With global warming’s dire consequences becoming more apparent every year, more people are starting to open their eyes to the impact humans have on the environment. Luckily, this rise in environmentalism has made people more conscious about things that were previously thought to be minor, such as the impacts of tourism on the environment.
One of the most devastating consequences of global warming is the rise of habitat destruction. In recent years, habitat destruction has caused thousands of species to become endangered and even forced dozens more into extinction. While Norway has recently experienced a slight decline in the number of species that are at risk of extinction, there are still hundreds of species that are deemed as critically endangered. So, here is a list of endangered animals that deserve our conscious effort to protect the planet and, by proxy, their habitats:
Arctic Fox
The Arctic fox remains one of the most endangered mammals in the entire country, with the current adult population being less than 200. Despite the last 80 years being spent trying to promote the sustained growth of the Arctic fox population, progress has been slow and the threats against them continue to pile up. Luckily, there are various efforts being conducted by the Norwegian government and conservation organizations. One of the leading efforts is the captive breeding program that provides young Arctic foxes with artificial dens and feeders so that they are properly prepared with sufficient amounts of food and shelter when they get released back into the wild.
Pool Frog
The very southern tip of Norway is home to the last few pool frogs which once covered a large portion of Southern Norway. They have now been reduced to only three small spawning sites in Aust-Agder county, with less than 70 adult pool frogs present in the area. In order to try to counteract the declining population of pool frogs in Norway, international organizations are slowly introducing frogs from other countries to the remaining population to grow their numbers.
Lesser White-Fronted Goose
Although the lesser white-fronted goose tends to breed in Northern Asia, there used to be a significant population scattered throughout northern Europe as well. While there used to be hundreds of them in Norway alone, there is now estimated to be our only around 500 adult lesser white-fronted geese in all of Europe. Thankfully, they are being bred in captivity and then selectively reintroduced throughout Europe to grow the population.
European Eel
While many people may not think of eels as essential, they are absolutely vital to the well being of inland water ecosystems all throughout Europe. That is why it is so important to help save the critically endangered species before it reaches the point of extinction.
With the help of legislation designed to preserve the surviving European eels and various organizations working to try and reintroduce captive ones into the wild, the level at which they are disappearing is slowing.
Atlantic Puffin
It might shock some people to hear that the Atlantic puffin may soon be completely gone from Norway considering the fact that they appear to be everywhere you look when visiting Svalbard. However, the rate at which they are disappearing has earned them a spot on the endangered list. Although there are still approximately 10 million adult Atlantic puffins in the world, they are expected to lose over half of their population by the year 2065. That is why various groups are looking at ways to try and slow the decline of the population by fighting off the biggest threats of industrial pollution and hunting.
Steppe Eagle
The steppe eagle is yet another type of bird that is slowly being driven out of Norway. This is mainly due to the threats of habitat destruction as well as excessive hunting, which have managed to dwindle the once flourishing population down to approximately 2,000 adults. So, if people still want to enjoy seeing these gorgeous eagles soaring above the fjords in Norway, then they need to take preventive action before it is too late.
These six animals only represent a small portion of the animal species that are critically endangered throughout Norway. Everyone needs to make sure that they are doing their part and only booking sustainable travel to Norway to help these populations thrive once again.
