Endangered Species - Research Paper Example

The present crisis of endangered species is distinctive in that the failure of biodiversity is happening rapidly, and the main cause of the catastrophe is the activities of human beings. Some scholars such as Henry David Thoreau, Aldo Leopold and Elisabet Sahtouris believe that the current crisis persists because of lack of ethical responsibility and failure to connect with the environment in the part of humans (Benson and Rob 188). One of the most endangered species that are facing extinction is the rhino species found in Africa and Asia.

The Rhino population in the two continents is roughly 29,000 surviving in the world. This is a massive difference from the population of rhinos at the beginning of the 20th century standing at 500,000 rhinos. For instance, in Africa there are 20,000 white rhinos and 4,880 black rhinos. In Asia, however, the statistics are more alarming as there are only 2,850 great one-horned rhinos, 200 Sumatran rhino and 50 Javan rhino. There are only seven northern white rhinos living in the world (Rhino Info n.d). With then rhino, facing distinction in the future is inevitable that governments form laws that protect this endangered specie from human hunters who kill them for their horns, as well as meat.

The illegal rhino horn hunt has been the biggest human activity that has led to a drastic decline of the rhino species instigated by the illegal rhino horn trade, political conflict, as well as habitat loss. The rhino is mostly valued for production of Chinese medicine and poaching is the greatest menace facing rhino today. The horns are also used to construct ornamental handles for stiletto in Yemen one of the main markets of the rhino horns from Africa (Rhino Info n.d). In some areas, where normal law and order has collapsed mostly in war zones, and where political instability exists, poachers have found it easier to kill the rhinos, thus endangering them as well as other species.

For example, poaching of rhino has been ascending in DRC, Nepal and Zimbabwe due to political conflicts (Rhino Info n.d). The basic issue in environmental ethics is whether there can be a non-anthropocentric environmental ethic, which is a foundation for right ant and wrong activities concerning the environment, which is not based exclusively in human fears. Most people claim that ethics is only based on anthropocentric environment. According to Benson and Rob (188) environmental ethics involves animal rights theories and biocentrism theories as well as egocentric theories.

This entails that sentient animals, individual living things and conservation systems have moral standings respectfully. Leopold held that most ecological problems were because of ignorance, and understood that his own his own capability to recognize how environment works were the consequence long education and observation. However, in the current contemporary world, where environmental education and policies are protecting biodiversity ignorance has no room. It is irresponsible for instance, to cut down trees from indigenous forests, which are at, risk of extinction for logs, yet there are alternative means of producing similar tools without having to render tree populations extinct (Bagheera n.d). Leopold grew in a culture where concealed land ownership was part of the dream of America.

However, this caused