The worlds rarest marine mammal just got rarer.
A new study has shown that there are only 10 Critically Endangered Vaquita Porpoises left in the wild today.
It was reported on the 14th of March 2019 that there were only 10 Vaquita Porpoises left in the wild. While, the day after, it was reported that one of those 10 Vaquita Porpoises was killed. Therefore, in addition to the study, there now looks as if there are only 9 Vaquita Porpoises left in the wild today; making these wild animals one of the most critically endangered wild animals in the world today.
They are very close to extinction.
At the beginning of the year, I wrote a blog about which wild animals we were likely to see becoming extinct this year: the Vaquita Porpoises was one of those animals. You can read more about that in - the species that we could lose in 2019, which also talks about other wild animals we could lose this year.
At the time of writing that blog, there was thought to be 30 Vaquita Porpoises left in the wild - which still made them a critically endangered species. However, this new study out about the Vaquita Porpoise shows that there are two-thirds less Vaquita Porpoises left in the world, compared to the numbers believed at the start of the year.
These depressing numbers not only show that the Vaquita Porpoise is alarmingly critically endangered, but it also shows that these wild animals are on the verge of extinction in the very near future: especially if we don't do anything to save them.
According to the WWF, the critically endangered Vaquita Porpoise is the world's most rare marine mammal. In other words, the critically endangered Vaquita Porpoise is the world's most endangered marine mammal - and they are the closest marine mammal to becoming extinct (forever).
With this new study that was done by the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, we now know that Vaquitas are closer to extinction than we thought, and that the threats which threatens these animals survival.
The International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita did not only just release new information about how many Vaquita Porpoises there are left in the wild today, they also released information about what is driving these animals towards extinction: gillnet fishing and fishing nets. The committee has said that without the government protecting the Vaquita Porpoises habitat, from things such as gillnet fishing, and protecting their habitats in general, then the Vaquita will not survive.
Where Are Vaquita Porpoises Found?
Vaquita Porpoises are only found in the Gulf Of California today.
Help To Save The Vaquita Porpoise
The Vaquita Porpoise is not extinct: yet. But if we do not work towards saving Vaquita Porpoises today, then it is going to be too late for them, and they will become extinct.
This is our last chance to save Vaquita Porpoises. This is our last chance to save Vaquita Porpoises from becoming extinct - forever.
You can help saving them by adopt a Vaquita Porpoise with the WWF - here.