are narwhals endangered
Narwhals also happen to be considered the animal most threatened by climate change, even more so than polar bears. It is also worth noting that the number of narwhals killed in this incident is actually now approaching 600. Photo Credit: Glenn Williams on WikiMedia Commons under Creative Commons license. Canada Ignores Rescue Option, Kills 500 Endangered Narwhals. The Canadian government opted last week to allow the killing 500 narwhals trapped beneath ice rather than calling in icebreakers to free the animals, claiming the process would have been too stressful for the whales. Canada Ignores Rescue Option, Kills 500 Endangered Narwhals. December 3rd, 2008 by Alex Felsinger. The Canadian government opted last week to allow the killing 500 narwhals trapped beneath ice rather than calling in icebreakers to free the animals, claiming the process would have been too stressful for the whales. The narwhal looks like a cross between a whale and a unicorn with its long, spiraled tusk jutting from its head. Males most commonly have tusks, and some may even have two. The tusk, which can grow as long as 10 feet, is actually an enlarged tooth. Ongoing research by WWF collaborators indicates that the tusk has sensory capability, with up to 10 million nerve endings inside. 1 The skin of the narwhal, called maktaq by Canadian Inuit, is eaten both raw and boiled, and the meat is eaten by the people, or fed to sled dogs.  The tusk of the narwhal, made of ivory, is used for carving.Crafts made from this ivory are sold and can be an important source of income for Inuit artists. Narwhals are hunted by some northern indigenous cultures. This subsistence hunt provides food and materials for traditional needs. The skin of the narwhal, called maktaq by Canadian Inuit, is eaten both raw and boiled, and the meat is eaten by the people, or fed to sled dogs. Whales, like the narwhal, are at the top of the food chain and have an important role in the overall health of the marine environment. Narwhals are also culturally important to indigenous communities in the Arctic. In Danger of Extinction: Narwhals are becoming more and more extinct every day. Narwhals were officially listed as an endangered species in 2008. Narwhals are listed as endangered in Alaska, Canada, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, the Netherlands, Russia, Jan Mayen, Svalbard, and the United Kingdom. One reason they are dying out is because of global warming. Global warming is the biggest threat to narwhals and other arctic sea life. The tusk is actually the whale's upper left canine tooth. Male narwhals commonly have a single tusk though may also have two tusks or less commonly no tusk present. Females often have no tusk though may present with one tusk and occasionally two tusks. The tusk may play a role in male dominance and in addition, ongoing research by the WWF collaborators at Narwhal Tusk Research indicates that the tusk has sensory capability, with its millions of open sensory tubules. “Every Canadian should hang their head in shame at this atrocious environmental crime.”. Correction: Narwhals are in fact merely a threatened species, not endangered. However, there appear to be around 45,000 still in existence, meaning this killing spree wiped out a large chunk of the population.
Yes, Narwhals are listed as endangered in Alaska, Canada, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, the Netherlands, Russia, Jan Mayen, Svalbard, and the United Kingdom.