Some people believe that animal extinction is a natural process and that humans should not attempt to prevent it. Others argue that people have a responsibility to protect endangered species. This essay will discuss both views before explaining why I disagree with the contention that extinction should simply be accepted.
On the one hand, extinction has occurred throughout Earth’s history without human involvement. Dinosaurs, for example, disappeared due to natural catastrophes such as asteroids and extreme climate change. Similarly, many ancient species failed to survive ice ages or volcanic eruptions because they could not adapt quickly enough. From this perspective, extinction can be seen as a normal part of evolution, allowing stronger or more adaptable species to replace weaker ones.
On the other hand, most animal extinctions today are closely linked to human activities rather than natural forces. Species such as elephants and rhinos are endangered mainly because of poaching, while animals like orangutans are losing their habitats due to deforestation for agriculture and housing. For instance, large areas of rainforest are cleared each year to produce palm oil, directly destroying ecosystems that took thousands of years to develop.
In my opinion, because humans are the primary cause of modern extinctions, they also have a moral and practical responsibility to protect biodiversity. Allowing human-driven species loss to continue unchecked would be both irresponsible and dangerous.