World Book Trivia Challenge Advanced-08/06-endangered Species

Protecting the rhinoceros. All species, especially the Javan, Sumatran, and black rhinoceroses, are nearly extinct. The growth and spread of the human population has destroyed much of the animal's habitat. Rhinoceroses are threatened by poachers—people who illegally hunt animals. Poachers kill rhinoceroses and sell their horns and skin. Many Asian people believe the powdered horn of the rhinoceros has healing qualities and can be used to cure lung and chest illnesses. Some people believe the horn has magical powers. Asian people also use the skin, blood, and urine of rhinoceroses to cure illnesses. For all these reasons, thousands of rhinoceroses have been needlessly killed.

Komodo, «kuh MOH doh», dragon is the largest living lizard. Komodo dragons have become endangered because people destroyed the lizards' habitat or overhunted their prey.

Snow leopard, sometimes called the ounce, is a large cat that lives high in the mountains of central Asia. A snow leopard has thick, pale gray fur that may show hints of tan. The fur is sprinkled with black spots. A snow leopard uses its long, fluffy tail to help maintain balance on steep, rocky slopes.

Effective wildlife conservation in the United States began in the late 1800's. Congress established Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park, in 1872.

Loss of habitat poses the greatest threat to the survival of wild species. Most animals and plants are specially adapted to live and reproduce in a specific environment or habitat and cannot survive when it is destroyed.

The IWC permits native peoples who have traditionally depended on whales for food to continue hunting whales. These peoples include the Inuit (sometimes called Eskimos) of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia. They eat whale blubber, meat, and skin. The commission regulates which whales these people may hunt and the hunting methods used. The IWC also permits the killing of whales for scientific research, a practice that has stirred controversy. In 1982, the IWC voted for a moratorium (temporary halt) on commercial whaling. The moratorium began with the 1985 and the 1986 hunting seasons.

Wildlife trade involves the capture of animals for pets, zoo specimens, and research subjects, and the killing of animals for their fur or other body parts. The capture of wild animals for commercial use has endangered many species. For example, the Spix's macaw, a parrot of Brazil, is nearly extinct in the wild because so many have been captured for private bird collectors. Many primates, including the orangutan, have become endangered by the illegal killing of the mothers to capture their babies for zoos and pet dealers. Gorillas, chimpanzees, and other primates are killed for their meat, which is sold in African markets.

Endangered plant: Green pitcher plant Sarracenia oreophila Alabama, Georgia Overcollection; habitat destruction

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is a treaty that aims to control trade in wild animals and plants, their parts, and products derived from them. Over 170 countries around the world have joined the treaty. . Nine countries became the first official parties to the treaty on July 1, 1975. They were Chile, Cyprus, Ecuador, Nigeria, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, the United States, and Uruguay.

Orangutans once lived throughout southern China and Southeast Asia. Today, they live on only two islands and are in danger of becoming extinct. The chief threats to orangutans include deforestation and hunting. Most hunting is of females to collect their babies for sale as pets. Laws protect the remaining orangutans and preserve their habitat. However, these laws are rarely enforced.