European Hamsters are now threatened with extinction, as they are classed as critically endangered by wildlife conservationists.
European Hamsters are also called Common Hamsters, but sadly, this news means that a once common animal is common no more.
They have been common animals found within Europe and Asia. But now, the presence of these animals in Europe and Asia is now threatened with extinction.
The IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature), has monitored this species recently and updated their conservation status. The conservation status of European Hamsters now is critically endangered. And the population of these animals is now decreasing.
Why Are European Hamsters Now Critically Endangered?
There are several reasons why European Hamsters are now critically endangered.
These reasons are:
š¹European Hamsters are giving birth to fewer young
š¹Habitat destruction/climate change
š¹Pollution
š¹ Their decline is part of a wider nature crisis
There are more reasons for the animal declining, but these are some of the major reasons for it.
What Is The Nature Crisis?
The nature crisis is the decline in wild animals and ecosystems that we are seeing across the world. It is also known as the earth's sixth mass extinction.
The earth has seen five other mass extinction events throughout the earth's history. These five mass extinction events have seen many of the earth's animals, that used to live on earth - such as dinosaurs - become extinct. We are now thought to be in another mass extinction event, which is seeing species of animal and plants going extinct at the fastest rate since the mass extinction event which killed off the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.
Last year a UN report said that 1 million species are at risk of extinction. While the WWF's Living Planet Report in 2018, found that 60% of invertebrates are in decline.
Now it seems that once-common species, such as the European Hamster, are now also threatened with extinction. It is thought by wildlife conservationists that European Hamsters within the next 30 years because of the decline they are now facing.
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