EcoRadio

Tag: extinction

  • • Humans continue to wipe out closest relatives

    • Humans continue to wipe out closest relatives

    The Eastern Gorilla
    The Eastern Gorilla is one of four great apes added to the Critically Endangered list this week.

    The world’s largest primate is now critically endangered due to illegal hunting. The Eastern Gorilla is the latest victim of a phenomena known as extinction investment where the market for endangered animals spikes in anticipation of their disappearance, thereby accelerating the process. Ironically, efforts by national governments to protect an endangered species, serve to heighten the value in this speculative market.

    Great Apes Face Extinction 

    The Eastern Gorilla – the largest living primate – has been listed as Critically Endangered due to illegal hunting, as are four out of six great ape species – only one step away from going extinct – with the remaining two also under considerable threat of extinction. The Red List now includes 82,954 species of which 23,928 are threatened with extinction.

    http://drkinesa.blogspot.com.au/2016/09/earths-future-at-risk-as-great-apes.html

  • Elephant population collapses under weight of poaching

    Elephant population collapses under weight of poaching

    Two thirds of Africa’s forest elephants have been wiped out by poaching in the last decade. An estimated 100,000 elephants have been killed by poachers in that period. The population of elephants has fallen from around 20 million animals to less than one third of a million. At current rates there will be no elephants left by 2045. The illegal trade in wild animal parts is worth 23 billion dollars each year. At $60,000 a kilo rhino horn is a big part of this. Over 1,200 rhinoceri where killed in 2015. Dr David Bowman of the University of Tasmania has suggested releasing elephants and other megafauna into the Australian wild as one possible solution.
    Bring elephants to Australia?
    Dr David Bowman suggests that we could save megafauna and control feral plant pests at the same time.
    Elephants Are Disappearing At Accelerated Rate 
    Prior to European Colonization, scientists believe that Africa held as many as 20 million elephants; by 1979 only 1.3 million remained — and the current census reveals Africa’s elephant population has been devastated to 352,271 animals.
    It’s time to get Serious About Wildlife Crime 
    The illegal wildlife trade generates up to $23 billion annually and threatens Africa’s species with extinction. See the complete 2015 Wildlife Crime Infographic and more: