Be an ally to animals: 6 ways you can protect wildlife in your surrounding
Any small action, if done collectively, can help restore the world to its natural balance. Here are a few ways you can make a difference in the lives of fellow wildlife creatures.
In the face of climate change, news on species loss and habitat destruction has become rampant. In this situation, one may find themselves overwhelmed and powerless to not have been able to improve things.
However, any small action, if done collectively, can help restore the world to its natural balance. And there are over seven billion people on Earth.
Here are a few ways you can make a difference in the lives of fellow wildlife creatures.
Buy responsibly
Think before you buy. The best way to stop wildlife trafficking is by not purchasing products made from endangered animals or their body parts.
Choose energy-efficient, durable products made from sustainable sources and sustainably packaged. Avoid buying clothes and accessories that use fur or feathers and brands that test their products on animals or contain animal parts or derivatives.
Instead, you can spend on genuine efforts that keep wildlife in the wild such as ecotourism, photo safaris, or community-based humane education programmes.
Grow plants
Most people do not want wild animals to destroy their beautifully grown plants and flowers in the garden. However, the internet can teach you how to grow gardens that feed and protect bees, butterflies, birds, and other animals.
While you grow plants, it is equally important to keep your garden stocked with fresh water for birds and animals to quench their thirst in the summer heat or the freezing winter.
Pick up trash
Picking up trash not only protects the environment and keeps our surroundings beautiful, but it can also save wildlife. Small animals can easily get twined in plastic bags or get trapped in or injured by the litter, making them easy pickings for predators.
Moreover, trash pollutes Earth’s natural resources. Do your part by putting trash in the bin.
Volunteering
Volunteering is one of the simplest things to do to help sustain the wildlife. Set up a cause, choose an organisation that supports your mission, and work towards it.
These initiatives can include restoring native forests, grasslands, and coastal ecosystems or feeding and protecting animals. You can also participate in clean-up drives to help protect the habitats of imperilled species and other wildlife.
Visit
Visit a national wildlife refuge, park, or other open space and learn about the endangered species and other animals living there. Stay informed and support policies that protect these wild areas and native species.
When you visit your local accredited zoos and nature reserves, pay the recommended entry fee. In fact, ensure you donate to organisations that are preserving the habitats of wildlife species. Your donations help maintain these vital conservation areas.
Be aware and informed
The increasing human population pose a threat to natural resources and wildlife. Whether it’s for science, food, or greed, humans endanger animals, sometimes without considering the positive impact wildlife has on the posterity of our planet.
Stay informed about the threats. Know your impact on the ecosystem. Teach your friends and family about endangered species and other animals that live near you.
Edited by Suman Singh
