Endangered due to ignorance.

Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams is a book that is able to humor readers as they go through the adventures of traveling abroad to find endangered species. More importantly it makes readers question, why is this animal important to me, whether it survives or not? Initially, I was quite oblivious to the way this book would impact me. I immediately began to recognize my own ignorance as I realized in the beginning the fact that species were endangered or extinct did not bother me. It was people like me who caused these irreversible actions that led to the loss of the uniqueness of the planet. As Adams captured my attention in presenting a variety of species throughout the book and why they were beginning to be on the brink of extinction I saw the underlying common factor, humans. Humans tend to use land and resources that were once sacred habitats as means of whatever is most useful, or more likely what is most valuable for them. We make decisions to interrupt the natural roles of areas, which then impact multiple species on several ecological levels. The damage is done but we have gotten what was in our best interest. Adams suggested in the last part of the book that because of the extinction of the dodo we are “sadder and wiser” (204). On the next page Adams says “…we are now sadder and wiser but there’s a lot of evidence to suggest that we are merely sadder and better informed” (205). There is a valid point in these statements; we should have become wise because of the extinction, but as usual we failed to gain knowledge from a devastating loss. Although everyone’s passion might not be to save endangered species, the ones that do obtain that needed passion should not have to work alone. Others need to become aware of ways they can help also. It is only when people like Mark and Douglas take time to bring our attention to the numerous species that are endangered, do we even realize that we have created a problem. Adams make intrigues readers with his last statement “I have a terrible feeling that we are in trouble” (206). Adams leaves us with this remark to say that even after he has talked about so many different animals in danger we are really the ones in danger. We have to become more wise and aware of what we are losing. He thinks that humans’ destructive nature is more dangerous than anything else because the lack of understanding the uniqueness in the world we are losing. Our human mentality will be more difficult to change than preserving the last of any species. And Adams concluded this book best in his epilogue when he states why anyone should care, “And it is simply this: the world would be a poorer, darker, lonelier place without them”(213). Only wisdom on our behalf could see the importance every animal and plant has in our world. We should help in any way possible to keep them all in existence.