by Christopher Arnett
Native Foods Cafe
In Indonesia, scientists have recently “rediscovered” a species of monkey that was long thought to be extinct: Miller’s Grizzled Langur (now that’s a name). The cute critters are distinguished by their black faces and collars of fluffy white hair. Initially, the team of scientists was unsure of the monkeys’ identity, since almost no photographs exist of them, only museum sketches. The monkeys once inhabited northeastern Borneo, Java, Sumatra, and the Thai-Malay peninsula. Sadly, their habitat was destroyed by human activity (settlement, agriculture, and mining). A field survey conducted in 2005 failed to confirm their existence, and the animals were at thought point thought extinct. Scientists are currently in the process of confirming the size of the population. Though numerous images of the monkeys were captured over a two-month period, scientists need to determine if it was just a few families returning over and over, or a truly large and diverse population.
This is a hopeful story, considering that as the world has now entered the year 2012, innumerable species are still threatened. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is the main organization responsible for rating which species (animals and plants) are most threatened, compiled in their Red List. This List uses the term “endangered” as one of several levels of imperilment, including “critically endangered” and “vulnerable” (though in the U.S. under the Endangered Species Act, “endangered” describes the highest level of threat). Let’s take a look at some of the animal species on the Red List as presented by allaboutwildlife.com:
The Amur leopard: The world’s rarest cat, it is a leopard subspecies that only lives in the snowy regions of eastern Russia. It used to inhabit Korea and northern China, but has become extinct in those countries. A 2007 census counted only 14- 20 adults, and 5-6 cubs!
Javan rhinoceros: With only 50-60 individuals remaining, it is the most endangered of the world’s five rhinoceros species. Formerly ranging across Southeast Asia and Indonesia, it now only inhabits the western tip of Java.
Leatherback sea turtle: This reptile is the earth’s biggest turtle. It also has the largest range of any species, swimming the globe from the tropics to sub-polar regions. Among the threats to the leatherback are theft of its eggs by humans, and hunting (also by humans).
Kakapo parrot: There are three characteristics that make this endangered bird so unique. First, it is the world’s heaviest parrot coming in at nine pounds. Second, it is the only nocturnal parrot. And lastly, it is the world’s only flightless parrot. Wow! Once common on both of New Zealand’s main islands, it is now only found on remote isles. There are now fewer than 150 in the wild, and almost all of them have names given by conservationists. These birds are too cute!
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Chinese giant salamander: This fascinating creature is the world’s largest amphibian, reaching lengths of up to 6 feet! Whoa, there! It was once common throughout central, southwestern, and southern China. However, overexploitation as a food source has pushed it the brink of extinction.
Well, that’s all for now, folks. Here’s hoping that 2012 sees the beginning of the reversal of endangered for all threatened species.
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