The Vaquita Dolphin could become extinct within months, according to a new report. The Vaquita Dolphin is one of the world's most endangered animals.
There are only a handful of them left.
The Vaquita Dolphin is so rare, and so critically endangered, that they are the world's most endangered marine mammal.
The World’s Marine Mammals
There are only a small amount of marine mammal species; but a sizeable amount of marine mammal species. Today, there are known to be 128 marine mammals; one of them being the Vaquita Dolphin.
The Critically Endangered Vaquita Dolphin
Vaquita Dolphins aren’t just endangered, they are critically endangered. When an animal or plant species is critically endangered, they are just one step away from becoming extinct. Critically endangered status of a species is a status given to species when they have slipped down from becoming an endangered species.
The IUCN makes the following classification for all species:
. Not Evaluated (NE)
. Data Deficient (DD)
. Least Concern (LC)
. Near Threatened (NT)
. Vulnerable (V)
. Endangered (E)
. Critically Endangered (CR)
. Extinct In The Wild (EW)
. Extinct (EX)
The Vaquita Dolphin is critically endangered (CR).
There are no Vaquita Dolphins in captivity, therefore, if they become extinct in the wild they will becoming extinct, with no hope of any captive Vaquitas being bred to save these animals.
In 2017, an effort was made to try and save the Vaquita Dolphin by saving them. Scientists tried to breed the Vaquita Dolphin in an effort to save them, however, the Vaquita Dolphin that they captured died in captivity through their efforts.
Numbers Of The Vaquita Dolphin Falling
Vaquita Dolphin numbers have been falling this year. At the beginning of the year, there were 30 Vaquita Dolphins left in the wild. However, that has since fallen.
In March this year, just three years into 2019, it was reported that there were only 10 Vaquita Dolphins left in the wild - these beautiful animals had declined by two-thirds in just three months. Not long after that, it was reported that a Vaquita Dolphin had been killed, leading fears that there were now only 9 of these rare animals left.
News has now gotten worse for the Vaquita Dolphin: scientists are now saying that these beautiful animals could become extinct within just a year.
Time is not on our side to save the Vaquita Dolphin; we only have months left to save these beautiful animals from extinction.
If the Vaquita Dolphin becomes extinct, then they will become extinct forever - there is no turning back for them; we only have now.
The last Dolphin to go extinct, was only in 2007.
That Dolphin was the Yangtze River Dolphin. The Yangtze River Dolphin was declared extinct in 2007 after humans created their extinction.
Humans caused the Yangtze River Dolphin to become extinct, and twelve years later, humans look set to create another Dolphin extinction in the near future, if a last effort isn’t made to save the Vaquita Dolphin.
When the Yangtze River Dolphin become extinct, it marked a turning point for wildlife - it was the Sixth Mass Extinctions starting point in the 21st century.
Now, the Sixth Mass Extinction is a more grave concerned and endangered for the world's wildlife, now more than ever, more and more animals are being pushed towards extinction by humans. Within the next few years, it is possible, if not likely, that animals becoming extinct will become more common.
The most vulnerable animals are just clinging on, climate change, habitat loss and other human related activity will likely speed up animal extinctions.
It doesn’t have to be like that though. We have a choice. Our efforts can either force these beautiful and rare animals towards extinction, or, our efforts can be used for good to work to help preserve and save the most endangered and vulnerable animals - such as the Vaquita Dolphin.
We have one last chance to save the Vaquita Dolphin. The only question is, do enough of us care to help save them from extinction...
Sources:
https://www.iucn.org/resources/conservation-tools/iucn-red-list-threatened-species
http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/science/Working-with-Endangered-Species/vaquita.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/11/vaquita-porpoise-mexico-extinction/545204/
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/aug/08/endangeredspecies.conservation
https://www.livescience.com/1760-dolphin-species-extinct-due-humans.html
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/31/fewer-than-19-vaquita-porpoises-left-study-mexico-illegal-fishing-nets