A pet beautician dresses up a dog for Christmas celebrations at a pet beauty salon in Nanjing in China; (above) dogs sport outfits based on characters from Alexandre Dumas? The Three Musketeers during a dog fashion show in Russia. (Reuters)

Within each ecosystem there is a web of connections among the various species of plants, animals and micro-organisms, and between the organisms and their environment. The relationships within and between ecosystems form the ?web of life?. When we, humans beings, disturb/remove one part of that balanced ecosystem, it affects the functioning of the other parts.

As the world?s population increases, humans are encroaching upon wilderness and destroying habitats at an alarming rate. As a result, we are reducing biodiversity, causing the extinction of many plant and animal species, and ultimately threatening our own survival. We must support conservation efforts. This is how you can help.

Make space for our wildlife: When you visit a national park/zoo, make sure you obey the wildlife code. Follow fire regulations, leave flowers, birds? eggs and logs where you find them. Put your rubbish in a bin. No matter how tempting it may be, Do Not Feed The Wild Animals. Feeding wild animals makes them dependent on human food, which will ultimately lead them to starve when humans are not around.

Report people who sell wild animals/birds to police and see that the animal/bird is returned to the wild. Under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, the offender has to be jailed for no less than five years and be fined.

Never buy caged birds; they are flock animals and can?t stay alone. It is cruel and illegal. Don?t patronise any form of ?entertainment? that exploits animals.

Form a group with your parents, friends and neighbours to look after local lands and nature reserves. You can remove weeds, plant local native grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees that are more likely to attract native birds and butterflies.

Write articles/letters about threatened species to newspapers, call radio stations and request them to air your concerns. This will increase awareness and bring like-minded people together.

Keep a small bowl with water and grains for birds in your balcony; a bucket or old water basin with water outside your building for dogs and cats. Get dogs in your area sterilised and put collars around their necks. Encourage people to adopt strays. Volunteer to help your local animal shelter.

Recycle, reduce and reuse: Save energy by turning off lights, radios and the TV when you are not using them; save water.

Change your kitchen habits. Instead of wrapping food in foil or plastic wrap, use reusable containers for food storage. Use rags to wipe spills, instead of paper towels.

For shopping, plastic bags are not biodegradable and they do not decompose fully, whereas paper bags are reusable and biodegradable. If your purchase is small, don?t take any bag; this alone could save hundreds of millions of bags.

Use cloth bags instead of plastic packets for grocery and vegetable shopping.

Instead of throwing away toys, books, furniture, appliances and clothing, donate them to a hospital or children?s charity. Keep used paper in a stack and use the flip side for scrap work.

By purchasing products that are recycled, you are helping to conserve natural resources and to protect the environment.