Spreading Awareness About Water Voles To Help Stop Their Decline

The following is a Guest post by Ross Stevens, on behalf of Total Ecology who undertake surveys for water voles and otters at http://www.totalecology.com/mammal-survey/. Thanks Ross!

Water voles finish their breeding season in October. From then on, throughout the autumn and winter, all the territories that have been created and defended throughout the spring and summer cease to exist. Many of the tell tale signs of water vole activity disappear, including latrines. Latrines are piles of flattened droppings that an adult will uses to mark its territory and these are maintained throughout the breeding season.

Water Voles don’t hibernate. They remain active through out the cold months, however they spend most of their time underground within their nest chambers. In winter the colony will often contract, so that adults that were previously territorial now live side-by-side within the same burrow system. They normally choose a place where they will be safe from flooding, where they can dig burrows higher up the bank sides away from the waters edge. If winter grounds are not chosen wisely then a severe winter flood can result in a whole colony of water voles being flooded out and lost. In this situation, if they don’t actually drown, then they are usually picked off by one of the many animals that feed on them. The most famous water vole predator is the American Mink, which escaped or was released from fur farms during last century and is now widespread throughout the country. 

Flooding is not the only problem a colony will face over winter. Less vegetation means less cover to protect them from predators, but more importantly it means less food. Water voles will eat a wide variety of plants, however tree bark, especially willow, provides an important food source in winter. It’s at this time of year that water voles will also turn to the roots and bulbs of plants in order to survive the winter months and in autumn fallen fruits are a favourite. 

A whole colony living in one place makes them far more susceptible to persecution. Water voles are far larger then field voles, bank voles and mice. They are only slightly smaller then a rat, so are far too often mistaken for one. Colonies of water voles are often dug out, or poisoned, or killed by terriers. Thought to have undergone a 94% decline, the water vole is now one of the most threatened mammals in the country. This harmless vegetarian does not spread diseases like rats do, so please think carefully before putting poison next to a watercourse or any water body. 

It is thought that a water vole needs to obtain a weight of at least 170g in order to survive the winter. This means that those born earlier in the year have better chance of survival. A water vole rarely survives more then one winter, but very occasionally they may survive 2 or even three. All in all, it seems that winter is a hard time for a water vole. It is actually thought that up to 70% of a colony is lost over winter, leaving just a few individuals to set up breeding territories again in March.

Responsible Reading

Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), Endangered

Check out this anthology of 'speculative fiction.' Titled Extinction Doesn't Mean Forever, the stories are themed around extinct or imaginary creatures returning to the modern world. The authors have decided to donate the profits earned between July 1 and July 15, 2011 to help save the Tasmanian Devil.

Download a copy of their book during those two weeks and you can help prevent the extinction of the Tasmanian Devil.

Check out these previous posts on the Tasmanian Devil to learn what's been causing their decline, or check out the Save the Tasmanian Devil website for the latest news and information.

Numbat Numbers

Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus), Endangered

Having just spent several months living and working in Australia, Australian species are especially interesting to me right now. Koalas, Kookaburras, and Kangaroos all crossed my path, as did Wallabies, Wattles, and Wombats. What didn't cross my path was a small creature known as a Numbat. This is likely because the Numbat is no longer common in the state of Victoria, where I spent almost all of my time.

Numbats used to live all across the southern regions of Australia. Their population was reduced to two tiny pockets in the state of Western Australia after the introduction of foxes. Since then, it has been reintroduced to a few small conservation areas, but still numbers less than a 1 000 animals in the wild.

The Numbat diet is a little bit monotonous, consisting of nothing but termites. Each individual can eat between 10 000 and 20 000 termites in a day! Unlike many other termite eating animals, however, Numbats are small, and lack claws or any other method to open up termite nests. This means that they have to forage for termites when the termites themselves are out of the nest foraging--that is, during the day--making it one of the very few marsupials active during the day. Being active during the day like this is thought to make them more susceptible to predation.

In the evening, when they aren't foraging, these rare marsupials retire to their burrows, which are very often inside of hollowed out logs. It is thought that an abundance of hollow logs to hide in may have saved the two groups of Numbats that survived in Western Australia, as they provided protected hiding places from predators.

These stripy furry animals are cute, no doubt about it. They're one of Western Australia's State Emblem's, and they've also been chosen as the icon for the Conservation Council of Western Australia. A captive breeding and reintroduction program is underway, and Numbats are bred at Perth Zoo and released each year into managed habitat. Here's a great video about hand-rearing baby Numbats at the zoo.

If you want to help Numbats, you can donate to Perth Zoo's Wildlife Conservation Action.

Yaminon

Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii), Critically Endangered

This cute-ish animal is critically endangered. Endemic to Australia, it's range has steadily decreased, until in the early 80s, there were only 30-40 individuals in tiny Epping National Forest Park, about 800 km northwest of Brisbane. In 1982, Cattle were excluded from their habitat, and their population has risen to over 130.

In May of 2009, a number of Wombats were moved from Epping to a newly created nature reserve, just north of St. George, providing some protection for the species. The biggest threat to the species is a catastrophe such as fire, flood, drought, or disease, that could wipe out the entire population. Having two separate populations is a bit of a disaster insurance policy.

This largest of Wombat species, also sometimes referred to as the Yaminon, is now protected in both locations by predator proof fences to keep out dingos and other predators. Conservationists managing these populations engage in reproductive and behavioural research, as well as controlling invasive species of grass, controlled burns of habitat, DNA studies to estimate population (by collecting hair samples with tape), and much more.

If you want to help out this nearly extinct animal, here's some ideas:

You could of course donate to the Wombat Foundation.

Or you could buy some children's books featuring Willit the Amazing Wombat.

Most importantly and least expensively though, you could learn more about the Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat, and then tell your friends.

Here are some very informative sites:

From the Queensland Government.
From Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE).
From the Wombat Foundation.

Splash! Puurrrrr.

Flat-headed Cat (Prionailurus planiceps), Endangered

An awesome article from New Scientist, about a water-loving cat with webbed feet.

Viva Vaquita

Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), Critically Endangered

A new taskforce has been formed to prevent the extinction of the Vaquita, the world's rarest marine mammal. Check out the Viva Vaquita website for more information.

Here's a recent article about the latest happenings in the world of the Vaquita.

Latest Statistics

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has recently issued an updated version of its well-known IUCN Redlist, the most comprehensive and authoritative measure of the endangered-ness of species around the world. According to the latest information, 17,291 species are threatened with extinction out of a total of 47,677 assessed species. "The scientific evidence of a serious extinction crisis is mounting,” according to Jane Smart, Director of IUCN’s Biodiversity Conservation Group.

Below are some graphs, illustrating the most recent statistics. Red areas represent species that are threatened. One thing to keep in mind while looking at these charts--these graphics represent only species that are assessed by the IUCN. So, although just about all of the known mammal, amphibian, and bird species have been described and assessed, only small percentages of the world's known plants, invertebrates, fish, and reptiles, have been assessed. Which of course means that there are a lot of species out there whose status is unknown. They may be threatened or not--we just don't know. If you're interested in more details, check out the Summary Statistics published by the IUCN.

Back to Canada!

Black-footed Ferret (Mustela Nigripes), Endangered

The Black-footed Ferret is being reintroduced to Canada! Thirty-four endangered ferrets were released into Saskatchewan's Grassland National Park on Friday. They were released near a colony of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, their main prey, as well as their architects, since the Ferrets live in abandoned Prairie Dog burrows.

All of the Ferrets released had a few things in common. They all were born in captivity, and therefore had to spend some time in a special facility in Colorado, where they learned which predators to fear, and how to hunt and survive in the wild. They also all have a small electronic chip implanted under their skin, which will help conservationists keep track of and study them.

For each of the next few years, 30-40 Black-footed Ferrets will be released into the park, with the eventual aim of having wild populations across North America. Conservationists warn, however, that time is still a long ways off. Although Black-footed Ferrets have been reintroduced to 19 sites across North America, only three of these are self-sustaining. The rest require new captive-bred ferrets each year to maintain their populations.

The only ferret native to North America, it looks like a cross between a raccoon and a weasel, with distinctive dark markings across its face and feet. It disappeared from north of the 49th Parallel around 1937 and was thought to have gone extinct across its range throughout Mexico and the United States sometime in the 1970s. Then came 1981, and a tiny population of 18 Black-footed ferrets was discovered in Wyoming. They were trapped, and taken into captivity, effectively making the species extinct in the wild.

With those original 18 animals though, a successful captive breeding program was begun, and Black-footed Ferrets have been reintroduced to the prairies of the United States and Mexico since 1991. The current wild population stands at around 750, with 250 more still in captivity.

The reason for the Black-footed Ferrets decline in the 20th century was tied to its main source of food--Prairie Dogs. As farmers and ranchers cultivated the land, they tended to see the Prairie Dogs as pests and a hindrance to agriculture. This view led to widespread poisoning and trapping, and huge reductions in population size, which were exacerbated by outbreaks of sylvatic plague. They continue to be threatened by the extreme fragmentation of their primary habitat, which has been occupied by humans for food production and living space.

You can learn more at the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program.

Or you can adopt one. As the adoption website notes: This is a sponsorship program. You will NOT receive a black-footed ferret.

See if there's a zoo near you that has Black-footed Ferrets on display.

Farewell, Tiny Friends

Christmas Island Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus murrayi), Critically Endangered

Sometimes, saying goodbye is hard. It's not hard to say goodbye to your friend, when you're leaving the coffee shop, because you know you'll see each other tomorrow. It's a different story though, when you're saying goodbye to your friend, because they're getting on a plane to Peru and you don't know if you'll ever see them again.

That's kind of how I feel right now about the Christmas Island Pipistrelle. This tiny bat, weighing about the same as three paperclips, has been saying farewell for the past 14 years. For more than a decade, the CI Pipistrelle has declined at least 10% percent every year. Now, in 2009, the total number of CI Pipistrelles likely stands at less than twenty.

Without a last minute miracle, this bat is headed straight for extinction. In fact, it may already be extinct. With the hope of starting a captive breeding program, eight scientists have spent an entire month in an unsuccessful last ditch effort to trap any surviving bats.

The reasons for the relatively rapid decline of this bat are unclear. Most scientists involved seem to believe that it's demise is linked to one of the numerous non-native species introduced to Christmas Island--the small Australian island which is the sole habitat of the CI Pipistrelle. Whether it was the Common Wolf Snake, the Black Rat, the Yellow Crazy Ant, or some other species that resulted in its decline, the point is now almost moot.

Although there is a small chance that scientists may succeed in trapping a few bats to start a breeding program, as long as the non-native species remain, the Christmas Island Pipistrelle will not be living happily on Christmas Island.

And so, to the CI Pipistrelle, I bid a very sad farewell. I hope this isn't goodbye forever.

Nine

Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), Critically Endangered

100000 - The number of Black Rhinos alive in 1960
65000 - The number of Black Rhinos alive in 1973
14000 - The number of Black Rhinos alive in 1980
2300 - The number of Black Rhinos alive in 1993
4240 - The number of Black Rhinos alive today
9 - The number of Black Rhinos alive in a secret location

Nine Black Rhinos have recently been airlifted to a secret location in an effort to increase the range and numbers of these critically endangered African mammals. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), in partnership with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW), selected individuals from different areas and parks to help establish the new population.

The final destination of the nine founders is being kept a secret because of illegal poaching--the main factor in the rhinos' steep decline since the 1960s. Rhino horn is used illegally in traditional Asian medicine, as well as being highly coveted for ornamental use.

In Yemen, rhino horns are used for the handles of curved daggers called jambiyas, which are given to young men as symbols of manhood and religious devotion. Not all jambiyas use rhino horn--only the most prized and expensive.

The use of Rhino horn in traditional Asian medicine, however, is by far the greater threat. Rhino horn is used to treat a variety of ailments, including fever, rheumatism, and gout. The horn is usually shaved or ground into a powder and dissolved in boiling water. As more and more Chinese people accumulate wealth and the ability to pay for expensive treatments, the market for poached Rhino horn will only grow.

Sign a petition to stop illegal Rhino horn trade.

Learn more from Save the Rhinos, The International Rhino Foundation, or Saving Rhinos.

Population Explosion, Kind Of

Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), Vulnerable

In early April, the Wildlife Conservation Society announced that a population of close to 6000 Irawaddy Dolphins has been discovered in Bangladesh. Before the discovery of the populations in Bangladesh, only a few small pockets of dolphins were known, most numbering less than 150. In short, the dolphins from Bangladesh have increased the known population more than six times.

Brian Smith, who led the study, expressed optimism for the future of the Irrawaddy Dolphin, but cautioned that the many threats still exist, including entanglement in fishing nets, declining freshwater supplies, and climate change.

The Wildlife Conservation Society is working with Bangladeshi officials to create a sanctuary for the dolphins in the mangrove forests where they live.

Keep your fingers crossed if you want to help the Irrawaddy Dolphin. Or you can take action and send an email to your Congressperson (if you live in the US), or support the WCS in their mission of Saving Wildlife.

Thanks to Colie for sharing the news.

Pass the Olives Please

Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), Vulnerable

Thousands of dead Olive Ridley Turtles wash up on the east coast of India every year, victims of shrimp trawlers, and fishing vessels using long-lines, and purse-seine and gill nets. Classified as Vulnerable (or in other terms, Nearly Endangered) by the IUCN, these turtles are also facing habitat degradation, over-harvesting of eggs and adults, and the impacts of global warming.

Many, though not all, Olive Ridleys nest in what are known as arribadas. An arribada (the Spanish word for arrival), is a mass breeding event, in which thousands of turtles leave the ocean at the same time to breed and lay eggs in sandy nests. One of the largest arribada sites is located near the mouth of the Dhamra River on the East coast of India, in the province of Orissa.

Currently, the construction of a port is in the works, very near the site of the arribada. The company carrying out the construction is a joint venture between Tata Steel and Larsen and Toubro Ltd., two Indian companies. Set to open in 2010, the port has met resistance from environmental groups concerned about the impacts of shipping traffic and the port construction on the turtles breeding grounds.

Check out a map of the proposed port site and the turtle breeding grounds here.

Although the joint company has conducted an Enviroment Impact Analysis, allegations have been made that it is inadequate and does not take into account all relevant factors. Though the company has partnered with the IUCN to "minimize and mitigate the impacts" of the development, many believe the most effective solution for the protection of the turtles is the relocation of the proposed port.

One of the biggest concerns is an increase in artificial lighting. Both nesting females and newly hatched turtles use light as a cue--the ocean is naturally brighter than land. Artificial lighting disorients many turtles, causing them to head inland rather than towards the sea. The increased industrialization that will undoubtedly occur in the area is another concern, bringing higher levels of pollution, disrupting the local marine ecosystem.

Check out the Wild Foundation, working to prevent the construction of the port.

Write a letter protesting the construction of the port.

Read about the companies environmental policies, and their defense of the port.

Mushrooms for Breakfast, Mushrooms for Lunch, Mushrooms for . . .

Gilbert's Potoroo (Potorous gilbertii), Critically Endangered

Gilbert's Potoroo, named for the English naturalist John Gilbert, is perhaps the most endangered marsupial in Australia. Known as the Ngil-gyte by local aboriginals, it is a small marsupial rat-kangaroo, with soft fur, bulging eyes, and a tail almost as long as its 30cm body. If you know what bandicoots and wallabies look like, a potoroo is somewhere in the middle. Fewer than 50 wild individuals are restricted to two tiny areas on the southern coast of Western Australia.

These shy nocturnal creatures are an oddity in the mammal world, in that they are fungivores. That is, 90% of their diet consists of truffles, the fruiting body of underground fungi. The spores of over 40 types of truffle have been found in their dung! The rest of their diet consists of small insects and small fleshy fruit.

It was first discovered around 1840 in southwest Australia, when John Gilbert wrote that large numbers were procured by aboriginals for food in the space of a few hours. By 1870, it was believed extinct. It wasn't until more than 120 years later, in 1994 that Gilbert's Potoroo was discovered, still alive in Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve. Since then, a captive breeding population has been established in the same area, and another wild population has been established on nearby Bald Island. Currently, plans are underway to establish a third wild population at Waychinicup National Park.

The establishment of these distinct populations is crucial to increasing Gilbert's Potoroo's chances of survival. Threatened by wildfire (they live in dense, highly flammable vegetation that has remained unburnt for 50 or more years), introduced predators (feral foxes and cats), and changes to their habitat, their tiny population is at constant risk of extinction by a single catastrophic event. That is, a single wildfire could wipe out the majority of the population.

Research continues to learn more about the needs of Gilbert's Potoroo, as well as to help conservationists increase the breeding success of the captive population.

If you live in Western Australia, you can volunteer with the Gilbert's Potoroo Action Group, dedicated to preventing the extinction of it's namesake.

Learn more about Gilbert's Potoroo at Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation website.

Antelope or Sheep?

Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica), Critically Endangered

Saiga antelope have an extremely distinctive appearance with an enlarged nose that hangs down over the mouth like a mini-elephant trunk. Mature males have almost vertical orange-ish translucent horns that are ringed at the bottom. Despite their common name they are thought to be intermediates between antelope and sheep. Their coats are sparse and cinnamon-buff in the summer but become white and around 70 percent thicker in winter.

Currently, there are three populations of the subspecies S. t. tatarica in Kazakhstan - the Ural, Ust'-Urt and Betpakdala, and one population in the Pre-Caspian region (a European population). Some herds from one of the populations within Kazakhstan migrate to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan during the winter. Each of these populations is distinct and there is little intermingling of the populations.

Until the early 1960s there was also a population of Saiga tatarica in China. Two populations of the Mongolian saiga (S. t. mongolica) inhabit the northwest of Mongolia. Saiga within the former Soviet Union were the subject of concerted conservation programmes. The population at one point reached almost one million individuals.

Saigas typically inhabit open dry steppe and semi desert grasslands of Central Asia and Pre-Caspian region. They prefer open areas free from dense vegetation where they run quickly (up to 80 miles per hour) to avoid predators such as wolves and humans.

Management of the species has now broken down however and illegal poaching is rife. Saiga horns are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine as cures for illnesses such as strokes. Only the males of the species bear horns and poaching thus produces a population where there are far more females than males. The average life span of saiga is only around three to four years and if females do not mate every year the species can rapidly decline. They are on the CITES list and hunting is banned throughout the Saiga's range.

Maps and more information on the Saiga at EDGE - here.

Saiga also usually have one or (more commonly) two offspring at a go. I find Saiga terribly cute - adult or babies... they are - aren't they?!

Little Rhinos Offer a Little Hope

Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), Critically Endangered

The Javan Rhinoceros is believed to be the rarest large mammal in the world. With only 40-60 individuals still alive, scientists worry whether the population was large enough to recover. It once lived in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR. Today, it survives in two tiny isolated parks in Viet Nam and Indonesia. To really get an idea of its current and historic range, check out this excellent map from Wikipedia. Ujung Kulon National Park, on the western tip of Java has an estimated 50 individuals. Cat Tien National Park in Viet Nam has a mere 6 to 8, which may no longer be a viable population.

Some good news for these giants--scientists recently observed four young rhino calves and their parents in Ujung Kulon. According to the head of the park, the young rhinos were between 6 and 7 months and were in the company of their parents. This is a ray of light for the declining species and offers hope that they may be able to breed quickly enough to recover. Still they face difficult times, with the largest threat coming from poaching for traditional Chinese medicine. There are no Javan Rhinos in captivity to provide captive breeding or insurance populations.

How you can help:

Shop for rhino related products (t-shirts and such, not horns).

Join Crash! the Social Network for People who love Rhinos.

Donate to one of these Rhino Conservation organizations:

International Rhino Foundation, Save the Rhino

Abundant or Rare?

Pgymy Tarsier (Tarsius pumilus), Data Deficient

The Pygmy Tarsier, thought by some to be extinct, has been rediscovered. This giant-eyed, four inch long primate lives on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, and was previously known only from a few specimens collected for a museum in 1921. In 2000, scientists accidentally trapped and killed one, while studying rats.

Determined to learn more about these creatures, Sharon Gursky-Doyen set out to find them. With the help of her graduate student Nanda Grow, a team of locals, and a large number of mist-nets (very fine netting for catching small animals and birds), two males and one female were captured and fitted with radio collars.

So far, there are more questions than answers. Why do Pygmy Tarsiers have claws instead of nails, as most primates do? Why don't they call to each other or mark their territory with scent? (Gursky-Doyen thinks they may be vocalizing at frequencies out of the range of human hearing). How many Pygmy Tarsiers are still out there and where exactly do they live?

This is perhaps the most important question. Listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN, Pygmy Tarsiers may be on the brink of extinction. With fragmented habitat and humans encroaching on their space, they might be extinguished like a match in the wind. Or, they might be numerous and widespread, and simply very hard to observe, since they live in the high mountains and only come out at night.

Gursky-Doyen and Grow are working on a paper that will hopefully answer some of these questions. They hope that whatever happens, the rediscovery of this species will encourage government officials to offer it some protection. Although part of its range is within the 2000 square kilometers of Lore Lindu National Park, it shares that space with 60 villages, some of which are expanding into the mountains.

If you want to help the Pygmy Tarsier, you can donate to the Nature Conservancy, which is working to protect Lore Lindu National Park. Make sure to direct your donation to Indonesia.

Hector's Dolphins Still Unprotected

Hector's Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori), Endangered

A new study by researchers at New Zealand's Otago University has added to the mountain of evidence that Hector's Dolphins are being killed at a rate that will lead to their extinction . . . unless something changes. These dolphins, with their uniquely rounded dorsal fins, are declining due to commercial and recreational fishing using gill nets and other methods that entangle them as bycatch.

Hector's Dolphins have the most limited range of any cetacean, except the Vaquita. Living only around the coast of New Zealand's two islands, they are divided into two subspecies. The South Island Hector's Dolphins have been reduced to less than 7500 individuals, while the Critically Endangered North Island subspecies, also known as Maui's Dolphins, have been reduced to a mere 110 individuals.

The New Zealand government has restricted fishing in parts of the Dolphin's range, but complete protection has not been realized, partially because of resistance from the fishing industry.

If you want to help, you can petition the New Zealand Government to enact full protection, adopt a Hector's Dolphin through WWF New Zealand, or join a Facebook Cause dedicated to the Hector's and Maui's Dolphins.

More Monkeys Is Good News

Gray Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus brelichi), Endangered

This endangered monkey is confined to a 400 square kilometer reserve in China. Up until 1978, their mountainous home was severely disturbed and damaged due to mining activities. Since then, the Fanjing Mountains Natural Reserve has been established, and their population has increased from an estimated 400 in 1979 to 850 today.

Since 1992 the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve Administration Bureau has successfully bred seven captured individuals, producing a mere 16 offspring-an average of one per year.

You can donate to Save the Primates to aid conservation of primates world-wide.

One. Five. Zero.

Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), Critically Endangered














One. Five. Zero.

That's the estimated number of Vaquitas Marinas, or little sea cows still alive. These miniature porpoises (featured here previously), which live only in the Gulf of California, are the most endangered cetacean. If nothing is done, they are likely to become extinct within the next year or two, or sooner.

The main cause of their decline, is not habitat loss, climate change, or pollution (although these things do affect the Vaquita). The biggest threat to the survival of the Vaquita is the nets local fishermen. The nets are intended for other fish and shrimp, but an estimated 40 are caught accidentally each year. When your total population is 150, losing 40 is a big deal.

The Mexican government is pledging 16 million US dollars to pay fishermen to avoid the Vaquita's habitat or to stop fishing altogether. Some of the money will also be spent to teach fishermen alternative techniques using snares that are too small to endanger Vaquitas.

So far, about 1000 fishermen (40%) have agreed to stay out of Vaquita habitat or stop fishing altogether. This is a good start, but more is needed. With the population already so low, if the Vaquita is to make a full recovery, accidental deaths due to fishing must be reduced to zero.

Here's a great site with information about the history of the conservation of the Vaquita and the threats it faces.

Support the survival of the Vaquita (cheque only).

Endangered Eating - Indian Bushmeat

Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa), Critically Endangered
River Terrapin (Batagur baska), Critically Endangered
Malabar Civet (Viverra civettina), Critically Endangered
Pygmy Hog (Sus salvanius), Critically Endangered
Hoolock Gibbon (Bunopithecus hoolock), Endangered
Narrow-headed Softshell Turtle (Chitra indica), Endangered
Swamp Deer (Cervus duvaucelii), Endangered
Capped Langur (Trachypithecus pileatus), Endangered
Markhor (Capra falconeri), Endangered
Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus), Vulnerable

"Musk-deer jerky, rice garnished with boiled macaque, roasted porcupine and marbled cat curry," begins an article published at OneWorld South Asia.

The article takes a look at some of the reasons that endangered species in India are rising in popularity as foods. From status symbols to subsistence fare, many of India's most endangered species are being decimated, one meal at a time. Read the full article, to learn more.