List of endangered animals also include alligators because these animals were being used to attract tourists. They were treated like circus animals which led to the decline in their numbers. But this is just one of the causes for alligators being declared as endangered animals from the waters. There are other equally distressing causes.

For example, the skin of the alligator is used to make belts, bags, wallets, and shoes. They are sold at high prices because alligator skin is deemed to be a luxury raw material. It’s even more so now that the animal has been included as one of the endangered species of the world.

While all these commercialism was ongoing, not many considered the dire prospect of a dwindling population. That is, until the numbers started to become alarming.

More than 80 years ago, E.A. Mcllhenny who wrote the book The Alligator’s Life History made a landmark decision to bequeath coastal marshland in Louisiana to the wildlife agencies and the government. His only request was that the land be used to generate income for wild life. This shifted the tides for alligators because the right farming methods were developed to bring up the population of alligators and crocodiles.

Part of the land became home to the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge. It’s a part of the land that is perfect as a natural habitat for alligators because of its oil content. Alligator management began to form and ultimately become a significant contributor in sustaining and breeding alligators.

Somewhere along the way, the gears shifted and this farm became more known for commercial farming. Instead of capturing wild alligators, the farm opted to nest domestic alligators. It was more economical this way. Instead of a 10 year period, it took only 6 years for a commercially raised alligator to be ready for babies.

It’s still a skin trade with more than 13 alligator farms in the state of Louisiana alone. The current number of alligators in these farms number about 21,000. There are strict control measure for how many alligators can be used for the skin trade.

There are other alligator and crocodile farms that raise crocodiles for the sole purpose of releasing them to protected areas. These farms are oriented for non-commercial purposes but do have skin products as a means to sustain their operations. However, the prerequisites for using alligator skin is very stringent and well documented. Most farms like these prefer to known as alligator banks or rehabilitation projects.

The Galapagos Penguin isn’t like any other penguin on Earth.  It is actually the only penguin species to live to the north of the equator in the wild.  Every other species of penguin lives south of the equator because of the cooler temperatures.  The Galapagos Penguin relies on the coldness of the Humbolt Current to keep itself cool in the waters and the swiftness and coolness of the Cromwell Current to bring up its food closer to the surface.  Without either of those two currents the Galapagos Penguins could not exist.

This species of penguin is the smallest of all of them and only weigh about five pounds.  The male is in the bigger part of the five pounds with the females obviously smaller.  They only measure around 20 inches tall.  They are all black in color with their bellies being white.  However, because of their small stature, they are more likely to be prey for bigger animals.  In the water, they can be preyed upon by sharks, sea lions and seals.  While on land, they must be careful of other animals, such as snakes, crabs, hawks and owls.  Not only do they suffer from the hands of other animals, they suffer from human poaching and also lack of food being brought up through the currents.

These small penguins start building their nests between May and January and they build them close to the shore’s edge, but out of reach of other marine animals.  Since these penguins mate for life, the male stays with the female while the incubation period of the eggs takes place, which typically lasts thirty-eight to forty days, with only one to two eggs laid.  After the chicks are born, the parents take turns going and getting food and bringing it back to the nest for their little ones.   If there isn’t enough food for the chicks and the parents, often times the parents will abandon the nest for their own safety and nutrition.

There are currently nearly fifteen hundred Galapagos Penguins which puts them in the endangered status.  Scientists are studying these rare small penguins and are helping them become more populated over time so they don’t become extinct.

Since 1998, the New Zealand Sea Lion has been under grave threat as an endangered species of animals. Its population has dropped by more than 50%, and this has prompted a catch limit of 76. This refers to the fact that sea lions became part of the endangered species of animals because squid fishing uses methods that also trap the sea lions. Thus, they became known as the bycatch of squid fishing.

Last year, the conservation organizations submitted a request for the New Zealand authorities to adjust this bypass figure. They also want the figure to go down annually until there is no bypass number.

The fear is that the New Zealand sea lion is on the verge of becoming extinct. Currently, it has been given the highest level of endangerment, that of being nationally critical. For the first 6 months of 2010, the estimated sea lions that were killed because of squid fishing is about 40. That means 40 sea lions died needlessly from fishing nets. The figure for the last 6 months of 2010 has yet to be determined.

Conservationists have been able to estimate the total population of New Zealand sea lions to be about 9,800. If 70 to 80 are killed every year which includes baby sea lions, the population will soon reach less than a thousand in a few years. In fact, the number of sea lion pups have dramatically decreased.

Their concern is if fishing nets catch more female sea lions than males, the chances of baby sea lion pups increasing also fall dramatically. It’s more than just a simple case of adding or subtracting the numbers. For this reason, conservationists have described the situation as “heading at breakneck speed” to zero population.

Something must be done to change the way squid fishing is done. Modern technology should be able to find a safer fishing net to use, if not something other than the nets. Only the government of New Zealand can take the lead with this one so that fishermen don’t suffer an economic trauma, and the sea lions are kept safe.

A sanctuary has also been suggested that would keep squid fishermen away while allowing other kinds of fishing to continue. The people behind the conservation drive are pleading that for even just the critical time when squid fishing is in season, certain areas be designated as off limits.

This problem has been around for more than 10 years, and so it’s about the time to make an adjustment in the strategy to keep the decline from deteriorating even more.

Reference: Illustrated Encyclopedia of endangered animals.