Sharks being killed for there meat and fins has resulted in them becoming much rarer in areas near to large human populations and fish markets. The body size of them and other marine predators has also fallen dramatically in these areas.
New Zealand has a long history of bird extinctions caused by human activity. Scientists have estimated that it would take 50 million years to recover lost bird species, and if birds currently under threat are allowed to go extinct, it would take 10 million years to recover them.
Elephants, one of our few remaining megaherbivores, have a huge impact on their environment. A new study has shown that they also help protect against climate change by encouraging the growth of slow growing trees that sequester more carbon from the atmosphere.
Analysis of conservation efforts in the Amazon and Orinoco basins has revealed that a total of 85 past or present projects has helped to conserve 147,000 female South American River Turtles.
Entire ecosystems are shifting north in the Great Plains of North America, according to analysis of 50 years worth of data on bird distributions. These findings could aid the development of an early-warning system for land managers.
Tiger geckos in Asia are small in numbers but extremely vulnerable to extinction. Not enough research has been conducted on these species, but what scientists do know is that they are at serious risk of becoming extinct due to the exotic pet trade and need urgent protection.
Entomologists are calling for greater research and science-based community actions to save insects. They say specific legislation is required to preserve the incredible diversity of insects, as well as addressing the huge gaps in our knowledge.
A lack of data on many amphibian species has meant that their extinction risk was unknown. A team of scientists have now used known ecological, geographical, and evolutionary attributes to model the risk…and results show that at least another 1,000 species are under threat.
Predictions about the impact of climate change on species may be inaccurate if behaviour is not taken into account. This was highlighted by new research which shows that some species may be able to mitigate the effects of higher temperatures by seeking out shade.
Scientists have reported that elephant poaching in Africa has declined, from 10% in 2011 to 4% in 2017. However, even at current poaching rates, elephants remain in serious danger of going extinct.