介绍:
The sixth mass extinction of wildlife on Earth is coming more quickly than expected, scientists have warned.
More than 30% of the animals with a backbone, like fish, birds and mammals, are becoming less in both species and population. This is the case of a big biological extinction occurring globally.
Several species of mammals that were relatively safe one or two decades ago are now endangered, including rhinos, lions and giraffes.
Globally, the dying out — considered to be the sixth — has been the worst since three quarters of life on Earth, including the dinosaurs, were wiped out 66 million years ago by a giant meteor impact.
There is no mystery as to why: Human overpopulation is threatening their survival. Human beings have more than doubled in number since 1960 to 7.4 billion. By comparison, there are as few as 23,000 lions left in the wild, some 2,000 giant pandas and about 60 Javan rhinos.
The main drivers of wildlife decrease are habitat loss, overconsumption, pollution, disease, as well as hunting of tigers, elephants, rhinos and other large animals prized for their body parts.
Climate change is also certain to become a major threat in the coming decades, with some animals — most famously polar bears — already in decline due to rising temperatures and changing weather patterns.
If everyone helps to make a contribution to our friends — animals, our future would be much more secure.
