The International Union for Conservation of Nature has published a red list of almost 31,030 endangered animal species.
The situation does not get better … From the great hamster of Alsace, to the lemurs of Madagascar, via the right whale of the North Atlantic, the list of animal victims of human activity is growing, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in its new red list.
For biodiversity experts, there are about a million animal and plant species out of the estimated 8 million on Earth that are threatened with extinction, including "many in the coming decades", relayed Agence France-Presse ( AFP).
Small precision: the figures are "extrapolations based on the assessments of a fraction of the species, in particular on the famous red list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, reference in the matter which is enriched each year by studying new species. " Out of 120,372 species analyzed, 32,441 are threatened with extinction (13,898 vulnerable, 11,732 endangered and 6,811 critically endangered), or more than 25%.
This new red list explains that 103 of the 107 species of lemurs are threatened, "mainly due to deforestation and hunting" and 33 of them are critically endangered, last category before extinction.
Despite animal protection projects, some species, such as the Sahafary's lepilemur "would probably already be extinct ", says primates specialist for the organization, Russ Mittermeier.
Thirteen species of lemurs thus arrive in the category "critically endangered ", like the sifaka and the cute microcèbe, the world's smallest primate, both victims of the destruction of their habitat by slash-and-burn agriculture and logging.
Let’s not forget that in the rest of Africa, more than half of primate species (54 out of 103) are also endangered, like the long-haired colobus, now critically endangered, reports AFP.
6th mass extinction
In terms of marine life, there were less than 250 adult North Atlantic right whales in late 2018 (-15% since 2011). They are victims of collisions with ships and fishing nets, but also of ocean warming.
Perhaps surprisingly, the European hamster is in critical danger. And "if nothing changes, the species could disappear within the next 30 years ", alerts IUCN.
In the past, it was very present across Europe, as far as Russia, but today it has disappeared from three quarters of its original habitat in Alsace (where it is known as the great hamster of Alsace) and in Eastern Europe.
A female has, on average, 5 or 6 young per year, against 20 during most of the twentieth century. The development of monoculture, as well as industry, global warming or even light pollution have not helped matters.
The caterpillar fungus, "the most expensive in the world ", is labeled as" vulnerable ".
According to the statement, the parasite, which grows out of the body of a butterfly larva it colonized and killed, is highly prized in traditional Chinese medicine. And to meet demand, the crops on the Tibetan plateau where it grows have skyrocketed for fifteen years. Nicknamed "Himalayan Viagra ", the fungus has decreased by at least 30%.
"The world must act quickly to halt the decline in species populations and prevent human-induced extinctions", said Jane Smart, director of the IUCN biodiversity conservation group.
A cry for help not to be taken lightly because for many scientists, the 6th mass extinction has started.