One-Fourth of MammalsCould Go Extinct, New Report Says

Half of the world’s 5,487 mammal species are in decline and one-quarter are threatened with extinction, according to the new Red List of Threatened Species compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Red List, released at the IUCN’s World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, noted that the main threats to mammals are habitat destruction and hunting. Of particular concern, the IUCN said, is deforestation in Asia, where 80 percent of primates are under threat as virgin rainforest in Indonesia and other countries is logged and replanted in palm oil plantations. At least 76 mammals have gone extinct since 1500, and the director general of the IUCN, Julia Marton-Lefevre, said, “Within our lifetime hundreds of species could be lost as a result of our own actions.” The video above shows some of the species that are at risk.