Protecting wildlife

📖 In short

Protecting wildlife means looking after wild animals and plants and the places they live, like forests, rivers, seas and deserts. Many living things are now in danger of dying out because of what people do.

🤩 Did you know?

The Sabi reserve in South Africa was set up in 1889, and today it's Kruger National Park.
Canada created its first national park in 1887.
Zoos sometimes help endangered animals breed and then return them to the wild.
The Arabian oryx returned to the wild after nearly dying out, thanks to efforts to protect it.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 What does extinction mean?

A species becomes extinct when its very last one dies, so it no longer exists at all. Many animals have died out, like the dodo, a bird that lived on the island of Mauritius.

🔍 Why are living things in danger?

People cut down forests and build towns where animals live, pollute the water and air, and hunt some animals too much, so their numbers drop until they almost vanish.

💡 Reserves and parks

Countries have set up nature reserves and national parks where animals live safely, and where hunting and cutting trees are banned. One of the most famous is Kruger Park in South Africa.

🎯 How can you help?

You can help with simple things: don't drop litter in nature, save water, plant a tree, don't harm animals and birds, and tell your friends why it matters to protect them.