RP186 Saving Animals, One Species at a Time

 RP186 Saving Animals, One Species at a Time

In the late 1960s, you could spot one if you crossed your fingers for luck and traveled deep into a swamp. By 1985, they were turning up in swimming pools. The American alligator is one remarkable success story of the American Endangered Species Act, but there are many more.

The Endangered Species Act was passed to protect animals whose populations were dangerously low. It created a list of animals that needed to be protected. The act helped stop or regulate hunting of these animals. It also protected their environments. It has probably saved more than 100 types of animals so far. The American alligator is one. The bald eagle, the symbol of the United States, is another.

The number of bald eagles dwindled to only 417 nesting pairs in 1963 because humans were hunting them and taking over places they live. The biggest problem, however, was a pesticide called DDT, which affected bald eagles' eggs. DDT was banned in 1973, and bald eagle populations grew steadily after that. Not only are bald eagles a symbol of America, but they are now also "a symbol of environmental stewardship," says Michael Daulton of the Audubon Society.

The Endangered Species Act has saved wolves, fish, insects, and types of almost every creature that walks, flies, or slithers across North America. The population of the Virginia big-eared bat grew by nearly 10 times in the 20 years since it was listed as endangered— another great success. Treaties like CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) try to do the same. With proper attention and enforcement, animals like the pangolin and Formosan black bears can become environmental success stories too.