[Animals] Endangered Species Act

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How this 1973 law protects animals

 

ByElizabeth Hilfrank

A manatee glides through clear, warm spring water in Florida. A grizzly bear catches a juicy trout in Yellowstone National Park. A bald eagle soars near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

A little over 50 years ago, these species were among the first group of animals that received protection from the federal (or national) government in the United States. Once nearly extinct, all three species bounced back thanks to a law called the Endangered Species Act.

Wildlife needs help

Native American people have lived alongside these animals for thousands of years. Although the people changed the animals’ environment—for example, they burned land for farming—they were usually careful not to hunt too many animals, making sure that the po[CENSORED]tion numbers would remain healthy.

But European settlers arriving in the early 1800s had a different relationship to the land: They cut down forests to clear space for their houses and towns, and they hunted as many animals as they wanted for food, materials, and even sport.

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/endangered-species-act