Fin whales and mountain gorillas back from the brink of extinction thanks to conservation efforts

Anti-poaching efforts have helped boost mountain gorilla numbers by hundreds in recent decades There is hope for the survival of fin whales and mountain gorillas after conservationists announced both species have been pulled back from the brink of extinction. After decades of persecution by whaling vessels and poachers, modern efforts to protect these mammals appear to be working as their numbers have started to recover. The International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) maintains a “red list” to monitor the status of the world’s wildlife, and in its latest update both whales and gorillas have shifted one step further away from becoming new entries on the long list of species wiped out by humanity. After a recent WWF report revealed 60 per cent of monitored animal populations had been obliterated in the space of decades, the announcement shows concerted international action can yield results. Previously listed as endangered, fin whale numbers have roughly doubled since the 1970s when an international ban on commercial whaling was introduced. The population now stands at 100,000 mature individuals. There has also been a marked improvement in western populations of grey whales, which are no longer considered critically endangered. Dr Randall Reeves, […]

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