For the past four billion years, life on Earth has been endless. But now on Earth there are only nearly 10 million species of creatures, this number is only 1% of the total number of species that have ever lived on Earth, the remaining 99% has disappeared in the long river of the Earth. Although our planet is a vibrant planet, it is very difficult for any living species to survive long on Earth. Over time, the Earth’s climate will continue to change and some ancient species have been unable to adapt to this change, leading to extinction. In addition, life on Earth could also be threatened by deadly threats from space. For example, a gamma-ray burst from a supernova could destroy Earth’s atmosphere and cause deadly cosmic radiation to reach our planet’s surface. Most life on Earth wouldn’t be able to withstand this. 450 million years ago a supernova caused the first mass extinction of the space threat on Earth. On the other hand, the impact of a giant asteroid falling to Earth will also cause drastic changes in climate, disrupt the food chain and cause mass death for life on Earth. The fifth mass extinction 65 million years ago was probably also caused by an asteroid collision. In addition to the threat from space, on Earth there may be superbugs that humans can’t fight off. Humanity also possesses nuclear weapons capable of destroying all life on Earth. Although humanity has enough intelligence to create such a powerful weapon, it is not known if humanity is intelligent enough to not use nuclear bombs on a large scale. And also for various reasons, Hawking believes that in order to continue to exist, humanity must expand its habitat into space in the future. Only by taking precautions and leaving Earth before disaster strikes and colonizing other planets can humans better cope with unknown disasters. So which planets should humans migrate to? Is there a “Second Earth” in the universe? Proxima b’s host star is Proxima Centauri – part of a trio of strange stars that scientists are still studying. The other two stars are binary – meaning they orbit the same center of gravity and are collectively known as Alpha Centauri. Although this “Second Earth” has similar properties to the Earth – where we live, Proxima b is still a mysterious and alien world. In the solar system, although life can exist on some satellites, but apart from Earth, there are no planets suitable for human existence. To achieve the goal of space colonization, we can only look beyond the extent of the familiar solar system. Current statistics show that almost every solar system has planets, and there are hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way, so there should be multiple targets to choose from. People need to choose rocky planets that are in the habitable zone, because only when the distance between the planet and the sun is neither too close nor too far can liquid water exist on its surface. Proxima b exists right in the middle of the habitable zone of stars, where water could theoretically exist in liquid form. Compared to our sun, Proxima Centauri’s habitable zone is very close to its host star. Scientists once believed that red dwarf stars like Proxima could not exist on habitable planets that were orbiting so close. But now, scientists think red dwarfs might be the best place to look for other habitable planets. And recently, astronomers discovered that Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our solar system, has a planet called Proxima Centauri b. This planet is a rocky planet the size of Earth and it is also in a habitable zone. Although Proxima b is the closest exoplanet to the solar system at a distance of only 4.2 light-years, humans are currently not capable of flying to this planet. Even with today’s fastest spacecraft, if we want to set foot there, it will take us tens of thousands of years to fly to Proxima b. However, humanity has never backed down from difficulties, we have been able to cross the ocean, as well as cross the distant interstellar space to reach the strange world, so it is very possible in the future , people will set foot here.

Spotted deer, also known as white-spotted deer and flower deer, native to the forest regions of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and India, are the most common deer species in the region. Their belly is white, with a light reddish brown body, with white spots, looking very beautiful. The height at the shoulder is about 90 cm, the weight can reach 85 kg, the life span is about 20 to 30 years. Hawaii originally had only two species of mammals, the gray bat and the seal. After the Bosnians and Europeans arrived on the island, they respectively brought pigs, horses, sheep, goats, cows, rats, rabbits and other mammals; coupled with the fact that Hawaii was an important shipping hub and at the time, species from all over the world were brought ashore by smugglers’ ships, and apparently these exotic species later that have invaded the territory and food of native species and caused many of them to become extinct. According to a 2017 study published in the journal “Nature-Ecology and Evolution,” Hawaii and Florida in the United States are home to the largest numbers of invasive species in islands and continental coastal areas, respectively. globally. The growth and development success of spotted deer in Hawaii can be said to be a model of the invasion of alien species, according to experts’ estimates, there are about 70,000 spotted deer on Molokai Island in when the inhabitants there were only about 7,000 people; The second largest island is Maui, which has about 70,000 spotted deer, while in the other small islands there are about 50,000, the main island of Hawaii is only 16,000 square kilometers but has at least more than 100,000. The reason spotted deer is so successful in Hawaii is because of the vegetation here that the fauna is here – like protozoa, native species lead a very comfortable life, they are stupid and fearful, even they have not yet evolved any defensive skills, such as stinging and venom, which has allowed invaders such as spotted deer, wild boar, and goats to freely forage and reproduce without have any concerns. In addition, there are no aggressive predators and predators here, so spotted deer are not threatened at all, they did not even choose the breeding season, instead young deer were born. year round. This makes their growth almost unrestricted. This led to the ecological destruction of Hawaii by spotted deer. The birds that nest on the ground always have their nests destroyed, the green leaves and young shoots of the plants are also their delicious meal, the fruits, vegetables and sugarcane of the farmers have the same fate. The destruction of green vegetation by spotted deer has increased the fragility of the natural environment on the Hawaiian Islands, the land being washed into the sea, which in turn leads to the degradation of coral reefs. Moreover, spotted deer also provide food for another invasive species, mosquito, and threaten human health and safety; when they die and there are no animals to eat them, this will pollute the environment and form harmful risks to human health. The fragile aquatic environment on the archipelago is also greatly impacted; Spotted deer also love to wriggle across the road, which is also a fatal threat to motorists. Although sacred to Hawaiians and important to the local water supply, Hawaii’s endemic plant species ironwood (Hawaiian apricot tree) that grows in tall forests is also threatened by spotted deer. This plant can take root in volcanic rocks 20 to 25 meters high, when surrounded by clouds and fog, water will condense on the leaves and fall to the ground, condensing into droplets into the reservoir. In fact, ironwood trees are susceptible to two types of fungal infections, forming scars on the bark, before the tree can heal these scars on its own to avoid fungal infection, spotted deer will bite and rub the bark causing the wounds. wounds take longer to heal, eventually causing fatal injuries to the plant. It seems that the spotted deer invasion was really a big deal, although Kamehameha V is hailed as the last emperor of the Kamehameha dynasty, revered as much as the first, but at this point he has clearly created a crisis for the archipelago and has left a big problem for generations to come. Because spotted deer have no natural enemies, the Hawaiians have to hunt deer and consider it a part of traditional culture, especially in rural areas, many families have additional cold storage to store spotted deer meat. . However, most spotted deer in Hawaii live on private land, although a deer hunting license costs as little as $20 a year and can be obtained online, the procedures and processes involved in hunting are complicated. Shooting made the deer hunting efficiency very low. In addition to reaching an agreement with the landowner, each hunter must be accompanied by a Department of Agriculture inspector to conduct a medical examination of wild spotted deer after hunting. There is also another rule that hunters must always follow in terms of humane issues, which is to only fire a single shot against a spotted deer, this bullet must make the prey immediately unconscious. ie, which means you have to shoot at its skull. If you can’t do it, you can only wait until evening, bring military-grade night vision goggles, even use a drone to find the deer you want to hunt, to be able to do this humanely. In addition, US law allows you to provide game meat to people who need it, after which you must pass a few meat tests before you can enjoy them. But Hawaii does not have a legal venison slaughter operation, so even if a commercial deer hunter wanted to sell spotted deer, they would have to transport the spotted deer to the United States for processing, then then shipped back for sale, which makes spotted deer meat here commanding a hefty price tag. Spotted deer are good runners, smart and resilient, so Hawaii plans to build fences in 30% of key areas to protect endangered species from spotted deer – need to build fences nearly 4 meters high to be able to completely stop them, this is certainly a huge investment, difficult to make. Looking at this you might think it’s too complicated, but if Hawaii is located in China, the problem is much simpler, gourmets can quickly return the spotted deer herd to the state it was when they invaded 150 years ago for a short while.

The rare, seemingly extinct species of Truong Son Mang has just been discovered by camera traps in Phong Dien Nature Reserve, TT-Hue. Photo: Provided by the Nature Reserve On June 12, information from the leader of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of TT-Hue province said that the local functional forces had just discovered the endemic, rare, and seemingly extinct ungulate through photo traps for many months. Along with that are records of the diverse appearance of many species of birds and wild animals in Phong Dien Nature Reserve. International experts said that it could be Truong Son or Mang Roosevel. Photo: Provided by the Nature Reserve Previously, Phong Dien Nature Reserve Management Board and Viet Nature Conservation Center conducted a survey and set up more than 100 photo traps in the deep forest area of ​​this reserve. The choice of photo traps is located in dangerous areas according to the diagram that coincides with the foraging path of wild animals. In particular, the mission set up photo traps focusing on the habitat of the white-crested Pheasant (Lophura edwardsi). As a result, after 2 months (from March 12 to May 28) setting photo traps in an 11-hectare forest area of ​​Phong Dien Nature Reserve, the team obtained more than 200 photos of 20 species of mammals. and 11 species of birds; in which, the number of photos of wildlife accounts for the majority. Gam civet at Phong Dien Nature Reserve. Photo: Provided by the Nature Reserve Although there were no images of the White Crested Pheasant as the original target, the mission recorded the appearance of some extremely rare animals. In particular, among them are the extinct Truong Son Mang (Muntiacus truongsonensis) and the Red Civet (Chrotogale owstoni) – an endangered animal on the IUCN Red List 2016. According to Mr. Nguyen Dai Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of TT-Hue Province, as soon as he received the information, he contacted Dr. Rob Timmins – Technical Director of Saola Foundation, the world’s leading expert on hoofed mammals. clogs to exchange information correctly. The interesting appearance of two individuals of Truong Son Mang – an extremely rare and seemingly extinct species in Vietnam. Photo: Provided by the Nature Reserve From the images sent, Dr. Rob Timmins said that it is not a big Mang. Mr. Rob doubts between Mang Truong Son and Mang roosevel. The special thing is that both of these species are endemic and rare ungulates that have just been discovered or re-discovered in Vietnam and Laos. According to Mr. Le Ngoc Tuan, Director of Phong Dien Nature Reserve, Truong Son Mang has been discovered in the Truong Son mountain range in Vietnam in 1997. Tri Sao. Photo: Provided by the Nature Reserve Although there is not enough data to assess the risk of extinction, it has been a long time since this individual was rediscovered in the TT-Hue forest area. The results show that there are at least 2 individuals of this species in the forest. That fact is extremely valuable for the scientific study of this species. In addition to the Truong Son Mang, the camera traps recorded rare animals such as the star pheasant (Rheinardia ocellata), the golden cash chicken (Polyplectron bicalcaratum), the Central Vietnamese chicken (Arborophila merlini) and some mammals such as the striped rabbit. Nesolagus timminsi), chamois (Capricornis milneedwardsii maritimus)… Moldy Civet Elephant. Photo: Phong Dien NR According to Mr. Tuan, in the study area through recording camera traps, the presence of people is very little; There is no hunting or logging phenomenon. Thereby, reflecting the well-protected research area. However, the fact that there are 20 species of mammals and 11 species of birds recorded through photographic traps located within the study area is still modest, compared to the total area of ​​more than 41,000 ha of the reserve. Cauldron. Photo: Phong Dien NR Star hemorrhoids. Photo: Phong Dien NR In the coming time, this reserve will continue to expand the research area, update the list of animals and establish distribution maps of endemic and endangered species for effective protection solutions.

According to what plant scientists at the Missouri Botanical Garden (USA), the tiny purple-white flower that has just bloomed in their greenhouse has never been seen, at least by experts like them. In early May, Justin Lee, a gardener, was inspecting a group of Karomia gigas seedlings when he discovered a strange flower. This plant is related to mint and is native to Africa and is one of the endangered plants. Strange flower varieties Giống This flower less than 3cm long has pale purple ring-shaped petals, which slope down to form an arch connected to four white petals, with outstretched pistils. Mr. Lee said: “It doesn’t look like a mint flower. It looks like it’s upside down.” The mint family, Lamiaceae, usually has funnel-shaped flowers. Caregivers think the flowers may attract bees, butterflies and moths, but they may also be self-pollinating. Over the next few weeks, they expect more Karomia gigas flowers to bloom in the greenhouse, and instead of attracting insects, they will attract human hands trying to keep the species from extinction. When more flowers bloom, plants can cross-pollinate and have an extra chance of survival. Currently, only about 20 individuals of Karomia gigas are known in the wild in Tanzania. Roy Gereau, Tanzania project leader at the Missouri Botanical Garden, said it’s not uncommon for anyone to have seen flowers grow from this tree. Karomia gigas is a tall, straight-stemmed tree that can reach a height of 25 m, the branches grow about 13-14 m above the ground, making the flowers difficult to see. Karomia gigas is quite tall and is located deep in the forest. The tree is so rare that it does not have a common name in English, Swahili (the main language of Tazania) or the dialect of the area around the reserve where the tree was found. Of the more than 60,000 known tree species on Earth, Karomia gigas is among the most threatened and endangered in Africa. “As far as we know, there is no scientific record of the flower of this plant,” said Gereau. And now, when the trees bloom, conservationists believe they can keep them from disappearing. “In terms of extinction, this is a really, really good sign. We can make sure this plant doesn’t go away,” said Andrew Wyatt, vice president of horticulture at the Missouri Botanical Garden. There is still hope Growing this tree is a challenge. In the wild, Karomia gigas is highly susceptible to a fungal infection spread by insects. In September 2018, thousands of seeds were collected in Tanzania and brought to St. Louis, but only 100 seeds can be used for germination. The nursery also had to adjust soil texture, water availability and sunlight to mimic the East African environment in which the plants grew. Gardeners are finally able to grow the plants by letting the seeds germinate on wet paper towels (reducing the risk of infection), and then planting them in the potting soil. Currently, they have about 30 seedlings from seeds and one from cuttings. Creating a growing environment for this species is very difficult. “We’re debating whether they can bloom in a caring environment,” Mr Wyatt said. When there are only a few trees of this species left in the world, trying to save them and seeing them grow successfully is very emotional. “You will cherish every stage. They are like your children. You are like the housekeeper of these plants. You not only have a scientific connection, but also a love for them” – he Wyatt shared. Mr. Lee agrees: “They are like my children.” The flower helped scientists understand more about the plant, verifying it was classified correctly, and the shape suggested it was most likely pollinated by an insect. To date, they have not been able to tell if this flower structure is common to the species, or just a genetic mutation in the still young plant. “This single flower … may not be the usual flower form of the tree. This is the first flowering tree of fortune telling” – Mr. Gereau commented. The first flower was recorded. Most importantly, this helps ensure the survival of the tree. Botanists can take cuttings to propagate, but they will share the same DNA. Having genetic diversity will help ensure that plants can withstand harmful elements such as pests. “If crops don’t bloom, we have to depend on wild plants for seeds, and their survival is very low,” Wyatt said. While some species are able to self-pollinate, it is not clear whether Karomia gigas does. Mr. Lee tried pollinating before the flowers died, but said adding flowers from other plants would help create a new generation of plants that are genetically more tolerant. “I’ve chalked the flowers. But so far the self-pollination is still a big question mark. And this time we didn’t succeed. However, we have many seedlings left, if they bloom and pollinate. Cross-pollination is better for genetic diversity.” “Having a tree in bloom is a great start in a species recovery effort,” says endangered tree expert Emily Beech. Although not involved in the tree planting process in St. Louis, in 2016, Ms. Beech and Mr. Gereau and rangers searched for this tree in Tanzania. “When we got there, we didn’t see any sprouts in the forest, but the blossoming tree shows that there is still hope for this tree in the future,” she added. One step closer to reinvention Karomia gigas was discovered in 1977 in Kenya. When the last two trees here were cut down, scientists thought the species was extinct. Then, in 1993, several trees were discovered in Tanzania. From 2011 to present, Mr. Gereau and Tanzanian botanists have found more individuals in the wild. According to Mr. Fandey Mashimba, head of the seed department of the Tanzania Forest Service, about two dozen Karomia gigas trees still exist in the wild, in two forest reserves Mitundumbea and Litipo. These two reserves have the Miombo forest ecosystem – common in Central and South Africa. This is the habitat of wild animals such as gorillas, wild boar, wild buffalo and a small antelope called Dik-dik. While individuals studied in the native environment and one growing in St. Louis, their flowers are still a mystery. “We have a person in the nearest village to the reserve, he keeps an eye on them and will notify us when he notices the plants are about to flower,” said Mr. Gereau. However, when someone drove the long way through the forest and reached the tree, no flowers were found. “They’re in a reserve protected by the government, but a lot of people go there to get wood,” Mashimba said. The wood of Karomia gigas is compared to teak – a precious wood, so they have a high value. “We have trees that are still alive. We can make sure they don’t go extinct. Successful conservation of this species is possible. They are protected in Tanzania. We have a bunch of trees in the botanical garden. When we have enough seeds, we can store them in case.” Seedlings are cared for at the Missouri Botanical Garden, USA. Gereau said he does not want to transfer the plants yet, fearing they are too fragile to make it through the trip between the two continents, but his team will actively share knowledge with the Tanzanian government and botanists at the University of California, San Francisco. University of Dar es Salaam, which is conducting research on this plant. For now, a flower is a hopeful sign of what’s to come. The staff at the botanical garden at St. Louis was surprised when it quickly fell from the tree in less than 24 hours. “It withered and fell. I picked it up and used it as fertilizer,” said Mr. Wyatt.

When the Earth’s temperature rose and the amount of oxygen in the oceans decreased about 252 million years ago, most life on our planet suffered the same tragic fate. It is estimated that this extinction event, also known as the “Great Dying”, killed 70% of species on land and about 96% of species in the oceans. Illustration: Getty However, there are no sharks among them. “They’re the last surviving species,” said Elizabeth Sibert, a paleontologist and identifier of fossils and an oceanographer at Yale University. The next extinction event at the end of the Triassic period or even the meteorite event that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago could not have caused the shark to become extinct. The shark’s survival or longevity is extraordinary, but the animal was also close to the brink of extinction, a study in the journal Science revealed June 3. The study, led by scientist Sibert, shows that a previously unknown extinction event pushed sharks to the brink of extinction 19 million years ago, leaving just one in ten of the sharks. Sharks in the oceans survive. “Something happened and wiped out 90% of the shark population overnight,” said scientist Sibert. The so-called something is still uncertain but it has caused immense destruction. The meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs on Earth only caused 30-35% of the shark species to be wiped out while the above event was 2-3 times worse. To find this discovery, oceanographer Sibert and his collaborator Leah Rubin went through a remarkable process. Discover the mystery When a marine species dies, its body will fall to the bottom of the sea and decompose into discrete parts. Small parts, such as their teeth, will gradually accumulate in the sediments under the sea. “The seabed is essentially a grave for all aquatic species,” Sibert said. The sediment samples used in this study were collected from two locations in the Pacific Ocean, one in the north and one in the south, covering a period of 40 million years. However, it was not easy to analyze the small teeth inside each of these specimens. These parts are so small, even smaller than the width of a human hair. Oceanographer Sibert filtered dried sediment samples under a microscope and isolated the tiny bits of shark teeth. After separating them, scientist Rubin will identify and describe the features, as well as classify them. These little bits of teeth can reveal a lot to us. There were about 1,300 small tooth pieces identified in the above study with 85 samples with different shapes. Most of them are from the period before 19 million years and only a few samples belong to the later period. So, the question arises, what happened to the sharks? The tip of the iceberg The small tooth fragments suggest a decline in shark numbers and diversity about 19 million years ago, but the cause behind this event is unknown. “This is really a mystery. Right now we don’t know what happened,” Ms. Sibert said. The key to solving this mystery is to learn about the time when the sharks almost disappeared. This period is called the “Miocene” and is described by the scientist Sibert as the “transition phase” of the Earth. 15 million years before the mysterious shark event occurred, the Earth gradually became an “ice house” as permafrost increased in Antarctica. The oceans at that time were no different from the oceans of today, although we cannot find such species as tuna, swordfish and seabirds. Dolphins and whales had not yet evolved. However, there is not much evidence to find out the cause of the shark eradication. Even the discovery, which took place during a rather unusual time in Earth’s history, is just the tip of the iceberg. “There are many questions that need to be answered,” said researcher Rubin. Did some change in the environment lead to the decline in shark populations? This is difficult to confirm because the oxygen and carbon levels show no anomalies, but scientists can use more data around this time stamp. Did the event happen across the oceans and affect other marine species as well? Ms. Sibert said this is a global event but we still need more data. Also, what about other bodies of water? Can sedimentation in lakes and coastal areas occur other phenomena? How were terrestrial species affected during this time? Are there any chemicals that can tell us about the environment then? Ms. Sibert even thought that an epidemic, such as a virus, could be responsible for the decline in shark populations. Still, for this oceanographer, the extinction event was a remarkable phenomenon. The fact that sharks have existed for more than 400 million years, surviving multiple extinction events leads her to believe that something truly intense happened and that the sharks may be the gateway to understanding major changes. collided with Earth during the early Miocene. “There is a lot of data waiting to be discovered,” said researcher Rubin. The discovery not only shows the unpredictable change of the marine environment, but also shows how difficult it is for species to recover when they are pushed to the brink of extinction. “Biology is trying to tell us something and I think we need to listen,” Sibert said.

Tidal flat in Quan Lan island, Van Don district, Quang Ninh province. Photo TTH Fresh sa worms sold at the tidal flats cost more than 300,000 VND/kg, reaching the consumer’s table can be up to millions of dollars and preliminarily processed and dried depending on different prices, the most expensive can be up to nearly ten million VND. /kg. So enough to see, Sa worm is more expensive than many rare and precious specialties from the sea. Sa worm is less distributed, easy to exploit and reproduce, it is more difficult to maintain the natural breed, meanwhile, it is not possible to artificially breed this high-value seafood. In the Northeast Sea, which is geographically located in the Gulf of Tonkin with many bays, conifers and coastal saltwater ponds, it is the ideal habitat of the Sa worm. In addition, the tidal flats must have primary flora and mangrove trees for the slugs to reside. This layer of mangroves keeps the plankton in the water and is the food for the worms and many other bivalve molluscs such as clams, clams, oysters, blood cockles… Sa worm is mentioned as a specialty of Quan Lan and Minh Chau islands, Van Don district, Quang Ninh province because in the tidal flats along Quan Lan island, there is the best kind of worm. Another reason is that the oldest fishery of worms originated from the inhabitants of the island. There are families whose profession of digging and catching fish is passed down from generation to generation, supporting many generations. Increasingly, this item is more and more expensive due to scarcity and there was a time when sage was hunted and sold. Officers of Quan Lan Border Guard Station (Quang Ninh Border Guard) stationed in the area always integrate propaganda content to protect aquatic resources whenever there is a meeting or propaganda sessions. But only the fisherman understands better, if not protected, not “saved” for the next season, the risk of worms will also disappear like blood cockles, boredom, silk clams… Most of the fishers are women. They understand the characteristics of this intertidal marine species. With a specialized sand shovel, they arrived at the tidal flat early in the morning. At night, the worms in the nest come up to eat plankton, they use a shovel to quickly roll up the sand layer to catch it. The sun is up, the temperature is high, the sand is hot, the animal will hide deep down, not being caught anymore. It is important that the fishing profession is completely manual. If mechanized or used tools to plow the sand, the slugs will no longer be able to reproduce and will disappear until they disappear. It has happened in other sea areas such as Tien Yen, Ha Long, and Quang Yen of Quang Ninh province, when the tidal flats dried up, mangroves were cut down, over-exploited, encroached on the sea, and sucked sand. make the sage disappear. The People’s Committee of Quang Ninh province has regulated the period of banning the exploitation of worms in June and July every year (the breeding time of the worms). Mining is only allowed by the traditional manual method of using apricots and spades and only for worms that have reached a size over 10cm long. Along with people’s lives, Quan Lan Border Guard Station, when receiving people’s feedback, authenticates information and coordinates with many levels and branches to protect the intertidal area. Due to the large profits, many traders instigate people to use high-pressure pumps, pump out water, and plow the tidal flats to catch worms. The whole coastal shoal area was overturned, the environment was polluted, and large and small seafood was destroyed. There are times, early in the morning, when people go to the beach to “hunt” sa worms, Border Guard officers also come out to support people in protecting the intertidal area, propagandize and mobilize so that people do not exploit in the form of fishing. extermination, peace of mind to pursue their livelihoods, and at the same time, severely punish households who do not comply with the general regulations, exterminate fishing, and destroy the environment. Van Don has more than 2,000 hectares of tidal flats and nearly 1,000 fishermen make a living by hunting worms and natural intertidal mollusks. The original people in the island very well understand that seafood is their source of life, but when people from other places come, traders only buy for profit, there are always fishing activities that go against the interests of the community. this population. Especially, sand mining activities have been boycotted, protested and petitioned by fishermen, causing the locality to suspend this activity and rearrange order and stability in coastal residential areas. Accordingly, all acts of encroaching on the tidal flats, destroying the habitat of marine resources, local authorities encourage people to detect, denounce and clarify. Recently, Quan Minh Co., Ltd., an enterprise that dredging creeks and exploiting silica sand, has been accused by people of affecting the environment and attacking tidal flats, dumping waste, polluting the environment. affect the growth of the worm. In many places, people see both young worms and the fear of the extinction of worms is real. Van Don district immediately suspended the project’s construction to protect marine resources and at the same time maintain security and order in the area.

The Ordovician-Silurian extinction (440 to 450 million years ago) was the first “great extinction” that occurred about 450 million years ago. It is considered the second largest extinction in history if measured by the number of species destroyed with 85% of fish species and 60% of biological species destroyed. The most accepted cause of extinction is a gamma-ray burst of a near-Earth star that caused a sharp drop in atmospheric carbon dioxide. This created an ice age that lasted 0.5 – 1.5 million years. Lower sea levels combined with the cold of glacial ice brought about a mass extinction in the Ordovician period. Late Devonian Extinction: Over 365 million years ago, one of the five largest and most feared mass extinctions in Earth’s biological history. It happened about 360 million years ago, killing 70% of all living things. Archaeological evidence indicates that this mass extinction could last up to 20 million years. Although it is one of the scariest mass extinctions in the world, its cause is still an unsolved mystery. Permian-Triassic extinction: about 253 million years ago is likened to the bloodiest massacre in Earth’s history. This terrible extinction event wiped out 95% of all species on earth. The main reason is due to the extremely strong tectonic movement of the Earth’s crust. Magma eruptions from fault plates engulfed the entire Earth’s surface in a sea of ​​fire. The increase in dust and carbon dioxide causes the greenhouse effect to warm the Earth. Changes in ocean currents cause great impacts on the ecosystem, ocean circulation becomes stagnant, lack of oxygen. Life now becomes extremely fragile. Triassic-Jurassic Extinction: About 201 million years ago was an extinction that took place about 199.6 million years ago that completely wiped out half of all living things on Earth. It is still not certain what caused the disaster. Scientists predict that a large volcanic eruption has occurred. However, studies have shown quite accurately the time when the extinction took place and the meteor impact that created Lake Manicouagan (Canada). This evidence proves that it is possible that the collision was the direct cause of this extinction. The Cretaceous – Paleogene extinction occurred about 66.5 million years ago, marking the end of the Mesozoic and the beginning of the Cenozoic with the Paleogene period. About 75% of species went extinct after this terrible event. Scientists theorize that this extinction event was caused by one or more simultaneous disasters, such as the powerful impact of meteorites (creating the Chicxulub craters in Mexico, Boltysh in Ukraine). or due to a drop in sea level, powerful volcanic eruptions creating the phenomenon of “Deccan traps” that seriously destroy the Earth’s biosphere. Currently, humans are in the early stages of the latest mass extinction, which is happening much faster than any other species. Since 1970, vertebrate populations have decreased by an average of 68% and now more than 35,000 species are considered endangered. In the 20th century alone, as many as 543 species of terrestrial vertebrates became extinct. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution in 1760, humans have been a major factor in Earth’s current environmental crisis. From greenhouse gas emissions and ozone depletion to deforestation, plastic waste and the illegal animal trade, humans have been proactively depriving the world of some species and threatening many others. Please watch the video: Strange and Unique Natural Phenomena in the World. Source: Strange story VN&TG

Elephant Mammoth Columbia Voi Extinction time: 11,500 years ago Living area: America and Mexico Illustration. Elephant Mammoth, you probably already know. They are huge, have long fur and a pair of huge tusks. They appear in many pictures, documentaries, movies. However, here we are talking about the Columbian Mammoth elephant, which is a relative of the long-haired but larger Mammoth. A Mammoth Columbia can be from 3.7 to 4.2m tall, weighing from 5.5 to 11 tons. Their tusks average 3.7m long, the largest of the elephant family and extremely strong, used to handle any carnivores that dare to come close. Prehistoric people, of course. Lazy land Extinction time: 4200 years ago Living area: South America The sloth is a lovely, harmless creature. The Megatherium is also a sloth, but it’s not like the slow, bully sloths you’re used to seeing. Megatherium also does not live on trees, because no tree can withstand its huge body. Megatherium has several subspecies, the smallest species is as big as a rhinoceros, and the largest can weigh up to 4-5 tons when mature, equivalent to modern African elephants. They can be up to 6m tall, similar to giraffes when standing on 2 legs. In addition, they also have a set of super-large claws used to slap the mouth of any carnivore. The ground sloth finally lived peacefully on the islands of the Caribbean, until about 4200 years ago, when the “species that everyone should fear” set foot and drew an end to the sloths walking on the face. land. Orangutan Gigantopithecus Extinction time: 100,000 years ago Living area: Mainly in Southeast Asia Gigantopithecus was a close relative of modern orangutans but was much larger. They can be 3m tall, weigh up to half a ton and are the most massive primates that have ever walked the Earth. If you need a clearer picture to visualize the size of a Gigantopithecus, check out the cute giant orangutan in The Jungle Book. But that’s in the movies, who knew what such a huge beast could do to a small human? Gigantopithecus went extinct with the main cause not being human. The fact that they are large also means that they need a lot of food to survive. However, about 100,000 years before the climate changed and the forests of their homeland – Southeast Asia – became savanna, Gigantopithecus simply “flies” because there is not enough food. Cave hyena Extinction time: 11,000-13,000 years ago Living area: Europe If you often watch documentaries about wildlife in Africa, such as the Diary of the Cat Family, you are probably familiar with spotted hyenas. These guys have a lot of bad reputations. They are cunning, reckless, attack in herds, scavenge for prey of other species such as leopards and lions or even enter villages to capture children. However, spotted hyenas are still not comparable to their ancient relatives – the cave hyena. Cave hyenas were twice the size of modern spotted hyenas, weighing on average 130kg, 90cm high and 1.5m long. They have extremely strong jaws, enough to chew the bones of their prey. Calculations based on fossils show that a cave hyena can easily kill a small elephant weighing about 1 ton. But that’s not enough to say how scary they are. They still live in groups of about 30 to help hunt more effectively. However, with our ancestors, they are not easy to touch. Cave hyenas became extinct somewhere between 11,000 and 13,000 years ago. The main cause is believed by paleontologists to be that prehistoric people took the caves for shelter during the Ice Age. Sword tooth tiger Extinction time: 10,000 years ago Living area: All Americas The saber-toothed tiger sounds like that, but in fact, they don’t have a close family to the tiger. Most saber-toothed tigers became extinct before modern humans appeared. However, there are still a few that can encounter humans, such as Smilodon populator and Smilodon fatalis. In which, Smilodon fatalis is as big as an African lion, and Smilodon populator is bigger, as big as a Siberian tiger (about 350kg). According to the calculations of paleontologists, saber-toothed tigers have rather weak jaws, the bite force is only about 1/3 of that of modern lions. However, in return, they have other things. In addition to their trademark long fangs, saber-toothed tigers also have extremely muscular forelimbs, the strongest of the cat family to assist in capturing prey before slicing its throat with long scythe-like fangs. Another theory is that they can use these fangs as knives to “skewer” their prey to death. But no matter how they killed their prey, a prehistoric human would surely explode if caught by it.

The causes of extinction come from population growth, pollution and deforestation. Therefore, in the past time, the “apocalyptic vaults” to store the seeds of the world began to be built. In South Korea, the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum Seed Conservation Center currently preserves nearly 100,000 seeds from 4,751 plant species to ensure they are not affected by “apocalyptic events”. Outside the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum Seed Conservation Center, North Gyeongsang Province. Photo: AFP. Mr. Lee Sang-yong, head of the center, said that this is one of two places to store seeds in the world today. Unlike conventional seed banks, where samples are regularly taken out for different purposes, the seeds in the vault will stay there permanently, only to be used for the purpose of preventing extinction. The safest place in Korea The seed vault was designed by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service as a heavily guarded security facility, surrounded by a wire fence and dozens of cameras. Police regularly patrol the area and filming and photography are limited. Inside, an elevator will lead underground with a depth of about eight floors, to the concrete tunnel in the cave, where heavy steel doors guard the storage room. The storage room will be kept at -20 degrees Celsius with 40% humidity to preserve seeds. Mr. Lee said the bunker was built in “the safest place” in South Korea, designed to withstand a 6.9-magnitude earthquake and even a nuclear attack. “Geographically, it’s very safe,” Mr. Lee said. “We have opened a tunnel 46 meters deep underground to ensure the seed is safe from war and nuclear threats.” The seed samples in the cellar were mostly plants from the Korean peninsula. In addition, with a capacity of 2 million seeds, many countries such as Kazakhstan and Tajikistan also accept requests, sending seeds to this reserve. Countries that send seeds here will have title to those seeds and can receive them back when needed. A researcher is doing experimental planting at the wild plant seed research department. Photo: AFP. However, Mr. Lee said: “The purpose of the seed vault is to prevent their extinction. So the best-case scenario is that the seeds never have to be brought out.” “Run with time” The conservation of the seeds of wild plants – the original source of the crops we eat today – should not be overlooked, the researchers say. However, according to a recent United Nations report, many plants that help people ensure food security are “lacking effective protection.” The report warns against crops that are less resilient to climate change, pests and pathogens, and emphasizes: “The biodiversity of ecosystems, where humanity lives, is declining faster than any other any time in human history”. In its 2020 report, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK, said many species of plants in the wild hold promise for future medicine, fuel and food. However, about two-fifths of them are threatened with extinction, largely due to habitat destruction and climate change. It is a “race against time” to determine which seeds are in danger of extinction before they completely disappear from the world, the report added. However, Na Chae-sun, a senior researcher at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum, said studies on seeds of wild plants were “very much lacking”. “One might ask why riverside wildflowers are important,” she says. “In fact, the crops we eat today may have descended from this unnamed flower.” A researcher is examining a ‘black box’ containing seeds in a storage room. Photo: AFP. Besides the vault in South Korea, another seed warehouse was also built in the heart of the mountain near the city of Longyearbyen on the island of Spitsbergen in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, about 1,300 km from the North Pole. Dubbed the “Noah’s Ark” of food crops, the Global Seed Vault is the largest and most famous vault in the world. The facility is focused on preserving agricultural crops and related crops, storing more than a million seed samples from nearly every country on the planet.

Overexploitation The researchers analyzed DNA to test eel products, including grilled eel and sushi, sold in restaurants. The results recorded that nearly 50% of the samples were identified as European eels (Anguilla anguilla) on the endangered animal list. This species is threatened by overexploitation due to increased consumer demand from Asia, especially China and Japan. These two countries consider eel a delicacy and aphrodisiac. Critically endangered and endangered eels are being sold in sushi restaurants in Hong Kong. Photo: South China Morning Post. European eels are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites). The Ordinance for the Protection of Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora requires an export permit and inspection of the species upon arrival in Hong Kong. Of the 80 samples, 36 were confirmed as critically endangered European eels, 29 were American eels, and 5 were Japanese eels. Critically endangered European eel is sold in 45% of the 80 sushi restaurants surveyed in Hong Kong. Photo: South China Morning Post. Gap The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said the results showed the animals were illegally existing in Hong Kong’s eel supply chain. The organization calls for urgent action to stop the illegal wildlife trade. To this day, Hong Kong remains one of the biggest hubs for the illegal wildlife industry, with a record number of wildlife seizures. In February, HKU published a study showing that thousands of species are legally trafficked through Hong Kong with inadequate traceability. At the heart of the problem lies a vague code system that customs officials around the world use to classify species. “The codes used for the eel trade are too general and only list products that are goods of the Anguilla species. However, those codes do not distinguish between different Anguilla species and their life stages,” said Jovy Chan, wildlife conservation manager at WWF. “Complete, specific and accurate commercial data are important to facilitate the implementation of conservation policies for eel species. In addition to European eels managed by Cites, some parts of Asia, for example the Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan, have bans on the trade in European eels. Customs codes have a key role to play on issues of legality, traceability and sustainability of eels,” added Ms Jovy. David Baker, staff member of HKU’s Conservation Forensic laboratory and who led the eel study, said the results reflect the vulnerability of the retail market. “Our hope is to partner with WWF. This enhances surveillance at distribution points to prevent illegal seafood products from entering the market,” Mr. Baker said. A fisherman releases a Japanese eel in the Enshu Sea off Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. Photo: South China Morning Post. In 2020, HKU published a study showing that nearly half of eel products retailed in supermarkets and convenience stores in Hong Kong are endangered European eels. Based on DNA testing, the study found that nearly half (45%) of retail eel products originate from critically endangered European eel species. Products are only labeled as “eels”. “Consumers have the right to know where their food comes from and whether it is sourced in ethical and sustainable ways. This problem is not limited to eels,” Mr. Baker said.

Climate change is one of the main causes of extinctions worldwide. 5 mass extinctions Dinosaurs became extinct in the Jurassic, more than 200 million years ago. * Ordovician-Silurian Extinction: About 440 million years ago The first mass extinction on Earth occurred at a time when organisms such as corals and shellfish filled the world’s shallow waters but had yet to venture to land. Life itself has begun to spread and diversify, first appearing around 3.7 billion years ago. But about 440 million years ago, a climate change caused sea temperatures to shift, and much of the life in the ocean died out. At the end of the Ordovician, mass glaciations covered the southern supercontinent, Gondwana. According to a study published in the journal Oceanology, glaciation on this scale has stripped away high proportions of the world’s water and dramatically lowered global sea levels, depriving the world of vital habitats. species, destroying the food chain and reducing fertility, according to a study published in the journal Oceanology. However, not all scientists agree with this. According to National Geographic, other theories suggest that the toxic metal may have dissolved into seawater during periods of oxygen depletion, wiping out marine life. Other scientists suggest that a gamma-ray burst from a supernova ripped through a giant hole in the ozone layer, allowing deadly ultraviolet radiation to kill life below. According to APS News, there is a Another theory is that volcanoes are the cause. * Late Devonian Extinction: Over 365 million years ago The Devonian period witnessed the rise and fall of many prehistoric marine species. Although by this time animals had already begun to evolve on land, most of life was swimming through the oceans. Until vascular plants, such as trees and flowers, have the potential to cause a second mass extinction. According to the BBC, as plants develop roots, they inadvertently transform the land they inhabit, turning rocks and rubble into soil. This nutrient-rich soil then runs into the world’s oceans, causing algae to bloom on a massive scale. These blooms essentially created giant “dead zones,” areas where algae take oxygen from the water, suffocating marine life and wreaking havoc on the marine food chain. Species that could not adapt to reduced oxygen levels and lack of food died. However, this theory is still being debated, and some scientists believe that volcanic eruptions are responsible for the drop in oxygen levels in the ocean, according to a study in the journal Geology. A species of sea monster that has been wiped out from the world’s oceans is the 10 m long armored fish called Dunkleosteus . * Permian-Triassic extinction: ~253 million years ago This extinction event is the largest event that has ever occurred on Earth. It wiped out about 90% of all species on the planet and wiped out the reptiles, insects and amphibians that roamed the land. What caused this catastrophic event was a period of rampant volcanism. According to the Sam Noble Museum in Oklahoma, in the ocean, rising levels of carbon dioxide dissolve into the water, poisoning marine organisms and depriving them of their oxygen-rich water. Rising sea temperatures also reduce oxygen levels in the water. Corals are one of the hardest hit groups of marine life – it takes 14 million years for oceanic reefs to rebuild as they once were. * Triassic-Jurassic Extinction: About 201 million years ago The Triassic period was the time when dinosaurs began to inhabit the world. Unfortunately, many volcanoes were also erupting at that time. While it’s still not clear exactly why this fourth mass extinction occurred, scientists suggest that massive volcanic activity occurred in an area of ​​the world now covered by the Atlantic Ocean. cover . Similar to the Permian extinction, volcanoes released huge amounts of carbon dioxide, causing climate change and devastating life on Earth. Global temperatures rise, ice melt, sea levels rise and acidification. As a result, many marine and terrestrial species became extinct; These include large prehistoric crocodiles and several species of flying pterosaurs. All dinosaurs were killed in the fifth mass extinction. Scientists estimate that many species that can fly, burrow or dive into the depths of the ocean survive. For instance, the only true descendants of dinosaurs living today are modern-day birds – more than 10,000 species are thought to have descended from survivors. Is the 6th going? According to The Conversation, scientists define a mass extinction when about three-quarters of species die out in a short geological time, i.e. less than 2.8 million years. Currently, humans are in the early stages of the latest mass extinction, which is happening much faster than any other species. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), since 1970, populations of vertebrate species have decreased by an average of 68% and now more than 35,000 species are considered threatened with extinction. During the 20th century, as many as 543 species of terrestrial vertebrates became extinct, according to a research paper in the journal PNAS. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution in 1760, humans have been a major factor in Earth’s current environmental crisis. From greenhouse gas emissions and ozone depletion to deforestation, plastic piling and the illegal animal trade, humans have been proactively depriving the world of some species and threatening many others. Ecotourism is an industry that drives conservation efforts around the world, but it is on the verge of collapse since global travel restrictions were introduced. Without tourist income, conservationists are having a hard time protecting vulnerable species from poaching, while the COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying. The New York Times reported. Rhinos in Botswana, feral cats in South America and tigers in India have all been targeted in the past year. In the context of the current pandemic, the wildlife market has become the focus of attention for not only being environmentally irresponsible but also potentially endangering human health through infectious diseases. from animals to humans – such as the COVID-19 pandemic. These markets, which trade in live exotic animals or products derived from them, are found all over the world. For example, bear farms in Asia trap 20,000 Asian black bears for bile, leading to a decline in wild populations. Another potential solution to combat extinction could be the cloning of species. In February 2021, scientists revealed they had successfully cloned a black-footed ferret from an animal that died more than 30 years ago. Native to North America, these small mammals were thought to be extinct until a small colony was found in the early 1980s, where they were engaged in breeding and reintroduction programs. across America. The cloning process is similar to that of Dolly the sheep in the early 1990s.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Photo: THX/VNA Human happiness and well-being can be greatly improved by prioritizing nature-based solutions – United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres affirmed at the Fifth Session of the United Nations Conference. The United Nations Environment Council took place in February. This message was reiterated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the occasion of this year’s International Day of Biodiversity, 22 May, that each of us plays an important role in protecting biodiversity and protecting nature by establish balance in the relationship between man and the Earth. Or to put it more simply, choosing a lifestyle in harmony with nature is the best way for people to develop sustainably and avoid the risk of new diseases, because humans are an important piece of the puzzle. natural change. This is also the theme of the International Day of Biodiversity May 22 this year: “We are part of the solution – For nature.” Biodiversity has long been a global issue. Currently, there are millions of plant and animal species that are in danger of extinction due to human impacts. According to the report of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), there are 5 main causes of biodiversity loss which are changes in land use demand; overexploitation of wild animals and plants; Climate Change; environmental pollution and invasive alien organisms. Meanwhile, the process of globalization is increasing the movement of species beyond the inherent natural range through tourism, trade, etc., disrupting native ecosystems and the environment. The year 2021 is considered an important milestone in the conservation of ecosystems on Earth, marking the 10th anniversary of the UN declaration of the period 2011-2020 as the “United Nations Decade on Biodiversity”. is the transition step for a new phase “Decade of Ecosystem Restoration” (period 2021-2030). 10 years ago, then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on all humanity to protect biodiversity on Earth, emphasizing that sustainable human development depends heavily on diversity. this. At that time, the head of the United Nations emphasized that people can never get precious opportunities and miracles from nature, such as natural medicines to cure incurable diseases, when many ecosystems are permanently destroyed or the land becomes unusable. From this perspective to the health crisis related to COVID-19 that the world is grappling with, people are increasingly aware that biodiversity and ecosystems are tied to human survival and Protecting nature and ecosystems also means protecting our own lives. However, the UN warns that the rate at which biodiversity loss is occurring is unprecedented. In a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Forest and Global Change, scientists estimate that only 3% of the world’s land area (excluding Antarctica) is still ecologically intact, with healthy primitive animal populations and undisturbed habitats. One million species of plants and animals out of a total of 8 million species on Earth are on the verge of extinction. Some scientists think that the sixth mass extinction on Earth is beginning and will have serious consequences for food, clean water and air. The theme of this year’s International Day of Biodiversity is a continuation of the 2020 theme “Our solutions are available in nature”. This is seen as a reminder that biodiversity is still an important solution, an option for sustainable development. Therefore, from nature-based solutions to climate, health, food security, drinking water and sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity is the foundation on which people around the world can Build back better. According to the United Nations, the livelihoods of more than 3 billion people around the world depend on marine and coastal biodiversity, while 1.6 billion people make a living from forests. The conservation of species on Earth is no longer in the framework of “altruism” but plays an important role in ensuring human life. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic forces people to rethink the protective role of biodiversity against infectious diseases. There is evidence that biodiversity loss can increase the number of cases of communicable diseases. infection from animals to humans. In fact, 70% of infectious diseases spreading in recent years originate in animals. Therefore, the more the “health” of the ecosystem declines, the more fragile the immune “wall” between humans and pathogens will be. Looking back on 10 years of implementation of the “United Nations Decade on Biodiversity”, the world has recognized encouraging human progress in the conservation and restoration of biodiversity. According to a report by the World Conservation Monitoring Center of UNEP and the World Union for the Conservation of Nature, 22.5 million square kilometers of land and ecosystems Inland waters along with 28.1 million square kilometers of coastline and oceans have been preserved in the past 10 years.Another encouraging result was also noted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). 59 million hectares of forest have regenerated since 2000, enough to cover France.WWF emphasizes that protecting and restoring forests is a better climate change solution than planting trees because existing forests not only absorb more greenhouse gases but also protect wildlife and biodiversity. Ru Cha primary mangrove forest in Huong Phong commune, Huong Tra town, Thua Thien – Hue province (Vietnam) has an area of ​​about 5 hectares, has the function of preventing salinity, protecting aquatic resources and the mainland. Photo: Ho Cau/VNA Vietnam is one of the countries with the most important and diverse biodiversity in the world, both in terms of marine and terrestrial ecosystems (especially forest and mangrove ecosystems). To protect this “treasure” of nature, Vietnam officially ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity on October 17, 1994, and made great strides in the conservation of nature and biodiversity. As a result of this unremitting effort, a number of nature reserves in Vietnam have been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for their natural value, including three heritage sites. nature, 2 global geoparks, 9 bio-rights reserves and 2 wetlands located in two world bio-rights reserves. Vietnam also encourages the application of construction solutions to be effective and sustainable in terms of economy, society, and natural environment; promote the implementation of conservation and sustainable use models, apply the ecosystem approach in integrated management of coastal zones, river basins, sustainable forest management, focusing on the role and interests of communities. copper. However, Vietnam’s conservation efforts are currently facing many challenges, such as deforestation, illegal logging, over-exploitation, economic growth, and population pressures. . The COVID-19 that has raged for more than a year is a reminder of the close relationship between humans and nature, when humans themselves have been depleting resources faster than nature can regenerate. Therefore, only humans can make a change for nature, in other words, humans are the most important piece of the solution to protect biodiversity and nature on Earth.

Vietnam is valued as one of the world’s leading biodiversity countries In the face of a decline in biodiversity, the United Nations’ Biodiversity Commission (IPBES) has warned future pandemics will occur more often, kill more people and damage even worse. without a fundamental change in human behavior towards nature. Loss of biodiversity seriously affects people In fact, the use of natural resources for development activities has made ecosystems around the world degraded. Along with environmental pollution, biodiversity loss of ecological balance, climate change leads to serious health consequences, especially the recent epidemic situation, which profoundly affects the economy. global society. Thereby forcing people to recognize and raise their awareness of their actions with nature and with our own living environment. As we know biodiversity is important to humans, providing 18 basic services globally to sustain human activities and development. However, according to the assessment report on Biodiversity and Global Ecosystem Services of the Intergovernmental Forum on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES Report), the ratio of forest cover per globally, coral reef ecosystems have the highest decline in survival index and 25% of the species studied are threatened with extinction; Many species groups are assessed as highly threatened with extinction, in which the group with the highest percentage of species at risk of extinction are amphibians, mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. Besides, 3/4 of the land area on Earth has been seriously degraded due to human activities. Human impacts include unsustainable exploitation of the environment through deforestation, agricultural expansion, wildlife trade and consumption. These activities put people in increasingly close contact with wild and domestic animals, as well as the diseases they harbor. Accordingly, up to 850,000 viruses like the new strain of corona virus, exist in animals and can infect humans. Habitat destruction and insatiable consumption have made zoonotic diseases more likely to spread to humans in the future. Science has also shown that loss of biodiversity can promote disease transmission from animals to humans – on the other hand, if we keep biodiversity intact, it provides excellent tools to fight pandemics. As with diseases caused by corona viruses, US scientists found that about 75% of the intermediate hosts of many disease-causing viruses are primates, bats and mice. In 2020, a study investigating SARS-CoV-2 infection from 16 ferret farms in the Netherlands, was presented at the ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Related Diseases held online from 23-25. -9, indicating that the virus is capable of infecting humans and ferrets and vice versa. And in fact, in Vietnam, there are also emerging serious and zoonotic diseases with the potential to develop into a pandemic. In recent years, Vietnam has been affected by SARS, avian influenza type A (H5N1), influenza A (H5N6) and pandemic influenza A (H1N1)… Therefore, in recent years, ministries, branches and localities need to strengthen activities to control wildlife trade and exploit migratory wild species according to Directive No. 29/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister Government on some urgent solutions for wildlife management and related guiding and operating documents; manage and control invasive alien species; restore degraded ecosystems; protect the natural landscape and biodiversity. As such, “Human activities cause climate change and biodiversity loss, and lead to the risk of pandemics due to the impact on the environment. Changes in land use; agricultural expansion and intensification; Unsustainable trade, production and consumption have damaged nature and increased contact between wildlife, domestic animals, pathogens and humans. This is the path to the pandemic.” According to Dr. Peter Daszak, President of the EcoHealth Alliance emphasized. Join hands to conserve biodiversity Pano propaganda on International Day of Biodiversity May 22 22 Currently, in Vietnam, the Government, the Prime Minister and all ministries and branches are interested in sustainable development, green economy, harmony, and nature. That is one of the factors that ensure 50% success in our journey to save biodiversity in Vietnam. And Vietnamese people have also realized their great responsibility in nature conservation, reducing the demand for wildlife consumption, and environmentally responsible consumption. This is a very favorable factor, the opportunity for Vietnam to not be lost on the world biodiversity map. The theme of the International Day of Biodiversity 2021 is “We’re part of the solution – For Nature”, selected and launched by the United Nations on a global scale. With the aim of raising public awareness of biodiversity, science has proven that biodiversity is the foundation of economy, food security, livelihoods and human health. join hands of the whole society to preserve nature and biodiversity – that is to protect our own life on earth. In response to the International Day of Biodiversity, in 2021, recently, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has sent a written request to the central ministries, departments, branches and mass organizations; People’s Committees of provinces and centrally run cities; socio-political organizations, mass organizations; Associations, corporations, enterprises and related units are interested in, directing, guiding and coordinating in organizing response activities. According to Mr. Le Cong Thanh – Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, “Vietnam is also protecting and conserving biodiversity with many policies and measures such as environmental impact assessment, integration of Objectives require the protection and conservation of nature and biodiversity in the planning strategies, socio-economic development programs from the central to local levels. Zoning and establishing conservation areas for endangered species with genetic resources of plant varieties, domestic animals and wild species, restoring forest ecology, coral reef ecosystems, sea palm trees. Planting green and greening bare land and bare hills. Then plant trees in urban areas, industrial parks, traffic routes and have very encouraging results.” Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic around the world, the International Day of Biodiversity 2021 will be celebrated through an online campaign. And the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment proposed to implement synchronously strategies, projects, tasks and solutions on research and application of nature-based solutions, approaching ecosystems in the process of building formulation of national, regional and provincial plannings; establishment and effective management of nature reserves; promote the implementation of conservation and sustainable use models; apply the ecosystem approach in integrated management of coastal zones, river basins, sustainable forest management, focusing on the role and interests of the community. As we all know, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha once said that: “Biodiversity conservation is an ethical issue”. That further shows that the relationship between humans and the natural environment is not only the morality between people but also our own responsibility and morality with nature. Making each of us need to better understand our responsibilities when life needs a clean environment to live, needs clean food to eat but destroys nature by human hands. Therefore, once again, it is necessary to recognize and be more aware of how to respect and harmonize people with “mother nature” – only then all pandemics and natural disasters will limit the occurrence of people in the future. . Le Cong Thanh – Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment in response to the International Day of Biodiversity: “Nature conservation, biodiversity conservation is the responsibility of each of us, practical actions are to plant more trees, say no to consuming wild animals, and actively protect rare and precious animals and plants. It is practical concrete action, small action, great meaning. Each person takes an action to spread and join hands to protect the environment. Protect life on our planet” “The health of people and ecosystems is increasingly connected. As humans encroach on nature and deplete vital habitats, the risks associated with disease are also increasing. Loss of biodiversity poses a threat to all aspects of life, including human health. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic still raging, let’s each contribute to protecting biodiversity to prevent future pandemics. Mr. António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations

The information and images collected by him are valuable documents to help scientists and experts of FFI discover the world’s second largest population of langurs in Kim Bang forest. After that, Mr. Hien volunteered to join the Community Conservation Team and was appointed as team leader. Thanks to this Community Conservation Team, from 2016-2018, the number of langurs recorded grew from 40 individuals to more than 100 individuals. Stories like Mr. Hien became the inspiration in the Program “Honoring organizations and individuals who have made great contributions to wildlife conservation in the period 2010-2020” in response to the International Day of Biodiversity. (22.5). The period 2010-2020 was declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the “United Nations Decade for Biodiversity”. Photo: vuonquocgiavuquang.vn. The period 2010-2020 has been declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the “United Nations Decade for Biodiversity” in order to achieve a shared commitment of countries to protect more than 8 million species of flora and fauna in the world. threatened to balance life on the planet. “Humanity may never know the precious opportunities of incurable diseases or other beneficial discoveries from nature because many ecosystems are permanently destroyed or soils are polluted. unusable,” said Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, calling on all humanity to protect the biodiversity on Earth. The call comes as biodiversity on Earth is declining at an increasingly faster rate. More than 1 million species are in danger of extinction. Human activities have changed 75% of the land surface and 66% of the ocean area. Vietnam is in the Top 16 countries with the highest biodiversity in the world, but biodiversity is under increasing pressure due to human activities and climate change. It is noteworthy that human activities are increasingly seriously harming the balance of nature. To counter this trend, over the past decade, many individuals, scientists and conservation organizations have worked to protect wildlife with a series of research, new species discovery and initiatives, jointly provide many effective conservation solutions in Vietnam. Some newly discovered species include Euscorpiopsis Cavernicola scorpion (in Ba Be district, Bac Kan province) and Vietbocap thienduongensis scorpion (Phong Nha – Ke Bang national park, Quang Binh province). The new findings not only have scientific significance but also have high practical value because scorpion venom is a potential natural raw material for the current and future pharmaceutical industry. In addition, precious tree species such as Moc Huong (Aristolochia), genus Arachniodes,… are also studied for their phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships to serve practical applications. Through research, many plant species with medicinal and production value are identified and have a reasonable conservation plan. Many organizations and individuals that have made great contributions to wildlife conservation in the period 2010-2020 also recognized many initiatives and solutions, contributing to improving the effectiveness of efforts of all levels, sectors and the whole society. association in species conservation. For example, the breeding solution has successfully preserved the white-crested pheasant – a rare endemic bird of Vietnam. The distribution area of ​​this rare chicken is in Quang Tri province, previously there were almost no birds and animals due to hunting, trapping and illegal wildlife trade. As a result, the population of the wild Lam pheasant decreased sharply, the last individuals were in danger of extinction. In addition, the breeding pairing of white-bellied Cao Cat (located in Section II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – CITES) has also been successful, serving environmental education. and preserved in the future. Besides breeding solutions to conserve endangered species, other initiatives also focus on saving wildlife. In which, there are volunteer groups that have rescued 100 sea turtles, of which 94 individuals have been released into the sea; or the bear rescue process, bear farming in a semi-wild environment… These efforts contribute to changing people’s awareness of the importance of wildlife in the ecosystem associated with human life. In a recent report, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said that 90% of Vietnamese people support closing the wildlife trade market; 91% support the closure of restaurants that sell illegal and unregulated wildlife.

How did you start raising awareness about the endangered rhinoceros species? I have been involved in many activities to raise awareness about the urgency of the rhinoceros species. I was still playing cricket for England at the time and my tools and things had a lot of rhinos on them. After that, many people expressed interest in buying the items again because they looked cool, and that’s how I competed to raise awareness. Later, I used my son’s drawings of rhinoceros on the competition equipment as well as the main logo of SORAI. The drawing appeared on hats and t-shirts and received a very good response, so I thought about the next step of developing and building the organization. Kevin Pietersen and Ms. Petronel Nieuwoudt – founders of Care For Wild, the largest rhinoceros orphanage and sanctuary in the world Can you share more about the operating mechanism of the organization? We donate 20% of our profits to conservation and do our best to save endangered animals. That is the purpose of our activities and when buying our products, people also contribute to a great cause. We don’t want people to see us as a charity asking people to donate money. We have a donation page where people can contribute directly to causes you believe in. Or you can also become an ambassador, support activities related to our products, and also be the subject of discussion. It’s a way to create exchanges, thereby raising awareness across the board, with us in our efforts to stop the illegal wildlife trade. What do you think about rhinos that the public needs to be more aware of? Rhinos are in danger of extinction. In South Africa, in the last 10 years, we have lost two-thirds of the remaining rhinos here. The problem stems from black markets such as China or Vietnam, which have engaged in illegal wildlife trade activities. Africa would not be Africa without rhinos. They are one of five important wildlife species in this place. We stand firmly against the illegal wildlife trade and also rhino horn. Many texts have asserted that rhino horn has no medicinal value, and that greed and misinformation in society have used them to flaunt their status. These things need to be removed immediately! And how did the collaboration between SORAI and Hublot begin? In 2019, while the Cricket World Cup was in progress in England, Hublot and I started working together. Then we did bigger things together, and we really brought about change. The first Big Bang Unico SORAI watch was born at that time and immediately “sold out” very quickly. The feedback after that was also very positive and everything was perfect. And I believe this next watch will achieve the same success. The new Big Bang Unico SORAI watch will be released in 2021 Can you share with everyone about the similar values ​​of SORAI and Hublot? I think time is the greatest value we share with each other. Quite simply, Hublot offers very innovative timepieces. And together we are in a race against time to save the rhinoceros from extinction. This is a perfect collaboration! SORAI and Hublot’s first collaboration was the very successful Big Bang Unico SORAI watch. Can you share more about the achievements after that initial success? If it weren’t for that success, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you right now. The opportunity to approach and talk about the organization’s activities with the public in Vietnam is a wonderful thing. For me it is a very meaningful success, besides financial success. Big Bang Unico SORAI watches come with 2 sets of bands with matching colors màu What’s different about the second Big Bang Unico SORAI watch released in 2021 compared to the first one? The new Big Bang Unico SORAI is equipped with a UNICO manufacture movement and is inspired by the natural colors of the woods in summer: a harmonious blend of two greens, from the green ceramic case. tree to the camo green hue of the familiar rubber or Velcro strap. This special edition, with the SORAI logo engraved on the sapphire crystal back, is limited to just 100 pieces worldwide. Due to the impact of the pandemic, we worked together through video meetings, coming together to agree on every detail on the new watch. SORAI’s black rhino logo on the dial After working with Hublot for a while, what percentage of your initial expectations about this relationship have been met? What I expect is all that we have achieved so far. We have an organization that works for the sake of bringing about change, raising large sums of money from the profits of the first 100 watches sold for the activities of the organization. More importantly, thanks to this cooperation, I have been able to reach other countries and territories. This is like a marking exercise, every opportunity we have to raise awareness of the community, to be communicated to the public, can open certain doors. Thank you for taking the time to chat and share! Perform: Tuan Anh

Khanh Van’s traditional costume contest at Miss Universe Khanh Van brought to the Miss Universe pageant an Ao Dai inspired by silk weaving. After the national costume contest at Miss Universe 2020 (the contest held late due to the Covid-19 epidemic), Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray selected her 6 favorite and most impressive designs. It is the national costume of Indonesia, Ukraine, Nepal, Peru, Thailand and Vietnam. Khanh Van performed a costume called “Ken Em”, consisting of an outer cocoon and an ao dai combined with a scarf closed inside. The outfit is meant to honor Vietnam’s silk weaving. Creative designer on the background of traditional ao dai. Khoa Ho uses white tones, light materials, and marcame stringing techniques. Sharing with Zing, Khanh Van said that before going on stage, “Ken Em” had problems, broke many places and lost wheels. She had to re-glue the damaged parts herself and fix the parts that were peeling paint due to shipping. Indonesian representative Ayu Maulida Putri wears a Komodo dragon costume. According to many scientific studies, the Komodo dragon (scientific name: Varanus komodoensis) is the largest reptile in the world, inbreeding with many dinosaurs that became extinct millions of years ago. Komodo dragons live only on the island of Komodo (Indonesia) and are in danger of extinction. Nepalese beauty Anshika Sharma appeared on the Miss Universe 2020 catwalk with a climbing outfit. She carried a model of Mount Everest – the highest mountain in the world and located on the border of Nepal with China. Catriona Gray’s next choice is the national costume of Peru performed by the beautiful Janick Maceta Del Castillo. The costume of the Peruvian representative is made based on the shape and color of the James flamingo – a small flamingo, living in the Andes plateau of Peru. The traditional costume of the representative of Thailand has the shape of a particular fish, mainly living in the rivers of the land of the golden pagoda. The body of the fish is decorated with sophisticated gems. The entire tail and fins of the fish model are sewn with silk and have the colors of the Thai national flag. The national costume of Ukraine is designed based on the most famous and familiar decorative motifs in the country. The above motif often appears on the doors, tables, chairs, and domes of Ukrainians. According to information from the organizers of Miss Universe 2020, the white color of the above outfit means happiness and longevity.

Information from Change and WildAid said that not only in Vietnam, the situation of hunting pangolin in the world is also very worrying, threatening the existence of this animal. In just 10 years, more than 1 million pangolins were illegally traded, making them the most trafficked mammal in the world. Vietnam plays an important role in the supply chain, always on the list of leading countries in the supply, import and consumption of pangolin products. The evidence is that only in 2019, Vietnam captured more than 8 tons of pangolin scales and became the world leader in the number of pangolin scales captured. Illegal hunting, trading and consumption of pangolins is always a hot issue for the wildlife conservation of the authorities. According to the WCS report, in the past three decades, Vietnam has lost about 80-90% of its pangolin population due to illegal hunting and consumption, despite Vietnam’s penalties of up to 15 years. imprisonment for these behaviors. There are 8 species of pangolin in the world, and all 8 species of pangolins are threatened with extinction by illegal hunting and trade. With the urge to act to protect pangolins, protect the country’s biodiversity, and bring the voice of the animal-loving community in Vietnam to the world, Quang Dang continues to accompany Minh Quan – My students contributed their efforts to the campaign through the charismatic dance “The pangolin is still the same”. The dance is not only invested in the content but also the costumes are carefully prepared. Sharing about the idea of ​​performing the dance, dancer Quang Dang said: “The images of the cute pangolins that I see are almost not in the wild, they appear in articles and launch. the: being locked up in cramped cages, injured, or even taken for life in frozen shipments … too heartbreaking. I don’t think too much, I just want to put what I want to say through the dance steps. Pangolins can’t speak, but we do. I believe that everything will have a positive change if everyone spreads together. A small change can also save a numb life. So if you can speak, can be shared, do it now. Or if you are not someone who can share through words, dance with me, give the message to more people by blowing soul into the dance. ” Clip pangolin dance choreographed and directed by dancer Quang Dang Within a few hours of its debut, this pangolin calling for protection quickly attracted the attention of many young people. Perhaps, never before has the public awareness of pangolin hunting, trading and consumption been expressed in such a creative way. WildAid is a non-profit organization with a mission to end the illegal wildlife trade. WildAid focuses primarily on minimizing the global demand and consumption for wildlife products, such as ivory, rhino horn and shark fin, through media campaigns and support for tightening regulations and strengthening law enforcement. With celebrity ambassadors and a global network of media partners, WildAid raises partner support with a media value of more than $ 230 million per year. with the simple message: “There are no buyers, no more killers”. Official information page: https://wildaidvietnam.org/ Change under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) is a Vietnamese non-governmental organization with a mission to raise awareness, change behavior and develop community capacity in solving problems. environmental issues, wildlife protection, sustainable development, climate change mitigation and adaptation. Pangolins are the only mammal in the world whose bodies are covered with hard scales. There are 8 species of pangolin today worldwide, 4 species in Asia and 4 species in Africa. Vietnam is home to two species: the Javan Pangolin (Manis javanica) and the Yellow Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), both of which are on the IUCN Red List of Critically Endangered Species and are subject to Vietnamese law. Male protection at the highest level. Any act of hunting, killing, raising, confining, possessing, transporting or illegally trading an individual, life part or product of an individual that has been considered for prosecution. criminal responsibility. Depending on the severity of the offense, the offender can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

In what form could life on earth end in the end? Photo: Astronomy Some scientists point out that the earliest life on Earth was born about 4 billion years ago. At that time, the Earth was continuously bombarded by space meteors, but life continued strongly. Earth’s history has seen many catastrophes, and each one is like the end of the world. Supernova explosions, asteroid collisions, large-scale volcanic eruptions, sudden climate changes … these events have claimed countless lives. During a number of mass extinction events, most of the species at that time had been wiped out. In the end, however, life still goes on. There will always be new species on Earth, and a new cycle will begin again. Although human life may be unimaginably fragile, turning the entire Earth into a barren land is not so easy. Here are some events that have the potential to wip out all life on Earth (very low probability and not happening in the near future). The impact of asteroids When an asteroid hits Earth, it releases incredible energy. 66 million years ago, an asteroid the size of a city crashed into the Gulf of Mexico and led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. At that time, all other creatures on Earth were almost wiped out. Although human ancestors were not born at that time, it may be the most important event in human history. Without the asteroid impact, dinosaurs could always be the lord of Earth, and other mammals could only exist in their shadow. According to geological records assessment, the frequency of Earth being collided by large asteroids is about 100 million years. However, smaller asteroid effects occur more often. There is even evidence that some people have died from the effects of asteroids over the past few thousand years. In 1888, in Sulaymaniyah, now in Iraq, a meteor strike killed one person and injured another. This is the earliest recorded asteroid accident. But what is the probability that Earth will be hit by a large asteroid? A 2017 study published in Nature has shown that to cause this asteroid must be large enough. Only the largest asteroids in the solar system (like Pallas and Vesta) can do this. Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary science at MIT, said even though an asteroid might one day come and destroy us, the likelihood is very low. Oxygen depletion Fossil of trilobite, one of the earliest arthropods on Earth. Photo: Shutterstock The chances of the latter being slightly higher than the previous. First, let’s go back to long history. Nearly 2.5 billion years ago, Earth went through a period known as the “Great Oxidation Event” – creating oxygen on a global scale. The increase in cyanobacteria causes a huge increase in the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere. Without this event, no oxygen-breathing animals would exist and the biological world would not have been diverse, from low-order monocytes to higher multicellular flora and fauna, including humans. However, about 450 million years ago, one of the most serious extinction events on the planet – the Ordovic -Silur mass extinction occurred. It could be due to the sudden drop in oxygen levels at that time, which lasted for millions of years. But why is this happening? During the Ordovic period, all the continents on Earth were connected to form the supercontinent Gondwana. At that time, most life on Earth existed in the ocean, but plants began to appear on land. At the end of the Ordovic period, the Earth’s climate suddenly changed, causing this supercontinent to be covered with glaciers. The sudden drop in global temperature alone is enough to cause the disappearance of many species. Then, when global oxygen levels plummeted, life on Earth experienced a second wave of extinction. Scientists can find evidence of this drastic change in sediment samples on the seabed. Some researchers believe that glaciers at that time caused a fundamental change in ocean stratification, and that the temperature and oxygen concentration of each layer of seawater differ. However, the exact cause of this significant reduction in oxygen is still being debated. Whatever the reason, more than 80% of the species on Earth disappeared during the Ordovic mass extinction. Such events happened in the past, will history repeat in the future? In fact, a recent study published in Nature Communications has shown that climate change reduces oxygen levels in the ocean, which can cause the extinction of some marine life. Gamma-ray bursts Gamma-ray bursts can originate in binary star systems. Photo: University of Warwick Gamma-ray bursts occur when a giant star dies, explodes like a supernova, and collapses into a black hole. It spits out stream of rays at the speed of light in the universe. Any planet in the path of this stream would lose its atmosphere immediately and be burned. When the gamma rays in the explosion hit the blue planet’s atmosphere, they will cause oxygen and free nitrogen atoms to collide, and some will recombine into N2O compounds, the destroyer. ozone layer. N2O is long-lived in the atmosphere, and they continue to destroy ozone until it falls to the ground through rainfall. If there was a gamma-ray explosion in the Milky Way, it could potentially cause the extinction of a large number of species on Earth. If the gamma-ray burst was aimed in the direction of the Earth, even if it lasted only 10 seconds, it would destroy at least half of the Earth’s ozone layer. Scientific research in recent decades has shown that even a small fraction of the ozone layer is destroyed enough to weaken Earth’s “natural protective layer” and cause serious problems. And if the ozone layer is depleted to a certain extent, the Earth’s food chain will be severely damaged, leading to the extinction of a large number of species. Death of the Sun. As the sun continues to age, more and more energy is released, which could eventually wipe out the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere. Photo: Nasa A study published in the journal Nature Geoscience in March this year showed that regardless of whether or not a gamma-ray explosion occurs, in about a billion years, most life on Earth will die from lack of oxygen. A team of scientists working with NASA believes that this oxygen-rich atmosphere will not last forever. In a billion years, the activity of the Sun will cause the Earth’s oxygen levels to drop back to the levels they were before the “Great Oxidation Event”. The team describes the last moment before the Earth’s inability to support life as follows: “We find that the deoxygenation of the future is an inevitable consequence of increased heat radiation from the Sun. The exact timing of this process will be governed by the redox flow that changes between the geological mantle and the ocean-atmosphere system and the Earth’s crust. ” Conclusions are made after modeling and running simulation based on the algorithm hundreds of thousands of times. The start time and duration of this process will depend on a variety of factors, and can be as short as 10,000 years. But researchers point out that for Earth, in the end, this fate is inevitable. Fortunately, humanity still has 1 billion years left to find another way out.

This is also known as the “island law”, which is an ecological geographic law in evolutionary biology. In general, among animals that migrate from land to island, large animals tend to be smaller, and small animals tend to get bigger – this is called giantism. Island gigantism. For example, an extinct species of giant hutias in the Western Indian Ocean Islands is the largest known rodent. Its weight can reach a staggering level (about 200 kg), equivalent to that of an American black bear. Another famous example is the Dodo bird on the island of Mauritius. Due to the fact that the island’s environment is devoid of predators, they have also grown to form large and flightless. In contrast to island giantism, a condition where body size becomes smaller after immigration to an island is called Insular dwarfism. The most typical example is the dwarf elephant found many times on islands around the world. Elephants have always been known to be the largest terrestrial stump, but some dwarf elephants can only reach the size of a pig. Those who have read Odyssey will be impressed by Cyclops. According to speculation, the Cyclops prototype was a dwarf elephant. 2000 years ago, the Greeks probably excavated the remains of a dwarf elephant on an island near the Mediterranean Sea. Its skull size was almost twice that of a human skull. Perhaps it was because they had never seen an elephant, so the Greeks imagined it as the skull of a one-eyed giant, and related rumors and myths were born from this. Animal species that also dwarfed the island environment also included species such as dwarf mammoths, small hippos and Florida island deer, all of which were one size smaller than their terrestrial counterpart. Among them, the most extreme dwarf island fauna is the mini chameleon (Brookesia micra) of Hara Island in northeastern Madagascar, Africa. It is the smallest chameleon known to mankind, the largest one measuring no more than 3 cm. It is worth noting that this dwarfism does not only occur in ordinary animals. Even we humans cannot escape the law of the island. The pop culture dwarves are not unfounded, the “hobbits” are real. Flores island in Indonesia has an area of ​​only 14,000 square kilometers, but on this small island there used to be a small group of people who used to live. They are also “cursed” by dwarfism and this affects their stature. According to estimates from nine known fossils, this ancient human was only 1 to 1.2 meters tall and weighed about 25 kg. As we all know, the average 6-year-old modern person’s average height is more than 1.1 meters tall. This inevitably reminds people of the hobbits in “The Lord of the Rings”, so the ancient people on Flores were also known as “hobbits”. From a taxonomic point of view, the Flores belong to the same genus as us. Hence, they are also the smallest known human species. The ancestor of the Flores was Homo erectus. About 200,000 years ago or earlier, they moved on to Flores Island. Compared to the mainland, the island’s resources were very limited and the Homo erectus people were often hungry due to lack of food. If the people are short, there is a better chance of survival because they need to eat less. As a result, the dwarf gene is passed from generation to generation, and eventually develops into Floresians. Biological evolution has shown more than once that some strange things will happen on the islands. And from the changes in body shape of the other animals on Flores Island, you can feel the power of the law of the island. At that time, on the island there was a species of elephant named Stegodon florensis, only 1.5m high and weighing no more than 800kg. Their land-based compatriot is the elephant Stegodon zdanskyi. They are stronger and more powerful than modern African elephants, this species is about 3.8 meters tall and weighs 12 tons. But not all of the animals on this island have been reduced to the same size as the Flores and the Stegodon florensis, in fact, the small terrestrial animals that migrate here will achieve a Giant size beyond imagination. The most typical example is the Flores Giant Rat, since without natural predators, they are not even afraid of humans. Of course, this giant rat does not threaten the survival of the Flores Island biological population. Except for some insects, the giant rat Flores is mostly vegetarian. It can be said that biological evolution on the islands took place in a very strange way. Therefore, scientists always think of the first word “island” when discovering creatures with anomalous body shape. So what is the factor that causes the animals on the island to change their body shape? For many years, scientists have always wanted to summarize the general nature of the rules on the island, and try to solve that mystery. The first person to try to explain this phenomenon was a biologist named J. Bristol Foster. Therefore, this ecological geophysical law is also known as “Ford’s Law”. In 1964, his dissertation compared 116 island species with terrestrial species and plotted them in a table. In an article titled “Mammal Evolution on Islands,” Foster said that among the new “inhabitants” of the island, rodents tend to grow larger. Predators and ungulates will tend to be dwarfed. In general, large terrestrial species will be smaller and smaller land species larger on islands. In this regard, Foster also provided some tentative explanations. The number of species on the islands is much less than on the mainland, and the number of predators and competitors will decrease accordingly. This seems to be an advantage for small rodents. Because they do not have a predator, they always have a sufficient source of food and can control their fertility rate well. But hippos, deer and other large animals cannot do this. A lack of predators would also mean an overabundance and a shortage of food. Consequently, the smaller members of the population will have a higher survival rate and begin to affect the entire population. They grow from generation to generation and their sizes are getting smaller and smaller. Foster’s paper is simple, but at the time it aroused strong interest in the scientific community. Thereafter, more extensive research was conducted on the island’s organisms, and the island law was a little more refined. In fact, large organisms have more food choices and more easily control other species. Small organisms, on the other hand, require fewer resources, shorter reproductive cycles, and adapt faster. Therefore, in the island ecological environment, where every aspect is limited, these factors are very important and have special effects. Subsequent studies also found that the speed at which the island’s animals change body shape was indeed staggering. 24 km from the French coast, there is an island named Jersey. About 6000 years ago, the deer came here and completely isolated from the mainland. As a result, in this short time of thousands of years, the red deer on the island has shrunk by 1/6 of that of the people on the mainland. Fossil records show that it only took 5,000 years to dwarf a population of elephants from 4 meters in height to about 1 meter. However, it should be noted that the island laws are only a general model of evolution, not absolute law. The environment on an island includes many different factors, such as the size of the island, climate, natural history, habitat, biological relationships, etc.These factors will also affect the size of the island. animals on the island to a certain extent.

Bright Side brings together 10 rare creatures that are on the brink of extinction. Global mountain gorilla Currently the mountain gorilla has increased to about 1,063. They can only be found in protected forests. This is evidence that conservation efforts can bring a species back on the brink of extinction. However, illegal human hunting remains a major threat to the fauna of Bwindi-Sarambwe. Sao la The saola species was discovered in the Annamite forests of Vietnam. The main threat to saola is hunting activities and environmental climate impacts. That is why many conservation organizations have collaborated to create a safe environment for them in nature. Animal with dunnart bag This tiny creature can only be found on Australia’s Kangaroo Island, with an estimated population of less than 500. The widespread cleaning of the vegetation by humans has put the dunnart in a very dangerous situation. In addition, wildfires in Australia in 2019 and 2020 have burned 95% of the species. That is why a closed sanctuary was created to keep dunnart and other endangered species safe. Iberian lynx This rare species can only be found in the jungles of southwest Spain. From 1985 to 2001, their population decreased by 87%; So far, there are about 400 lynx in the wild. Their natural habitat continues to be destroyed by new highways and cut down trees. Black-footed ferret While people thought they were extinct, tiny creatures have proven to still exist. However, their population is rapidly declining due to disease and the loss of their natural habitat. Their total population is estimated at around 370 in the wild. Massive restoration efforts by many federal agencies and zoos have provided space for the weasels to survive. Gharial crocodile In 2010, only 15 crocodiles were found in the Gandak River in Bihar. That’s why in 2014, a conservation initiative freed 30 crocodiles from captivity and returned them to the river, and their population began to increase. Kakapo For the first time in 70 years, the kakapo population is increasing with about 213 species of birds existing. Only during the 2018-2019 breeding season, 71 young survived, which is a record number for this species. The recovery team tries to make sure the birds stay healthy and protected from infection. Their next goal is to find a good habitat for the birds as disease is their main threat. Canadian harbor seals Found in Quebec, this is the only species of its kind that can only survive in fresh water thanks to fish. To date, only more than 100 live in the area. The cause can be attributed to human hunting. Also, in many cases, seals get trapped in their gears and cannot free themselves. Leopard Amur This leopard has found a way to survive in the jungle in the Russian Far East. They live up to 15 years in the wild and more than 20 years in captivity. They have an amazing ability to run very fast and jump high. However, the loss of habitat and human activity has reduced their number to about 84 individuals. Vaquita dolphin This very rare marine mammal was discovered only in 1958. However, in recent years, vaquitas dolphins have been victims of illegal fishing activities. They are often trapped in fishing nets. That is why their population is only about 10 in the Gulf of Mexico. They can be found in shallow water but will quickly swim away if a boat approaches them.

Oos Lions, hyenas and other predators still stalk the wildebeest, preventing them from eating too much of the plant. The variety of plants and grass supports other species, from fish birds to insects. In turn, these animals carry seeds or pollen throughout the plains, creating conditions for many types of plants to reproduce. Humans also appear there, but with relatively meager density. This is a prime example of an intact ecosystem: complex relationships that together maintain the rich diversity of the Earth. According to a survey of the ecosystems on Earth, most of the land on Earth – about 97% – no longer qualifies for ecological integrity. Researchers announced on April 15 in the journal Frontiers in Forest and Global Change: in the past 500 years, too many species have been either extinct or in decline. Specifically, scientists set the year 1500 AD, which means that only parts of the world are ecologically intact like 500 years ago with the addition of species of similar abundance. can be considered a wilderness. As a result, only 2.8% of planet Earth’s surface matches the description. These “wild plaques”, each with an area of ​​10,000 square kilometers or more, are scattered in various parts of the world. Of the few intact ecosystems, only about 11% of the land is in existing protected areas. These include Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in Congo, Serengeti-Ngorongoro in Tanzania, Alto Rio Negro indigenous territory in the Amazon forest, Great Siberian Polynya in northern Russia, and Kawésqar National Park in southern Chile. These are very rare and special places to be preserved, but only 11% of them are in protected areas. “Those are the best of the best, the last places on Earth have not lost a species as we know it,” said Oscar Venter, a conservation scientist at the University of North British Columbia. . It is important to identify such places, he said, especially for areas under development threats that need protection, such as the Amazon rainforest. Conservation scientists have long tried to map places that have not been affected by human activity. Researchers estimate that 20-40% of the Earth’s soil surface can be considered ecologically intact. But what can be detected by satellite is the ugly reality of the true extent of wildlife habitat. Beneath the seemingly intact tree canopy, the extinction of mammals and large birds from hunting, invasive species or disease has undermined the biodiversity of the areas. wild in the world. Biologist Andrew Plumptre, University of Cambridge said: “Hunting, impact of invasive species, climate change – these can harm ecosystems, but they are not easily detected. right through the satellite ”. Plumptre and his colleagues began looking for habitats that fully retain natural species, in abundance, in 1500 AD. That is the basis that the International Union for Conservation of Nature uses to evaluate the extinction of species, even though humans have changed their ecosystems by wiping out many large mammals over the past thousands of years. Overall, the amount of ecologically intact soil “is much lower than we expected,” said Plumptre. This shows how terribly man has affected nature. Some scientists question whether study authors are too strict in their definition of ecosystem integrity. Many ecosystems around the world have lost one or two species, but they remain vibrant, diverse communities. The decline of some species may not cause a catastrophe to the entire ecosystem, as other species may replace the role of lost species. The researchers calculated that while only 3% of the land is currently ecologically intact, bringing in up to five species lost could restore 20% of the land as before. This helps the ecosystem gradually return to balance.

Mr. Le Van Hien (sitting in the middle) and members of the Community Conservation Group record data on white-assed langurs living in Thanh Son forest. Nearly 30 years as a hunter, he is a famous veteran hunter in the region, but for nearly 10 years, Mr. Le Van Hien, Thanh Son commune, Kim Bang district (Ha Nam) has determined to “guard the gun”, voluntarily Participating in conservation of white-assed langurs – a rare animal in the list of the 25 most endangered animals in the world is in danger of extinction. He is honored to be the second person from Vietnam to be named a “Conservation Hero” by the International Wildlife Organization (FFI). Old story with the forest Born and raised on the edge of Thanh Son forest, Kim Bang district, the childhood days of the boy Le Van Hien and the children in the village were always intimately attached to the forest. Mr. Hien’s childhood at that day was the series of days following his parents to the forest to pick bamboo shoots, catch animals, cut down trees and burn coal to make ends meet. Mr. Hien still remembers that at that time, he had just finished primary school and dropped out of school to go to the forest. Because they are still young, they mainly follow the old hunters in the village to go to the forest to hunt wild animals and bring them home to use as improved food. At the age of 17, he gathered enough money to buy his first hunting rifle, and officially became a hunter. At that time, the young man Hien’s skillful hunting skills with sharp eyes quickly became a “nightmare” of Kim Bang forest animals at that time. After returning from the army in 1983, Mr. Hien continued to work in the forest to hunt for a living. An individual of white rump. Sitting on the porch, right at the foot of the forest, with the hot tea pot and the yellow civet, looking towards the edge of the forest, Mr. Hien recalled. In the past, there were many wild animals in Thanh Son forest, all kinds of things. After every night when I came back from the forest to hunt, I had to hire someone to take home the animals. Animals are displayed in the house: chamois, baskets, civets, porcupines, donkeys, pangolins, monkeys, langurs … A chamois is worth a few pounds of paddy, a monkey or semi-cooked langur can measure several tons of paddy. , traders to take place to buy. Thanks to that, my family’s economy is getting better and better day by day. At that time, I used to think that I would stick with hunting for a lifetime. Smoking pipe tobacco, releasing white smoke, Mr. Hien talked. But later, the animals in the forest were also more and more depleted, and the authorities at all levels also propagated a lot about the protection of rare animals. At that time, there were many wildlife research groups of organizations coming here to penetrate and learn. Knowing that I have experience in the jungle, experts invited me to join groups of experts on surveying and researching in Kim Bang forest. I remember forever when I accepted the invitation for a month to lead expert Le Van Dung (in Cuc Phuong National Park) to investigate the white-assed langur in Kim Bang. It was the first time in many years that I went into the forest without a gun. A week watching the white-rumped langurs, the golden monkeys through the binoculars, the far angle, wider than the flyhead, I watched the two orange-colored langurs wrapped in tangerine on my mother’s side, the father langurs taught their children to eat. They play happily together like children. Again, Uncle Dung always cooed and advised me “Let go of the gun!”. Once he saw that I was watching intently two baby langurs, he put in my ear: You see, they have the same love as humans. If one child in the family dies, the others will be sad and stop eating. Mother langur dies, children will also die. At that time, I just kept quiet and began to regret my previous hunting actions. After every trip with the primate researcher returned, there were long nights when I had no sleep. The night I lay, I looked up at the ceiling, then looked at my two little children. The round black eyes of the baby langurs haunt me again. After that, I understood and realized the preciousness of forest resources to be protected. But because of my living life, I also struggled with ideas. It took many nights of thinking and pondering that I decided to discuss with my wife to quit the job of hunter. Unexpectedly at that time it was my wife who was the first to support me to quit the job, although knowing that it was a series of difficult days for the whole family. It took me two years to scramble to find a job. At times, I worked as a drill and blasting worker for a rock breaking business. Uncertainty work is more dangerous, only when I get home will my wife and children feel assured that I am back alive and breathe a sigh of relief. But I think I gave up my job as a hunter and went to work as a mine blasting worker. It also affected the langurs and monkeys in the forest. Then I became bored again and quit the job as a mine blasting worker. I turned to invest in raising pigs, chickens, cultivating with my wife and children to make ends meet. Mr. Hien said, I am very lucky and proud to have a wife of algae and always beside me to encourage me to share with me. Up to now, I still remember her encouraging words to motivate me to overcome difficulties in life. Before when I was hunting, when I wore wild animals, she was happy, but now, no matter what she brought from the forest, she could not agree, because my job was to protect the cave. , the plants in the forest. If we do that, we can protect someone, tell who they hear. She said: From the day you quit the job as a hunter of wild animals, you were like a glass of filtered water, now if you come back then you will make it more cloudy, that I never want. So since I quit the job as a hunter, my heart has been relieved. Pay the debt with the forest Thanks to the hunting profession, Mr. Hien has more than half of his life attached to the forest and belongs to Kim Bang forest like the palm of his hand. He no longer goes to the forest to hunt animals, but every day, Mr. Hien still wants to go back to the forest and do something. That is useful, practical to repay the debt with the forest. At the beginning of 2016, Mr. Le Van Hien led experts from the International Organization for the Conservation of Wildlife and Fauna to Kim Bang Forest to survey the white-ass langur. The important information he provided that day helped scientists and experts of the International Wildlife Organization to discover the second largest population of white-lipped langurs in the world. Kim Bang. At the end of 2016, the International Wildlife and Fauna Conservation Organization (FFI) came to Kim Bang to implement a conservation program of white-ass langur. Without hesitation, Mr. Le Van Hien volunteered to participate, then the Community Conservation Team was established and he was appointed as the leader. Since then he was very happy, because I had the opportunity to return to the forest, but this time back to the forest with a different mindset – a leader in the protection of the forest and rare mascots. The work of the patrol team is to remove animal traps, monitor the location and habitat of the white-ass langur and the animals in the forest. When detecting destructive behavior, hunting animals, the team will notify the forest rangers to handle. Since then, Mr. Hien has taught himself how to use cameras, positioning equipment, and how to divide forest plots to mark the position of langurs. Four years of tracking, observing and recording many valuable images from the herd of white rump langurs living in Kim Bang forest. He is very passionate and enthusiastic when talking about langurs. He said, I just saw the streak of broken branches, smelled the urine and knew how many days ago the langurs ate in this area. He also belongs to each species of tree that langurs like to eat. In the herd, the strongest male langurs lead the way, providing a good environment for other animals to eat. Baby langurs are picked up by the whole herd when the mother goes to eat. Young male douc that reaches adulthood (6 years) will fight the dominant male. The male loses, leaving the herd, wandering alone (local people often call it “poisonous”) to lure the females to follow and form a new herd. The knowledge about langur behavior was carefully recorded in the notebook, passed on to the members of the nest. Tens of thousands of pictures and videos of langurs were sent by him to primate experts. Each trip to the forest of Mr. Hien and his teammates lasted from three to seven days, a month, his team members had to go and stay for up to 16 days in the forest, but he could be better. After four years of establishment and maintenance, the Kim Bang District Community Conservation Group, headed by Mr. Hien, has made active contributions to the conservation of forest diversity, especially the white-ass langur. As a result, the population of white-lipped langurs in Kim Bang forest is growing day by day, there are 12 herds with about 110 individuals, the second largest in the world, after Van Long Wetland Reserve, Ninh Binh province. Mr. Le Van Hien shared that the motivation for him to actively participate in activities in the biodiversity protection in general and the conservation of the white-crowned langur in particular in Kim Bang forest came from the anxiety about the work damages his forest while hunting and wishes to “pay his debt to the forest”. I hope everyone will join hands to protect the white-assed langur that nature has bestowed on Ha Nam forest. The authorities soon finalized the procedures to establish a planned protected area so that the patrol was less strenuous. At the same time, it is necessary to promote propaganda about the practical meaning of forest protection to all strata of people, especially in schools, so that children can knowingly and consciously participate in protecting the white-crowned langur. It is very rare in the locality, because now many children do not know what langurs are. In order to deserve the title “Conservation Hero” awarded by the International Wildlife and Fauna Conservation Organization, Mr. Hien will work with members of the Kim Bang District Community Conservation Team in their efforts to complete their graduation. to protect the biodiversity of Kim Bang forest, conserve the population of white-shanked douc langur – a rare animal in the list of the 25 most endangered animals in the world that are in danger of extinction.

Beluga sturgeon – a monument to the cold water fisheries There are many types of sturgeon and the world today records about 21 known species, of which the Beluga is the most special one. If sturgeon is a symbol of the cold-water fish industry, Beluga is honored as a monument by its high class, super rare and enormous size. The Beluga is the oldest fish from the dinosaur era (with an estimated 200 million years old) and is one of the oldest extant genus of fish. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified Beluga sturgeon conservation status as critically endangered and is on the list in need of strong protection under the Bern Convention. Beluga – “sea monster” fresh water has a long lifespan of up to 150 years. Beluga sturgeon has an average weight of males from 1,100 to 1,600 kg, and females from 700 to 1,200 kg. The largest Beluga ever recorded was 6 m long and weighed 3,200 kg (Berg 1948, Birstein 1993, Freedman 1999). The number of people who have the opportunity to enjoy the Beluga sturgeon in Vietnam is only counted on their fingers because there has never been any place in Vietnam that can raise this fish. In addition to its super giant shape, rareness in the conservation state, Beluga sturgeon is also considered a million dollar fish because of its outstanding nutritional value. Beluga sturgeon is delicious, firm but not hard, soft, but not friable and highly nutritious with many vitamins and minerals that are very good for health, brain and beauty, especially the bigger the fish, the better it will be. the more fresh and delicious the meat. However, nowadays, the number of people who have the opportunity to enjoy this super fish meat in Vietnam is only counted on their fingers because up to now, there is no place in Vietnam that can raise Beluga. In particular, Beluga sturgeon eggs have a very high economic value, up to 10,000 USD / kg, in the top 10 most luxurious dishes on the planet. On average, a large female sturgeon can produce up to 30 kg of eggs, during the breeding season it can reach up to 230,000 to 1 million eggs depending on body size. However, only a few will survive to become an adult sturgeon. Therefore, they are very urgently hunted, leading to the danger of extinction. Revealing the owner of million dollar fish Close-up of Beluga sturgeon at a fish farm in Son La. Beluga is a fish that can only survive in natural conditions in temperate lands. Especially, this fish can only live in a clean environment with circulating water and relatively deep water levels. In polluted environments, Beluga will always suffer from chronic stress resulting in extremely small survival (estimated at 0.1%). Since it is not possible to keep Beluga in a cement or composite tank system, breeding this fish is currently facing many challenges even around the world. Therefore, the discovery of Beluga fish at a fish farm in Son La made many people surprised and excited. Through research, it is known that this business is not the only unit in Vietnam that owns Beluga, but now their total herd of super fish has reached 40,000, with a weight ranging from 15-30 kg. , especially fish weighing up to 80 kg and are present on 5 farms across the country. Public opinion was surprised by the information that a domestic company owns a total of 40,000 Beluga fish. This has a very important significance in preserving the ancient fish on the edge of extinction in the world, identifying Vietnam on the cold water fish agricultural map but also opening up great economic potential of this industry. The breeding and farming of the world’s super-rare fish completely “Made in Vietnam” has great significance, especially in the context that the Vietnamese sturgeon background is at risk of “breaking the game” by the attack of Chinese sturgeon. . Many people search for information about the fish farm for a chance to enjoy the million dollar fish. After the image of Beluga appeared on social media, many people searched for information about the fish farms of this business, wishing to have a chance to enjoy the million dollar fish. However, because it is difficult to propagate and nurture in Vietnam, this enterprise has not yet widely distributed to the market.

According to the IPBES report in 2019, about 75% of the land area and 66% of the sea area on Earth has been “significantly changed” by humans. Livestock and farming are using more than 33% of the land and 75% of the fresh water. Agricultural activities are one of the main causes of greenhouse gas emissions, due to the use of fertilizers and deforestation for aquaculture. Plants and animals are also threatened by overharvesting and hunting; Climate Change; pollution and the spread of alien species. About a million species of plants and animals are facing extinction. Without strong measures, endemic landscapes and ecosystems on Earth will soon disappear forever Avenue of the baobab (Madagascar) Bao Bap Boulevard is the name of a group of old trees located along the dirt road connecting Morondava and Belon’i Tsiribihina, in the Menabe region in western Madagascar. Its magnificent scenery attracts visitors from all over the world, making it one of the most popular in the region. Faced with climate change and human farming activities, the fate of these baobab trees is increasingly threatened. At present, many efforts to preserve this place have been made, in the hope of preserving this fairy-tale avenue. Image: Economic Times. Yew Lake Caddo (Texas / Louisiana, USA) The 25,400-hectare Caddo Lake-Swamp, located on the border between Texas and Louisiana, is famous for its submerged conifer forest. Hundred-year old moss-covered larch trees lie on the water’s surface, setting the scene in Tolkien’s novels. Threatened by global warming and alien organisms, the growth rate of yew here has decreased rapidly. This is a protected wetland on an international level. Currently, visitors can explore this place by kayak. Image: Itookapic. Amazon Forest (South America) The Amazon forest stretches across many South American countries and is the largest tropical rainforest in the world, famous for its biodiversity. There are thousands of rivers here, creating an ecological environment for the rich flora and fauna, as well as providing a source of life for people. However, the increasing rate of deforestation and the global climate change have caused the forest area to shrink rapidly. With this momentum, according to a study published in Nature Communications, Amazon forests could turn into deserts within 50 years after their ecosystems reach the point of collapse. Image: Scoop. Dead Sea (Israel and Jordan) As the lowest inland area of ​​sea level, Dead Sea water has an average salinity of up to 35%, 10 times higher than normal seawater, making people float on the water and contain many minerals therapy. Experts believe that this water area will completely disappear in the next 50 years. Over the past four decades, the area of ​​the Dead Sea has shrunk by one third, and the water level has receded more than 24 meters, averaging 30 centimeters per year. The main reason is that the Jordan River – the main water source of the Dead Sea – is increasingly used by Jordan, Syria and Israel for domestic and agricultural purposes. This area is under additional pressure from cosmetic factories exploiting raw materials. Image: Walk My World. Great Barrier Reef (Australia) Australia’s huge coral ecosystem is about the size of Japan, with more than 2,900 separate coral reefs and 900 islands spread across an area of ​​344,400 square kilometers. However, scientists believe that by 2030, this place will disappear. The Australian Foundation says warming seawater, combined with water with a higher acidity, can kill 97% of the corals in the Great Barrier. Image: CNTraveler. Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) Located 1,000km inland, this is home to many endemic plant and animal species. Charles Darwin arrived here in 1835. Observations of species at the Galápagos inspired his later theory of evolution. However, the ecosystem here is threatened by overfishing as well as the warming of the sea water. Coral reefs are dying, and native animals are threatened by tourism. Image: Lonely Planet. Congo Basin (Africa) The Congo Basin spans the territory of 6 African countries, and is the second largest rainforest in the world, only after the Amazon. This place has about 10,000 species of tropical plants, 30% of which are endemic, along with many rare wild animals such as wild elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees … This is also inhabited by humans. for more than 50,000 years, it has provided food, water and shelter to more than 80 million people. Every year, two million hectares of forests in the Congo basin are destroyed, due to illegal logging, cultivation, mining, war … If conservation efforts are not accelerated, Scientists estimate that by 2040, about two-thirds of the forest will disappear. Image: Profor. Alaska Territory (Alaska, USA) The vast ice that covers the western and northern coasts of Alaska are the coldest biomes in the world. However, in recent years, the northern part of Alaska has seen a dramatic rise in temperature – faster than the global average, which has resulted in the melting of permafrost. Catastrophic fires also occurred, making the environment more fragile. The increasing rate of coastal erosion also has a direct effect on polar bears and their prey. Patagonian ice area (Argentina) As the largest subarctic ice in the southern hemisphere, the Patagonian ice sheet consists of three main zones: North, South and Cordillera Darwin. In total, they hold up to 5,500 gigatons of ice, enough to raise global sea levels 15 millimeters if all they melted. Its beautiful scenery has long been a world-famous tourist destination, for nature enthusiasts. However, the glaciers of Patagonia are thinning at an average rate of 1.8 m / year due to climate change and human impacts. Only three of them have expanded in recent years, but the rest – 90% – is shrinking. Image: Pexels.

Polar bear, one of the animals facing extinction due to the impact of climate change (Artwork: kinhtemoitruong.vn)

Climate change, if left unchecked, could destroy natural treasures in “biodiversity hotspots” around the world, scientists warn.

A global team of scientists has analyzed nearly 300 biodiversity hotspots on land and at sea. These are locations with a particularly high concentration of plant and animal species. Many of these hotspots include ‘endemic’ species, inhabiting only a single geographical location, such as an island or a country.

They found that if the planet heats above 3 ° C, one-third of the endemic species that live on land and about half of the endemic species living in the sea will face extinction. In mountainous regions, 84% of endemic animals and plants face extinction at these temperatures, while on islands it reaches 100%. Overall, 92% of terrestrial endemic and 95% marine endemic species face negative consequences at a 3 ° C increase, such as a reduction in numbers. Current policies are moving the world in this direction of about 3 ° C warming.

Among endemic species, there are some of the world’s most iconic animals and plants. Endemic species threatened by climate change include all lemurs that only exist in Madagascar; the blue crane – which is the national bird of South Africa; and the snow leopard, one of the most unique animals of the Himalayas.

Research shows that compared to widely available species, endemic species are 2.7 times more likely to become extinct if the temperature rise is not controlled. Since they are only found in a certain place, and if climate change changes their separate habitats, these species will inevitably disappear from the Earth’s surface. If greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, places like the Caribbean islands, Madagascar and Sri Lanka may see most of their endemic plant species go extinct as soon as 2050. The tropics It is particularly vulnerable, with more than 60% of tropical endemic species facing extinction under the effects of climate change alone.

But everything is not necessarily over. If countries cut their emissions in line with the Paris Agreement then most of these endemic species will persist. In total, 2% of endemic soil species and 2% of endemic marine species face extinction if the temperature rises to 1.5ºC, and 4% at 2ºC. Strong commitments from global leaders ahead of the Glasgow climate change summit later this year could put the world on track to meet the Paris Agreement, and avoid the risk of treasures. The world’s most precious nature was destroyed on a large scale.

“Climate change threatens areas that are so rich in unique species of organisms,” said Stella Manes, study lead author and researcher at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Found anywhere else in the world. The risk of permanently disappearing these species will increase more than 10 times if we miss out on the goals of the Paris Agreement. Biodiversity has more value than just seeing. The higher the species diversity, the better the health of nature, while also protecting against threats such as climate change. Healthy nature will provide indispensable sources of life for humans, such as water, food and materials, protect us from natural disasters, provide value for recreational relaxation and cultural connectivity, and morale.”

“Our research shows that a one-color and possibly very boring world awaits them,” said Wolfgang Kiessling, a marine expert from Friedrich-Alexander Erlangen- Nürnberg University and author of the study. We are ahead due to climate change. Organisms will benefit, while native species that contribute to the distinctive look of hot spots will disappear. ”

“This study found that species are geographically rare, especially those that live,” said Mark Costello, a marine expert from the University of Nord and the University of Auckland and author of the study. on islands and mountains, which are already in danger of extinction due to current climate change, these species cannot easily migrate to more favorable environments by their natural characteristics. that 20% of all species will be threatened with extinction by climate change in the coming decades, unless we act now. ”

According to Shobha S. Maharaj, an island expert from the Caribbean Journal of Environmental Science and Renewable Energy, and author of the study: “This study shows the relative risk of extinction due to climate change. with rare species living in the island area, it is 8 times higher than that in the mainland. The geographic rarity of these species makes them of global value to nature. Such species cannot easily migrate to more favorable environments and their end to extinction could lead to a global decline in disproportionate species.

The Coco de Mer, also known as the sea coconut or the double coconut, is an endemic plant species of the archipelago, with the largest and heaviest seeds in the world. The special shape of the sea coconut tree seed also attracts a lot of attention.

Have ability to be extinct

Appearing in many legends and folklore, this plant grows naturally on only two of the Seychelles’ 115 islands, including Praslin, the second largest island in the country after Mahé, and the nearby Curieuse.

Currently there are only about 8,000 mature trees, sea coconut is listed as endangered in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Special shape and size of the seed of the sea coconut tree – coco de mer. Photo: AFP.

Coco de mer is very diverse, it has separate male and female plants. They can take up to 50 years to mature to breed, depending on environmental conditions. The slow growth rate has contributed to the endangered species of the species.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the black market for nut shells thrived, leading to widespread poaching in protected areas. Other threats include wildfires, erratic rainfall caused by climate change and pests and diseases.

Now, conservationists have joined the islanders to protect the sea coconuts. Under a program launched in the summer of 2020, residents have been invited to apply to plant up to five coconut seeds per person in their gardens. Dr. Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, Executive Director of the nonprofit Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF), the program’s initiator in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment (MACCE), for Previously, many farmers had to steal seeds from the nature reserve to bring home to plant themselves.

The new plan is hoped to give islanders the opportunity to legally plant coco de mer and preserve them for the future. “Planting coco de mer in private land gives Seychellois a joint ownership of the species,” she said.

The female coco de mer tree on Praslin Island has many seeds. Photo: Alamy.

Since 1978, the sale of coco de mer seeds has been controlled by license. Anyone who grows the tree, or sells seeds, must be registered with the MACCE. Each tree seed is numbered and tracked. Even coco de mer seed pods, sold to tourists for between 5,000 and 6,000 Seychellois rupees ($ 230-275), must also come with a permit.

At this price, nearly 100,000 Seychelles residents have no access to the coco de mer tree. The seeds sold as a souvenir cannot be grown either because the kernel inside the shell has been removed and processed separately for sale in East Asia, where it is believed to be an aphrodisiac.

“We think the planned distribution of seeds will stop the incentive to steal them,” said Dr. Fleischer-Dogley. The seeds will be taken from the Valleé de Mai and the Fond Ferdinand Nature Reserve (also managed by the SIF), where about 50 fallen pods are harvested each month.

The core inside the coco de mer seed shell is specially prepared for sale in East Asia, where it is believed to be an aphrodisiac. Photo: AFP.

Under the program, SIF requires residents to submit an application on a detailed form and pay a fee of 500 rupees of Seychellois seeded on their own land.

Farmers must also meet some criteria. Since large trees will reach a height of 7.5 to 10.5 m, the area of ​​planted land should reach a minimum of 10×10 m per seed. SIF staff will come to evaluate each parcel to determine if the applicant is eligible to plant trees, and how many seeds can be planted. They must also make sure poachers cannot access the planting site.

The largest seed in the world

“Initially, we thought the demand would be about 30 counties. But the response far exceeded expectations. By the end of the December application deadline, the SIF had received 104 applications for 422 counties, ”said Dr. Fleischer-Dogley.

The slogan “We can prevent the theft of coco de mer seeds” on the island of Praslin. Photo: AFP.

94 of the applicants were from the Mahé coup, 7 from Praslin and three from La Digue. Since the program’s inception, SIF has conducted 60 garden surveys. All were successful, but in some cases the number of seeds had to decrease due to lack of space or poor soil quality. To date, 66 seeds have been planted on 26 plots.

In December of February20, the remaining surveying and seeding trips were halted due to limited movement due to Covid-19.

Alix Esparon planted coco de mer seeds on his land in Mahé, together with Ronny Rose from SIF, in October 2020. Photo: SIF.

Since germination will take several months, SIF staff will check the planted seeds after 6 months. “We not only record the number of plots from the cadastral map, we also record the GPS coordinates where each seed is planted,” said Fleischer-Dogley. If there is one seed that does not sprout, we can exchange another seed for the people if they want.

The slow growth of the sea coconut tree means that not all growers can see their coconut tree mature. “This is a very long term project,” says botanist Katy Beaver.

Coco de mer shells are displayed in a souvenir shop at Seychelles International Airport, Mahé. Photo: AFP.

Lindsay Chong Seng, head of the Seychelles Plant Conservation Action group, added: “This program will increase the population of coco de mer, which is very beneficial in terms of biodiversity. It will help turn coco de mer into a cultural highlight without destroying its habitat. “In the long term, it could reduce the pressure on the last remaining wild coco de mer forests on Praslin Island.”

However, the challenge remains. “Most of these palms live in isolation from their natural habitat, where pollination takes place without assistance. So, artificial pollination will be necessary and will have to be timed, ”said Beaver.

Coconut shell coco de mer sculpture outside a post office on the island of Mahé, Seychelles. Photo: AFP.

Currently, the people of Seychelles who are planting coco de mer on their land are very happy. Heather Adams and her husband, artist Michael Adams, recently planted 5 seeds on their campus in Mahé. Heather hopes all five seeds will sprout. “I’m sure generations to come will cherish them,” she said.

Bear eat ants for a body length of 150cm but has a tongue up to 60cm long. True to its name, the bear eats ants, this bear eats ants, termites and a long, sticky tongue with small spines is a very effective “tool” in catching prey. With the speed of releasing and retracting the tongue up to 150 times / minute, ant-eating bears can catch up to 30,000 termites per day.

Ants’ stomachs have a special structure that can crush large numbers of ants and termites, helping to facilitate digestion. This stomach produces formic acid instead of the hydrochloric acid commonly found in other mammals.

Bear eat ants have poor eyesight, but the ability to smell very sharp, 40 times more than humans. They use their noses to find food. The body temperature of the ant-eating bear was 32.7 ° C, which is lower than that of other placenta, mammals. If living in the wild, ant-eating bears can last 15 years and 25 years if kept in captivity.

The bear eats pregnant ants for 190 days and gives birth to only one baby per litter. A bear that eats ants will stay with her mother for two years until the bear that eats the ant is pregnant again. In the first year of life, the bear eats the mother ants and will carry the baby on her back.

Bats suck honey

The honey-sucking bat is one of the famous bats for its long tongue. Its long tongue when retracted was hidden in the chest.

A species of bat with a tube-shaped mouth specializing in nectar absorption, or known as Anoura fistulata has the longest tongue of any mammal on the planet. The tongue of this exotic animal is about 8.5 cm long, 1.5 times its body length. According to Iflscience, this particular species of bat broke the record for the first bat species in Ecuado decades ago.

Now, according to the Association for the Conservation of Wildlife, a strange species of bat has been found for the first time in Bolivia’s Madidi National Park. This unusual tongue allows them to easily suck nectar from the ends of a funnel-shaped flower. This is also an effective way to pollinate this elongated flower.

In fact, with a tongue almost twice the length of its body, there is no animal in the natural world that has “overtaken” the long ratio of the tongue to the body of this bats.

Pangolin

Pangolins have a tongue up to 40cm long with a lot of sticky drool to easily catch prey. Its tongue stalks deep in the abdomen. This animal has no feathers, only a hard scaly covering its body, and also has no teeth. The pangolin’s food is mainly ants and termites.

British naturalist David Attenborough chose the Sunda pangolin (a species of pangolin distributed throughout Southeast Asia) as one of the 10 species he wants to rescue from the most endangered.

So what makes pangolins so special? Here are facts to help us understand more about one of the most endangered species on Earth.

Currently in the world there are about 8 species of pangolin in existence, and some species have been extinct during evolution over the past 80 million years. Four of them live in Asia: China, Malaysia, India and Palawan Island (Philippines), while the remaining 4 species are distributed in Africa.

When fully stretched, the pangolin’s tongue can be up to 40cm long and the base of the tongue is deep in the chest cavity. The pangolins use their sticky tongues to catch insects. Because pangolins have no teeth, they crush and digest food with stones in the stomach.

The scales of pangolins are mainly composed of keratin, similar to human nails, rhino horn or bird nails … The horn scales account for 20% of the weight of this animal. The very hard scales can protect pangolins from predators. However, in traditional Chinese medicine, people dry and roast pangolin scales because they believe they can cure polio, stimulate lactation for women … For that reason, the price of pangolin scales on the black market amounted to more than 3,000 USD / kg.

After sunset in Jaffna, Anthony Vigrado dived into the waters of Palk Bay to catch sea cucumbers – a prickly skin creature that has grown in value and has been his main source of income for the past 12 years.

But after 10 hours of searching, what he got is a fraction of what he used to be. The reason is that sea cucumbers have been extensively exploited in the northern coasts of Sri Lanka and southern India.

Treasures of the sea

“Illegal fishermen are fishing illegally in the places where we often dive for sea cucumbers. We are losing income and a livelihood for them, ”said the 31-year-old fisherman.

Sea cucumbers are echinoderms with a soft, tubular body resembling a vegetable of the same name. Photo: Guardian.

Sea cucumbers are echinoderms with a soft, tubular body resembling a vegetable of the same name. They are an unusual animal but play an important role in the marine ecosystem. When they eat debris in sediments, they regenerate nutrients and excrete nitrogen, ammonia and calcium carbonate – components that make up coral reefs. Sea cucumber also helps slow ocean acidification due to human activity.

The demand for sea cucumbers is huge in China and Southeast Asian countries, where they are processed into delicious dishes and used in traditional remedies. Dried sea cucumber is called calche-de-mer or trepang. They are also considered by many, especially China, an aphrodisiac.

This has made the sea cucumber trade become “super profitable”. Therefore, this animal is in danger of extinction. In the 1980s, sea cucumber was priced below 70 USD / kg, now the price has increased to more than 270 USD / kg. The rare species cost up to nearly 3,500 USD / kg.

Over the years, sea cucumbers in Palk Bay and Mannar Bay are overfished. For the most expensive species, the number of individuals has dropped by more than 60% globally.

Fishermen harvested sea cucumbers caught on Mannar Bay. Photo: Guardian.

Now, this tiny tropical island has become a hotspot for smuggling and illegal sea cucumber fishing. Like Vigrado, more than 10,000 fishing families living along Sri Lanka’s north coast are anxious about their livelihoods.

Chamari Dissanayake, Senior Lecturer in Zoology at Sri Jayewardenepura University in Sri Lanka, said: “The number of sea cucumbers is plummeting due to overfishing. It affects the biodiversity and the livelihoods of coastal fishermen who have long depended on this profession ”.

Vigrado said many illegal fishing boats damaged the facilities and equipment of local fishermen to catch sea cucumbers, causing some people to commit suicide because they could not pay the debt.

“They are grabbing everything”

AM Stanny Lambert, a 31-year-old fisherman from Vankalai in Mannar, said he was sad and angry at these crimes.

“It was unethical and we were stuck, because they were doing everything in front of us,” he said. Lambert and his father have been licensed to fish for 11 years and are the breadwinner of the family.

Most reported offenses take advantage of different regulations from neighboring countries. While Sri Lanka issued fishing permits and permits the export of sea cucumbers, India has completely banned all trade in these animals since 2001.

As a result, sea cucumbers are illegally caught in India and smuggled into Sri Lanka, where they are legally exported to Southeast Asia, or exported from India under fake labels.

Marine animal protection forces in Lakshadweep Islands, India seized 486 sea cucumbers died in March 2021. Photo: Lakshadweep Forest Management Board.

In August 2020, three men were caught smuggling nearly 1,000 kg of sea cucumber from Tamil Nadu in India to Sri Lanka via Mannar Bay. The Indian Coast Guard priced these sea cucumbers to nearly $ 700,000 in the international market. A similar case was reported in March 2021.

Teale Phelps Bondaroff, research director at OceansAsia, an organization that recently mapped sea cucumber arrests and seizures in the two countries, said: “If you have a legitimate market near a market, illegal, legal markets will become huge “fish wash” dens.

Exhausted

For many years, the Sri Lankan and Indian authorities have worked to combat this type of marine crime. But the growing number of arrests shows that illegal trade is spreading to areas that have never been affected before.

Nowadays, as the value of animals is increasing, exploitation is also becoming more common. Great demand for sea cucumbers has led to deadly violence in Mexico, related to yakuza criminal organizations in Japan, and smuggling between Tanzania and Zanzibar.

According to OceansAsia, the network of organized sea cucumber fishing and smuggling criminals is spreading from the Palk Bay and Mannar Bay into untapped areas of the Lakshadweep alliance, an archipelago off the west coast. South India.

Wild island of Suheli in Lakshadweep. Photo: Guardian.

In the largest recorded arrest, disclosure from local fishermen in February 2020 helped authorities find 1,716 sea cucumbers worth nearly $ 580,000 hidden in nearby coral reefs. Suheli deserted island.

“Resource depletion may be the main reason these people are looking for new locations. Lakshadweep is still pristine, which may be why merchants moved there, ”said Sajan John, head of the Marine Projects and Policy Management Unit at Wildlife Trust of India.

Realizing the seriousness of the crime of selling sea cucumbers, the local government reacted strongly. In February 2020, the world’s first sea cucumbers conservation area was established in Lakshadweep, anti-theft bases were established across the islands and Lakshadweep Sea cucumber Protection Task Force was established. established with the help of the Central Bureau of Investigation of India.

A batch of 416 dead sea cucumbers was seized on a deserted island off Perumal in Lakshadweep in March 2021. Photo: Lakshadweep Forest Management Board.

“The people of Lakshadweep understand the importance of sea cucumber because their livelihood depends on fishing. When sea cucumbers are affected, other fisheries are also affected, ”said Sivakumar Kuppusamy, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Wildlife.

But as the majority of illegally-caught and trafficked sea cucumbers continue to be smuggled into Sri Lanka, Kuppusamy agrees that while it is important to stop this illegal supply chain, educate the fighters. Illegally catching sea cucumbers correctly appreciates the importance of this animal is also important to protect them.

“We have to convince them of the role of sea cucumber in the ecosystem. Without sea cucumbers, they are jeopardizing the sea, ”he said. “That’s when they begin to realize that their livelihoods and their children’s futures will be affected.”

“Break that illegal supply chain and convince the fishermen – we have to do both. If not, this business will continue to grow ”.

The strange movement of a flying snake Some snakes are able to climb trees and “fly” from branch to branch with deliberate jumps. Scientists are investigating what makes them do that.

The pangolin is the only animal, also the only mammal to have a protective keratinous layer on the skin. As solitary creatures, their diet consists mainly of ants and termites, and they use their long tongue to capture prey.

Mammals have long been threatened by poaching for their flesh and scales, intended for use in traditional Chinese medicine. As of January 2020, eight pangolin species have been listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Today, pangolin is still the most trafficked mammal in the world.

Hills of sea turtle prey

Named for its curved, sharp beak with a prominent tomium, this sea turtle lives in the ocean, but mostly inhabits shallow lagoons and coral reefs.

Although distributed around the world, tortoise sea turtles are critically endangered. For many decades, its shell has been the source of raw materials used for decorative purposes. Illegal fishing activities have contributed to the alarming decline of this species.

Gorilla

Native to Malaysia and Indonesia, orangutans are one of the most intelligent primates, also the largest tree-dwelling animal of the great ape.

Human activities have dramatically reduced the number and range of orangutans. It’s no surprise that all three species of orangutans – Bornean, Sumatra and Tapanuli – are critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List.

Rhino

The name rhino is derived from the Greek word “hinokerōs”, meaning “with horns in the nose”. Often abbreviated as rhino, two of the remaining species are native to Africa and three are in southern Asia.

Poachers often cut the carcasses of this species, mammals also slaughtered thousands for their horns, bought and sold on the black market, and used by some cultures as jewelry. intellectual or traditional medicine. The IUCN Red List identifies the Black, Javanese and Sumatran rhinos as Critically Endangered.

Saiga’s gazelle

Found only in one region of Russia and 3 regions of Kazakhstan, the saigas form very large swarms of herbivores on the peninsula, savannas and meadows. Their outstanding feature is the pair of nostrils that expand close together, facing downwards.

The horns of the male antelope are used in traditional Chinese medicine, and this need has wiped out the species in China. According to the Convention on Migratory Wilds, the decline of the saiga is one of the fastest recent population collapses of large mammals. Currently, this animal is still critically endangered.

Tigers

The tiger is the largest extant cat and one of the most popular and recognized animals in the world. It is the national animal of India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Korea.

Listed in the IUCN Red List as Endangered, tigers have been trafficked for hair and body parts for centuries. Many people in China and other parts of Asia believe that different parts of the tiger have medicinal properties, including pain relievers and aphrodisiacs. This falsehood has caused the black market to thrive for many years, and the number of tigers has dropped worryingly.

Elephant

These gentle giants are the largest land animals available, and are scattered throughout Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

One of the biggest threats to elephant populations is the ivory trade, since they are poached for their tusks. It is estimated that 30,000 elephants are killed each year by poachers. IUCN lists African Elephants as Endangered and Asian Elephants as Endangered.

Sumatran gazelle

This little-known antelope is native to mountainous forests on the Thai-Malay peninsula and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Despite its near inaccessible altitude habitat, this timid and elusive creature is frequently caught in the sights of poachers’ rifles, shot for their flesh and parts. The body is said to have their medicinal properties. The IUCN has rated the Sumatran markhor as Endangered.

Hong Hoang has a hat

As a large and impressive member of the cormorant family, the cormorant is named after its helmet-like structure, accounting for about 11% of its 3 kg body weight. This bird is native to Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, Thailand and Myanmar.

The cephalopod was included on the IUCN Red List Near Threatened Critically in 2015. According to data published by TRAFFIC, Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network, 2,170 animals were confiscated in just three years in China and Indonesia alone.

Gaur

Gaur, also known as the Indian bison, is native to South and Southeast Asia, mainly confined to evergreen or semi-evergreen and semi-evergreen deciduous forests. Gaur is hunted mercilessly by poachers for the purpose of meat, sold at high prices to satisfy international markets, gaurs are also slaughtered to trade in booty. This animal has been listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List since 1986.

Macaws

Macaws are some of the most vivid wildlife on Earth native to Central and South America, and are also found in Mexico, most of which are associated with forests, especially rainforests.

Their ability to mimic voices and possess great intelligence has made parrots highly regarded as pets. This has led to a worrying increase in poaching to the point that some species face extinction. In fact, most parakeets are threatened in the wild, a fact underscored by the rapid rate of deforestation around the world.

Snow leopard

A large-looking cat that calls the mountains of Central and South Asia home, the snow leopard is perfectly adapted to live in the cold. Unfortunately, the beautiful snow leopard’s fur is extremely appealing to poachers, who are involved in the illegal trade of animal skin and body parts. Snow leopards are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List because the global population is now estimated to be less than 10,000 adults and is expected to decline by about 10% by 2040.

Shark

There are more than 500 species of sharks swimming in the world’s oceans. Famous species such as the tiger shark, the blue shark, the great white shark, the mako shark, the banging shark and the hammerhead shark are the ultimate predators.

However, sharks must fear humans more than humans are afraid of sharks. In fact, many shark populations are threatened by human activities, with some being hunted for their fins (used in soups). According to Oceana, 73 million terrifying sharks end the global fin trade each year, traded for food.

Birds of prey

Birds of prey, also known as raptors, include eagles, hawks, kites, hawks, owls and falconry. Among the animal kingdom’s top predators, these birds are also some of the most powerful and agile wildlife in the world.

But because of their speed and agility, some species become prey for poachers due to their exceptional hunting ability. The International Association for falconry and bird conservation identifies poaching of rare species, such as the extent of the Bonelli eagle plunder crisis (pictured) in Southern Europe by criminal organizations, as The reason may cause many species to become locally extinct.

Abalone

Abalone is a species of sea snail with the number of species recognized worldwide ranging from 30 to 130. Abalone meat is considered by many to be a desirable food, and is eaten raw or cooked. by many cultures. In the photo is an example with a living sponge on its shell.

According to TRAFFIC, South African abalone is the most exported species in aquaculture anywhere in the world. 95% of South Africa’s abalone is exported to Hong Kong, where it is consumed as a delicacy or re-exported.

According to Stars Insider