Giant river animals on verge of extinction, report warns

[muriel_volestrangler]

Populations of the great beasts that once dominated the world’s rivers and lakes have crashed in the last 50 years, according to the first comprehensive study.

Some freshwater megafauna have already been declared extinct, such as the Yangtze dolphin, and many more are now on the brink, from the Mekong giant catfish and stingray to India’s gharial crocodiles to the European sturgeon. Just three Chinese giant softshell turtles are known to survive and all are male. Across Europe, North Africa and Asia, populations have plunged by 97% since 1970.

The killing of the animals for meat, skins and eggs is the cause of the decline, along with humanity’s ever growing thirst for freshwater for crops, its many dams, as well as widespread pollution. The scientists assessed 126 species, covering 72 countries, and found numbers had plunged by an average of 88%.

Many of the creatures are keystone species in their ecosystems, such as beavers, and the researchers said their loss will have knock on effects on all fauna and flora and on the many millions of people that depend on the waterways for their livelihoods.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/10/giant-river-animals-on-verge-of-extinction-report-warns

[democratisphere]

1. The extinction of all other species will soon lead to our own.

Pathetic.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

2. Heartbreaking but makes sense. The rivers are the highways that carry....

all our pollution to the oceans including chemicals, bacteria and plastics.

Fewer and fewer creatures will survive as the earth's population continues to grow.....

[Ferrets are Cool]

3. Pile on me if ya want,

but Agent Smith was correct. We aren't actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet.

[CousinIT]

4. parasite. n/t

[Ferrets are Cool]

6. That was going to be my first choice of words. nt

[keithbvadu2]

5. Fishing in the old days

[CrispyQ]

7. Everything for humans. Leftovers for whoever can survive living with us. -nt

[NickB79]

8. We lucky humans today get to see the last of the megafauna

In 100 yr, the largest animals on Earth will be cattle and pigs. The extinction event our ancestors helped kick off 20,000 yr ago will be complete.