Thursday, February 27, 2020

Implication of Extinction of Bengal Tigers Assignment

Implication of Extinction of Bengal Tigers - Assignment Example The Bengal tigers were once very common across Asia from Turkey to the west to the Eastern coast of Russia but have greatly reduced in the past 100 years and now remain in few Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Indonesia where they still face constant threat of extinction (Bhattarai & Kindlmann, 2012). Some cultures in Asia believe that powdered tiger bones have medicinal value and this has been one of the reasons for the poaching of tigers in India to get their bones. The other reasons for poaching of Bengal tigers is to get their Skin, teeth, skin, and claws which are in great demand in Asia. The tiger habitat is also at great risk due to human activities including conversion of forests into agricultural land, commercial tree logging and human settlement, which is greatly affecting the survival of tigers. Depletion of prey is also a factor contributing to the extinction of Bengal Tigers, as there are increased tiger attacks on livestock and humans resulting to into lerance of tigers from the surrounding communities in India (Borthakur, et al., 2011). The extinction of Bengal Tigers in India will, however, have strong and far-reaching consequences on biodiversity in India. This is because the disruption or elimination of one element from a fragile ecosystem causes an imbalance that not only affects the food chain but also the local communities and also other species that share the tiger habitat (Bhattarai & Kindlmann, 2012). Kindlmann, 2012). This is in agreement with what the Nobel laureate and environmentalist, Prof Wangari Mathai, once said that nature is very unforgiving and if you destroy nature, it will destroy you. The tiger being a carnivore is at the top of the food chain in all its habitats and helps to keep the population of its prey, most of which are vegetarians, such as the deer, antelopes, and wild pigs in check. If the tigers get extinct, the population of these animals will grow uncontrollably resulting into an imbalance (Chapr on et al., 2008). The increased population of these vegetarian would ravage the vegetation in the forest and this would make the place inhabitable for small animals and insects. The insects would then move to the farmland, which would greatly effect on vital food sources that human beings depend on for survival thus negatively affecting on human population. If vegetation can no longer grow in the jungle, the soil in the jungle would soon lose its fertility and eventually the jungle would lose its life to become a wilderness. The extinction of the Bengal Tigers in Indian forests will also lead to co extinction of other species in the forests. First, the tiger being on top of the food chain helps other animals such as birds and reptiles get food when it catches a prey. When a tiger has eaten its fill for instance from a prey, it abandons the rest which become food to the scavengers and other animals suc

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

How is the use of body language different in humans and in animals Essay

How is the use of body language different in humans and in animals - Essay Example It can apply to many types of soundless communication, such as formalized gestures. (Wikipedia.) Animals, although not bestowed with the gift of speech, can effectively convey a variety of emotions, both within their group as well as with humans. Some examples of feline, dolphin and gorilla body language can be considered: Fear triggers an adrenaline rush, causing the cats back and tail to arch and the hair to bristle. This is mainly intended to dissuade potential attackers. When fearful, nervous and defensive, their ears flatten or twitch and their eyes dilate fully. Confident, aggressive cats in response to direct confrontations with intruders, narrow their pupils to slits for better depth perception and stare down their opponents, their ears stand up, facing forward or folded so that the backs are seen head-on. To create the illusion of being larger, an aggressive cat will approach the defensive cat in a prancing sideways motion with its rear end held high and tail slung low. (Animalplanet.com.) Bonobos, a subspecies of chimpanzees, are also adept with certain forms of communication. Research into non-human Great Ape language suggest that apes are capable of using human modes of communication to communicate with humans and other apes (Wikipedia.) In essence, although both humans and animals use body language to convey a variety of emotions, it can be said that humans have evolved from a time where body language was the sole means of communication, to the ability to speak and use body language at the same time to convey the meaning more emphatically. In animals, body language is one of the primary means of