As summer begins and people start planning their outdoor vacations and activities, these plans should be conscious of the environmental impact we have on the animals with whom we share the land.

The desert tortoise, native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, is listed as threatened on the U.S. Endangered Species List – their numbers have decreased 90% in the last 50 years; leaving approximately 100,000 left in the wild.

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While the desert tortoise numbers have dwindled, the raven population has exploded 16-fold over the last 25 years. These clever and predatory birds are always on the hunt for food – and the desert tortoise and their eggs are a delicacy to them.

Humans create sources of food and water for these scavenging birds with the waste we leave behind. The more trash ravens find, the larger their numbers grow and the greater threat they are to the desert tortoise.

To read more about the desert tortoise, the threats it faces, and what you can do to help, click here.