An elephant is pictured in
Tsavo East National Park in southern Kenya on January 31, 2013. Wildlife
protection groups have expressed concern that the amount of elephant
poaching in the African continent is now at its highest for 20 years
with an estimated 25,000 elephants killed in 2011. Kenya's worst
incident of ivory poaching in recent history took place on January 5,
2013 when an entire family of 11 elephants were killed by poachers in
Tsavo National Park, which is home to some 13,000 elephants. Increasing
prosperity in China, and a large influx of Chinese workers and investors
throughout Africa, has sent demand for african ivory soaring.
Conservationists have warned that nature is facing a global “mass
extinction” for the first time since the demise of the dinosaurs.
It comes after figures show global wildlife populations are set to fall by more than two thirds on 1970 levels by the end of the decade.
Assessment of 14,152 populations of 3,706 species of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles from around the world reveals a 58% fall between 1970 and 2012.
And there is no sign the average 2% drop in numbers each year will slow, says a Living Planet report from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
The report warns that by 2020 populations of vertebrate species could have fallen by 67% over a 50-year period unless action is taken to reverse the damaging impacts of human activity.
African elephants in Tanzania have seen numbers crash due to poaching, while maned wolves in Brazil are threatened by grasslands being turned into farmland.
Other species under threat include orcas or killer whales, leatherback turtles, the European eel and vultures in south-east Asia.
The report says species are being increasingly affected by unsustainable agriculture and fishing, as well as mining and other human activities that cause habitats to be lost or become degraded.
Wildlife is also being hit by over-exploitation, climate change and pollution, the report adds.
Overall terrestrial species, which are found in habitats ranging from grasslands to forests, have seen populations drop by two-fifths (38%) since 1970.
Freshwater species are faring even worse, with declines of four-fifths (81%) between 1970 and 2012.
Mike Barrett, director of science and policy at WWF-UK, said: “For the first time since the demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, we face a global mass extinction of wildlife.
“We ignore the decline of other species at our peril – for they are the barometer that reveals our impact on the world that sustains us.
“Humanity’s misuse of natural resources is threatening habitats, pushing irreplaceable species to the brink and threatening the stability of our climate.”
But he added: “We know how to stop this. It requires governments, businesses and citizens to rethink how we produce, consume, measure success and value the natural environment.
“In the UK, this demands a serious plan to strengthen protection for habitats and species and new measures to fast-track low-carbon growth.”
But it is not all bad news. The report highlights the success of habitat protection and strict controls on hunting in Europe to help restore populations of wildlife including bears, lynx, wolverines and wolves.
It also notes that grassland species have increased slightly since 2004, while wetland wildlife has enjoyed a rise since 2005 and marine species have been stable since 1988.
It comes after figures show global wildlife populations are set to fall by more than two thirds on 1970 levels by the end of the decade.
Assessment of 14,152 populations of 3,706 species of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles from around the world reveals a 58% fall between 1970 and 2012.
And there is no sign the average 2% drop in numbers each year will slow, says a Living Planet report from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
The report warns that by 2020 populations of vertebrate species could have fallen by 67% over a 50-year period unless action is taken to reverse the damaging impacts of human activity.
African elephants in Tanzania have seen numbers crash due to poaching, while maned wolves in Brazil are threatened by grasslands being turned into farmland.
Other species under threat include orcas or killer whales, leatherback turtles, the European eel and vultures in south-east Asia.
The report says species are being increasingly affected by unsustainable agriculture and fishing, as well as mining and other human activities that cause habitats to be lost or become degraded.
Wildlife is also being hit by over-exploitation, climate change and pollution, the report adds.
Overall terrestrial species, which are found in habitats ranging from grasslands to forests, have seen populations drop by two-fifths (38%) since 1970.
Freshwater species are faring even worse, with declines of four-fifths (81%) between 1970 and 2012.
Mike Barrett, director of science and policy at WWF-UK, said: “For the first time since the demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, we face a global mass extinction of wildlife.
“We ignore the decline of other species at our peril – for they are the barometer that reveals our impact on the world that sustains us.
“Humanity’s misuse of natural resources is threatening habitats, pushing irreplaceable species to the brink and threatening the stability of our climate.”
But he added: “We know how to stop this. It requires governments, businesses and citizens to rethink how we produce, consume, measure success and value the natural environment.
“In the UK, this demands a serious plan to strengthen protection for habitats and species and new measures to fast-track low-carbon growth.”
But it is not all bad news. The report highlights the success of habitat protection and strict controls on hunting in Europe to help restore populations of wildlife including bears, lynx, wolverines and wolves.
It also notes that grassland species have increased slightly since 2004, while wetland wildlife has enjoyed a rise since 2005 and marine species have been stable since 1988.
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