The world has been undergoing a biodiversity crisis for many years. In recent times, species are going extinct 1,000 times faster than before because of environmental problems caused by humans.
So many animal species are getting extinct every year that we’ve lost track of the deficit. Some animals even die in zoos while on display.
There are several reasons why it can be difficult to keep track of extinct species. One of the reasons is that extinction takes time. Animals do not just suddenly die off; they go one by one until the last one dies. Researchers will have to track down every last one of an animal species before they can know for sure that it has gone extinct. And so while there are many extinct species, there are also many extinctions that researchers are inconclusive on. An example is the po’ouli, a Hawaiian bird that is listed as “critically endangered and possibly extinct.” On the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Animal extinction is getting the attention it deserves. Just that, with many measures put in place to save animals, and with many successfully rescued species like the California condor, a species of Mexican gray wolf; scientists have to be sure before they make conclusive statements.
