15,000 Species Heading Towards Extinction

Of the known species already assessed, 15,589 of them have been found to be facing the prospect of extinction. Among these are one eighth of all known birds, one fifth of shark and ray species, one quarter of mammals, one in three amphibians, and almost half of freshwater turtles. The total of threatened species is higher than ever before, and chances are the situation is even worse than the assessment indicates; many species in biodiverse areas such as tropical rainforests remain undiscovered. Governments have begun to realize the importance of saving these species from vanishing from the face of the earth, but more drastic conservatory measures must be taken in order to reverse, or even halt, these disturbing trends.

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