May 15th marked the 10th anniversary of Endangered Species Day, which kicked off awareness events across the country. More than 200 zoos participated by restricting access to some of their endangered species, with the aim of giving visitors a glimpse of a world where such animals no longer existence.
In Akron, the large window through which visitors could gaze at Sumatran tigers was shrouded, with only a few holes to allow limited access of these endangered animals.
David Barnhardt, director of marketing and guest services at the Akron Zoo, said the zoo has used the event to launch SAFE (Saving Animals from Extinction), a program for raising awareness of the efforts to save animals, sponsored by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
"Through SAFE we will pull all of these resources we have available to us and develop action plans, raise awareness and engage the public to help these endangered species" Barnhardt says.
In Dallas, the African penguins were kept off-limits and only those pledging to adhere to conservation efforts, such as eating sustainable seafood and conserving energy, were allowed entry.
"There's a balance in nature and it's very evident that that balance is becoming imbalanced, it's shifting," Wild Earth Academy Senior Director and Dean, Ben Jones says. "We have to do our part to use the resources that we have, but not use them up." The Wild Earth Academy is the Dallas Zoo's conservation education initiative that began in February of this year.
According to the Endangered Species Coalition, Endangered Species Day is an opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species and everyday actions they can take to help protect them. The Coalition sponsors events across the country and even provides toolkits for those wanting to sponsor their own awareness festivals.
They also produce the report, "Vanishing: Ten American Species Our Children May Never See," which catalogs the top ten most endangered species at the time of reporting. The 2014 report included such species as the Mountain yellow-legged frog, of which more than 95% have now vanished from southern Sierra Nevada and California. Another California resident - one that lives off its coast - is the great white shark, whose numbers have dwindled to fewer than 350 in the regions off California and Mexico.
The list also includes the little brown bat, the rusty patched bumblebee, the Monarch butterfly, and the polar bear. So get out and participate in an event near you. The ESC's website can point you in the right direction (www.endangered.org).
