1. Endangered species in Mexico, the goverment’s solution and importance of animals in our lives
Mariana Garza 1°B

2. ENDANGERED SPECIES IN MEXICO Amur leopards Native to southeastern Russia, the Amur leopard is listed as critically endangered, with only 19 to 26 of the animals left in the wild. Black Howling Monkey Deforestation, hunting, and disease are the biggest threats for the endangered Black Howling Monkey, which lives in the Yucatan Peninsula. The monkey named for its unique vocalization, achieved through a resonating chamber in its voice box, is both hunted for food and captured to be a pet. Groups as large as 10 monkeys hold "howling sessions" in the early morning, and can be heard farther than a mile away, giving hunters an easy target. San Quintin Kangaroo Rat The majority of Mexico's endangered mammals (60) are rodents, like the San Quintin Kangaroo Rat. This rodent species is critically endangered, and hasn't been seen since 1986, so it may even be extinct. Everywhere suitable for the kangaroo rat to live has been converted to agriculture, according to the IUCN.

3. Sea otters Fur traders once hunted sea otters to near extinction, their numbers dwindling to less than 2,000 during the early 20th century. The species now exists in about two-thirds of its former range at varying levels of recovery. Although the hunting of otters is no longer permitted except for limited harvests by indigenous peoples, the species is threatened by predation, poaching and entanglement in fishing nets.
Mexican axolotls Known as the “Peter Pan” of animals, the Mexican axolotl is a unique type of salamander that spends its entire life in its larval form and is found only in Mexico's Lake Xochimilco. It lives underwater, and its odd apperance and ability to regenerate body parts make it a popular animal kept in labs and schools. Fewer than 1,200 Mexican axolotls remain today because the lake is drained to provide water for nearby Mexico City, and it has suffered from the introduction of invasive species like carp and tilapia, which eat the axolotls.

4. What is the goverment doing to protect them?
Mexico has taken unprecedented actions in the past two decades to protect its wildlife resources. It joined the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1991 and the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1993, then established its own National Biodiversity Strategy. Landmark events include creation of the Office of the Attorney General for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) in 1992 and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) in 1994, which elevated natural resource conservation to the cabinet level for the first time in Mexico’s history. Again in 1994, Mexico enacted its Law for Endangered Species Protection.
In 1995, SEMARNAT established Mexico’s national wildlife agency. The same year, it joined forces with the United States and Canada to create the Canada/Mexico/U.S. Trilateral Committee for Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and Management. Then, in 2000, Mexico enacted its General Wildlife Law, the country’s most comprehensive wildlife legislation. A year later, it created the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), which now manages 173 protected areas totaling more than 60 million acres (over 24 million hectares), over 12 percent of Mexico’s land. More than one-third of these protected areas are along the U.S.-Mexico border and encompass 6,855 square miles.

5. Why are animals important to humans?
Animals are our companions, our workers, our eyes and ears, and our food. They appear in ancient cave paintings, and on modern commercial farms. We have domesticated some of them, while others remain wild and are sometimes endangered by our activities. They keep us company, and while they can provide comic relief, they also serve us as valuable assistants.