3 hopeful tales for endangered species

For anybody who cares about animals, Endangered Species Day is an annual day of dread.

Greater than 14,000 species on the Worldwide Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Pink Record — the world’s most complete stock
of the worldwide conservation standing of species — are labeled as endangered or critically endangered. Because of this they face a excessive or extraordinarily excessive danger of extinction within the wild.

But it surely’s not all unhealthy information. In honor of Endangered Species Day, Human Nature highlights three current indicators of hope for a few of the
world’s most threatened animals.

1. Cacao plantations: Dwelling candy residence for Madagascar’s lemurs?

Lemurs are making themselves at residence in Madagascar’s cacao and vanilla plantations, a current examine discovered.

A staff of scientists discovered 5 species — three endangered — shifting, resting and grooming among the many branches of cacao and their shade bushes on 61 farms in northwest Madagascar. The scientists additionally made the primary documented observations of
lemurs dwelling in vanilla plantations and located 5 species on farms grown near areas of pure forest and amid pure vegetation.

The scientists discovered no proof that the lemurs had been harming the farms — the truth is, the lemurs may very well assist out the farmers by consuming bugs seen as pests on the farms and likewise by dispersing seeds from shade bushes. Most vital: Not one of the
lemurs was noticed feeding on cacao pods or beans.

“There is a lot of evidence of the value of shade-grown coffee for bird conservation, but this is the first study we have that shows the role that cacao and vanilla farms can play as habitats for lemur species,” mentioned Curan Bonham, director
of Conservation Worldwide’s Verde Ventures program, which funded the research.

Learn extra right here.

2. In South America, are the tides turning towards unlawful fishing?

In August, the federal government of Ecuador prosecuted a Chinese language ship’s crew for illegally
transporting endangered species, together with greater than 6,000 sharks. The case made headlines worldwide and was one of many largest busts so far of
unlawful fishing within the Galápagos Marine Reserve.

Luis Suarez, vice chairman of Conservation Worldwide Ecuador, advised Human Nature in January that earlier than the case was tried, folks had been shocked by what number of species had been on board the ship. Authorities discovered at the least one whale shark, a number of juvenile sharks and quite a few different species, a lot of them
endangered.

“This case shows that the government had the political will to act against fishing and illegal transportation of endangered species,” Suarez mentioned. “I hope this may ship a powerful message to the fishing sector that Ecuador’s taking
severe actions towards unlawful fishing.”

Learn extra right here.

3. Rescue efforts supply hope for a vanishing species

Javan gibbons are dropping in numbers as a result of their sole residence, the forests on the Indonesian island of Java are disappearing. Gibbons are additionally extremely sought as pets, and trappers seize the animals — normally when they’re nonetheless infants — to
be bought illegally at markets throughout Indonesia.

“A Javan gibbon that has been captured and kept as a pet loses its instinct to survive [in the wild],” Pristiani Nurantika, a Javan gibbon researcher and veterinarian, mentioned to Conservation Information in October. “So we’re making an attempt to revive that intuition — in any other case, they’ll
die if we launch them of their present state.”

The Javan Gibbon Basis (Yayasan Owa Jawa, in Indonesian) and Mount Gede Pangrango Nationwide Park function the Javan Gibbon Rescue and Rehabilitation Program. The partnership, supported by Conservation Worldwide, the College of Indonesia and
the Silvery Gibbon Challenge, rescues pet or seized Javan gibbons to be rehabilitated and launched into their pure habitat.

Learn extra right here.

Morgan Lynch is a workers author for Conservation Worldwide.

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