BIODIVERSITY
he International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) provides the most comprehensive global accounting of endangered species, classifying vulnerable species on a spectrum that ranges from "near threatened" to "extinct," with the "endangered" classification sitting in the middle.
There are currently more than 79,800 species on the list and more than 23,000 are threatened with extinction, including 41 per cent of amphibians, 34 per cent of conifers, 33 per cent of reef building corals, 25 per cent of mammals and 13 per cent of birds. Scientists believe that there may be fewer than 30 vaquitas left in the world. Found only in the Upper Gulf of California, the vaquita has become the world’s most endangered marine mammal. Some 90 per cent of the population has been lost since 2011, largely because they are caught in banned gillnets used to catch another endangered species, the totoaba fish whose swim bladders are used in traditional Chinese medicine. International pressure has called for an immediate implementation of a permanent ban on gillnets in the hope of protecting the remaining population. At a recent press conference Maria Jose Villanueva, director of strategy and science for WWF Mexico said: "If we don't do something today, the vaquita could be extinct by 2018. Losing it would be like losing a piece of Mexico." The saola, one of the most critically endangered species on the IUCN red list, is a very rare and distinct species that was discovered in May 1992 by a joint survey carried out by the Ministry of Forestry of Vietnam ( MOF) and WWF in northcentral Vietnam. Often called “Asian unicorns” adult saolas are characterised by a striking pattern of white markings on the head and long, gently curving horns which can grow to a length of 35- 50cm. The actual number of saolas found in the wild is not known. There are none in captivity. They are hunted for their meat and for their horns as trophies. Organisations such as WWF are working to establish protected areas to conserve remaining saolas. The Amur leopard, also known as the Far East leopard, the Manchurian leopard or the Korean leopard, is critically endangered. The last remaining population in the wild, estimated to be around 60, can be found in a small area in the Russian Province of Primorsky Krai, between Vladivostok and the Chinese border. Habitat loss along with poaching and illegal wildlife trading has contributed to heavily reducing their numbers.