World Animal Day ( World Animal Day ), or World Animal Day, celebrated worldwide on October 4, was established at the International Congress of Conservationists, held in 1931 in Florence ( Italy ), and is designed to draw the attention of mankind to the problems of the rest of the inhabitants of the planet.
The date of October 4 was chosen for the reason that this day is known as the day of remembrance of Catholic St. Francis of Assisi ( Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, 1181/1182 — 1226 ), which is considered the patron saint of animals. Churches in a number of countries hold services dedicated to World Animal Day, either on October 4 or on a day close to that date.
Animal Welfare Societies annually organize a variety of mass events and events dedicated to Day. In Russia, this date has been celebrated since 2000 at the initiative of the International Fund for the Protection of Animals.
According to the World Wildlife Fund ( WWF ), three species of animals disappear on Earth every hour, 70 species of flora and fauna of the planet disappear daily, and a quarter of all species of flora and fauna will cease to exist in the near future. Between 1970 and 2016, the number of mammalian, bird, amphibian, reptile, and fish populations decreased by an average of 68%.
In Russia, the Red Book of the Russian Federation is the most important mechanism for protecting rare and endangered species of animals. The list of objects of the animal world listed in it includes more than 400 species of animals. Strategies are also being developed and implemented to preserve certain rare and endangered species of animals — Amur tiger, Far Eastern leopard, snow leopard, polar bear, zubra, Sakhalin Kabarga. Environmental legislation is being reformed to protect and preserve rare and endangered species of animals and their habitats. Federal laws are created and improved that fundamentally change a person’s attitude to the environment.
Moreover, this concerns the protection of not only wild animals, but also domestic animals, since there have been more and more examples of ill-treatment in recent years. In many Western European countries, it is believed that — pets are part of the family, and they have the same rights as its other members.
Russia firmly holds the second place in the world after the United States in the number of pets. In every third Russian family live « smaller brothers ».
In recent years, World Animal Day events have been held in more than 60 countries.
Infographics – poster « October 4 — World Animal Day »
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