Honolulu,
Hawaiʻi, 4 September 2016 (IUCN) – The Eastern Gorilla – the largest living primate – has been listed as Critically Endangered due to illegal hunting,
according to the latest update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ released today at the IUCN World Conservation Congress taking place in Hawaiʻi.
Four
out of six great ape species are now Critically Endangered – only one
step away from going extinct – with the remaining two also under
considerable
threat of extinction.
Today’s
IUCN Red List update also reports the decline of the Plains Zebra due
to illegal hunting, and the growing extinction threat to Hawaiian plants
posed by invasive species.
Thirty eight of the 415 endemic Hawaiian plant species assessed for
this update are listed as Extinct and four other species have been
listed as Extinct in the Wild, meaning they only occur in cultivation.
The IUCN Red List now includes 82,954 species of which 23,928 are threatened with extinction.
Mammals threatened by illegal hunting
The Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei)
– which is made up of two subspecies - has moved from Endangered to
Critically Endangered due to a devastating population decline
of more than 70% in 20 years. Its population is now estimated to be
fewer than 5,000. Grauer’s Gorilla (G. b. graueri), one
subspecies of Eastern Gorilla – has lost 77% of its population since
1994, declining from 16,900 individuals to just 3,800 in
2015. Killing or capture of great apes is illegal; yet hunting
represents the greatest threat to Grauer’s Gorillas. The second
subspecies of Eastern Gorilla – the Mountain Gorilla (G. b. beringei)
–is faring better and has increased in number to around
880 individuals. Four of the six great apes - Eastern Gorilla, Western
Gorilla, Bornean Orangutan and Sumatran Orangutan - are now listed as
Critically Endangered, whilst the
Chimpanzee and Bonobo are listed as Endangered.
“To see the Eastern gorilla – one of our closest cousins – slide towards extinction is truly distressing,” says
Inger Andersen, IUCN Director General. “We
live in a time of tremendous change and each IUCN Red List update makes
us realize just how quickly the global extinction crisis is escalating.
Conservation action does work and we have increasing
evidence of it. It is our responsibility to enhance our efforts to turn
the tide and protect the future of our planet.”
The once widespread and abundant Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)
has moved from Least Concern to Near Threatened. The population has
reduced by 24% in the past 14 years
from around 660,000 to a current estimate of just over 500,000 animals.
In many countries Plains Zebra are only found in protected areas, yet
population reductions have been recorded in 10 out of the 17 range
states since 1992. The Plains Zebra is threatened
by hunting for bushmeat and skins, especially when they move out of
protected areas.
Three species of antelope found in Africa
– Bay Duiker (Cephalophus dorsalis), White-bellied Duiker (Cephalophus leucogaster) and Yellow-backed Duiker (Cephalophus
silvicultor) – have moved from Least Concern to
Near Threatened. Whilst the populations of these species within
protected areas are relatively stable, those found in other areas are
decreasing due to continued illegal hunting and habitat
loss.
“Illegal hunting and habitat loss are still major threats driving many mammal species towards extinction,” says
Carlo Rondinini, Coordinator of the mammal assessment at Sapienza University of Rome
“We have now reassessed nearly half of all mammals. While there are
some successes to celebrate, this new data must act as a beacon to guide
the conservation
of those species which continue to be under threat.”
Hawaiian plants threatened by invasive species
Invasive
species such as pigs, goats, rats, slugs, and non-native plants are
destroying the native flora in Hawai’i. The latest results show that of
the 415 endemic Hawaiian
plant species assessed so far for The IUCN Red List (out of ca. 1,093
endemic plant species), 87% are threatened with extinction, including
the Endangered 'Ohe kiko'ola (Polyscias waimeae) – a beautiful flowering tree found only on the island of Kauaʻi.
Thirty Eight have been listed as Extinct, including the shrubs 'Oha Wai (Cyanea eleeleensis)
and Hibiscadelphus woodii. Four species have been listed as Extinct in the Wild including the Haha (Cyanea superba) last seen in the wild in
2003. Invasive species are the main threat to all of these species, with many being threatened by more
than one invasive species. The IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Hawaiian Plant Specialist Group anticipates
the remaining species to be assessed will also be highly threatened.
“Hawaiʻi
is an example of nature at its best with spectacular examples of
evolution, yet it is facing an uncertain future due to the impact of
invasive species - showing how unwittingly, human actions can make
nature turn against itself,”
says
Matt Keir, a member of the IUCN SSC Hawaiian Plant Specialist Group. “What
we see happening in Hawaii is foretelling what will happen in other
island or contained ecological systems. Hawaii and other nations must
take urgent action to stop the
spread of invasive species and to protect species with small population
sizes”
The Critically Endangered flowering Haha plant
Cyanea remyi, is one of the 105 extremely rare Hawai’ian plant species
on the Red List
with less than 50 mature individuals.
Alula (Brighamia
insignis) has
moved from Critically Endangered to Critically Endangered (Possibly
Extinct in the Wild), and is one of 38 Red Listed species with
less than five individuals remaining. The Alula has been so impacted by
invasive species and landslides, that only one plant remained in the
wild in 2014 and it has not been seen since.
This
new data will be used to influence action such as listing species on
the US Endangered Species Act which will assist in securing funding for
conservation programs to target
and control invasive species, and to fence wild areas to protect them
from large mammals. Improved biosecurity to stop invasive species
entering the country is essential, according to IUCN experts.
Good news for Giant Panda and Tibetan Antelope
This update of The IUCN Red List also brings some good news and shows that conservation action is delivering positive results.
Previously listed as Endangered, The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
is now listed as Vulnerable, as its population has grown due to
effective forest protection
and reforestation. The improved status confirms that the Chinese
government's efforts to conserve this species are effective. However,
climate change is predicted to eliminate more than 35% of the Panda's
bamboo habitat in the next 80 years and thus Panda
population is projected to decline, reversing the gains made during the
last two decades. To protect this iconic species, it is critical that
the effective forest protection measures are continued and that emerging
threats are addressed. The Chinese government's
plan to expand existing conservation policy for the species is a
positive step and must be strongly supported to ensure its effective
implementation.
Due to successful conservation actions, the Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii)
has moved from Endangered to Near Threatened. The population underwent a
severe decline
from around one million to an estimated 65,000-72,500 in the 1980s and
early 1990s. This was the result of commercial poaching for the valuable
underfur – shahtoosh – which is used to make shawls. It takes 3-5 hides
to make a single shawl, and as the wool
cannot be sheared or combed, the animals are killed. Rigorous
protection has been enforced since then, and the population is currently
likely to be between 100,000 and 150,000.
Other conservation successes include the Greater Stick-nest Rat (Leporillus conditor),
endemic to Australia, which has improved status, moving from Vulnerable
to Near
Threatened. This is due to a successful species recovery plan, which
has involved reintroductions and introductions to predator-free areas.
This unique nest-building rodent is the last of its kind, with its
smaller relative the Lesser Stick-nest Rat (Leporillus
apicalis) having died out in the Twentieth Century. The resin
created by the rats to build their nests is so strong that they can last
for thousands of years if they are not exposed to water.
The Bridled Nailtail Wallaby
(Onychogalea fraenata),
has also improved in status, having moved from Endangered to
Vulnerable. Endemic to Australia, this once common species had a
dramatic population decline during the 19th
and early 20th centuries due to the impacts of invasive
species and habitat loss. A successful translocation conservation
programme establishing new populations within protected areas is
enabling this species to commence the long road to recovery.
Yesterday,
IUCN, its Species Survival Commission, and nine Red List partner
institutions forged an exciting new commitment to support The IUCN Red
List. These organizations
will jointly commit more than US$10 million over the next five years
towards achieving an ambitious strategic plan that aims to double the
number of species assessed on The IUCN Red List by the year 2020. The
institutions include: Arizona State University;
BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens Conservation International;
Conservation International; NatureServe; Royal Botanic Gardens Kew;
Sapienza University of Rome; Texas A&M University and the Zoological
Society of London.
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