Wildlife Extinction

Extinction is a hard word for most urban and suburban poeple to grasp, especially the ones who never experienced nature. Most of them live where the laws of humans come first, and nature, to them, is a walk in the back yard. In the past, natural events would be a big cause of some species extinction. Today, the biggest reason for so many species threatened with extinction is encroachment on their natural habitat by humans. Most people, sadly, have no care about animals or plants surviving. They fail to see the bigger picture. Life, including theirs, is a circle where everything has an affect on everyone. It could be minor, or it could be disastrous. As for a state like Texas, we have about 635 species of birds, more than any other state in the union. Also, a huge number of insects (over 32,000) live in Texas. We are second in the nation on conservation, but we are also fourth on the list for extinct species. That goes along with the saying, "The more you have, the more you have to lose!".  If you ask a Texan to name a few animals or "critters' that are only native to Texas, most will immediately say the "horny toad", or horned lizard. They may say prairie chicken, or even mention the bullfrog. All of which are on the endangered species list. These are a few that we have grown up with, and are now disappearing. Each state has it's own unique list. Texas has peregrine falcons, bald eagles, and whooping cranes, all of which almost everyone knows about. All are on the endangered species list, also. The closest many people ever get to these species is looking at them through a window at the zoo. That is not nearly the same as watching them outdoors in their own environment. When you tell most people that an animal is endangered, they usually say, "Oh, that's too bad", which roughly translated usually means, "I don't really care". Some people actually believe that we are better off without wildlife. How stupid!
For many the question will be; "What can I do about it?" Well, for starters, you can speak up when someone wants to destroy 10 acres or whatever amount, to put in a new store and parking lot, just because it's a "good location" for them. You can donate to proven animal groups or federations, who's sole job is to save them. You can donate your time as available to help groups who take care of injured animals. You can make your children aware that some of the animals they see on TV may not be around any more. It only takes one of your children, who gets a spark of interest, to grow up and change the outcome of a species. There are many things you can do that really don't require much from you. The one thing I hope you will not do is say, "Oh, that's too bad!".