Three-toed Sloth The Amazon Rainforest is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It also serves as a home to several species of animals. From the 3,000 species of fish to the 428 species of mammals (Hellas 2), each one of them calls the rainforest their home. One species in particular, the Three-toed Sloth, lives in the trees of the rainforest and generally hangs on the vines. They have been known to hardly come down to the rainforest floor. However, there is a major problem that the Three-toed Sloth faces, along with the other creatures of the rainforest, is the reality of extinction. The population of the Three-toed sloth started to decline around the 1970s due in large part to major logging companies coming in and cutting down trees
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Since 1978, nearly 289,000 square miles have been destroyed across Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, and French Guiana (Amazon, Butler, 1). The main reason for the destruction of the rainforest is so farmers can expand their land to produce more crops and the large logging companies come in and take the timber make products out of it. It has also been known that illegal loggers have come in and contributed to the destruction of the rainforest. The World Wildlife Foundation’s website (wwf.org) reported that a study by a Brazilian Commission showed that about 80% of all logging done in the 1990s was illegal (Logging, Viana G. 2). Another shocking statistic that is related to the sloth and the loss of their homes comes from. Slothconservation.blogspot.com. They created a graph showing the Three-toed sloths estimated population and the size of their habitat vs time. The graph showed that from 2007 to 2022, the continuous decline of a suitable habitat results in a drop in sloth population numbers eventually leading to none in existence by 2022. If we enforce laws that restrict or limit the amount of logging being done in the rainforest, we can help save the lives, homes, and food sources for so many sloths that inhabit the …show more content…
My points that I made above may not appeal to some or they feel that they are unnecessary. My one point of limiting of hunting of the Three-toed Sloth may have some people bring up the argument “why are we now making laws when the natives have hunted them for years?” The other point I made about enforcing logging laws could also be brought up for an argument of opposition. People may look at the point and ask “how can you stop larger companies that have power and wealth at their disposal to do whatever they want?” Another argument would be the illegal loggers. Even if we enforce laws that help prevent illegal deforestation, the illegal loggers will still find a way to get the trees and continue to cut down trees illegally. My final point of a sanctuary would also be brought up for an argument. Some people may look at a sanctuary and think that they wouldn’t be suitable because the sloths wouldn’t feel at home and not in their natural
Since 1978, nearly 289,000 square miles have been destroyed across Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, and French Guiana (Amazon, Butler, 1). The main reason for the destruction of the rainforest is so farmers can expand their land to produce more crops and the large logging companies come in and take the timber make products out of it. It has also been known that illegal loggers have come in and contributed to the destruction of the rainforest. The World Wildlife Foundation’s website (wwf.org) reported that a study by a Brazilian Commission showed that about 80% of all logging done in the 1990s was illegal (Logging, Viana G. 2). Another shocking statistic that is related to the sloth and the loss of their homes comes from. Slothconservation.blogspot.com. They created a graph showing the Three-toed sloths estimated population and the size of their habitat vs time. The graph showed that from 2007 to 2022, the continuous decline of a suitable habitat results in a drop in sloth population numbers eventually leading to none in existence by 2022. If we enforce laws that restrict or limit the amount of logging being done in the rainforest, we can help save the lives, homes, and food sources for so many sloths that inhabit the …show more content…
My points that I made above may not appeal to some or they feel that they are unnecessary. My one point of limiting of hunting of the Three-toed Sloth may have some people bring up the argument “why are we now making laws when the natives have hunted them for years?” The other point I made about enforcing logging laws could also be brought up for an argument of opposition. People may look at the point and ask “how can you stop larger companies that have power and wealth at their disposal to do whatever they want?” Another argument would be the illegal loggers. Even if we enforce laws that help prevent illegal deforestation, the illegal loggers will still find a way to get the trees and continue to cut down trees illegally. My final point of a sanctuary would also be brought up for an argument. Some people may look at a sanctuary and think that they wouldn’t be suitable because the sloths wouldn’t feel at home and not in their natural