Humans are pushing an ever-increasing number of mammals, birds, trees and plants to the brink of extinction. Gorillas, the Iberian lynx, some species of dolphins, eagles, eight types of freshwater turtles and sixteen types of albatross are all disappearing , according to the World Conservation Union, which compiles the internationally recognized "red list" of the endangered species. The 2000 list, the most comprehensive look at the chances of survival of everything from the whales to humble mosses, concludes that man is causing extinctions at 50 times the natural rate.The quadrennial report shows that 11 mammals have slipped into the critically endangered category since 1996, and one monkey, Miss Waldron's Red Colobus, has not been seen despite extensive searches in the Ivory Coast and Ghana. The global extinction crisis is as bad as or worse than believed, with dramatic declines of many species including reptiles and primates. Around one-quarter of all reptiles, one-fifth of all amphibians and one- third of all freshwater fish are described as threatened. But the report says that many plants and animals are probably becoming extinct before they have time to be discovered and properly described. Some of these are on the red list.
Species in danger are placed in categories. Most enter the red list by being classed as threatened which means they face a high risk of extinction soon. There are 11,046 plants and animals in this category. One in four mammal species and one in eight of all birds are now on the red list. "Critically endangered" means extinction is close. The Cross River gorilla falls into this category. There are only 150 to 200 left in dense forest on the Nigerian-Cameroon border. Another is the Philippine eagle, down from an original population of 6,000 to between 350 & 600. the old growth forest on which it depends is being cut down. The World Conservation Union believes that if the eagle can be saved, so, too, can 27 other species of birds in the same forest also heading for extinction. indonesia, India, Brasil & China are among the nations with the most threatened mammals and birds, while plant species are declining fastest in Central and West Africa and Southeast Asia. Written by: Paul Brown "The Guardian" Scripps Howard News Service
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