Study Says New York’s Wildlife Protections Lack Compared to Other States

If you thought New York lawmakers prioritize wildlife protection, think again.

As an animal lover, I am all for conservation in the name to prevent species from going extinct. The NRDC says such efforts have saved animals like the African elephant and, shockingly, the Aleutian Canada goose from extinction.

In America, animals that are still around today thanks to conservation work include the majestic red wolf, North Atlantic right whale, ivory-billed woodpecker, and countless more.

But the IFAW report says these animals are in critical danger of being wiped out should these protections roll back and these animals will likely die out by the year 2100.

In all, there are more than 1,600 endangered or threatened species across the United Stares. While some states are doing their part to ensure the next generation is able to see these creatures in the wild, others desperately need to change their tune.

Read More: Extremely Rare Wolf Pups Born at Update New York Zoo

SmileHub came out with a study ranking the states with the best protections for wildlife and, New York animal lovers will likely be appalled to see our state's rank.

New York doesn't appear on the list until you scroll down to 19th place, which is sandwiched between Hawaii and New Jersey.

When rating the Empire State solely on its legal protections and ecosystem status for endangered animals, SmileHub put both categories in 21st place.

Meanwhile, the study did find the state's support for animals among residents and lawmakers a little more favorable, in 14th place.

On another bright note, our state was also found to have the 4th most animal charities per capita nationwide.

Despite barely cracking the top 20, this signals New York has ways to go before it can brag that it's putting money where its mouth is - especially when it is home to 45 different endangered species.

As for a state New York should aspire to be more like, that would be Vermont, which was ranked the best overall in terms of wildlife conservation and protection.

The remainder of the top 5 respectively rounded out with Wyoming, Colorado, Oregon, and California.

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