Humans have already been the reason behind the extinction of many animals, and are at the moment the reason that most animals threatened. For example, the Felidae are described as the second-greatest family of predators, next to humans. They have had incredible evolutionary success, about 11 million years ago diversifying into many different species, which spread around the world. (See works of O'Brien for more on cat evolution.) Yet today, most of the 37 species of cats, excluding the house cat, are endangered or threatened. In the past century and a half, the Barbary Lion, Caspian Tiger, Javan Tiger, Bali Tiger, and Cape Lion have become extinct.
The Iberian Lynx is the world's most endangered cat species, numbering at 120 individuals.
(http://www.scientificamerican.com/slideshow.cfm?id=critically-endangered-species)
The Amur leopard has 30-45 individuals extant in the wild, such a critical condition that conservation programs are breeding Amur leopards to reintroduce them into the wild. Hopefully humans can preserve some of other species' habitat and stop their hunting before these species are lost. An endangered status is horrible, but extinction is (mostly) permanent.
(http://www.scientificamerican.com/slideshow.cfm?id=critically-endangered-species)
The Amur leopard has 30-45 individuals extant in the wild, such a critical condition that conservation programs are breeding Amur leopards to reintroduce them into the wild. Hopefully humans can preserve some of other species' habitat and stop their hunting before these species are lost. An endangered status is horrible, but extinction is (mostly) permanent.
- Černa Kočka
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