It is self evident that mankind is blatantly abusing and wreaking havoc on Mother Nature when they should rightfully be grateful for her kindness and return the favor. Man’s misuse is now reaching its climax, and it is unbearably hard to overlook what they are doing. One example of the effect of their maltreatment is the endangered Galapagos Penguin. Galapagos Penguins live just north of the equator, on the Galapagos and Isabella islands. They are the only penguins that live on the equator, and they are the 3rd smallest penguin in the world. Less than 1,000 breeding pairs remain nowadays, and Galapagos Penguins are put to the brink of extinction due to the misconducts of humanity. Specifically, oil spills and introduced animals caused by man kind are the two major threats to these blameless penguins.
First off, oil spill is one of the causes engendered by humanity that put the Galapagos Penguins into such a situation. Animal rights activists say 40,000 penguins are estimated to be killed by oil pollution along the coast of Argentina every year. According to the International Penguin Conservation Work Group, an organization which aims on promoting penguin conservation worldwide, not only does oiling cause penguins’ eggs to die or deform, but it also affects the food chain by contributing to a reduction in the penguin’s prey. A repulsive fact of oil pollution is that most of them come from deliberately operational discharges, which oil tankers discharge oily water into the sea before loading up with fresh oil, simply because it’s time consuming.
Additionally, animals introduced by humans pose threat to many lives of the rare Galapagos Penguins. Such animals are feral cats, dogs and rats. According to MarineBio, a nonprofit volunteer marine conservation and science education group since 1998, Galapagos Penguins are slow breeders. Female penguins lay one or two eggs each season. Thus, because of introduced animals attacking the vulnerable chicks and eggs, the entire population could fail to breed at all.
However, not all of us are inflicting harm on the Galapagos Penguins. In fact, some people group and organizations are striving to preserve the lives of these penguins. Conservationists and ecologists say it is yet late to regret our deeds and make amends for the brutality some of us struck on these innocent, guiltless penguins. To settle this problem, there are two practical solutions that will turn out effective if we act promptly with enthusiasm.
First, training officers must ensure that formal training is provided to key personnel who maintain and operate pollution control equipment. This will preclude oil spills from happening by reducing the chance of oily water getting discharged into the sea. A key point to keep in mind is that employers must make sure to hire trustworthy workers so that oil spills won’t occur due to one’s laziness.
Another solution is we could establish eradication and control programs for introduced animals. According to the Charles Darwin Foundation, an association which has the world’s largest eradication/restoration program, these programs will help restore the ecosystems of the Galapagos Penguins. Such programs will improve the survival of Galapagos Penguins, since it will balance the population of introduced animals.
We humans are obliged to help the endangered Galapagos Penguins from becoming extinct. It is unfair that these creatures suffer from our selfishness and ruthlessness. Some of us are doing a marvelous job in attempting to preserve the Galapagos Penguins, but many of us can surely do more. All of us must try to be more heedful and altruistic, so oil spills will not occur by accident or by our laziness. The least we can do is become aware of this problem and support those who struggle to resolve this difficulty. If ecologists, conservationists, and all of us follow the steps aforementioned, we will be able to inhibit Galapagos Penguins from becoming extinct. Nevertheless, we don’t have time to even hesitate for a fraction of a second. Every minute passing by is another minute fraught with danger to the Galapagos Penguins. We must act to rescue these penguins, and we must act now!
