Animals

ANIMAL Guide

Animals have lived on our planet around 600 million years longer than humans. Yet since 1970, humans have managed to wipe out 60% of animal populations. Poaching, deforestation, habitat loss, pollution, and climate change, all man-made issues, are the primary causes. Unable to adapt fast enough to their rapidly changing environments, many species are dwindling in numbers, or have already become extinct entirely.

Better World Info is a ➡️ platform for animal rights, providing a voice for the voiceless, raising awareness, and a powerful advocate for environmental protection.

Animals face a growing number of challenges in our fast paced, economically driven world. Before it is too late, we must protect the most vulnerable of species for the safeguarding of our planet and its delicate ecosystems.

The importance of animals to the health of our planet cannot be understated. Bee’s, butterflies, and other insects through pollination help farmers to feed the world. Birds distribute seeds, shaping our landscape and promoting biodiversity. Earthworms and other invertebrates help keep our soils fertile, and regulate the carbon and nitrogen cycles. Many animals act as a form of pest control, preventing the decimation of agricultural crops.

All animals play essential roles in the food chain and the balance of important environmental systems. With global biodiversity being altered at an unnatural rate, the time for action is now.

As freedom and civil rights hero Gandhi once said,“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

Where can I find the Latest Animal News?

Discover our top selection of news portals in this handy guide to the latest in the animal world. Learn more about animal rights, issues affecting animals today, pets, endangered species, conservation, welfare, protection, rescue animals, and inspiring documentaries and TV shows.

Divided into categories such as magazines, newspapers, blogs, TV channels, Twitter, and Instagram we are sure you will find what you are looking for.

Where can I learn Animal Facts and Background Info?

New to the world of animals and not sure where to begin? Better World Info has chosen must read articles, important directories, resources, and information on different species as an excellent starting point. You can learn about various animal welfare campaigns, events, and how you can get involved in the animal rights movement today.

Find information on inspiring animal advocates who are fighting to end animal suffering at the hands of humans, to implement strong laws to aid in animal protection, and for the conservation of their natural habitats. Check out the inspiring categories dedicated to Jane Goodall and David Attenborough.

Better World Info supports World Animal Day and World Wildlife Day, discover more about their causes and how you can help.

As your window into the world of animals, we aim to provide the full picture on a wealth of issues that animals face. With 99% of farmed animals in the US confined to the harsh conditions of factory farming, the intensive farming industry is a huge concern to animal lovers.

With a multitude of reasons to end the practice of intensive animal farming, but little progress to end this broken system, more and more people are turning to vegetarian and vegan diets. Explore more of these issues and alternatives here.

Who are the top Animal Organisations?

Animal welfare organisations are needed to protect vulnerable animals from abuse, the fashion and entertainment industries, scientific experimentation, poaching, puppy mills, Big Meat, and habitat destruction.

Environmental, conservation, and animal charities are vital to ensure the well-being and survival of many animal species.

Discover the inspiring work of organisations fighting for the voiceless, the best charities to donate too, and volunteering opportunities.

What are Animal Rights?

Animal rights recognise that animals are sentient beings with emotional, physical, and social needs. These rights aim to legally ensure that animals are given a life free of exploitation and suffering.

Animal advocates encourage us to reassess our relationship with animals. The concept of speciesism is the belief that some animals are inferior to others and are therefore treated more harshly.

The animal rights movement is growing fast. The number of people now practicing a fully vegetarian lifestyle is 1.5 billion, and increasing every year.

Animal activism fights against the cruelty of animals, factory farming, the fur trade, animal testing, and many other issues regarding animal welfare.

Learn about the animal rights movement, how you can get involved, excellent animal rights initiatives and organisations, successes in the movement, and the countries with the strictest animal protection laws.

Where can I learn about Different Animal Species?

With over 2 million species on the planet, Better World Info highlights some of the most interesting facts and stories about different animals around the world.

Without a doubt the bee is one of the most important animals there is. Responsible for pollinating 90% of wild plants, and 75% of agricultural crops, humans quite literally could not survive without them.

Pesticides, drought, habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change have resulted in a devastating decline in bee population in recent years. So much so, that in the US, beekeepers have lost on average 40% of their honey bee colonies.

Learn more about this incredible animal, the phenomenon of colony collapse disorder, and how we can all play our part to help them.

Next, dive into the fascinating world of birds. They are the only animals with feathers, evolved from dinosaurs, and key pollinators, seed dispersers, and even fertilisers. From the smallest hummingbird to the 9-foot-tall ostrich, Better World Info covers it all.

Other categories include extensive information on marine life, threats to sharks, whales, and dolphins, the intensive fishing industry, and the worrying loss and damage to coral reefs.

Find extra information on wildlife, including conservation, rewilding, and the importance of protecting wild animals.

Finally, our must have guides to our favourite four-legged friends' cats and dogs offer pet care explainers, information on adopting rescue animals, training, service animals, and even how owners begin to look like their pets!

Should Animal Testing be Banned?

Animal testing, experimentation, and research has various objectives. Finding cures for diseases, toxicology assessment, observing psychological responses, and cosmetics testing are the most common.

In the US alone, 110 million animals a year are used for this purpose. Supporters of animal testing argue that many life-saving treatments have been developed as a result, and that no alternative would have sufficed.

However, animal rights activists disagree and highlight the pain and suffering that these animals needlessly endure. The majority of these animals are treated like disposable lab equipment, and many die painful deaths.

Facts state that the majority of this testing in fact does not contribute to medical progress. 92% of treatments successful in animals go on to fail in human trials. Regulations and protections do not apply to the use of small animals such as mice, rats, birds, and reptiles.

New laws banning animal testing in the cosmetics industry have been implemented in 42 countries around the world. A small victory for the animal rights movement, but much more progress remains.

How Bad is Wildlife Trafficking?

The illegal wildlife trade is driven by greed and huge profits. Worth up to $23 billion, the practice pushes already at-risk animals even further to the brink of extinction.

Trafficking of animals is the single largest threat to the future of the planets most threatened species – and not all of it is illegal.

The threat does not stop at animals either. 1000’s of wildlife rangers are murdered every year. Global security becomes compromised as organised crime networks controlled by dangerous gangs and militants use their profits to purchase weapons and control huge areas of land.

Poaching of animals is by far the biggest issue. Elephant ivory, rhino horns, shark fins, and pangolins bring in the biggest profits and are therefore the most at risk. An unbelievable 20,000 African elephants are killed by poachers every year.

Tigers, lions, snow leopards, exotic birds and fish, turtles, reptiles and many others are either hunted or smuggled to be sold as food, pets, decorations, clothes, souvenirs, and medicine.

The implications of this trade are widespread and hugely detrimental to species conservation and the local communities.It is also a driver of corruption, inequality, and political instability.

Wildlife generates tourism, it creates jobs, sustainability, and brings ecological and cultural benefits to local people. The truth is that these animals are worth more alive than dead. One single elephant over its lifetime can bring more than $1.6 million in tourism revenue and benefit the whole community.

We need strong laws prohibiting all forms of wildlife trade, greater protection of park rangers, to remove key trade routes, and harsh punishment for those involved.

As consumers we can say no to exotic pets and animal products. We can report businesses and individuals, and we can be smart tourists avoiding places offering experiences like tiger selfies, or rare specialties like shark fin soups.

Finally, we can support conservation charities and NGOs who want to put an end to this barbaric industry once and for all.

How is Biodiversity Loss Affecting Animals?

Biodiversity loss refers to the decline in biological diversity of all living things on the planet. It encompasses endangered animals, but also the loss of their habitats, their food supply, and everything around them that they need to survive.

The WWF’s 2022 Living Planet Report concludes that we are in the midst of a biodiversity crisis. Findings reveal a 69% reduction in wildlife populations globally between 1970 and 2018.

Habitat destruction through deforestation, the logging industry, wildfires, and intensive farming are the biggest drivers of this decline. Monocultures, contamination of water supplies, pesticides, mining, overdevelopment, and unsustainable development are additional challenges faced by our planet's flora and fauna.

Two-thirds of our natural environment has now been significantly impacted by humans.

We are already witnessing the effects of biodiversity loss. Fresh water shortages, food insecurity, poor nutrition, increased numbers of pests and diseases, increased vulnerability to natural disasters, air pollution, and compromised medicinal supplies are all direct consequences.

Biodiversity and ecosystem decline is now as big of a threat to humans as climate change. Protecting our natural world must become a top priority. Nature provides the very foundation that humans need to survive, yet we continue to exploit it beyond sustainable limits.

What are the Most Endangered Species?

Currently there are 30,178 species on the IUCN red list. Habitat loss, trophy hunting, lack of genetic diversity, disease, and a changing climate, all man-made issues, have forced the rate of natural extinction levels to increase dramatically.

Extinction levels are now between 1,000 – 10,000 times higher than the natural rate. Terrifyingly, there are now between 200 – 2,000 extinctions every year.

In the US, The Endangered Species Act was adopted in 1973 to ensure the conservation and protection of at-risk species. This set a positive example for many other countries and although many governments recognise the importance of protection, unfortunately, the outlook for endangered species remains very grim.

A recent report from the IPBES confirms that the current rate of natural decline is occurring at an unprecedented rate. The most at-risk species are the Javan and black rhinos, the Amur leopard, the Sunda Island tiger, mountain gorillas, the Tapanuli and Sumatran orangutan, the African forest elephant, and the hawksbill turtle.

With habitat protection and increased awareness, some of these animals have begun to recover their population numbers. There is reason for hope, but only with strict laws and regulations, conservation, and excellent wildlife foundations such as the WWF, the Wildlife Alliance, and the IUCN.

Better World Info's Afterthoughts on Animals

Without a voice of their own, animals are extremely vulnerable to exploitation at the hands of humans. We must ensure that the rights of animals are upheld - big or small, fluffy or scaly, 2 legs or 10!

Animals can be farmed in a humane way, poaching can be reduced through education, and the trafficking of animals can cease with consumer demand.

Better World Info is an excellent platform for animal activists and animal lovers. It is here to support your organisation or campaign, and fight for animal dignity, survival, welfare, and rights. By providing essential information on key animal issues, we hope to bring together likeminded individuals and demand positive change.

Whether you are a looking for advice on your new kitten, looking to volunteer or donate, searching for how to help a tired honey bee, or concerned about wildlife in your area, Better World Info has you covered.

Let's work together to provide dignity for all animals, ensure the protection of their habitats, raise awareness of those facing extinction, make smart consumer choices, chose cruelty free, and live in unison with the earth’s precious animals.

Author: Rachael Mellor, 05.12.22  licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0

For further reading on Animals see below  ⬇️