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Vulture joins the Red List of vanishing wildlife |
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Thursday, 13 November 2008 |
The International Union
for the Conservation of
Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN) regularly
publishes a Red List which
reports on vanishing and
vanished species. Its latest
update on mammals
indicates that we are in
danger of losing almost one
species in four worldwide
(1,141 of the 5,487 on earth).
Since 1500, the world has
lost at least 76 mammals, not
to mention the losses of
insects, fish, or
birds.
On the
positive side,
there is
evidence that
where
conservation
measures are
put in place
improvement
follows and
that 5% of
species on the
‘threatened’ list
are currently
showing an
upswing in
their numbers.
France and
its overseas
territories are
home to an
enormous wealth of flora and
fauna, including the griffon
vulture, the European viper,
orchids, red coral and
clownfish. Mainland France
can boast one of the world’s
smallest mammals, the
pygmy shrew, which could
sit on the end of your finger,
and weighs between 1.2 and
2.7g.
You may never see it but
a walk in the Pyrénées can
reward you with a sighting
of the griffon vulture, a
fabulous bird whose survival
is threatened by a ruling
spurred by worries about
BSE (Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy): no
carcasses may now be left on
fields, and this has massively
reduced the vulture’s food
sources.
France
Nature’s
suggestions
for saving
species
• Get to know the
wildlife of your area
• Strive to protect the
viability of
populations of animal
and plant species
• Take care that
ecosystems can
function, keeping
corridors open
between natural areas
• Act against invasive
species and
international trade in
animals and plants
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