Nearing the conclusion of a sometimes fractious two-week meeting, nations of the world agreed on a historic package of measures deemed critical to addressing the dangerous loss of biodiversity and restoring natural ecosystems. Convened under UN auspices, chaired by China, and hosted by Canada, the 15th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological… Continue reading UN Biodiversity Convention adopted the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
Tag: endangered species
69% average decline in wildlife populations since 1970: WWF
The report identifies several key drivers of biodiversity decline including habitat loss, species overexploitation, invasive species, pollution, climate change and diseases. Monitored populations of vertebrates (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish) have seen a devastating 69% drop on average since 1970, according to World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Living Planet Report 2022. Populations in Latin America and the Caribbean have fared worst,… Continue reading 69% average decline in wildlife populations since 1970: WWF
Could the Yarlung Tsangpo canyon be China’s next big national park?
Shi Yi Experts say the river’s Grand Canyon area, a haven for many species, should be designated a national park to show China’s commitment to protecting biodiversity he Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon is a dream destination for many biologists and explorers, its forests a constant source of sightings of rare animals and species new to… Continue reading Could the Yarlung Tsangpo canyon be China’s next big national park?
Tuna species commercially harvested is on recovery, while Komodo Dragon is endangered: IUCN Redlist
IUCN actively supports the development of an ambitious Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ and Red List Index will be used to track progress towards species conservation targets. Four commercially-fished tuna species are on the path to recovery thanks to the enforcement of regional fishing quotas over the last decade,… Continue reading Tuna species commercially harvested is on recovery, while Komodo Dragon is endangered: IUCN Redlist
Human-wildlife Conflicts, one of the Greatest Threats to Iconic Species
Conflict between people and animals, from China’s famed wandering elephants raiding farms for food and water to wolves preying on cattle in Idaho, is one of the main threats to the long-term survival of some of the world’s most iconic species, warns a new report from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the UN Environment Program (UNEP). Human-wildlife conflict… Continue reading Human-wildlife Conflicts, one of the Greatest Threats to Iconic Species
African Elephant Species Critically Endangered
Following population declines over several decades due to poaching for ivory and loss of habitat, the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is now listed as Critically Endangered and the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Previously, African elephants were treated as a single species, listed as Vulnerable; this… Continue reading African Elephant Species Critically Endangered
Discovering Hoolock Gibbons in Assam
Benjamin Kaman A new subspecies of the western hoolock gibbon has been described recently from northeastern India, which has been named the Mishmi Hills hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock mishmiensis). Gibbon is the only ape species found in Indian subcontinent. The uniqueness of Hoolock Gibbon is that it is found in only three countries in the… Continue reading Discovering Hoolock Gibbons in Assam
Study Finds Climate Crisis Driving Great White Sharks Into Colder Waters, With Devastating Effect on Wildlife
Brett Wilkins Warming oceans—a key measure of the climate crisis—are forcing great white sharks into colder waters, where they are causing a devastating decrease in wildlife populations, according to new research reported Tuesday by The Guardian. The sharks are not the problem—climate change is the problem. —Kyle Van Houtan, Monterey Bay Aquarium The study, led by researchers at… Continue reading Study Finds Climate Crisis Driving Great White Sharks Into Colder Waters, With Devastating Effect on Wildlife
European bison recovering, but freshwater dolphins face extinction: IUCN Red List
While the European bison (Bison bonasus), Europe’s largest land mammal, has moved from Vulnerable to Near Threatened due to conservation efforts, the latest IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ update, also warns that 31 species moved into the Extinct category, and all of the world’s freshwater dolphin species are now threatened with extinction. There are now… Continue reading European bison recovering, but freshwater dolphins face extinction: IUCN Red List
US Coral Reefs vulnerable and in a state of decline
Coral reefs in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans received a “fair” score in the first-ever condition status report for U.S. coral reefs released by NOAA and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES). While the overall scores were “fair,” the report highlights coral reefs are vulnerable and declining. This is the first… Continue reading US Coral Reefs vulnerable and in a state of decline