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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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Wildlife Populations Plunging

One of 'great extinction episodes in history' unfolding: report

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(Newser) – Humanity is rapidly wiping out the planet's species, sending wildlife populations plunging, the BBC reports. Pollution, habitat loss, and overfishing have cut wildlife numbers as much as a third since 1970 and wipe out 1% of species each year. One of the "great extinction episodes" in Earth's history also spells serious trouble for humanity, warned the director of the World Wildlife Fund.

"No one can escape the impact of biodiversity loss," he said. "Reduced global diversity translates quite clearly into fewer new medicines, greater vulnerability to natural disasters and greater effects from global warming."

Populations of ocean birds, including the albatross, have plummeted by 30% since the mid-1990s.
Populations of ocean birds, including the albatross, have plummeted by 30% since the mid-1990s.   (AP Photo/U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hagerty, Ryan )
Antelopes have been among the species most seriously affected since 1970. NUmbers of land-based animals have dropped by a quarter over the last 40 years.
Antelopes have been among the species most seriously affected since 1970. NUmbers of land-based animals have dropped by a quarter over the last 40 years.   ((c) Stig Nygaard)
The world's largest population of wild orangutans faces extinction within three years due to rapidly expanding oil palm plantations.
The world's largest population of wild orangutans faces extinction within three years due to rapidly expanding oil palm plantations.   (AP Photo/Ed Wray, File)
A Chinese white dolphin jumps out of the water off of Hong Kong, in this September 15, 2000, file photo.
A Chinese white dolphin jumps out of the water off of Hong Kong, in this September 15, 2000, file photo.   (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, FILE)
Elephants
Elephants   ((c) darkroomillusions)
A Sumatra elephant takes a bath a river in Tesso Nilo in Riau, Central Sumatra, Indonesia, Monday, April 28, 2008. Flying Squad is a team for escorting wild elephants back to forests. Sumatra's elephants are in crisis, wild life experts say, since most of the remaining forests of this Indonesian...
A Sumatra elephant takes a bath a river in Tesso Nilo in Riau, Central Sumatra, Indonesia, Monday, April 28, 2008. Flying Squad is a team for escorting wild elephants back to forests. Sumatra's elephants...   (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
A herd of elephants walk in front of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Amboseli game park in Kenya in this May 21, 2006 file photo.
A herd of elephants walk in front of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Amboseli game park in Kenya in this May 21, 2006 file photo.   (AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo, file)
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