Wildlife

Wildlife includes undomesticated animals and plants living in their natural homes.

These living things exist in all ecosystems on Earth. You can find them in deserts, plains, and thick forests. They also live in urban areas near people. Some animals, like feral cats or rats, have adapted to living in cities.

Most scientists say humans affect much of this wildlife. Even if animals seem untouched, human activity often changes their lives. This connection between people and nature is very deep.

Many things happen that change how wildlife lives. One way is through habitat destruction, which is the loss of an animal's home. People might clear forests for timber or drain wetlands to grow cities. This can break the land into small, patchy pieces. Another way is through overkill. This happens when hunting occurs faster than animals can reproduce. If animals cannot have babies fast enough, their numbers will drop.

Sometimes, new species are introduced to a place where they do not belong. These invasive species can then cause harm to the local environment.

Humans have interacted with wildlife for a very long time. Since humans moved out of Africa 130,000 to 70,000 years ago, they have used wild resources. In the past, people relied on wildlife for food to survive. Today, some people still hunt or fish for wildlife as a main food source. In other places, people hunt for sport or recreation. This history shows how much humans and wildlife have always been linked.

There are many important facts about the state of wildlife today. The annual international trade of wildlife is likely worth billions of dollars. This trade affects hundreds of millions of individual plants and animals.

Sadly, global wildlife populations have decreased by 68% since 1970. This drop is due to things like population growth and intensive farming. A 2019 report said about one million species face extinction within decades. Some studies show that 48% of 70,000 monitored animal species are seeing their numbers decline.

We see wildlife in our lives through many different paths. Many people watch educational shows about animals on television. Programs like Wild Kingdom or shows on the Discovery Channel are very popular. Some religions also view certain animals as sacred. For example, Native Americans may find great spiritual value in eagles. In Hinduism, the cow is regarded as sacred. These different connections show how wildlife matters to our world.