Saving weird and wonderful animals from extinction
The Hispaniolan Solenodon is a shrew-like mammal that has been around since the age of the dinosaurs. They are found only on the island of Hispaniola in the Dominican Republic and also in parts of southern Haiti. They tend to live in moist forest areas.
It is vital that modern trafficking is halted as soon as possible to ensure the Sunda pangolin’s continued existence as a species. With enough immediate action we may be able to prevent our tiny knights from going extinct, like so many animals before them.
On top of being adorable, these animals are quite unique in many aspects. All four species of echidna, along with their close relatives, the platypus, are known as monotremes, and they are the only mammals to lay eggs rather than give birth to live young.
The entirely aquatic salamander, known as the olm (Proteus anguinus), is Europe’s most impressive cave-dwelling vertebrate. Or, more accurately, it is Europe’s only cave-dwelling vertebrate.
The Philippine eagle is one of the largest and rarest eagles in the world. This avian wonder is critically endangered and at risk of being lost from our world forever. Habitat loss and human conflict has meant that the remaining 400 pairs can only be found on four islands in the Philippines.
In the past 30 years, the scalloped hammerhead shark population in the Atlantic Ocean has declined by 95%. Devastatingly, last year, they were listed as critically endangered due to its decimated population. If we lose the scalloped hammerhead from our oceans, not only will there be devastating effects on the marine ecosystem, we will have lost a unique piece of biodiversity that cannot be replaced.
The saiga antelope is in danger of going extinct in our lifetimes. In 2015 the population faced a devastating blow when 80% of their population died suddenly of an unknown illness. Despite this decimating blow, the saiga somehow survived, but recent funding cuts mean this critically endangered species is running out of time. They simply cannot afford another hit.
Biodiversity is crucial for healthy ecosystems, so we must protect wildlife based on their needs, not our values
Wildlife populations have declined by a shocking 68% since 1970, and we are running out of time to stop this trend.
