10 Weird Animals Facing Extinction to be Conserved!
posted in Animal Species, Latest News |
According to latest news on the National Geographic, a conservation plan was announced today which aims at protecting some of the world’s oddest and most neglected animal species.
The Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) program, led by the Zoological Society of London, focuses on animals that have a very different evolutionary histories and face the risk of extinction.
This project brought together the existing data on the species relatedness and the threat status to develop a list of around hundred top animals.
In 2007 the project will focus on ten high priority species from that list “with potential for slipping through the gaps without notice,” said Samuel Turvey, a project scientist with the zoological society.
“Of the top 100 species which we’re focusing on, more than 70 percent receive either no conservation attention or extremely limited attention,” Turvey said.
“For 20 years conservationists recommended things that needed to happen that no one ever acted on,” he added. “We need to make sure that what happened to the Yangtze River dolphin never happens to any other species.”
EDGE will also try and raise awareness about the animals and their, fund research studying the species in their natural habitats, and then help execute conservation plans.
Ten Targeted Animals
Following are the focal species of The Zoological Society of London for 2007:
Long-beaked echidna: These are a spine-covered and egg-laying mammals that belong to the island of New Guinea’s last surviving indigenous animal that are characterized by long beaks that is around two-thirds the length of their heads.
These animals are being threatened by the traditional hunting method along with the forest habitat loss to farming, logging, and mining are the primary threats to long-beaked echidnas.
Hispaniolan solenodon: This shrew like insectivore is a native to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola and is of the size of a large brown rat. It is one of the few mammals that produces toxic saliva, which it injects into the prey through a special groove present in the front tooth.
These animals are slow and clumsy, and don’t know how to protect themselves from predators like the dogs and cats that are threatened by the habitat loss caused by human activity and deforestation.
Bactrian camel: This animal can survive without food for days continuously without food and water. The camels have lost their habitat to mining and industrial development and compete for food and water with the domestic camels.
Pygmy hippopotamus: This is a very small relative of the commonly known hippopotamus this has a different round head and eyes on the side of the head instead of the front, and separated toes with sharp nails unlike its cousins.
These pygmy hippopotamus have reduced in numbers because of logging, farming, and human interference. It is also being hunted for its meat.
Slender loris: This is a small monkey with long, slender arms and legs which is found only in Sri Lanka. This animal has a very small face with big round eyes, that provide an excellent night vision.
These animals are losing their habitats due to logging, agriculture, and development and are hunted for their meat and body parts, which are used in folk medicine.
Hirola: This is one of the world’s rarest and most endangered antelope, this is present in Africa.
There are many reasons for its extinction, to name some of them, Disease, predation, and competition which can be found in Somalia and Kenya. Even though it is illegal to hunt Hirola , it is a very serious danger.
Golden-rumped elephant shrew: This animal has a bright yellow patch of fur on its rear that resembles a long, elephant-like trunk. This is of the size of a small cat, it is the largest of the elephant shrews and has long, spindly legs, large eyes and ears, and a long, partially naked tail.
The shrews exist in Kenya, and are found only in fragmented and small patches of coastal forest. Habitat destruction is a major threat.
Bumblebee bat: This weighs around 0.07 ounce (2 grams), and is the smallest mammal in the world. This bumblebee-sized creature has a swollen, piglike nose, relatively large ears, and small eyes covered by fur.
These animals are threatened by tourist curiosity and forest burning near their caves in Thailand.
Long-eared jerboa: Very little is known about this small and jumping rodent with huge ears. This resembles a mouse with a long, tufted tail and elongated hind legs, and its ears are about a third larger than its head.
These animals Living around the desert habitats of northwest China and southern Mongolia, face habitat disturbance from livestock grazing. The animal’s water sources are drying up, though the reason is still unknown.