Wildlife population fell by 58 percent from 1970 to 2012.
Wildlife population in the world has fallen by 58 percent from 1970 to 2012, said the Living Planet Report published by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Going by this rate, two-third of the world wildlife population will fall, says the report.
The loss of animal life is the mass extinction after the dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago, reported The Independent. Two third of the populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and other vertebrate species will not survive after 2020, found the report.
The World is witnessing animal extinction at a rate which is 100 times faster than the normal rate and is greater than the five previous extinctions in the history.
The study has found that indiscriminate intervention into nature by humankind is the main reason for animal extinction. Rising human population leads to forest encroachment, pollution, invasive species, hunting and climate change that results in the animal extinction.
“For the first time since the demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, we face a global mass extinction of wildlife. We ignore the decline of other species at our peril – for they are the barometer that reveals our impact on the world that sustains us,†said Dr. Mike Barrett, director of science and policy at WWF-UK.
“Humanity’s misuse of natural resources is threatening habitats, pushing irreplaceable species to the brink and threatening the stability of our climate,†he added.
The number of African elephants has plummeted by 111,000 to 415,000 in a decade because of slaughtering and poaching. In Brazil, the giant anteater and maned wolf are facing threat as grasslands are converted into soy fields and pasture for cattle.
The animals living in lakes, rivers, and wetlands are the worst affected. Their population has fallen by 81 percent in a decade.
“We know how to stop this. It requires governments, businesses, and citizens to rethink how we produce, consume, measure success and value the natural environment,†Dr. Barrett said.
The report analyzed the population of more than 14,200 populations across 3,700 species of mammals, fish, amphibians, birds, and reptiles.