Stopping the next extinction wave

Conservationists are being urged to focus on prevention rather than cure. A scientific study pinpoints 20 areas in the world where animals are not at immediate risk of extinction, but where the risk is likely to arise soon. “It’s widely recognised among conservation practitioners that wherever we have the opportunity we should get ahead of the curve and implement proactive conservation measures,” Dr Brooks told the BBC News website.

Some “last-chance” programmes have proved successful. In Yellowstone National Park, grizzly bears have recovered far enough to come off the US endangered species list; while in the UK, numbers of stone curlew breeding pairs have doubled over the last 20 years.

BBC