What Is Endangered Species Day And When Is It Celebrated?

Sadly, the list of endangered species is constantly growing. More and more species risk becoming endangered. If this continues, the entire species will become extinct.

Among the species on the endangered list are giant pandas, blue whales, tigers, Asian elephants, orangutans, and snow leopards.

What Is Endangered Species Day And When Is It Celebrated?

To raise awareness, a day has been dedicated to endangered species across the world. This is known as Endangered Species Day. 

What is this day? What events occur? When is endangered species day? Continue reading to find out all of this information

What Is Endangered Species Day?

As suggested by the name, endangered species day is a date dedicated to remembering endangered species. During this day, people aim to learn about these endangered species and how conservation can save them.

Plus, people will use this day as an opportunity to take action, allowing them to preserve these species.

What Happens On Endangered Species Day?

There are lots of different activities for you to get involved in when it comes to endangered species day. Places such as zoos, animal refuges, and aquariums will host special events dedicated to improving awareness.

Meanwhile, educational sites, like museums, schools, universities, and libraries may also offer events. You can also go to some nonprofit organizations if you wish to get involved in this annual event. 

Just make sure that you research what is available in your local area. This is because not every one of these establishments will hold events commemorating endangered species day.

What Is The History Of Endangered Species Day?

The first endangered species day was held in 2006. It was founded by David Robinson, who was a member of the Endangered Species Coalition.

Despite this, laws to protect endangered creatures have existed for a long time before 2006. The first Endangered Species Act was passed in the United States in 1973.

This act is designed to protect species that are at high risk of becoming extinct.

When Is Endangered Species Day?

This is an annual event that occurs on the third Friday of May every year. For instance, in 2022, this day occurred on the 20th of May. 

If you are interested in celebrating this day, you should mark the event in your calendar. Though the date will change each year, you should remember that it will always happen on the third Friday in May.

How Can You Get Involved In Endangered Species Day?

Aside from going to an event on this day, there are loads of other ways in which you can raise awareness. 

Use Social Media

One way of doing this is through social media. Whether you have Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter, you can utilize any form of social media to increase knowledge of endangered species day.

For example, you can share facts and figures relating to the endangered species list. Moreover, you can post pictures of animals that are at serious risk.

You could even change your profile picture or cover photo to an image of one of these poor animals.

Another option is to donate money to charities dedicated to wildlife conservation. This does not need to be a large figure of money. Just give what you can!

You can either opt for a charity that focuses on specific endangered species or one that has a more general approach.

A brilliant non-profit organization that you can donate to is Defenders of Wildlife. This charity, which has been around since 1947, aims to conserve endangered animals and plants.

If you wish to pick a more specific charity, you might want to select Gorilla Doctors. As you can imagine, this organization is dedicated to preserving gorillas.

They do this through the administration of medicines to eastern lowland and mountain gorillas.

Join The NWF

Join The NWF

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has more than six million members. Founded in 1936, this is one of the biggest conservation organizations in the world.

To become a member, you simply need to donate money. You can donate different amounts of money. You can also choose whether you wish to make a one-off donation or a monthly one.

This money will go to improving the lives of innocent animals. Plus, there are lots of perks to becoming an NWF member. 

Become Environmentally Friendly

By protecting the environment, you can save endangered animals. This is because these species rely on their habitat. If their environment becomes polluted, these animals could die.

Therefore, you should recycle and start using sustainable products. Moreover, reduce the amount of waste that you create.

What Species Are Endangered?

Though we listed some endangered species previously, there are lots of different species that we did not mention.

Unfortunately, his list is constantly increasing, so it is difficult to hold an accurate account of all the endangered species.

Among some of the most endangered species are:

  • African Wild Dog
  • Arctic Fox
  • Black Rhino
  • Blue Whale
  • Chimpanzee
  • Giant Panda
  • Giant Tortoise
  • Green Turtle
  • Indian Elephant
  • Mountain Gorilla
  • Narwhal
  • Orangutan
  • Polar Bear
  • Snow Leopard
  • Tiger
  • Whale

This list is far from complete, highlighting just how many species are in danger of becoming extinct.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is It Important To Protect Endangered Animals?

Endangered animals must be protected because otherwise, they will become extinct. Once a species becomes extinct, this cannot be reversed. Never again will a member of this species be born.

How Can Endangered Species Be Protected?

A wide variety of strategies are used to protect endangered species and prevent their extinction. One way of doing this is via conservation.

This means protecting an animal’s habitat so that they are safe. Creatures can also be protected by zoos and aquariums, which recover these endangered animals.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this guide has made you informed about endangered species day. We think it’s a brilliant idea to recognize the poor species that risk becoming endangered unless an effort is made to conserve them.

Of course, this is not the only day of the year that you can alert people about the plight of endangered animals. You can get involved in this all year round!

Mindy Russel
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