Get familiar with the presentation about unique animal species - mountain gorillas, puffins, whales and musk oxen. Is there anything you can do to protect these endangered species?Get familiar with the presentation about unique animal species - mountain gorillas, puffins, whales and musk oxen. Is there anything you can do to protect these endangered species?

There are four types of gorillas in Africa: the mountain gorillas, the Cross River gorilla, the Western lowland gorilla and the Eastern lowland gorilla). Mountain gorillas can only be observed in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and there are only 1,000 of them left in the wild. They are one of the most endangered species in the world. This is mostly due to human population explosions in close proximity to areas occupied by gorillas. More and more forests are being cleared to provide space for human dwellings which shrinks the space the apes can inhabit. Gorillas end up living in forest patches which makes it difficult for them to mix with other gorilla groups and limits the exchange of genes. They are also quite susceptible to catching human diseases and since they live so close to humans these days, it has become a viable threat.

Mountain gorillas live at altitudes of up 4,000 metres above sea level and their troops have fascinating social structures. There is always a dominant alpha male, often referred to as a silverback, which is followed by about 30 individuals. Their resemblance to humans is stunning in many respects. For example, their pregnancies last up to 9 months and the little ones must be taken care of for 3‑4 years as they are pretty helpless at this stage of life. They show amazing signs of intelligence and in captivity, they even manage to learn some elements of sign language. They have been observed to mourn their dead. Maybe it shouldn’t be such a surprise after all, as they share 98% of their DNA with humans.

There are four distinct species of puffins: the Atlantic Puffin, the smallest in the family, the Horned Puffin, found mostly in Alaska and on the northern coast of Asia, the Tufted Puffin, the largest type, and the Rhinoceros Auklet, which has a misleading name due to its different appearance. It is estimated that there are approximately 3 to 4 million pairs of puffins worldwide. The birds gained their name from the dense cover of down feathers found on chicks. This evolutionary characteristic helps them retain body heat while their parents are away foraging for food. The small ones look like puff balls with orange beaks. The adult birds weigh about as much as a can of coke. They eat mostly fish, such as herring or eel. Their beaks are adapted to carry fish in them, and the record breaker held as many as a couple of dozen fish in one trip. They can fly at a speed of up to 88 kilometres per hour. They lay eggs in burrows which they dig using their feet and beak. To avoid predators, they often choose inaccessible cliffs for their nesting places. When they dig, they resemble dogs, as they shovel soil out behind them. The colour of their beaks and feet intensify as the birds mature and get ready for the breeding season. As puffins reside mostly where there is the abundance of fish, they are used by humans as indicators of the health of the ocean. If puffins move out, it may mean that the overfishing is taking place in the area.

Whales, dolphins and porpoises are together referred to as cetaceans. These unique marine mammals are categorised into two main groups: the baleen whales and the toothed whales. The first group feed on krill and plankton, the latter, due to the fact that they have got teeth, can go for larger prey, such as fish. Both are crucial to maintain the equilibrium of the global ecosystem. Unfortunately, their numbers have been decreasing due to human activity. First of all, some countries still support whale hunting. Second, the ever‑increasing ocean traffic hinders the whales’ ability to echolocate, which they use to communicate, mate, and forage for food. Because of human exploitation, the population of blue whales has shrunk from 225,000 to fewer than 3,000.

Blue whales are the largest animals living on Earth. They can eat more than 3.5 tons of krill every day. Orcas, which gained the infamous name of killer whales, are in fact the largest species of dolphins. The bowhead whales are believed to be able to live for up to 200 years.

Musk oxen are considered to be living fossils, as they outlived such animals as mammoths and sabre‑toothed tigers which faced extinction in the last ice age almost 12,000 years ago. However, they had a brush with death when they encountered humans and they were virtually wiped out by hunters on the old continent in the 1800s. In the 1930s, they were successfully reintroduced in many regions in northern Europe and Asia. 75% of the global population lives in Canada. They are grazing herbivores mostly inhabiting Arctic tundra. What’s interesting is that their name can be rather misleading as they have much more in common with goats and sheep than with oxen.

They have two layers of fur which helps them endure very low temperatures of Arctic winters. The pupils of their eyes are horizontal which protects their eyes from being damaged by exposure to solar activity during the Arctic summer when the sun never sets. They are gentle giants, but can charge at you at the speed of 60 kilometres per hour if they decide that their offspring is in danger. Also, they have a pocket of air between their skull and their brain, so a head‑on collision with any hard surface does not pose a major threat to them. All creatures have their unique positions in the network of dependencies formed by nature and removing one of them always causes a domino effect which in most cases is irreversible. Is there anything you can do to protect these endangered species? Luckily, there are some things that can be done to prevent their further extinction. Surely, you’ve heard about educational campaigns that are organised to raise awareness of the needs of endangered species. You can take part in them. What is more, you can organise a campaign in your school! Some organisations with global reach organise annual campaigns when they ask people to write letters to the authorities of different countries or regions where threatened species live to try to put some pressure on them to change their policies. Maybe you can try this way?

All creatures have their unique positions in the network of dependencies formed by nature and removing one of them always causes a domino effect which in most cases is irreversible. Is there anything you can do to protect these endangered species? Luckily, there are some things that can be done to prevent their further extinction. Surely, you’ve heard about educational campaigns that are organised to raise awareness of the needs of endangered species. You can take part in them. What is more, you can organise a campaign in your school! Some organisations with global reach organise annual campaigns when they ask people to write letters to the authorities of different countries or regions where threatened species live to try to put some pressure on them to change their policies. Maybe you can try this way?

Living an environmentally friendly life may be also helpful in raising awareness about the limited resources of our planet, which are important both for us and for endangered species. Remember that your actions also matter. Try to use the 3Rs rule - reduce, reuse and recycle. Don’t purchase items made of animals like ivory, real tortoise shells, or leather clothes. Spread the word and let’s make the Earth a better place to live!