WWF alarm: species death progresses rapidly-is our nature in danger?

The WWF draws a mixed balance in species protection for 2024. Kathrin Samson, Nature Conservation Office at WWF Germany, expresses that animal and plant species disappear in a time-lapot pace. There is a special concern about strongly threatened species such as corals, borneo elephants, Banteng and glasses penguins. In Western Europe, the hedgehog is classified as "potentially endangered".

A worrying aspect is the wolf, the protection status of which was downgraded by the Council of Europe. There are currently around 200 packs in Germany, but the species is not in a "favorable state of maintenance". Coral reefs suffered from record temperatures as a result of the climate crisis, which leads to massive bleaching effects. The existence of borne elephants has shrunk to around 1,000 animals in the wild, and the Banteng population is estimated at around 3,300 animals, which classifies them as threatened with extinction. Likewise, the population of the glasses penguin has dropped from 141,000 breeding pairs to around 9,900 breeding pairs since 1956/57.

threats and progress in species protection

human activities lead to the threats to biodiversity, in particular habitat destruction, overuse, poaching, invasive types, pollution and the climate crisis. According to the IUCN, around 46,300 types of animal, plant and mushrooms are considered to be threatened. Despite these negative developments, there are also bright spots: lynxes, tigers, Siam crocodiles, sea turtles and tuna recovery tendencies show. In particular, the blue-finished tuna return to the North Sea, a success that is promoted by fishing bans and combating illegal fishing.

A positive example is the sea eagle population in Germany, which has grown to over 1,000 breeding pairs after the decline around 1900 could be reversed by targeted protective measures. In the Mediterranean, the fake karettic tortoise also shows progress, which are supported by reducing by -catching and maintaining nest beaches. The WWF emphasizes that despite setbacks there are certainly opportunities for nature and people. In order to better understand the endangerment of species, scientists have divided the threats into different stages, based on criteria such as inventory, reproductive ability and speed as well as the distribution area, such as