Dugong manatees: practically extinct in China

Photo: Sirachai ARUNRUGSTICHAI/ AFP

According to an assessment by the Chinese government published this week, animals in China are much more at risk of extinction than in other countries. The reason for this is that their habitats are endangered by urbanization and human invasion.

In an effort to reverse the environmental damage caused by rapid growth, China has established national parks, nature reserves, and an ecological "red line" system to protect important animal habitats from human intervention. 30 percent of China's territory is now protected.

Nevertheless, a significant number of species are still endangered by the rapid expansion of cities and the disruptive development of infrastructure as well as the exploitation of animals, according to a study of more than 4300 native species. More than 213 experts led by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment were involved.

"The results show that the risk of extinction of vertebrates in China is far above the world average," the ministry said in a recently published report. The extinction of entire species, as well as the disappearance of animals in some regions, occurred in all groups.

"Human economic activities have altered the nature of the land, leading to the loss and fragmentation of wildlife habitats and the reduction or even disappearance of vertebrate populations," it added.

Rate significantly higher than in global comparison

According to the ministry, nearly 30 percent of reptile species in China are threatened, which is higher than the global figure of 21.2 percent. However, the total number of species increased from 110 in 2004 to 137. In addition, 176 amphibian species are classified as threatened, which is more than 40 percent of all known species (128) in the country. This figure is also significantly higher than the global figure.

Progress has been made mainly in well-known and popular species such as the giant panda, whose population has risen to around 1800 animals. The panda population was downgraded from "critically endangered" to "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2021.

The total number of endangered mammal species also fell to 223 from 2004 in 178, the ministry said. However, the share of threatened mammal species in the total number of species assessed was still 26.4 percent, higher than the proportion of threatened mammals on the IUCN Global Red List. In 2014, this was 21.8 percent.

joe/Reuters