The Age of Extinctions!
THE world is facing an animal extinction crisis, and Australia is a key culprit, the largest assessment of biodiversity ever undertaken shows.
One in five Australian mammal species is in danger of dying out, the highest proportion of any developed country, the global survey of more than 44,000 animal and plant species found.
The iconic Murray cod, once hauled from the Murray in the tens of thousands, is regarded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as critically endangered, alongside even rarer animals such as the Sumatran orangutan and Africa’s mountain gorilla.
The destruction of wild forests and rivers by urban development and agriculture is the biggest cause of extinctions, the conservation union’s annual report said.
In Australia, the Murray cod is joined by 64 other critically endangered species, a classification which means a species is one step away from extinction in the wild. The cod is under threat from changes to its Riverina habitat, and from fishing. Numbers are being maintained by the release of fish spawned in hatcheries.
Of the 5487 mammal species surveyed globally, 1139 hold the status “threatened” or worse, meaning that they are regarded as at risk of extinction.
Pity if we can only see wildlife in zoos in future! I went to a client’s new business launch some months back, at the zoo in a wonderful architectural pavilion with huge glass walls onto the tiger and orangutan habitats. As the humans ate and drank more the beautiful orang-utan looked at us performing with mystified eyes.
Technorati Tags: Age of Extinction, animal extinction, Australia, biodiversity, global warming, Sumatran orangutan, African mountain gorilla
Save Money with Simple and Effective Management SystemsJean Cannon is an award winning consultant and trainer helping people and businesses around the world who want to save money by implementing simple and effective management systems. Sign up to discover how YOU can save money with sensible energy management and ISO 14001.
