The Iberian Lynx (found mainly in Spain, Portugal and Andorra) has at last been moved from the critically endangered list to the endangered list. If it had become extinct, it would have been the first feline species to become extinct since the Sabre-toothed Tiger in prehistoric times.
In 2005 there were less than 100 of these beautiful creatures alive but thanks to dedicated conservation efforts, they now number in several hundreds.
I often wonder what the world would look like today if the evolutionary process had not thrown homo sapiens into the mix. Some species would no doubt have become extinct but no pollution, no rainforest deforestation, no wars, no hunting for sport….the list goes on. What do you think?
What a beautiful cat. Great that it has been saved from extinction. As for man’s contribution, well I suppose killing for fun has contributed ,as has pollution. Habitat loss has forced many animals to the brink of extinction too. I think some animals were up an evolutionary backwater and went extinct because they were too specialised and conditions changed. It seems In the past man helped to preserve more species because they were necessary to man’s survival, yet later they were exterminated because no longer necessary eg American Bison. We certainly haven’t had a good record in more recent centuries.