Wild black rhinos extinct in West Africa, says report
- Published
Wild black rhinos have died out in West Africa, according to the latest study of the world's most endangered species.
Experts checked the status of thousands of species of plants and animals for the Red List of Threatened Species.
This year they found more under threat than ever before, with one in four mammals at risk of extinction
But there is some good news... The Przewalski horse, which was thought to have been wiped out in the wild more than 10 years ago, is back!
Conservation work
The list also highlights new areas that have been dedicated to conservation in Madagascar, where 40% of its reptiles are under threat.
The San Jose Brush Rabbit from Mexico has gone from near threatened in 2008, to critically endangered in 2011
The Southern Bluefish Tuna is critically endangered due to intensive fishing of the species since the 1950s
Human interference with the Red Fruit Bat's natural habitat has left it vulnerable
A captive breeding programme has helped the Przewalski horse go from being critically endangered to endangered
The European mink used to be common across Europe. Now it's restricted to small patches in a few countries
As well as declaring the western black rhino extinct, the subspecies of the northern white rhino in central Africa has been listed as being on the brink of extinction.
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), which helps compile research for the Red List, said the latest findings show a very mixed picture of what's happening to the world's species.
"There's some good news and some bad news," said Dr Monika Boehm.
"Unfortunately, the overall trend is still a decline in biodiversity. We still haven't achieved our conservation potential."