Hunting is the biggest threat to the majestic creatures
Tuesday 05 May 2015
Large grass-eating animals including elephants, rhinos and hippos are facing extinction, a new study has warned.
As many as 60 per cent of large herbivores are struggling to survive, with all of the threatened species living in the developing nations in Africa and Asia, with the exception of the European bison.
Large herbivores – defined as those weighing over 100kg - face the biggest threat in the east of Indian and the south of China.
All the of the struggling species are part of the elephant, hippopotamus, hominidae (a type of primate), and tapir families, according to a study by scientists from the US, South Africa, and the UK published by Science Advances.
The research highlights how the majority of large animals are killed for meat, providing a source of food for as many as one billion people.
Compounding this is the loss of habitat, while organised criminals are aiding the dramatic decline of elephants and rhinos in parts of Africa and southern Asia. This in turn has reversed decades of successful conservation projects, the study said.
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