Animal challenges The Yunnan snub nosed monkey was so rare scientists thought it was extinct until the 1960s What challenges do they face today See page 12 Thousands of species or types of animals face huge challenges Many are endangered Forest animals often lose their habitats because their forest homes are cut down or burned to be replaced by farms or cities Some are hunted for food or body parts such as their meat skin or tusks Still others are caught to be sold as pets or used to entertain tourists Animals that live in oceans also face big challenges Many penguins seabirds sharks whales sea turtles and fish are endangered because of thoughtless human activities Climate change is making it harder for polar bears and other animals to survive see pages 24 25 4
This brown bear has caught a salmon that was swimming toward the ocean How does raising salmon for food hurt wild salmon and the animals that depend on them for food See pages 26 27 How is tourism hurting wild animals such as dolphins orcas and sea turtles See page 22 Why is it dangerous for gorillas to be near people See page 14 What dangers do sea turtles face at night See page 23 5
Forest fires Slash and burn agriculture is a way of growing food in which forests are cut down and burned so the land can be used to grow crops The fires often burn out of control Slash and burn agriculture is practiced in the Amazon Rainforest as well as in Africa and Southeast Asia In 2015 thousands of small forest fires burned across the islands of Indonesia in Southeast Asia Fires release huge amounts of pollution into the atmosphere This makes breathing difficult and is very dangerous to the health of humans and animals The carbon dioxide it releases also adds to climate change Forest fires not only destroy the habitats of many animals but they also cause animals to die from the smoke Fires may cause many critically endangered animals to disappear from Earth see pages 8 9 6
Palm oil Slash-and-burn fires are set on purpose to replace forests with farms and palm-oil plantations Palm oil is used in many foods such as ice cream margarine soups and cookies It is also found in makeup soap and detergents This man is collecting palm fruits from the trees in a palm oil plantation in Thailand kernel pulp Palm oil is made from palm fruits like these They are gathered and the oil is extracted or drawn out from both the pulp and the kernels 7
