Why are we protecting Endangered Species?

Question

There is a huge push for the protection of endangered species, and this is something I truly do not understand.

Nature has always had it's own way of deciding when a species time was up, as ours will be one day as well, and that way is called extinction. Although there are some truly magnificent and beautiful creatures on this planet in danger of becoming extinct, why are we trying to stop it from happening? Who are we to decide if a species is going to hang on by a thread or come back because we want it to?

Even though it was a more science fiction approach, when Michael Crichton wrote "Jurassic Park" he had the right idea. We as humans are not meant to change what nature intends to do, and it is extremely selfish of us to believe we have the "right" to do so. We have not been on this planet that long in terms of it's and other species existence. And I personally believe that although it would mean the end to some species that we let nature to do what it intends to do.

Answer 1

it is humans who are killing them so it soiuld be humans who protect them. Elphants are killed by humans for tusks. Lions for fur. Whales for meat. Habitats destroyed. If you have done something wrong you should take responsbilty it is the same for us killing animals. If it was a natural way of death then we shouldn't step in but because it is humans doing the damaging we should step.

Answer 2

I am also going to go with the manmade approach, because it is totally true. However, i disagree with your saying that its one species killing another out of neccessity and is natural.

Statistically, most wild animals killed are not done so for hunting (which is natural) but are done so as a result of deforestation and pollution. Eg. Polar bears are almost extinct because of the melting ice caused by global warming. How is that killing out of neccessity?

Answer 3

Our future generations deserve to be able to see all the animals they can, and to learn to respect them and this planet, yes it is humans fault for this and we owe it to the animals to try and fix it.

Answer 4

Apparently the "endangered species have intrinsic worth" doesn't work as an argument for you. I shall take a different tact in saying that many of our pharmaceuticals are derived from nature, i.e. rainforest trees. Killing off endangered species or biomes is limiting our pool of potential medicines.

Answer 5

i think we are because for a lot of these species its not mother natures fault, but us, horrific monsterous people. We are leading tons of species to extinction, with our carelessness. Now we are(at least some of us) taking responsibility, and are trying to save some of the species.

Answer 6

we are trying to protect them as they are Endangered by man not nature..... man is ruining habitats and polluting waters that these animals live in!!! its not natures call saying your time is up is US HUMANS killing these fantastic animals

YES it is possible but as a race... the HUMAN RACE we are also killing ourselves..... and knowingly doing so! people STILL smoke even though they know it kills them and others! they STILL take drug's people go about mindlessly murdering eachother i could go on but that list is near endless as to what we do to ourselves!! WE are also killing the planet BY cutting down the Forrest's polluting the waters by our use of petrol ect causing global warming!!

its not Nature its us!! and humans been stupid we are killing ourselves

Answer 7

Because, like you said, nature decides when it's an animals time.  But, in today's society, natureh asn't been deciding it. We have.  Most of these animals WOULDN'T be endangered if WE didn't go and kill them.

Answer 8

The reason why some species are on the verge of extinction is man. It is not nature which is playing its role. Why is global warming occuring? It will be the driving force which will make mankind extinct. If u save the grass u will save the deer and if u save the deer u will save the tiger and ultimately mankind.

Answer 9

It's all about the food chain.  Take one link out of that chain and the whole system could crash.

If we don't save endangered tigers, there could be an over population of the animals that they hunt, then those animals could eat more and more resources.

Also, it's different when humans are the cause of an animal's extinction, that isn't natural.

Answer 10

You are correct that nature is the one who determines if a species will be wiped out. But i agree with what most are saying, WE are responsible for the extinction of some creatures here in the planet, and putting the lives of diff. species is not a way of nature, but ours. Creatures that lived millions of years ago kill  because of necessity, and somehow we humans are the same. But the point is, we should have our initiative, clean-up the mess we brought to endangered species, because i know most animals are endangered because of us...

You said that we as humans are not meant to change what nature intends to do, and it is extremely selfish of us to believe we have the "right" to do so, but we've already changed that thing since we existed, we disrupted the way nature deals with these creatures. WE humans are trying to correct our mistakes...Animals are not as intelligent as we are, and i think we are given this "intelligence" because we can do what these animals can't do to change what we humans have done...

Answer 11

if you have a stagnation in the world it is likely that many, perhaps most, species will become extinct including man.

the point is that we are the only species that can manage the earth and keep change happening, and that is what will keep the earth alive. we are clever enough to learn from our mistakes and pass it on to the next generation to continue the work of conserving the only world we know.

since we really don't know the impact of losing species completely, why not save a few and try to understand better. it's a huge learning curve and a single lifetime of 70-80 years is simply not long enough to know much at all.

nature is not some separate entity working in parallel. we are all a part of nature and we need to work together like a well oiled machine.  (in my opinion anyway)

Answer 12

I agree with what most of the others have said. The current mass extinction is not natural, it's man-made, and threatens the health and stability of many different ecosystems around the world. The problem with your view that we are nature's way of telling some species that their time on earth is up, is that by damaging and simplifying ecosystems as much as we have done and are continuing to do (most extinctions are occurring not due to overhunting but habitat loss), we are destroying natural systems that sustain ourselves as well. For example, honeybees are the primary pollinators for numerous agricultural crops, and they are disappearing at tremendous rates around the world for reasons that are almost entirely a mystery. Other plants, animals, and ecosystems do things like clean our water and air, dispose of our wastes, and grow our food. can these things be mechanized? Sure. Many of them have. But rarely as cheaply (free, in fact), efficiently, and cleanly as nature does them.

If you take the view that we're just nature's instrument, then you must also accept that in truth, this man-made mass extinction may not only be nature's way of getting rid of many other species, but also of humanity.

When it's our own survival that's threatened, it's a lot harder to sit back and say that nature should be allowed to take its course, and since we have a poor understanding of which species in each ecosystem will be the straw that breaks the camel's back (there is some evidence that the so-called "keystone species" changes depending on circumstances), it behooves us to save as many as possible. Especially since it can be as easy as planting a few extra trees in your backyard (and encouraging your neighbors to do the same): http://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Nature-Ho...

Answer 13

Actually WE are the reason for Endangered Species extinction...so its us who should make all efforts to protect them....

Answer 14

we do because we care for their race ... if they extinct... other generations will not be able to see them.....

Answer 15

the reasons that animals are dying out, are man made reasons.  this like poaching and environmental factors are killing animals.  its not just happening on it own.  people are doing it.

Answer 16

Never in the known history of this planet has mass extinctions or mass depletions been caused by one species.  Right now we are probably going through a mass extinction caused by humans.  We are just trying to fix our own mistakes.  It is not man's right to decide which species die and which survive, so we are trying to save the endangered species that we ourselves endangered.  Think about it, it takes tens of thousands of years to refill niches after natural mass extinctions, but this one is caused by humans.

Answer 17

We are protectiong them because if they will extict then the food chain will break and there would be a big mess all over?>.....

Answer 18

We are mainly the cause.  Poaching and hunting for food sometimes get out of hand (for survival or greed).  This extinction isn't all about nature's hand.  We are nearly trying to protect these species from poachers and overhunting because we care about them. Some actually do care about other life to the point of protecting them from hunters.  Not everyone cares about animal life as these protectors, but those who do want to help them.  Someone who understands shouldn't blame them for that.  

Yes- natural selection plays the universal role of Earthlings, but if we interfere, we should have the right to try and stop ourselves from "doing nature's job".