Extinction is an integral part of the process of natural selection. Species have a finite life span 
and, since life first appeared on this planet, plants and animals have evolved into different forms. While 
some have vanished without issue or have not adapted quickly enough to changing environmental or 
climatic conditions, other have died out for such reasons as over specialization, inability to compete with 
other more successful species for the necessities of life, or because of some natural cataclysm such as 
the advance or retreat of glaciation. 

	The best way to safeguard rare species of animals and plants is to ensure the conservation of 
the biotic community of which they are a part. Rarity is not in itself a cause for concern. Some species
are inherently rare, often because ecological niche. But few species can survive outside their natural 
habitat, and if the habitat is threatened - or illegal hunting, introduced predators, or disease cannot be
adequately controlled - there may in the final resort be alternative but to capture the last survivors and
bring them into captivity. While this last-ditch solution is tantamount to an admission of failure, it provides
the opportunity to build up stocks until conditions are right for the species to be reintroduced back into its 
natural habitats.

Back to main page