grasses, weeds, and algae—and lots of them. A manatee can eat a tenth of its own massive weight in just 24 hours.

Manatees are large, slow-moving animals that frequent coastal waters and rivers. These attributes make them vulnerable to hunters seeking their hides, oil, and bones. Manatee numbers declined throughout the last century, mostly because of hunting pressure. Today, manatees are endangered. Though protected by laws, they still face threats. The gentle beasts are often accidentally hit by motorboats in ever more crowded waters, and sometimes become entangled in fishing nets.

West Indian manatees are large, gray aquatic mammals with bodies that taper to a flat, paddle-shaped tail. They have two forelimbs, called flippers, with three to four nails on each flipper. Their head and face are wrinkled with whiskers on the snout. The manatee's closest relatives are the elephant and the hyrax (a small, gopher-sized mammal). Manatees are believed to have evolved from a wading, plant-eating animal. The West Indian manatee is related to the West African manatee, the Amazonian manatee, the dugong, and Steller's sea cow, which was hunted to extinction in 1768. The average adult manatee is about 10 feet long and weighs between 800 and 1,200 pounds.

THREATS

The greatest threat to the West Indian manatee in Florida is collisions with watercraft such as boats and jet skis which happen frequently in the densely populated coastal regions and accounts for 35% of known causes of death. The disturbance caused by water activities may also be disrupting the behaviour of manatees which in turn may be detrimental to their health or survival. In addition to boat strikes, manatees can also be come trapped and crushed in water control devices such as flood control structures or caught in fishing equipment.  Loss and destruction of the warm water habitats in which the Florida manatee aggregates is also cause for concern for a species so vulnerable to cold water mortality. Declines in warm water habitats and water quality are directly linked to the increasing human population.

The threats to the Antillean manatee are the same as those faced by the Florida manatee with the additional threat of hunting, which occurs less frequently than in the past but is still considered as a significant threat in some central American countries. Pollution of coastal areas is also frequently reported and presents a threat to the quality of habitat in which the West Indian Manatee is found.

Endangered Animals and Their Conservation

Endangered animals are those animals which may soon no longer exist because of being put in such an unfavorable situation where they can be harmed or damaged. The most common endangered animals in the world are dugongs, blue whales, tigers, great white sharks, cuvior's beaked whales, giant pandas, tigers, jaguars, one-horned rhinos and David deer. Similarly the endangered plants are Venus's flytrap, silverswords, redwoods, knowlton cacti, Japanese sago palms and New Zealand brush lilies.

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A nocturnal lemur species endemic to Madagascar, the Hairy-eared Dwarf Lemur (Allocebus trichotis) was last assessed in 2008 as Data Deficient. With new information available, it has been reassessed this year as Vulnerable. This species is thought to be rare throughout its moist forest habitat, with no more than a few dozen reported sightings in total. It is usually spotted in tangles of brush or lianas and nests in groups in holes of large trees. This lemur has undergone a population reduction of over 30% in the past three generations (15 years) and this is suspected to continue in the future, as a result of hunting and habitat loss due to slash and burn agriculture. Photo © Nick Garbutt

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Animals have become endangered because of population growth. To meet the growing needs like food and shelter people cut down trees- the habitat of animals. The growing population demands for natural resources. This demand leads to many effect including deforestation; habitat loss; air, land and water pollution and extermination of species. Similarly poaching of animals for meat, fur, ivory and medicine is also helping to reduce animal numbers. Likewise pollution is another cause for the reduction.

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March’s Palm Pit Viper (Bothriechis marchi) is found in the rainforests of Honduras. It is associated with streams, and frogs form an important part of the species' diet. Regularly observed in the 1980s, this species has undergone sharp declines as a result of numerous threats. Collapses in populations of its amphibian prey are negatively affecting this viper. Additionally, the pet trade (with hundreds of individuals exported out of Honduras annually), timber extraction and agricultural expansion threaten this species. It is assessed for the first time as Endangered due to its restricted distribution and ongoing declines in the population size and habitat. Photo © Dr. Silviu Petrovan

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Conservation means using the natural resource in such a way that they never lose their natural quality. It helps to slow down or reverse people's trends of misusing resources. Conservation ensures the survival of life in all its forms and variety and make certain that natural resources continue for the benefit of future generations.

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Endemic to Ecuador, the Lilacine Amazon (Amazona lilacina) occurs in mangroves and dry tropical forest widely but sparsely spread across the Pacific slope. This habitat is becoming increasingly rare and fragmented due to urban expansion and aquaculture development for shrimp farming, leaving the species in small and isolated subpopulations. Habitat degradation, caused by timber and fuelwood harvesting, and trapping of individuals for the local pet trade also threaten this species. Assessed for the first time this year, this newly described species enters the Red List as Endangered. Photo © Steve Wilson

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The establishment of national parks, reserves, sanctuaries is a very effective method of conserving natural areas and their wildlife. Effective laws against poaching should be brought into practice. Breeding program should be regulated. Moreover people should be educated and made conscious about the ecosystem- the inter relationship of the different animals and plants including humans. In conclusion no one has right to exploit nature and the natural resources because they not only belong to us but also to every living being as well as to the future generation.

Wildlife Conservation

Ecological disturbance is disastrous for animal and plant life. There are more problems owing to deforestation and global warming that is severely affecting species. Evolution is another feature in all living beings. There are changes in the physical characteristics, habitat and adaptability in animals that is also promoting migration in animal life. The percentage of endangered species each year is increasing and there are efforts by several organizations to save them from extinction.

Photo © Shravan Singh

Fur is being banned in many countries. Fashion may be a vanity affair but celebrities too are vouching for saving animals. Poaching extinct species like chinkara, elephants and other jungle animals is a strict offense. Hunting of exotic animals is another fad which is illegal and there are stringent rules to check for such offense. The government in all countries is setting up huge expanse of lands as national parks and the management is exclusively looking for protecting wild animals.

Animals like the Bengal white tiger, the Golden toad, the Great Auk which was a type of penguin and the Caspian tiger is no more present. There are several species of the bovine and equine variety which is slowly reaching the state of being rare. Another problem is that of availability of water and vegetation that is the result of lumbering or human intervention. Donations and funding is also looked through charity shows and other celebrity show casing to finance wildlife conservation.

There are several subspecies that are getting endangered primarily because of weather fluctuations that is hampering their adaptability or threat to their habitat due to human invasion. Bird sanctuaries are also coming into government purview so that they are well taken care of. Natural cross breeding in case of camels and the double humped camel is another reason which has to be controlled as genetic hybridization hampers the original structure.

Awareness is getting wider with schools also including the need for wild life and plant conservation so that the ecological pollution caused by humans can be controlled. Respecting life is important to maintain the balance of all species in the world. There is a greater need to control hunting and use of fur. It is important to avoid cutting down of trees which is rapid to accommodate industrialization and human dwellings. Several animals are now seen in picture books under the heading of extinct varieties and this can be greatly controlled by human efforts.