A species, whether it be a plant or animal, does not simply become extinct overnight. It is a slow process with many different factors to blame. More often than not, those factors are natural.

We know there have been mass extinctions or a short period when a large number of species go extinct. So far, there have been five: the Ordovician-Silurian Extinction, Devonian Extinction, Permian-Triassic Extinction, Triassic-Jurassic Extinction, and Cretaceous-tertiary Extinction.

When will the next mass extinction begin? Many researchers believe that we are already living in it. According to the University of California Museum of Paleontology, “The Holocene is the name given to the last ~10,000 years of the Earth’s history — the time since the end of the last major glacial epoch, or ‘ice age.’ Since then, there have been small-scale climate shifts — notably the ‘Little Ice Age’ between about 1200 and 1700 A.D. — but in general, the Holocene has been a relatively warm period in between ice ages.”

Other than the rise of human civilization, this period is best characterized by the increase in annual species extinctions. Lately, human activity has played a hand in speeding up this natural process. Some of these harmful activities include but are not limited to pollution, logging, poaching, and overhunting.

However, it is not too late to save endangered species from extinction. With continuous protection and conservation efforts, the Giant Panda, Louisiana Black Bear, American Alligator, Gray Wolf, and many other species are no longer endangered. You can join in the fight by donating to these outstanding organizations: