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February 8, 2000
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Extinction of a Species
| The Search for Red Colobus |
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But recently, a team of scientists led by anthropologist John Oates returned from West Africa to confirm the disappearance of this colorful, leaf-eating creature. As early as the 1950s, scientists warned that logging and hunting were threatening the monkey's survival. In 1988, Miss Waldron's red colobus was placed on the list of endangered species. By 1996, the experts predicted that the red colobus might be the closest species to extinction of all the known primates—the nearest relatives of humans in the animal kingdom. Attempts to breed the endangered animal in captivity also failed. Scientists discovered that they could not re-create the red colobus' food supply. The monkey also was too sensitive to its change in habitat. It could live only in the tall trees of Africa's high-canopy forest. |
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From 1993 to 1999, Oates and his research team searched for Miss Waldron's red colobus. Using museum records of the monkey's past locations and satellite imagery of forests in Ghana and Ivory Coast, team members traveled to sites that seemed like red colobus habitats. When present, red colobus monkeys are easy to find. They are brightly colored and relatively large at 20 pounds. They typically live in groups of 20 or more, spend much of their time in the upper part of the forest canopy, and call frequently to each other. The researchers questioned local people about their knowledge of the red colobus and made a particular effort to speak to hunters. Only a few of the older hunters could even accurately describe Miss Waldron's red colobus. Oates's research team found no record of any sightings since 1978. According to Oates, a decrease in natural habitat and an increase in hunting appear to have caused the extinction of the red colobus. Logging and farming had taken their toll on the monkey's natural surroundings. At each of the sites, the researchers discovered shotgun shells and snare traps, evidence of illegal hunting. Laws protecting colobus monkeys evidently had not been enforced. Forest areas set aside specifically for wildlife protection had been poorly protected against the activities of poachers. Without stronger protection against poaching, researchers predict that several other large primates will soon follow Miss Waldron's red colobus into extinction. Oates warns, "The extinction of Miss Waldron's red colobus may be the first obvious manifestation of an extinction spasm that will soon affect other large animals in this region."
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Scientists hardly had time to know Miss Waldron's red colobus, which was only discovered in 1933. Willoughby P. Lowe found eight of these monkeys in the West African country of Ghana and brought them back to Britain. The monkey was later named after Lowe's traveling companion, Miss Waldron.
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| The 2000 Red List |
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Oates is not alone in sounding the alarm. In September, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) released its "2000 Red List of Threatened Species," which tracks global biodiversity. A total of 18,276 species and subspecies are included in the 2000 Red List. It is updated every four years. Since the last assessment in 1996, the overall number of "threatened" primates worldwide has increased from 96 to 116 species out of a total of 620.
Overall, a total of 11,046 animal and plant species are listed as threatened and facing a high risk of extinction in the future, including 24% (almost 1 in 4) of mammal species and 12% (1 in 8) of bird species. The total number of threatened animal species has increased from 5,205 to 5,435.
Habitats with the greatest numbers of threatened mammals and birds are lowland and mountain tropical rainforests in countries such as Brazil. Twenty-five countries have more threatened species than scientists previously predicted. Of these, 19 are island states, including Australia, Indonesia, and Madagascar. Species restricted to islands are generally more vulnerable to extinction. They simply do not exist elsewhere.
"Human and financial resources must be mobilized between 10 and 100 times the current level to address the crisis," the Red List report concludes.
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| Tracking Hot Spots |
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Conservation International (CI) has identified 25 such places around the world and notes that they have lost too much vegetation to safely support animal life. CI says that the area remaining in pristine condition within the 25 biodiversity hot spots is relatively small. The total area of these hot spots is 2,122,869 square miles, or 1.44% of the planet's land surface. Yet these locations contain more than 60% of all plant and animal diversity in the world. By focusing on biodiversity hotspots, CI says, the global threat of extinction can appear less overwhelming and perhaps become more manageable . |
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"The Red List is solid documentation of the global extinction crisis and reveals just the tip of the iceberg," says Conservation International's Russell Mittermeier. That group is focusing on areas known as "biodiversity hot spots." The term was created by British ecologist Norman Myers in 1988. It recognizes that a high percentage of the world's biologically rich areas are concentrated in a modest number of ecosystems, often in tropical forest regions.
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Meg Little Warren, who wrote this article, contributes periodically to the Riverdeep Current.
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