ANIMAL SUCCESS STORIES In 1973, the United States government passed into law the Endangered Species Act(ESA). Its three major goals were: 1, to protect plants and animals from extinction by listing them as endangered; 2. to preserve the habitat of these species, 3. to help populations of listed species recover. Because of these conservation efforts, many animals have been brought back from near extinction Here are three such success stories. Bald eagle It is fitting that we begin with the story of the bald eagle, the national symbol of the United States, There was an abundance of bald eagles in North America before the arrival of Europeans, numbering an estimated half a million birds. By 1963, however, the population had dropped to fewer than 1,000. Hunting was certainly a major factor in this decline, as was the destruction of habitat. But the biggest factor was DDT-a chemical widely used in insect sprays. It had a damaging effect on the eagles' eggs. making their shells so thin so that they broke easily and exposed the frail baby birds inside which die soon after The 1972 ban on DDT was the single most important factor in the revival of the bald eagle. Being listed as an endangered species gave the birds additional protection. Bald eagle populations are now carefully monitored, and baby eagles are raised under human protection later to be released into the wild. Thanks to these efforts, the number of eagles in the United States has grown markedly and the birds can be seen in many national parks. In August 2007, bald eagles were removed from the ESA list Grizzly bear Another classic symbol of North American wildlife is the grizzly bear. Before the Europeans arrived, more than 50,000 grizzlies wandered the American West. Today, due to hunting and habitat destruction, that number is closer to 1,000.