According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are over 12,000 species of animals in the world, who are listed as "endangered" to "critically endangered".
In 2005, Colleen Paige recognized the issue of wildlife endangerment and founded National Wildlife Day in 2005, to honor the late Steve Irwin and to help bring awareness to the endangered species we share our beautiful world with.
This national holiday recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association, was previously observed on September 4th, but is now observed on February 22nd, in honor of Steve Irwin's birthday.
Today, we can ban together to help save these beautiful creatures on the endangered species list, and work to prevent the endangerment of all other wildlife not currently sitting on this list. What does it mean for an animal to become endangered? It means that it is most likely to become extinct, with very few populations in the wild.
How can you help? You can help support zoos, animal sanctuaries, or aquariums that work tirelessly to help conserve and preserve these animals. Did you know that the the San Diego Zoo has reintroduced more than 30 endangered species back into the wild, and have conserved habitat at 50 field sites? Other ways is by being an advocate for anti-hunting and poaching, which kill many of these animals each year.
And of course, you can donate to a conservation organization of your choice, but always be sure to do your research to make sure you know where your dollars are going.