World Wildlife Day: Alarming figures of species nearing extinction

In the year 2013, March 3 was proclaimed as the United Nations World Wildlife Day by the United Nations General Assembly.

On this historic day, let's have a look at the species that are on the verge of extinction and also the endangered species.

As per the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), more than 30,000 species are threatened with extinction.

That is 27 per cent of all assessed species.

 

 

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Amphibians

41 per cent amphibians are endangered. There are over 848 endangered amphibian species on the IUCN list. These includes lungless  salamanders, Asiatic salamanders, Proteids, Robber frogs, Shurb frogs etc.

(Photograph:AFP)

Mammals

There are 5,450 species of mammals. Over 25 per cent of these are endangered. It includes Polar bear, Brazilian Arboreal mouse, Asian elephants, Indian Pangolian etc.

(Photograph:AFP)

Cornifers

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reports that the latest update to their Red List includes the first global reassessment of conifers.
Pine pitch canker, a fungal disease has lead to the decline in the number of world’s most widely planted pine, the Monterey pine (Pinus radiata)
it is among 33 species of conifer whose status has declined since the previous assessment.

 

(Photograph:AFP)

Birds

There are roughly 18,000 species of birds in the world out of which 14 per cent are endangered.

These includes Giant ibis, kakapo, California condor, Kagu etc.

(Photograph:AFP)

Coral reef

The coral reef deterioration in the Caribbean has led to the rapid decline of Acropora cervicornis and Acropora palmata.

Over 33 per cent of the reefs are in danger of extinction.

(Photograph:AFP)

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