For many people, a huge part of traveling is seeing creatures they can't see at home. Think about the thrill of seeing bison in Yellowstone National Park, alligators in Florida and moose in Maine. Getting to see these animals IRL helps us feel closer to nature and that's good for us and for them.
But unfortunately, in some places, wildlife is in danger and may even face extinction. And a new study from Lake.com has evaluated all 50 states in terms of extinction danger for animals, fish, plants and even insects, places where we most need to pay attention to protecting wildlife.
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The study relies on data from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Environmental Conservation Online System and biodiversity data collector NatureServe. And with the World Wildlife Federation recently saying that wildlife populations have decreased a stunning 73-percent since the 1970s, we all need to pay attention.
The state with the most likelihood of wildlife extinction is Hawaii, which is home to 489 endangered species including but certainly not limited to: the Hawaiian monk seal, Hawaiian green sea turtle, Hawaiian hoary bat, Nene (Hawaiian goose) and Oahu tree snail. (The Pono Pledge helps visitors do a better job of protecting wildlife.)
After that, California follows with 293 endangered species, such as the California red-legged frog, the northern spotted owl, and the giant kangaroo rat. And finally, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida each have around 135 endangered species. A few of those include fish like the Pygmy Madtom in Tennessee and the Alabama sturgeon. In Florida, the Florida panther is an endangered puma. On the other side of the situation, Vermont is the safest place for species, with only six endangered species.
Many places are making changes to ensure visitors don't harm wildlife, such as at Sequoia National Park in California, where visitors to Crystal Cave must step in a footbath to ensure they don't carry white-nose syndrome to the bats inside. Here's hoping that more travel destinations will start taking that kind of care and consideration to its animal residents and neighbors.
Here are the U.S. states with the most endangered species:
1. Hawaii
2. California
3. Tennessee
4. Alabama
5. Florida
6. Virginia
7. Texas
8. Georgia
9. Kentucky
10. Arizona