Shock report: World has lost 50% of its wildlife in just 40 years

A new report has found that wildlife populations around the globe have declined by 52per cent on average since 1970.

16:04 30 September 2014

A recent study has found that wildlife is losing the battle of survival all over the world. Mankind’s need for land resources combined with poaching and hunting have been singled out as the biggest factors impacting the world’s dwindling wildlife populations.

The Living Planet Report by WWF and the Zoological Society of London, which is a compilation of data on 10,380 animals in the population including 3,038 different species, says that in the US alone, fish have decreased by 83per cent between 1970 to 2010. Meanwhile, American amphibians declined by 73per cent while the total number of reptiles dropped by 48per cent nationwide.

The report added that it is the people in Kuwait who have the biggest ecological footprint, which means that they consume more resources per head when compared to any other nation. They are followed by people in Qatar and United Arab Emirates. Also included in the list are Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, Belgium, Denmark and the United States.

Professor Ken Norris, director of science at Zoological Society of London (ZSL), said: ‘The scale of biodiversity loss and damage to the very ecosystems that are essential to our existence is alarming. This damage is not inevitable, but a consequence of the way we choose to live.’

David Nussbaum, chief executive of WWF-UK, said: ‘The scale of destruction highlighted in this report should be a wake-up call to us all. We all have an interest, and a responsibility, to act to ensure we protect what we all value: a healthy future for both people and nature.’