With an estimated 40 percent of species on earth now considered endangered, many wonder how it’s possible for these animals to be wiped out. The Onion provides a step-by-step breakdown of how species go extinct:
STEP 1
Organisms worldwide make the ill-advised choice to coexist on same planet
STEP 2
Developing nations suddenly feel entitled to modern industry
STEP 3
Conservation status of each species determined by calculating its population over time, annual breeding rate, and number of favorable references in pop culture
STEP 4
Greenpeace volunteer sidestepped
STEP 5
Poachers adapt and evolve to survive the threat of new conservation laws within their ecosystem
STEP 6
World Wildlife Fund pledge drive comes up $300 short of saving the hawksbill sea turtle
STEP 7
Diligent Wikipedia contributor solemnly makes it official
STEP 8
Cockroaches continue to lie low