A paper clip-sized chameleon and the whale shark are among the threatened species of animals and plants being monitored by conservationists this year.
Fauna & Flora, an international nature conservation group, has identified 10 weird and wonderful species at risk of extinction for its “watch list” this year as it works with partners across the world to aid their survival.
The species are facing threats such as habitat loss, climate change, disease and hunting, the charity said.
The list includes the critically endangered European mink, found in countries such as Romania, a recently discovered species of magnolia found in Honduras, and the great hornbill bird species from south Asia.
Kristian Teleki, Fauna & Flora chief executive, said last year ended with “significant setbacks” for conservation, including the delays to the Global Plastics Treaty and a failure to mobilise resources to protect nature at the UN nature conference COP16.
“These forums are essential for delivering global solutions to global problems, including addressing the critical question of who pays for action,” he said.
“Yet we are still not moving fast enough to tackle the interconnected planetary crises that affect us all.
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“The nature loss crisis has never been more urgent or critical to address, with countless species at risk of extinction across the globe – threatening the very ecosystems people rely on for food, water and livelihoods.”
However, Mr Teleki said “glimmers of progress and hope” in 2024 included breakthroughs in aligning nature and climate at UN conferences and formalising the vital roles of indigenous peoples and local communities in conservation policy and decision-making.
The charity’s conservationists will work to safeguard the tiny Nguru spiny pygmy chameleon, which blends in with the leaf litter and lower vegetation of its montane forest habitat in Tanzania, but is severely threatened by agricultural expansion logging and the illegal pet trade.
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The whale shark, measuring up to 60ft long, also faces numerous threats such as targeted fishing, accidental entanglement in nets, tourist disturbance and an overheating ocean.
Fauna & Flora teams and their local partners are engaging with communities and policymakers in Myanmar, Honduras, and Sao Tome and Principe, to improve protection measures for the whale shark and other shark species.
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Elsewhere, the charity is working to understand what is driving the trafficking of the steppe tortoise, the first vertebrate animal to successfully orbit the Moon as part of a Soviet-led mission in 1968, found in countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the populations of which are in steep decline.
Other species on the watch list include the Antillean manatee, sometimes referred to as sea cows; the grey-shanked douc langur, one of the world’s rarest primates; the African wild dog; and the mountain chicken, one of the world’s largest and rarest frogs.
Mr Teleki said: “In times of crisis, it’s essential to hold on to hope – recognising that locally driven, partnership-focused conservation efforts are not just effective but necessary.
“Together with our global network of partners, we’re working to protect a wide range of species teetering on the brink of extinction.”
