World Wildlife Day
What day is it?
Every year on March 3, the inhabitants of the planet Earth celebrate World Wildlife Day. This young holiday was celebrated for the first time in 2013. Since then, the day regularly reminds us of the vulnerability of the world of fauna and flora and the urgent need to protect it. Otherwise, wildlife will simply be destroyed. In 2022, the holiday falls on a Thursday.
How did the idea of celebrating World Wildlife Day come about?
In December 2013, the 68th meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations took place, where the problems of wildlife and ways of solving them were considered. It was then that those present at this session decided to celebrate World Wildlife Day. March 3 was chosen as the date of the celebration. In this connection, the corresponding Resolution was signed, which noted how valuable and important representatives of flora and fauna are for the earth, especially those that disappear and are destroyed by man.
About 200 representatives from different countries of the world attended the session that day. All of them unanimously agreed with the decision to accept Wildlife Day with the aim of informing humanity about species of animals and plants that need protection.
March 3
The date March 3 is of great importance for the protection of wildlife, because it was on this day in 1973 that the CITES Convention was adopted, which prohibited the illegal trade in wild animals that are threatened with total destruction. The infamous fact is that this trade generates profits of 15-20 billion dollars every year.
At the same time, hundreds of species of valuable animals, including leopards, Amur tigers, snow leopards, white whales, fish that fill the depths of the seas and oceans, are on the verge of extinction. It is necessary to talk about this problem, draw the attention of those in power to it, in order to counteract the destruction of wildlife.
Theme of World Wildlife Day
Each year, the celebration is dedicated to a special theme related to pressing wildlife issues. Yes, the slogan of 2018 sounded like this: «Big cats: predators under threat!». Big cats include tiger, leopard, cougar, jaguar, lion, etc. In recent times, these predatory animals have been exposed to many dangers, mostly related to human activity. Every year, the population decreases, because their natural habitats are destroyed. Another reason for the gradual disappearance of these predators from the Earth’s map is poaching and trade. Thus, over the last century, the number of tigers has decreased by 50%, and the population of the African lion has decreased by 45% in just two decades.
In 2020, the attention of connoisseurs wild nature was addressed to the «Support of all living things on Earth». All plants and animals create a certain biodiversity on our planet. In connection with this, the goals of preserving sea and land ecosystems were formed. World Wildlife Day is a good opportunity to draw the attention of representatives of governments, public figures and entrepreneurs to the state of biodiversity in order to take all possible measures to preserve the planet’s ecosystems.
World Wildlife Day in Ukraine
In 1999, our state joined the decision of the Convention on International Trade in Wild Animals and undertook to comply with the rules of the Convention. And they consist in the liquidation of markets where objects of flora and fauna that are on the verge of extinction are illegally sold.
On the territory of Ukraine, there are many public organizations that draw attention to problems related to the sad state of wild animals and plants. Ways to solve them are proposed, and activists and representatives of the authorities are involved in this.
Statistics
Scientists are worried about the sharp reduction of populations wild animals. Yes, over the past fifty years, the number of animals on our planet has decreased by as much as 60%. This is a shocking indicator that shows that today nature needs protection from human activity.
Wild nature of the world
Animals living on land, rivers, lakes, swamps and in the depths of the sea suffer from human influence. Thus, over the last half century, the population of freshwater animals has decreased by more than 80%, the reason for such sad statistics is the consumption of increasingly large volumes of fresh water by agriculture. It was also found that today the stomach of seabirds is 80-90% filled with plastic remains, while in 1970 this figure did not even reach 10%. In three decades, the number of shallow-water corals has decreased by 50%. More than 300 species of mammals have disappeared from the face of the Earth due to poaching.
Wild nature of Ukraine
As for our country, the statistical data are even more critical. First of all, because there are no accurate calculations in our country. The latest data are presented for 1990-2017 on the website of the State Statistics Service on hunting management, and they are also very general. According to them, fur decreased by 19%, and ungulates — by 13%.
Interesting facts from the life of wild animals
- Wild birds live an average of 6 months.
- A hungry wolf can eat about 10 kilograms of meat at one time — it’s the same as if a person ate 100 hamburgers at a time.
- Whales grow the fastest. So, a newborn cub weighs more than 3 tons, and at the age of one year, its body weight reaches 25 tons. The heaviest whale weighing 200 tons was caught in 1947.
- All mammals, except giraffes, like humans, have a red tongue. Giraffes have a blue tongue.
- Today, one percent lives on our planet wild animals from the number that inhabited the Earth during its existence.
- Reptiles include 6,000 species of wild animals. In addition, new species are discovered every year.
How to celebrate World Wildlife Day?
Despite the fact that the holiday began to be celebrated quite recently, certain traditions are beginning to form among the population. Yes, in Wildlife Day zoos open their doors, interesting promotions and quizzes for adults and children take place on the territory of zoos. You can get acquainted with the life of wild nature in thematic museums, parks, and botanical gardens.
Every year on this day, there is an increase in the activity of volunteers who organize the cleaning of territories from garbage. Few people know, but it is the garbage left by untidy vacationers that poses the greatest threat to our smaller brothers.
In various fields of cultural life, exhibitions, festivals, seminars and lectures dedicated to the life of wild nature are held.
When will we celebrate World Wildlife Day?
| Year | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | March 3 | Wednesday |
| 2022 | March 3 | Thursday |
| 2023 | March 3 | Friday |
| 2024 | March 3 | Sunday |
| 2025 | March 3 | Monday |
