Pandas 大熊貓
The lovable and charismatic panda is one of the most popular animals in the world.Unfortunately,it is also one of the most endangered.
Found only in China,one of the world's most populous countries,the giant panda clings to survival,facing habitat fragmentation and poaching as its greatest threats.It is estimated that as few as 1,600 pandas remain in the wild today.WWF works to help giant pandas in the wild through a variety of programs,including scientific assessments,habitat conservation and outreach to local governments and people within the panda's home range.
Pandas have been an integral part of our mission for more than two decades.In 1979,WWF was the first international organization to be invited into China to work on panda conservation.To this day,we remain the primary international conservation organization protecting pandas in the wild,and with your help we can ensure their survival.
Rhinos 犀牛
Prehistoric in appearance and intriguing in behavior,rhinos in the late 20th century joined the ranks of the most critically endangered animals in the world.Rhinos are one of the largest free-roaming mammals left on the planet and they play an important role in ecosystems by serving as "landscape architects" of their habitat.Rhinos are seed dispersers,consuming various plants and then,as inadvertent gardeners,distributing their seeds throughout their range.Since it can take a rhino more than three days to digest a meal,seeds can be transported a significant distance before they are deposited in droppings.Rhino dung also enhances soil fertility and nourishes the landscape.
But the existence of this majestic species is increasingly threatened,due primarily to poaching and habitat loss.As the rhino is one of its flagship species,WWF is directing innovative conservation efforts in Asia and Africa that have already produced results and promise a more secure future for the rhino.
Whales and Dolphins 鯨與海豚
Whales,dolphins and porpoises belong to the family of marine mammals known as cetaceans.Unlike fish,cetaceans are air-breathing,warm-blooded mammals that bear live young and nurse them on milk.Cetaceans play an important role in the life of the ocean,serving as flagships for the health and well-being of the whole marine ecosystem.
Completely adapted to life in the water,whales breathe through blowholes on top of their heads,which allows them to take in air without interrupting swimming.Of the great whales,the deep-diving sperm whale is the champion at holding its breath.The longest recorded dive by a sperm whale lasted over an hour,and these whales can descend to depths of more than a mile.Unlike fish,which swish their tails from side to side,whales swim by pumping their tails vertically,and using their flippers to steer.
Along with hunting,collisions with ships,and the degradation of their habitat due to pollution,the greatest threat to whales,dolphins and porpoises is entanglement in fishing gear,also known as bycatch.If current trends continue unabated,several cetacean species and many populations will be lost in the next few decades.With the support of its members and international conservation partners,WWF is working to ensure that whales,dolphins and porpoises will swim in our seas for generations to come.
Marine Turtles 海龜
Having traveled the seas for over 100 million years,marine turtles have outlived almost all of the prehistoric animals with which they once shared the planet.Marine turtles survived the extinction of the dinosaurs and are still present in the world's oceans today.
Until recently,their success was apparent,as marine turtles crawled ashore to nest in abundance on tropical and subtropical beaches around the globe.Unfortunately threats like hunting for meat,shell and eggs; habitat destruction; fisheries bycatch; pollution; boat strikes; and introduced predators have wiped out entire turtle populations,or reduced them to mere shadows of their former glory.Today three of the seven existing species are critically endangered with extinction,three are endangered and the status of the seventh species remains unknown.
摘自“世界野生動物保護(hù)基金會”官方網(wǎng)站