Last year's UN report served as a conscious cuff for humanity and the path we have taken.
One million species are in danger of extinction, he told us ΟΗΕ, the largest global rating ever.
But he also told us something else: that margins are dangerously narrow if we are to do something to save the planet's biodiversity and health.
The ties that keep nature united are also threatened by deforestation, overfishing, poaching, development and other human activities that leave their black and gloomy mark on the environment.
Thanks to human action, 1 million species are on the verge of extinction and within 5 years (from 2019) some of them may no longer exist among us.
"The evidence is clear, nature is in trouble. So we are in trouble, too, "said Sandra Díaz, a member of his research team. Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, which eventually exceeded 1.500 pages.
It is the only such comprehensive report, a meta-research that evaluated data from 15.000 scientific sources and was compiled by 145 authorities from 50 countries. What else did he say? That 75% of the land areas show "serious alterations" by human activity, but also 66% of the seas have a "significant human impact".
In fact, 32.000 of these species are now on the verge of extinction, as the famous Red List tells us (Red List of Threatened Species) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the most comprehensive and up-to-date database on endangered species worldwide.
More than 100 major environmental organizations are working today to make the global goal of protecting 50% of the planet by 2050 (and 30% by 2030) a reality.
If they do, they may survive the Earth's remarkable biodiversity (over 8,7 million species) and we do not see animals and plants exclusively in photographs.
The global orangutan population is threatened with extinction and both the WWF and the Red List of Threatened Species are now labeled "extremely endangered" for the species. At the time her orangutan Sumatra With just 13.846 members, scientists point to their once prosperous population in Borneo, where today there are just over 104.000 animals.
If the numbers seem large, they are tragically few, having lost more than 60% of its population in the last 60 years. Exclusively here thanks to man.
Its natural environment has shrunk by more than 50% in the last twenty years and all three species that make up the orangutan of Borneo is now one step ahead of the next stage: extinct in nature.
According to the IUCN, the Asian tiger is divided into two recognized subspecies: the continental (such as Bengal and Siberian) and the Sumatran (Indonesian). All other Asian tiger species (such as the Caspian) have become extinct. In fact, those that remain in vast Asia, of both species, do not exceed according to WWF the 3.900.
Until recently, the Asian big cat had another subspecies, which we recently learned disappeared from the wild. We are talking about such a catastrophe. As of 2015, however, there is a population of 100 South China tigers exclusively at the Suzhou Zoo, a city near Shanghai. They remain in a "critically endangered" state.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of China, but also to environmental organizations and zoos, everything stopped being an endangered species on the IUCN Red List in 2016. Exactly 1.864 of them were listed in the wild and the numbers looked promising.
However it is an animal that for China is considered a national treasure and huge funds have been given for its survival effort. Even so, owning one is still beyond the reach of the average person.
Both the Eastern Himalayan red (always in the "threatened" status) is a gamble of humanity. One of the things not to be missed…
It has been living on the planet Earth for 100 million years and human action had to come to threaten it with extinction for at least two centuries. Most of the 7 large species of sea turtle are now endangered species, but the bells are ringing loudly for the Hawksbill species.
The IUCN unfortunately put her in the critically endangered category, as the violent hunting for her cauldron, the collection of her eggs for food and the destruction of coral reefs they are threatening her more scary than ever.
The trade that has been set up around its cavern remains in fact the No. 1 reason for the worrying shrinkage of its population…
The largest land animal in Asia hits red on the IUCN Red List, with less than 50.000 Asian elephants left on the continent. That is, where the African elephant has a population of over 415.000 members and remains one step ahead of becoming an endangered species.
But the Indian elephant is not doing well, it is also an endangered species, it has a population of only 20.000-25.000.
The Asian, however, is more at risk, due to the drastic loss of his natural environment and poaching. It now lives in specific areas of South and Southeast Asia.
Not even 5.500 members are left of the smaller of the two African rhino species (white and μαύρος), with its population shrinking dramatically in the 20th century. The greatest catastrophe occurred, according to the WWF, between 1960-1995, when its population shrank by 98% (less than 2.500 members).
The black rhino literally returned one step before its complete extinction, thanks to its enormous protection efforts.
However, he flirts dangerously with disappearance. The situation is even worse for the Javanese rhino, with only 58-68 members living in a protected park on the island, but also the Sumatran rhino, which does not exceed 80 members.
If you are wondering why the Javanese rhino was spotted, it is for its horn, which on the black market can even fetch $ 30.000 per kilo. Because of this alone, three of the five rhino species are now threatened with extinction;
The Amur River serves as the natural border between the Russian Far East and China. And there lives a rare subspecies of an animal that we have associated with the African savannah: the leopard Amur. Few have heard of it and probably no one will know it in the future, as it is one of the animals that is expected to become extinct unless something drastic happens.
Η leopard which lives further north than any other of the species is as stunning as the others. It is also known as the Manchuria leopard and unfortunately today it is the most endangered leopard species. No more than 84 have been recorded and the time to rescue her is either now or never…
Less than 300 gorillas have been recorded by scientists in a vast rainforest area of Cameroon and Nigeria. This species (Cross River) of the western gorilla is divided into at least 11 subspecies and all of them do not number more than 300 members in total.
It is very similar to the lowland gorilla species, but it has some differences in appearance. He is the most endangered gorilla, as unfortunate circumstances brought man to the lands where he lives. This encroachment on his area, combined with deforestation and poaching, has decimated him.
The WWF has long put him in its protective net, creating a protected area, in cooperation with the governments of Cameroon and Nigeria, lest he disappear from nature…
With a population of no more than 1.409, according to WWF statistics, the African wild dog is another animal on alert. Its highest concentration is today in the south of the continent and the southern part of East Africa (Tanzania and its north Mozambique).
Their herds have been literally decimated and their future is considered extremely uncertain, making them one of the most endangered species in the world.
Its population now numbers 370 members and this is probably good news for an animal that was considered until recently extinct by nature. However, the combined efforts of state and federal agencies, zoos, environmental organizations, and even breeds Indians, gave her a second chance at life.
Of course, it remains a highly endangered animal, as the restriction of its natural environment and diseases can decimate its population at any time. With great effort it will continue to exist in our world…