World Wildlife Day

An animal is only listed as critically endangered if the International Union for Conservation of Nature believes the animal faces a very high risk of extinction - extinction is like the way of the dinosaurs and dodo. So what do critically endangered species look like? Current estimates put the number of black rhinos alive at around 2,500 worldwide. Russia's Amur Leopard, found in the deep east of the country, is on the verge of extinction, with only about 40 left in the world.

To raise awareness about endangered species and what we can all do, the United Nations is celebrating World Wildlife Day on March 3^rd.

Why World Wildlife is important

1. It keeps our food chain under control

To put it very simply, if something were to die, it would take our food chain far beyond the rubble. In an ecosystem, if any link in the food chain is broken, it will affect that ecosystem. Without wolves, elk and deer are not afraid, and stay in one place longer, eating plants from their roots. This kills the trees, causes further ripples, and so on it drifts away. And this is just a specific scenario of what could happen.

2. It could be our fault

Though there are some reasons over humanity's control that cause a species to die, in many cases today it's due to human activity. However, the good news is that if we cause it that means we can afford to fix it. Illegal hunting, overfishing, and deforestation are all culprits, but none of these are beyond our control. By celebrating World Wildlife Day, we can send a message to human about ignored activities.

3. We all share the same planet

Ensuring Earth remains an evolving, living and breathing planet means taking care of everything in it. Overfishing can lead to catastrophic economic problems for coastal communities that depend on trade. The loss of a species can lead to changes in the local environment, which can directly affect the people living there. Wildlife conservation plays an important part in creating a sustainable world.

History of World Wildlife Day

The United Nations General Assembly made a decision of choosing March 3^rd every year as World Wildlife Day with aims to spread and encourage wildlife protection all over the world on 20 December 2013 or its 68th session. World Wildlife Day honors the sign of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) which plays an important role in ensuring that international trade does not affect the survival of species.

Kingdom of Thailand, Host of CITES CoP16, sponsors Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Resolution which communicated the results of CITES CoP16 to the United Nations General Assembly.

The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in collaboration with other relevant United Nations organizations, has facilitated the implementation of World Wildlife Day.

With a size of 183 member countries, CITES is proud to lead the most powerful tool for biodiversity conservation through regulation of wildlife trade in the world.

How to celebrate World Wildlife Day

1. Share some amazing facts

One of the best ways to get your friends' attention and at the same time spread the message - especially with animals - is to share an interesting fact. It could be on social media or it could be around the office water cooler. By any way, World Wildlife Day is a great opportunity to discuss some issues about a number of endangered animals and spark conservation together.

2. Throw the Planet Earth party

There is no one who vehemently say no to watch the BBC's groundbreaking Planet Earth TV series. Now, with two seasons available to stream, use World Wildlife Day as a time to revisit this amazing series or recommend the series to those who unfortunately missed it the first time.

3. Join

People around the world would like to come together on World Wildlife Day, March 3^rd, to discuss the biggest threats to wildlife in the world, including habitat change, overexploitation and illegal tracking. Governments, nature park leaders, citizens and legislators will all host awareness-raising events, so find one near you and get to work.