I. Maintaining ecological balance
Each species is an important member of the ecosystem, and through the relationship of food chain, species play the role of interdependence and mutual containment. Once a link in the food chain goes wrong, the balance of the whole ecosystem will be seriously affected. For example, due to the uncontrolled killing of snakes, the resources of snakes are exhausted, which leads to the rampant rodent damage in forests, grasslands and farmland in some areas. For another example, due to the extensive use of pesticides and fertilizers and the killing of live animals for pet trading, the number of insect-eating birds has dropped sharply, leading to large-scale occurrence of forest and crop diseases and insect pests such as Dendrolimus punctatus and locusts. Rodents and pests have caused great losses to agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry, and the cost of ecological imbalance is incalculable.
Two, to ensure the normal development of scientific research and education activities
Endangered animals are experimental materials for scientific research and play an important role in zoology, genetics, modern medicine, bionics and other disciplines. For example, tens of thousands of cynomolgus monkeys and macaques domesticated and bred in China are mostly used as experimental animals or used to produce vaccines to prevent and treat diseases. Scientific research institutes, universities, zoos and museums collect, display or exhibit endangered animal specimens, which play an important role in scientific research and teaching, publicity and education, and law enforcement activities.
Third, promote economic development and meet people's living needs.
Most endangered animals have high economic value or ornamental value.
(1) medicinal value. Traditional medicine in China is developed on the basis of research and utilization of wild animals and plants. Tiger bone, leopard bone, rhinoceros horn, musk, pangolin scales, Saiga antelope horn, bear bile powder, turtle shell, gecko, cobra venom and toad venom are indispensable and important raw materials of traditional Chinese medicine. From 65438 to 0993, in order to cooperate with the efforts of the international community to protect tigers and rhinos, our government banned the trade of rhinoceros horn and tiger bones, which also paid a high price, resulting in direct economic losses of 2.3 billion yuan.
(2) Edible and clothing value. Our ancestors lived by collecting or hunting wild animals and plants in the era of "eating animals and eating blood". Even today in the 20th century, many animals are still common raw materials for food or clothes in our lives. Such as venison, yellow mutton, mink, Yellow weasel skin, leopard cat skin, otter skin, Tibetan antelope velvet, bird's nest, flying dragon, crocodile meat, crocodile skin, ostrich meat, dried snake, snake skin and snake powder. As far as snakes are concerned, in 1997, about 9,000 tons of live snakes were used nationwide, valued at more than 400 million yuan.
(3) ornamental value. Endangered animals have high ornamental value. They are the trump cards for zoos, forest parks, nature reserves or scenic spots to attract tourists, the protagonists of circus performances, and the main targets for some families to cultivate and watch or many literati to recite poems and paint. Going abroad for exhibitions and co-researching a pair of giant pandas can raise at least 8 million yuan for the National Giant Panda Protection Fund every year. In addition, handicrafts carved with ivory and hippopotamus teeth and decorations made with peacock, ostrich feather, butterfly and argali skull also have high artistic ornamental value.
(4) Diplomatic value. Giant panda, golden monkey, Siberian tiger, Zhu Huan and other endemic animals in China are not only world-class endangered animals, but also rare animals that people all over the world love and are eager to visit. Giving or exhibiting these animals abroad can play a unique role in enhancing China's popularity, developing political and economic relations between countries, promoting cultural exchanges, enhancing folk friendship, publicizing China's achievements in the protection and management of endangered animals, conducting cooperative research on endangered animals, and raising funds for the protection of endangered animals.
(5) The value of leisure hunting. 1998, China approved the hunting and catching of 3 takin, 23 argali, 6 falcons, 4 white-lipped deer, 57 rock sheep, 32 Tibetan gazelles, 2 goats, and water deer 1 one, and * * * feeding165433.
(6) Potential development value. The value of species is only a tiny part of what human beings know at present. With the development of science and technology, the potential value of each species will be gradually discovered and recognized. But if the species is extinct before people know it, it is impossible to develop and utilize these values. Undoubtedly, this is a great regret for us human beings and a great loss for biodiversity protection.
It can be seen that we should not only protect endangered animals, but also develop endangered animal resources, and finally achieve the goal of sustainable utilization. To sum up, protecting endangered animals means sustainable utilization of endangered animals.