index > Today's Earth, Our Future > 3. All living things are our friends > What Can We Do to Protect Wildlife from Extinction?

What Can We Do to Protect Wildlife from Extinction?

There is a book with a lot of information about endangered wildlife species called the "Red Data Book." Like a red traffic signal or a red card in soccer, the word "red" means "Watch out!" or "If you don't pay attention, you're doomed!"

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources publishes the Red Data Books about endangered wildlife species on a global scale. Some countries also publish their own Red Data Books.

Japan has also been publishing their own Red Data Books since 1991. Some prefectural and city governments research local wildlife to publish their own Red Data Books, too. Why don't you check what kind of wildlife is endangered in your part of the world?

In all parts of the world, various kinds of plants or animals have become endangered, or will become endangered if no action is taken.

For example, Japanese rice fish has become one of the threatened species even though in the olden days it could be found all over the country. Why do you think it has now become endangered? What should we do to rescue it from the danger of becoming extinct?

In order to protect wildlife species from extinction, it's necessary to keep those living things and their habitats (places where they live) safe. At the same time, we need to make an effort to increase the living things which have been becoming less in number.

In such places as botanical gardens, zoos and laboratories, studies and experiments are made to artificially increase the number of animals or plants. The latest biotechnology and cloning techniques are sometimes used in the process.

There are also many people who are trying hard to continue their own preservation activities with the passionate drive to devote themselves to saving wildlife, even if they have to do it alone.

Have you ever seen a white and fluffy cotton flower? Our clothes and towels are made from this cotton.

A long time ago, in many countries, people used to grow all the cotton they needed. In Japan, over 60 years ago, about 200 varieties of Japanese cotton seeds were kept preserved at an agricultural experiment station. But unfortunately, since it became cheaper to import cotton than to buy cotton that grew locally, these preserved seeds were thrown out.

Nearly 20 years ago, Mr. Takeshi Tahata--a man who runs a Japanese cotton farm in Kamogawa of Chiba Prefecture--learned that Japanese cotton was in danger of becoming extinct because no one in Japan grew it anymore.

So then he started to grow Japanese cotton in his own farm and created a network to preserve Japanese cotton seeds. Now to increase the number of native cotton seeds, he grows about 40 kinds of Japanese cotton all over Japan.

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