Wildlife & Conservation Statistics
Wildlife & Conservation Statistics
Extinction of Species • Every 20 minutes, the world adds another 3,500 human lives but loses one or more entire species of animal or plant life - at least 27,000 species per year. (Source: PBS) • At the present rates of extinction, as many as 20% of the world's 7-15 million species could be gone in the next 30 years. This rate of extinction has been unprecedented since the disappearance of dinosaurs 65 million years ago (Source: WWF). Habitat Destruction (Source: Animal Alliance, unless stated otherwise) • Human population reached 1 billion by 1800. Over 6 billion by 2000. Conservative estimates predict that our population will reach 9 billion people by 2050 (Source: Population Reference Bureau). • The hourly destruction of an estimated 240 acres of natural habitat is directly attributable to the growth in human populations. • 80% of the decline in biological diversity is caused by habitat destruction. Plight of Rhinos (Source: International Rhino Foundation) • Of the dozens of species of rhino that once roamed the earth, only 5 now exist. • Where there were once over 100,000 black rhinos on the plains of Africa, there are now only 2,707 on the entire continent. • The staggering decimation of the rhino population is due to poaching, to satisfy the demand for the horn for use in Eastern traditional medicines and as dagger handles. • Prices up to US$40,000 a kilo have been recorded for the much prized rhino horn - more than 5 times the price of gold. The African Elephant (Source: CITES) • 5 -10 million African elephants existed in 1930. Less than 1% of that number (approximately 600,000) remained when they were added to the international list of the most endangered species in 1989. • Demand for ivory combined with loss of habitat from human settlement led to these huge declines in population. African Wild Dog (Source: American Museum of Natural History) • Listed as one of the worlds most endangered canids, and the most endangered
Extinction of Species • Every 20 minutes, the world adds another 3,500 human lives but loses one or more entire species of animal or plant life - at least 27,000 species per year. (Source: PBS) • At the present rates of extinction, as many as 20% of the world's 7-15 million species could be gone in the next 30 years. This rate of extinction has been unprecedented since the disappearance of dinosaurs 65 million years ago (Source: WWF). Habitat Destruction (Source: Animal Alliance, unless stated otherwise) • Human population reached 1 billion by 1800. Over 6 billion by 2000. Conservative estimates predict that our population will reach 9 billion people by 2050 (Source: Population Reference Bureau). • The hourly destruction of an estimated 240 acres of natural habitat is directly attributable to the growth in human populations. • 80% of the decline in biological diversity is caused by habitat destruction. Plight of Rhinos (Source: International Rhino Foundation) • Of the dozens of species of rhino that once roamed the earth, only 5 now exist. • Where there were once over 100,000 black rhinos on the plains of Africa, there are now only 2,707 on the entire continent. • The staggering decimation of the rhino population is due to poaching, to satisfy the demand for the horn for use in Eastern traditional medicines and as dagger handles. • Prices up to US$40,000 a kilo have been recorded for the much prized rhino horn - more than 5 times the price of gold. The African Elephant (Source: CITES) • 5 -10 million African elephants existed in 1930. Less than 1% of that number (approximately 600,000) remained when they were added to the international list of the most endangered species in 1989. • Demand for ivory combined with loss of habitat from human settlement led to these huge declines in population. African Wild Dog (Source: American Museum of Natural History) • Listed as one of the worlds most endangered canids, and the most endangered