According to the latest update of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, a third of the lemur species on Earth are currently a step away from extinction.
BBC reports that human activities such as hunting and deforestation are most likely the causes of the primates' decline in population. Furthermore, habitat destruction has also been correlated to an increased risk of humans contracting wildlife diseases, just like the coronavirus.
The update reveals that 33 lemur species are now classified as Critically Endangered. One hundred three out of 107 surviving species of the primates native to Madagascar are now threatened with extinction.
Moreover, thirteen lemur species have been pushed to higher threat classifications due to these heightened human pressures.
The current pandemic should give people time to internalize and consider our relationship with the natural world, says Craig Hilton-Taylor, a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
He points out that humankind turns to nature to solve human problems such as food supply and treatments for disease. However, if people continue to put pressure on these natural sources, we will end up losing them altogether, he warns.
Hope for Endangered Species
Out of the 120,372 species listed, 32,441 are currently threatened with extinction. Other species that have been "uplisted" include the North Atlantic Right Whale, which moved up from being Endangered to Critically Endangered. At the end of 2018, only less than 250 mature whales were estimated to be alive and thriving.
Adding up to the list is the European Hamster, which has now also moved up as being Critically Endangered. Once abundant in the wild across Russia and Europe, scientists believe that the hamster's population may have dwindled due to climate change and pollution that may have affected their reproduction rates.
Lastly, Caterpillar Fungus, known as the world's most expensive fungus, has also entered the Red List as Vulnerable. The fungus demand has dramatically risen since the 1990s as it is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for testing diseases related to the lungs and kidneys.
However, Hilton-Taylor says not all hope is lost. There have been success stories of some species being "downlisted," such as a species of iguana found in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
He says that species can still recover with serious conservation efforts and habitat restoration as long as people put effort into it.
Human Impacts on Wildlife
Humans are widely responsible for causing changes in the environment that can potentially hurt animals and plant species. As people take up more space on Earth for their homes and cities, pollution will likely reach natural habitats.
Furthermore, human activity often changes or destroys the habitats that animals need to survive. Because human populations are growing at such an accelerated speed, animals and plants are disappearing 1000 times faster than they have in the past 65 million years. Scientists estimate that in the 21st century, approximately 100 species will become extinct every day.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), figures from the IUCN suggest that about 2,000 mammals around the world are affected by habitat loss. It is seen as the primary threat to about 85 percent of species on the union's Red List.
The organization recognizes that one key measure to prevent this is the establishment of protected areas where human activity is restrained to conserve existing ecosystems and wildlife. Wildlife administrators believe that properly managed reserves, parks, and forests can help safeguard such vulnerable animals.
