Latest news with #IUCN
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
Nature's red alert: 5 species that went extinct while we watched
The last few years were quite ominous for conservationists and wildlife lovers everywhere. Climate change, deforestation, and pollution have long been known as causes of extinction, but 2019 to 2024 saw a rapid increase in species going extinct. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The official announcement of extinction is not to be taken lightly and takes years, and very often decades, of intensive surveys and ecological information. The following are five species that were officially confirmed as extinct between 2019 and 2024, using official sources such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and national environmental departments. Chinese Paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) Credit: Wikipedia Confirmed extinct: July 2022 (IUCN) Last spotted: Early 2000s Habitat: Yangtze River, China One of the world's largest freshwater fish, the Chinese paddlefish, was officially declared extinct in 2022. Reaching more than 7 meters in length, it was a top predator in the Yangtze River for millions of years. But dam building (particularly the Gezhouba Dam), overfishing, and habitat fragmentation put an end to its life. No one has been seen despite exhaustive search campaigns since 2003. The paddlefish was considered "functionally extinct" in 2019 before it was delisted from the IUCN Red List in 2022. Mountain Mist Frog (Litoria nyakalensis) Announced extinct: October 2020 (IUCN) Last recorded: 1990 Distribution: Queensland, Australia This rare frog had previously inhabited the rainforests of uplands in northeastern Australia. It started declining in the latter half of the 20th century due to the transmission of chytrid fungus, a highly lethal pathogen on amphibians globally. By 1990, the species was completely extinct. It was officially declared extinct by the IUCN in 2020, after intense surveys had failed to provide any indication of its continuation. Poʻouli (Melamprosops phaeosoma) Credit: Wikipedia Declared extinct: 2021 (U.S. Fish & Wildlife), 2024 (IUCN) Last seen: 2004 Habitat: Maui, Hawaii The Poʻouli, a honeycreeper native to Hawaii, was a bird that inhabited forests with exceptional feeding habits and a distinctive look. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It was first discovered in 1973, and its population quickly dwindled because of habitat loss, introduced predators such as rats and cats, and disease transmitted by mosquitoes. The last recorded specimen died in captivity in 2004. In 2021, the U.S. formally recommended its delisting as an endangered species because it had gone extinct. IUCN also verified the status of extinction in 2024. Campo Grande Tree Frog (Boana cymbalum) Declared extinct: 2023 (IUCN) Last spotted: Only once in 1968 Habitat: São Paulo, Brazil Recorded from a single locality and observation in 1968, this Brazilian tree frog has not been seen since targeted searching. Urbanization at speed, pollution, and deforestation of forested habitats led to its suspected extinction. In 2023, the IUCN officially declared the Campo Grande tree frog to be extinct, another case of how biodiversity can be lost before a species can even be scientifically examined. Cheongpung Blind-Beetle (Coreoblemus parvicollis) Declared extinct: 2023 (IUCN) Last observed: Unknown Habitat: Cheongpung, South Korea A subsurface cave beetle restricted to a limited region of South Korea, the beetle went unnoticed when it silently became extinct after environmental alterations due to dam construction and flooding in the area. Its extinction was authenticated by the IUCN in 2023. Lacking its unknown nature, very little information is available, which is usually true with underground or micro-endemic organisms. Is this nature warning us against a bigger threat? These five species are among the hundreds that could be lost this decade. Every extinction carries a greater message: the Earth's biodiversity is in trouble. Over 47,000 species are threatened with extinction, and many will likely go silently into oblivion without ever being globally noticed, states the IUCN Red List. Whereas extinction is irreversible, activist conservation, restoration of habitats, and international cooperation can reverse this trend. The question remains: Will we do so before the next one is erased from the list.
The Guardian
9 hours ago
- Science
- The Guardian
Rare maccoa ducklings hatch at Chester zoo for first time
Chester zoo has successfully hatched one of Africa's rarest species of duck for the first time. It said the successful breeding of four maccoa ducklings formed part of growing efforts to safeguard Africa's most threatened species. The maccoa population in the wild is estimated to be only 5,000, and recent surveys found only 14 in Kenya and fewer than 100 in Tanzania. The ducklings are now in Chester zoo's Heart of Africa zone, a 22.5-acre habitat supporting endangered African species. The habitat is home to 57 species of animals including giraffes, zebras and ostriches. Andrew Owen, the head of birds at Chester zoo, said: 'These ducklings are very special as they're the first of their kind to ever hatch here at the zoo, making it a really historic moment for our team. 'This success gives a real boost to the future of the species and these vital new additions will contribute to the safety-net population in zoos. These birds are facing rapid decline in the wild, so every hatchling really does count.' The zoo is just one of seven in Europe, and 12 globally, that care for the ducks and it hopes to play a vital role in their survival. Maccoa ducks are found in nutrient-rich freshwater wetland and lakes. They can be seen diving for food and are known for features such as stiff tails and deep-blue bills. They are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) red list of threatened species. Water pollution and climate change has led to their habitats degrading and the species' rapid decline. Bird conservationists at the zoo say their successful hatchings will help the long-term protection of the ducks.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
Blue-eyed ground dove: Three chicks hatch from one of the world's rarest bird species
Conservationists say there is new hope for one of the world's rarest bird species, after three chicks hatched as part of a breeding are thought to be just 11 adult blue-eyed ground doves in the wild, so experts from the UK, Brazil and the US have teamed up to try and save the species from Bosso, is the technical director of Parque das Aves, the bird sanctuary in Brazil where the new chicks said: "Seeing these chicks is exciting. Each hatching represents a real chance to reverse the fate of this species. It is a joy and also a great responsibility." Experts say the species, which is only found in Brazil, is quite a mysterious more than 70 years there were no confirmed sightings, that is until 2015 when it was to the IUCN Red List the species is critically endangered, its numbers are said to have declined due to habitat loss driven by farming and timber try and help save the species, a team of Brazilian and international bird conservationists - including some from Chester Zoo in the UK - started to incubate a number of eggs that were laid in the wild to create a population in human care. Conservationists say the arrival of the three chicks has boosted the survival odds of the are currently being hand-reared by a team of experts at the sanctuary in Owen, who is the head of birds at Chester Zoo, travelled to Brazil to help with the says "the long term aim is to have a viable insurance population" that can help to reinforce numbers in the is also taking place to maintain habitats in the Cerrado, which is an area of tropical savanna in Brazil, so that the birds in human care can eventually be released and boost the wild population.
CairoScene
3 days ago
- General
- CairoScene
Rare Egyptian Vulture Spotted Feeding Its Newborn In AlUla
This wouldn't be the first time an Egyptian vulture made headlines in Saudi Arabia. Could mother vulture secretly be scoping our real estate in AlUla? In what conservationists are calling a "major milestone" and what the chick is calling "hungry," a rare Egyptian vulture has been spotted feeding its newborn in the cliffs of AlUla's Sharaan National Park. This marks the first-ever recorded vulture nest in the area - and possibly the only time a vulture has gone viral for good behavior. The Egyptian vulture, once sacred to Pharaohs and now listed as Endangered by the IUCN (which is like the DMV of endangered species but with more feathers), is a bird of many talents. It's known to use tools, which puts it slightly ahead of most toddlers and several adults on TikTok. It uses rocks to smash eggs, sticks to collect wool, and presumably a spreadsheet to plan its nesting schedule. Experts estimate there are about 50 breeding pairs left in Saudi Arabia. AlUla, however, seems to be leading the comeback tour, with at least three breeding territories recorded this year and up to 10 potentially scoping out real estate. So yes, a baby vulture has hatched. And for once, it's not a bad omen but an ecological win.
National Observer
3 days ago
- Science
- National Observer
Up the creek without a paddle: protecting Canada's freshwater
Water can be a battleground. From disputes over dwindling river flows to tensions over pollution and privatization, access to clean, abundant fresh water is no longer guaranteed. Yet in Canada, we often act as if it is. With some of the largest fresh water reserves in the world, we've long taken both their quality and quantity for granted. But as pressures mount — driven by climate change, industrial demands and competing interests — freshwater ecosystems and the species they support are increasingly at risk. These ecosystems sustain an extraordinary diversity of life, including 10 per cent of all known species on Earth. Their health is inseparable from our own, and the choices we make now will determine whether they remain a source of life — or conflict — in the years to come. Despite this, a report earlier this year by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) indicated that 18 per cent of freshwater animals are now at risk of extinction. This has the potential to spell disaster for Canada, which is home to 20 per cent of the world's fresh water, including seven per cent of renewable fresh water and 25 per cent of all wetlands. Sadly, while this news is alarming, it is unfortunately not surprising. Research shows that for freshwater species in Canada, 12 per cent of plants and animals are at risk. This number is significantly higher for some groups, with 19 per cent of freshwater fish, 20 per cent of freshwater-dependent birds, and 36 per cent of freshwater amphibians and reptiles facing the threat of extinction. And this is only for those species where we have robust data. A lack of available information about many species, particularly in the North, could mean that the number of species at risk could be higher. The threats to these vital ecosystems are extensive and growing as human disturbance to landscapes increases. Run-off from agriculture and mining, damming the rivers, climate change and the relentless spread of invasive species are putting more pressure on fresh water than ever before. At WCS Canada, we are seeing these threats and their impacts play out in real time. In Ontario, in partnership with Moose Cree First Nation, our work focuses on lake sturgeon as an indicator of the wider health of the waters of the Moose Cree homeland, allowing us to understand the cumulative effects of climate change and development on freshwater ecosystems. Sturgeon are long-lived, slow-growing and migratory, which puts them at risk from habitat changes, like dams and other water-flow alterations. Even in Canada, where we have more free-flowing rivers and sturgeon face less pressure than other areas globally, 67 per cent of sturgeon species are at risk. The diverse, growing nature of the cumulative threats facing fresh water requires an equally diversified approach to tackling the problem, write In the Yukon, our team has also seen how climate change is impacting populations of salmon, representing a growing crisis for thousands of people living near rivers in the region. The Yukon River chinook and chum are hitting record lows, due in large part to the cumulative impacts of mining and climate change. The diverse, growing nature of the cumulative threats facing fresh water requires an equally diversified approach to tackling the problem. For example, one important step is ensuring that the potential benefits of development projects are fully assessed against the full suite of negative impacts they could have upon surrounding ecosystems. Likewise, it's critical that the handful of rivers in Canada that are completely free-flowing remain undammed, so refuges remain for freshwater wildlife, and we can collectively continue to benefit from the ecosystem services they provide. It's also critical that we look to the leadership of First Nations to inform conservation policy for fresh water and identify future protected areas to be considered as part of land-use planning in the face of a warming planet. Our lives are intimately connected to those of the flora and fauna that call these ecosystems home. While the challenge facing these ecosystems is huge, it also represents an opportunity for Canada to demonstrate the proactive, forward-thinking leadership required to preserve the country's two million lakes and over 8,500 rivers. If we do nothing, the continuing cycle of extraction, mineral exploration and pollution will leave us up the creek without a paddle. Instead, let's all grab a paddle and pull in the same direction. Connie O'Connor is a freshwater ecologist and conservation biologist dedicated to finding conservation solutions for the globally important freshwater ecosystems of Canada's boreal forests, and the people and the wildlife that rely on them.
