Two centuries ago, extinctions were rare. Islands were hotspots, losing flightless bird species like the dodo and other animals that were hunted out of existence by European traders and colonists or killed off by introduced rats and cats. The Industrial Revolution changed that: Extinction rates soared across continents, roughly paralleling the exponential growth in human […]
Tag: iucn red list
New standard brings best practices to bear in Nepal’s red panda conservation
KATHMANDU — Conservationists in Nepal have introduced a new standard for efforts to protect the red panda, in the hope of translating successful initiatives in the country’s east to threatened habitats in the central and western hilly regions. The voluntary Red Panda Governance Standard, developed with the help of two Australian universities, looks at best […]
In Chile, drought and human expansion threaten a unique national park
La Campana National Park, located in Chile’s Valparaíso region, is considered a jewel. It’s a biodiversity oasis in one of the most densely populated areas of the country. Inside the park live plant species from the north, central and even south of Chile, although the latter are accustomed to higher humidity than this area provides. […]
Conservation Group Finds Tiger Population Is 40% Larger Than Previously Thought
It’s no secret that tigers are struggling and their numbers have dwindled in the wild. It’s always bad news when we hear it, but it seems as if some good news is now in order. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recently assessed the tiger population and estimates that it has increased […]
Parrots of the Caribbean: Birding tourism offers hope for threatened species
JENNINGS MOUNTAIN, St. Vincent and the Grenadines — The destruction was terrible, but the silence was even worse. Yvette Pereira had just walked up the road to the farm she owned on St. Vincent, an island located between St. Lucia, Grenada and Barbados in the Lesser Antilles. “It was like in a nightmare. It was […]
Monkey Deaths Reported On Plane Following US Import Of 720 Macaques From Cambodia
Monkeys lost their lives over the weekend during a lengthy transit undertaken for the purposes of animal testing, according to reports. As part of the experiments, 720 long-tailed macaques were flown from Cambodia to Houston, Texas. It’s believed that they were set to undergo toxicology tests. The monkeys traveled by air for a total of […]
What the Mauritius kestrel can teach us about wildlife reintroductions
They were once considered the most threatened bird in the world: with just four remaining individuals on the island in 1974, the Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus) seemed doomed to extinction. Now, it’s a conservation marvel, acting as an example for the translocation and reintroduction of other species too. A team of scientists from five organizations […]
IUCN to Help Endangered Animals ‘Thrive, Not Just Survive’
According to the Guardian, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has launched a conservation tool to help threatened and endangered animals and plants recover from population loss. The IUCN red list is an updated list of endangered species and how close they are to extinction. Mountain gorilla and Bayard’s adder’s-mouth orchid are […]