Face of young hedgehog climbing on a piece of wood
Many types of plant, animal and mammal species globally are at risk of extinction. Over 1 million species are threatened with extinction within the next few decades – an unprecedented rate, according to IPBES – the intergovernmental scientific body on biodiversity. According to the United Nations, the world is going through a triple planetary crisis and the loss of nature is one of the crises, the other two being climate change, pollution and waste.
Thankfully, many scientists are actively tracking the extinction rates of thousands of species to better understand the threats they face. Many such species are documented on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. This Red List is one of the world’s most comprehensive sources of information on the global threat status of various species. The latest update of the Red List, released last month during the 16th UN Biodiversity Conference in Colombia, included an assessment of trees for the first time. The latest update also brings the total number of estimated species to 166,061. Of these, 46,337 species are now listed as threatened. The high number illustrates the urgent reality of nature loss and the risk that many species will disappear forever without effective conservation.
While we know that human activities are driving the loss of nature, many may be unaware of the reasons that are driving certain species to critically low numbers. Here, we take a closer look at three hand-picked species from the press release of the latest update from the Red List that have climbed onto the extinction radar. Although the red list briefly lists why these species are threatened, scientists and ecologists have investigated some unique reasons for extinction in more detail. Some of these reasons are unique and unusual, so it is worth paying attention to them.
Endangered European hedgehog – victims of traffic collisions
European hedgehogs (Photo by Damien MEYER/AFP) (Photo by DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images)
European hedgehogs are small spiny mammals with thousands of spines packed closely on their backs. While once widely seen throughout Europe, recent evidence shows a dramatic population decline. For example, in the past 20 years, up to three-quarters of Britain’s rural hedgehog population has been lost, according to The State of Britain’s Hedgehogs report published in 2022. In the last publication of the Red List, the hedgehog moved up the risk classification category from Least Concern to Near Threatened. This status may further escalate to threatened if conservation efforts are not intensified.
One reason for the decline in their population is road accidents. Hedgehogs are particularly vulnerable to vehicles because their instinct in response to danger is to duck and freeze. It is estimated that up to 335,000 hedgehogs die each year on UK roads.
Interesting campaigns are already underway to protect the remaining population of hedgehogs. In the UK, the Hedgehog Street campaign aims to ensure that hedgehogs remain a familiar part of British life. Among other valuable things, such as creating space to support the movement of hedgehogs through home gardens, the campaign also has instructions on what to do if you find an injured hedgehog on the street. Other similar initiatives to protect hedgehogs include Danmarks Pindsvin in Denmark, which involves counting the country’s hedgehog population at an annual event in August.
Pygmy Elephants of Asia In danger of extinction– Prefer degraded areas
Bornean elephants as some of the smallest elephant species in the world
Asian pygmy elephants, also known as Bornean elephants, were listed as endangered earlier this year. Only about 1,000 Bornean elephants remain in the wild, mostly in the forests of northeastern Borneo, Malaysia and Indonesia. At less than 8.2 meters tall, slightly taller than humans, they are characterized as some of the smallest elephant species in the world.
A major reason for their population decline is their preference for degraded areas. These elephants live on the fringes of protected forests, usually characterized as degraded or secondary forests, often without priority for conservation, and places that are targeted for conversion to agricultural land. Ecologists deduced this elephant preference by observing the behavior through field data. They tracked 29 elephants with GPS collars and found that they roamed around areas with lower tree heights and forest gaps, allowing them easier movement than dense primary forests.
The unique preference of these small elephants highlights an interesting fact: degraded areas are just as important to conserve. And reforestation is only sometimes the right solution. Bornean elephants are not the only species that thrive in degraded areas. Other species, including those in the savannas of Africa, also thrive in such regions, emphasizing that it is essential to pay attention to such species and their preferences for degraded areas in conservation efforts.
Reptiles of Gran Canaria In danger of extinction– Preyed By Pet Cats
The Gran Canaria giant lizard (Gallotia stehlini) is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. … [+]
Reptiles in Gran Canaria are facing an increasing risk of extinction. In the latest Red List update, the extinction status of the Gran Canaria Giant Lizard was raised from Least Concern to Critically Endangered and the Gran Canaria Skink was classified as Endangered. Endemic to the Canary Islands, these reptiles have seen their population decline by 50% since 2014. A major reason for their decline is invasive species, especially cats.
Pet cats preying on local wildlife are among the main reasons Gran Canaria’s reptiles are dwindling in numbers, according to a recent study in Journal of Nature Conservation. There are around 50,000 domestic cats on the island, each preying on an average of 27 animals a year, amounting to over 150 million prey – including reptiles, birds and small mammals – each year. This study also draws attention to the urgent need to manage free-roaming domestic cats on these islands to protect vulnerable native species.
The three species above are just carefully selected examples of endangered species – based on press releases made as part of Red List updates this year. Despite the small numbers, the reasons for the danger to these species highlight a crucial point. It underscores that conservation efforts must be tailored to address each species’ unique threats. As governments and businesses think about nature loss more proactively, it is essential to consider such conservation responses tailored to the unique species found in the region.