Human Activity Causes 'Sixth Extinction'

The demand for meat has brought over three hundred species of mammals in Asia, Africa, and South America close to extinction. These animals range from wild mice to rhinoceroses and include creatures like pangolins and large felines. According to a report published in the Royal Society Open Science journal, this is the first global assessment of this environmental issue. Fifteen conservation scientists warn in this article that hunting these wild animals for their meat has become a global crisis. They state that 'the population and viable range of animals on this planet are nearing destruction.' This collapse, according to these scientists, is part of the 'sixth extinction,' the sixth mass extinction event occurring in the last 500 million years, where Earth's species are disappearing at a rate over a thousand times the normal rate. In addition to killing these animals for meat, humans are destroying their natural habitats for agricultural expansion or urban living. Environmental pollution, climate change, and disease are other deadly gifts humans have given to these animals. According to the 'Red List' published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), one-quarter of the 4,556 registered mammals on Earth are at risk of extinction. For 301 species, hunting for meat (and also under the guise of making medicines for health and youth) or hunting for ivory and horns is the main cause of extinction. The report indicates that the risk of extinction depends on the size of the animal: the larger the animal, the greater the risk of extinction. More than a hundred species of primates, including gorillas and proboscis monkeys, and dozens of species of ungulates such as deer and gazelles are seriously threatened by hunting. Bill Ripple, a professor at Oregon State University and the lead author of this report, states, 'The trend of losing these animal species will continue unless a major global movement is undertaken to save them.' All 301 identified endangered species live in developing countries: 113 species in Southeast Asia, 91 species in Africa, 61 species in other parts of Asia, and 38 species in South America. Madagascar, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Brazil have the highest number of endangered species due to hunting for meat. The scale of this slaughter is such that 89,000 tons of meat from wild mammals are sent to market annually from the Amazon rainforest.