Some of the planet's most precious species are on the verge of disappearing. So says the World Conservation Union (also called the IUCN). The group, based in Switzerland, works with governments and experts to identify threatened species and protect them. On September 12, the IUCN released its Red List, an inventory of the species at greatest risk of extinction.
The list places animal and plant species into nine categories, ranging from least concern to extinct. Of the 41,415 species listed, 16,306 are threatened with extinction. Habitat destruction, hunting and other factors threaten one in four mammals, one in eight birds and one in three amphibians.
Bad News for GorillasThe western lowland gorilla of Central Africa is especially vulnerable. Since 2004, it has moved from endangered to critically endangered status. The population has fallen by more than 60% over the last 25 years. Illegal hunting and a deadly virus are the main reasons.
"We could fit all the remaining great apes in the world into two or three large football stadiums," says Russ Mittermeier of the IUCN.
Who is to Blame?Scientists believe that 99% of threatened species are at risk because of human activity. "We are losing biodiversity at an alarming rate," Julia Marton-LefEevre, director general of the IUCN, told TFK. "We need to change our behavior."
Warmer oceans and overfishing have taken a toll on sea life. Corals and the Banggai cardinalfish made their first appearance on the list.
The gharial, a crocodile native to India and Nepal, has lost almost 60% of its population in the last 10 years. The Sumatran orangutan remains critically endangered. Both are victims of habitat destruction.
Still, the news is not all bad. Thanks to recovery efforts, the Mauritius echo parakeet moved up from critically endangered to endangered. "This shows that conservation can work," says Marton-LefEevre. "That's the message we want to send to young people."