More than half of all bird species are in decline, according to a new global assessment, with deforestation driving sharp falls in populations across the planet. On the eve of a key biodiversity summit in the UAE, scientists have issued a fresh warning about the health of bird populations, with 61% of assessed species now […]
Tag: extinction
Escape from Extinction: Rewilding review – the case for eco-tourism and trophy hunting
In 2020, producer-director Matthew Brady, in collaboration with the animal welfare charity American Humane, made a well-meaning but oddly hectoring documentary called Escape from Extinction, narrated by Helen Mirren, which took the pragmatic view that zoos were vital in preserving animal species in danger of dying out. The larger causes of environmental calamity were evidently […]
Richest nations ‘exporting extinction’ with demand for beef, palm oil and timber
The world’s wealthiest nations are “exporting extinction” by destroying 15 times more biodiversity internationally than within their own borders, research shows. Most wildlife habitats are being destroyed in countries with tropical forest, according to the study which looked at how wealthy countries’ demand for products such as beef, palm oil, timber and soya beans is […]
A ‘recipe for extinction’: can the US’s envied nature protections survive Trump and his ‘God squad’?
Donald Trump has already begun dismantling parts of the envied US endangered species protections in his quest to boost oil and gas drilling, in part using a panel with an ominous name: the God squad. A slew of early actions by the Trump administration has set about throwing open more land and waters for the […]
1 in 4 freshwater species worldwide at risk of extinction: Study
The most extensive global assessment of freshwater animals to date has revealed that a quarter of all freshwater animal species on the IUCN Red List are threatened with extinction. The largest number of these threatened species are found in East Africa’s Lake Victoria, South America’s Lake Titicaca, Sri Lanka‘s Wet Zone, and India’s Western Ghats […]
Koala deaths almost double in housing developments in south-western Sydney, data shows
Koala road deaths have nearly doubled in a development hotspot in south-western Sydney, according to conservationists who are demanding the Minns government improve protection for the endangered species in new housing areas. In a letter – signed by more than 20 community and national environment groups – to the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, […]
Giant spiders that can grow to size of human hand thriving in the UK
Thousands of giant spiders that can grow to the size of a human hand are thriving in the UK, thanks to a successful breeding programme from Chester zoo. The fen raft spider is a harmless arachnid that plays a vital role in aquatic ecosystems, but 15 years ago was on the brink of extinction because […]
Near-extinct North Atlantic right whales get a small population boost
The population of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale increased by five individuals, bringing the estimated total to 372 in 2023, according to an Oct. 22 report. The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) population has declined since 2011. However, the slight rise in recent years may signal some stability for these ocean giants, […]