Many endangered species can be saved from extinction and we already have the tools to do so. This is the opinion of an international research team and as an example they take up 28 species that would have been lost now if the right efforts had not been made in time.
An example that the researchers cite is the parrot Puertoricoamazon. There were only 13 individuals left when a project moved birds from a zoo to a new area in Puerto Rico. It turned out to save the wild population after a few years when a hurricane killed the entire original population.
According to the researchers, the most effective methods for protecting endangered species are to control invasive species, raise endangered species in the zone, protect natural environments and introduce legislation that protects these environments and animals. We already know how to do all this. So as long as we have the will, there is good hope that we will be able to save many species from extinction in the future.
– It is encouraging that some of the species we have studied have recovered very well. Our analysis therefore comes with the very positive message that environmental protection has significantly reduced the extinction rate for birds and mammals. While some eradication has taken place during the same period, our work still shows that it is possible to prevent extinctions, says Rike Bolam at Newcastle University and lead author of the study.
