Being passionate about wildlife and the environment, I understandably had to tune in to the BBC's 'Saving Planet Earth' which has been aired at 7pm each evening the last two weeks. I'm naturally glad to see the media concentrating on this subject, following on from the previous programme 'Extinct'.
The earth is being destroyed at an alarming rate by us, the humans, and the animals don't seem to have a chance (unless you happen to be an ant)! There are a huge amount of species currently endangered and to see these disappear from our planet would be devastating. Due to large areas of rain forests being cut down, global warming, methods of fishing and humans moving onto land where animals have lived for thousands of years, bit by bit, their numbers are diminishing. For example, Nick Knowles reported about the oran-utang tonight, and these near human beauties will be extinct in ten years time if the destruction of their habitat continues. They are disappearing at at unbelievable rate of 5,000 per year and their numbers have diminished by 50% in the last decade. Orang-utans have lost about 80% of their habitat in the last 20 years. Each one needs the equivalent of about ten football pitches of rainforest to live but every minute, the equivalent of three football pitches is being destroyed.
There are hundreds of orphaned oran-utangs being cared for in sanctuaries in Borneo. However, these are the ones that are found. Many more babies just perish without their mothers. It's incredibly sad.The oran-utang is only one species in trouble; there are hundreds more. Amongst others desperately needing help are the mountain gorilla, tiger, siamese crocodile, Indian rhinoceros, albatross, turtle, elephant, Ethiopian wolf, polar bear, and panda.
Of course, it's all about money and human survival. Huge areas are being destroyed in order to plant palm trees from which palm oil is produced and sold. Whilst I understand people have to do all they can to live and feed their children etc, the world's governments and organisations have to quickly come to effective compromises in order to save endangered species.
Just look at these pictures. Exquisite creatures on the brink of extinction. It's all so unfair - what did they ever do except try to live their lives? I get so emotional about it all, I'm often found sobbing my eyes out. I don't know why I'm like that; I guess I was born with that love in my heart.
As it stands tonight, the BBC programme has helped to raise over £1m which is brilliant but the animals need more. The ironic thing is, it's humans which are killing them but it's only humans which can save them.
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