Conservation Stories, Australia and Beyond: The Species Bouncing Back
- Written by Morgan Franklin
Tens of thousands of species are in danger of extinction, including a quarter of all mammals in the world and nearly 15% of all birds. The growing population of humans, our consumption of resources and fast expansion into virgin forests and natural has caused the rate of animal extinction to accelerate by 1,000 times faster. Unless we act now, many animal species could be devastated in just a few shorts decades.
The good news is that conservation projects have very high success rates. Proving that with hard work and care for wildlife can reverse the endangerment of animals that we have almost killed off. Even when they are at the brink of extinction. Here are some of the animals that have bounced back, starting with one of Australia’s most iconic creatures.
The Tasmanian Devil
Endemic to the island of Tasmania, this carnivorous creature was almost completely wiped out by a cancer that was spreading across the animal population in the 1990s. The marsupial mammal developed a facial tumour and killed a large percentage of the animals on the island. The disease remains a threat to the Tasmanian Devil even today, but a breakthrough treatment has been developed to help their immune systems fight the cancer.
A number of conservation projects take place across the island, including Save the Tasmanian Devil Program supported by the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors and the work being done at the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park.
The Arabian Oryx
The Arabian Oryx, which has been a hunted creature for its beautiful horns, was declared extinct by several nations in the Middle East during the 1970s. Poaching meant that the species was almost completely killed off, but a breeding programme was put into place to help rebuild the Oryx population.
After private breeding in nature reserves and specialist zoos, animals were released into the world. And whilst the antelope is still endangered, conservationists were able to bring it back from the brink of extinction.
The Giant Panda
Another great success to be celebrated is the comeback of the Giant Panda, China’s iconic creature that faced near-extinction back in the 1970s. The animal suffered a population decline after loss of habitat and illegal poaching for panda meat. An agreement between the Chinese Government and the WWF was later signed to initiate conservation projects around China in order to bring back the black and white bear.
Some places where you can see the Giant Panda today include Dujiangyan Panda Base, Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center, Wolong Panda Center, and the famous Beijing Zoo.
The Large Blue Butterfly
This butterfly has been the rarest species since the 1930s, and it was completely wiped out in Great Britain by 1979. But reserves in Europe were used to reintroduce it to nature in the UK, and now there are thousands living England’s South West region where they can be spotted in the spring and summer season. The butterfly was thriving back in 2016 and decades of conservation projects are now paying off.
