By Md. Zillur Rahaman

October 4 is World Animal Day. The World Animal Day is celebrated on October 4 every year for the welfare and protection of their rights. The main aim of this day is to improve the condition of animals in every part of the world through their welfare. Celebrating World Animal Day unites the animal welfare movement, strengthening it internationally to make the world a better place for every living thing. The day is celebrated in different ways in different countries irrespective of caste, religion, creed or political ideology. Making the world a better place through greater public awareness and education where animals are treated as sentient species and their welfare is given the attention it deserves.

First, a German writer named Heinrich Zimmerman celebrated the day on March 24, 1925 in Berlin, Germany. Later in 1931, a conference of environmental scientists in Florence, Italy declared October 4 as World Animal Day. The day is celebrated all over the world by the UK-based 'Nature Watch Foundation'. Apart from this, animal welfare organizations in the country also celebrate the day. According to a report by the World Wildlife Fund, the number of wild animals in the world has decreased by two-thirds since 1970. Thus, 31 species of animals have disappeared from the territory of Bangladesh. Apart from this, at least 219 species of wildlife in Bangladesh are endangered. This list includes - amphibians reptiles, birds, mammals.

There is no shortage of activities from the national level to the global level to protect the environment and animals. Every year there are various types of agreements with conferences, public awareness, meetings of world leaders. There are various initiatives taken by left political parties and environmentalists in an effort to protect these. We who care about the environment and animals can also do something from our place to protect them. Many people may not know that the various beneficial animals around us contribute greatly to maintaining the balance of the earth by preserving their habitats or tending to them.

Here is a funny story. The incident is in China. Many sparrows were exterminated in 1958 on the orders of Mao-Tse-Tung, thinking that sparrows would cause havoc by eating crops. Because a sparrow eats 4 to 5 kg of grain in a year. So by saving the food of 10 lakh sparrows, about 60 thousand people can be fed. So the campaign began and 1 lakh colorful flags were made overnight. The whole country of China celebrated the sparrow killing festival. The 'sparrow army' went into action. Prizes are announced for killing sparrows. Sparrows started to be killed in different ways. For example, when the drum was played very loudly, the sparrow flew and fell down on the ground. The egg is spoiled and the house was destroyed. Many sparrows were caught with the net. The rest of the sparrows were killed by the gun. Thus China became sparrow-free through a campaign called 'The Great Sparrow Campaign'. 1961-62. Famine appeared in China and about 20 to 30 million people died. The attack of various harmful insects on the crop fields increased to such an extent that the crops could no longer be harvested from the fields at home. Famine and death began. The country's government is shaking. Importation of sparrows started from the Soviet Union to bring the sparrows back to nature. Sparrows mainly feed on grains, grass seeds as well as numerous insects. Especially insect larvae, mites or mealybugs that hinder crop production.

Bees are small, hardworking and beneficial insects known to humans since ancient times. We get honey and wax from bees. Some types of bees are boxed and farmed to produce honey. Pollination occurs when the pollen of one flower falls into the ovary of another flower. Flower pollination increases the yield and quality of agricultural, fruit and forest plants and plays an important role in biodiversity conservation. Similarly, butterflies fly to flowers and not only eat honey but also pollinate flowers by transferring pollen. Vulture is also a known bird as nature's cleaner. As it protects us from various types of dead and rotting diseases, it also helps to maintain the balance of the environment. They keep the environment clean by eating dead and rotting carcasses, especially cows and goats. Moreover, animals like rats, snakes etc. also benefit us in one way or another.

On the other hand, free-roaming frogs play a very important role in maintaining the balance of the environment in both water and land. Frogs protect crops by eating crop insects. As a result, there is no need to apply additional pesticides to the land. So the fertility of the land is not lost. Beneficial earthworms like frogs are called plows of nature. Earthworms excrete chemicals by excreting earthworms to create 'earthworm compost'. This fertilizer is completely environmentally friendly, which can be used to increase crop production and soil fertility. The use of chemicals and pesticides is increasing day by day, due to which the health of humans and aquatic animals is facing a lot of damage along with the environment. Using earthworm compost will save the environment on the one hand, and create new jobs on the other hand.

A recent study published in the Frontiers in Science journal on biodiversity says that if you want to protect the world's most endangered species from extinction, it will be enough to save only 1.2 percent of the world's land. The analysis showed that thousands of mammals, birds, amphibians and plants could be prevented from becoming extinct if certain forest areas were protected. The research team identified 16,825 regions from Argentina to Papua New Guinea. They say that these areas should be prioritized for conservation in the next five years. By doing this, most of the world's endangered animals and plants can be saved.

Most species on Earth are rare, meaning that the species' habitats are severely restricted or threatened, or their numbers are declining at an alarming rate. This research focused more on how to protect endangered species. However, nature on Earth has not overlooked everything necessary for recovery. Scientists say that if we want to protect biodiversity, it is very important for human society to preserve the ecosystems of those animals and gradually increase the size of those ecosystems. In 2020, researchers identified half of the Earth's surface that, if protected, could prevent biodiversity loss and naturally reduce carbon emissions and their harmful effects.

The livestock of the scattered country is not well affected by the climate and the violence of the hunters. About three hundred species of wild animals have already become extinct. Hundreds more are at risk of extinction. Zoologists comment that this condition is caused by human cruelty towards nature, environmental pollution and changing climate. According to them, the danger of environmental disaster is getting stronger with time. Another 30 to 40 percent of species may become extinct in the next few years. A survey by the Wildlife Trust Bangladesh (WTB) and The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Bangladesh branch showed that already about 150 species of wild animals, 13 vertebrates, 47 species of native birds, 8 species of amphibians and 63 species of reptiles, 10 of mammals in the country. About three hundred the species has become extinct in the wild. Besides, 43 species of mammals are endangered. Similarly, 106 species of vascular plants are under threat.

According to experts, various species of these animals are disappearing due to increasing population pressure, massive deforestation, wildlife poaching, reduction of river navigability, imbalanced environment, neglect and carelessness. Various species of trees and fish are disappearing. Environmentalists fear that if this situation continues, the country will lose biodiversity at some point. It can create huge natural voids. Thus, if the forest is deforested due to poachers and human habitations in the wildlife sanctuaries, then the environment and fauna will be threatened and will cause various disasters. Therefore, public awareness and proper law enforcement are needed to protect them.

The writer is a Banker and Columnist