World Wildlife Conservation Day is a holiday observed annually on December 4th, reminding the general public that the world’s most precious fauna and flora are disappearing at an alarming rate.

The encroachment of human civilization on important wildlife habitats, pollution, and global warming are causing plant and animal species to disappear at an alarming rate. It’s estimated that somewhere between 0.01% and 0.1% of all species will go extinct each year.

While that might seem like a small number, once you crunch the numbers, you realize that it’s not. It means that somewhere between 200 and 2,000 flora and fauna extinctions happen each year. This hemorrhaging of important species has to stop, or we’re all in big trouble.

The History of World Wildlife Conservation Day

World Wildlife Conservation Day was created on November 8, 2012, when the then U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, called on all wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists to take action. This holiday has been observed ever since to raise the public’s awareness about the disappearance of the natural world.

Facts About Wildlife Conservation

Below are some facts about wildlife conservation that we feel everyone should know. Let’s explore them in detail before we move on to how World Wildlife Conservation Day is observed.

• About three species per hour are driven to extinction.
• Approximately 80% of the decline in biodiversity can be attributed to habitat destruction.
• Every day, almost 100 elephants are killed for their ivory.
• More African elephants are being killed than are being born.
• Over 4,000 tons of lead from shots are released into the environment by hunters, resulting in over 20 million animals being poisoned each year.
• Over a billion birds die each year in the U.S. after colliding with glass.
• Over 600,000 marine animals are killed every year after accidental entanglement in fishing gear.

Observing World Wildlife Conservation Day

Everyone who cares about the disappearance of plants and animals is encouraged to take action on this day. This can be done by volunteering or by donating money to an organization that deals with wildlife conservation.

It’s also important to contact your representatives and let them know how important conservation is to you. Everyone can also spread the word about this holiday through social media using the hashtag #WildlifeConservationDay.