Sharks and cranes are among the losers of the year
Created: 12/29/2021, 09:21 AM
Overfishing, habitat loss and climate change - this trio is responsible for the poor condition of many shark species.
© Antonio Busiello / WWF-US / dpa
At the moment, the "greatest extinction of species since the end of the dinosaur era" is taking place, according to the WWF.
The number of animal and plant species listed as threatened reaches a maximum value in the Red List.
Berlin - The number of animal and plant species classified as threatened in the Red List has grown to over 40,000.
That is more than ever, as the environmental protection organization WWF emphasizes when it comes to the publication of its annual balance sheet of winners and losers in the animal kingdom. In view of the development, the WWF warns of "a catastrophic escalation of the global extinction of species". The "greatest extinction of species since the end of the dinosaur era" is underway. There are bright spots where people are intensely committed to protecting nature and species.
"Species protection is no longer just about eliminating an environmental problem, but about the question of whether mankind will someday end up on the red list in a hazard category and become the loser of their own way of life," said Eberhard Brandes, executive director at WWF Germany.
On behalf of many others, the environmentalists list the following animal species as winners and losers in their balance sheet:
The losers
African forest elephants: The populations of the forest elephant living in Central and West Africa collapsed by 86 percent in the past 31 years.
Since this year it has officially been considered "critically endangered".
The smaller relative of the African elephant plays an important role in the preservation of forests and thus also in climate protection.
Polar bears: The polar bear is not on the WWF's list of losers for the first time - its future looks bleak.
The rapid warming of the Arctic is melting the ice.
In the summer of 2035, the Arctic Ocean could be completely free of ice for the first time, writes the WWF.
Studies have shown that most polar bear populations would collapse by the end of this century.
Tree frogs: The loss of their habitat through the construction of roads and settlements represents the greatest danger for tree frogs and many other amphibian species. Every second of the amphibian species living in this country is endangered according to the German Red List.
Gray crane: The crane is not yet classified as endangered on the red list.
However, according to the WWF, its future is uncertain.
As a result of climate change, the nesting sites of the largest native bird in Germany increasingly fell dry.
The death of insects also causes a lack of food in the offspring.
Sharks and rays: overfishing, habitat loss and climate change - this trio is responsible for the poor condition of many shark and ray species.
According to the International Red List, a third has been considered threatened since 2021, reports the WWF.
Cod, smelt and co: European migratory fish such as salmon and sturgeon suffer above all from the expansion and straightening of rivers, the construction of hydropower plants and overfishing.
The cod stocks in western Ostesse have collapsed after many years of overfishing and as a result of the climate crisis and are no longer recovering.
The deepening of the Elbe is particularly troubling for the stint.
Noble pen shell: Global warming and with it the warming of the Mediterranean Sea could be the undoing of the noble pen shell.
According to the latest WWF report, the stocks of the largest mussels living there have declined sharply or have completely disappeared in some regions of Spain, Italy and France.
Warm water promotes the spread of a parasite and inhibits the animals' reproductive success.
The winners
Iberian and Eurasian lynx: In the past 18 years, the population of the Iberian lynx has increased more than tenfold, writes the WWF.
There were now more than 1000 of these animals in their homeland Spain and Portugal.
In Germany, the stocks of the related Eurasian lynx have recovered.
There are now around 130 full-grown and around 60 young animals at home here.
Nepalese Indian rhinos: The skin of these rhinos is criss-crossed with thick folds, which gives the appearance of thick armor.
However, the animals are powerless against the destruction of their habitats and the hunt for their horns - the species is considered endangered.
Years of protection efforts are now having an effect in Nepal, writes the WWF.
Since 2015 the stock has grown by 16 percent.
Great bustards: Great bustards suffer mainly from the intensification of agriculture.
It has led to the world's heaviest airborne birds, weighing up to 17 kilograms, becoming extinct or acutely threatened in many countries.
In Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt, however, 347 of these birds were counted in 2021 - the highest level in 40 years.
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Siamese crocodile: Researchers discovered eight young Siamese crocodiles in Cambodia in early September.
According to WWF, this is the first time in over ten years that this endangered species has reproduced in nature.
Bearded vultures: According to the WWF, there are again over 300 bearded vultures fluttering in the Alpine region - a success for the resettlement program that was started over 30 years ago.
In 2021 there was an increase of around 50 young vultures.
dpa