Twitter
Advertisement

Many big animals may be extinct by 2100, study warns

The threat is particularly dire in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, where much of the world's biodiversity resides.

Latest News
article-main
Bengal tiger Mohan relaxes before meeting Chinese film stars Lu Yi and Bao Lei as they welcome in the Chinese New Year of the Tiger at Dreamworld theme park on February 11, 2010 in Gold Coast, Australia.
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Many of the world's biggest and iconic animals such as the Bengal tiger could be extinct by the end of the century if drastic conservation measures are not taken, a new study has warned.

The threat is particularly dire in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, where much of the world's biodiversity resides, researchers said.

"The rapid loss of biodiversity and megafauna, in particular, is an issue that is right up there with, and perhaps even more pressing than, climate change," said Peter Lindsey, lion programme policy initiative coordinator at conservation organisation Panthera.

Researchers catalogued the species in peril across six continents - all of the species across the globe that the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists as threatened with extinction.

When they looked at the prognosis for each of those species, the forecast was dire, 'Live Science' reported.

About 59 percent of the world's big carnivore species (those heavier than 15 kilogrammes), such as Bengal tigers, and 60 percent of big herbivore species could disappear from the Earth if critical steps are not taken, researchers found.

"There is a risk that many of the world's most iconic species may not survive to the 22nd century," researchers said.

"It's time to really think about conserving them, because declines in their numbers and habitats are happening quickly," said lead author William Ripple, an ecologist at Oregon State University in the US.

The study was published in the journal BioScience.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement