Extinction plight of world’s rarest primates revealed

cottontoptamarin.smallAlmost half of all primate species are at risk of extinction with several reduced to barely a few dozen surviving animals, according to a new conservation report. Read More »

“I spy with my little eye something beginning with g…”

This Henkel’s leaf-tailed gecko was recently spotted hanging out by a Texan wildlife photography couple in the Parc National de la Montagne d’Ambre, in Madagascar.

The gecko is so suited to its surroundings, it is nearly impossible to make it out as it poses as a branch by day in order to hide from hungry predators. By night, its ability to camouflage itself enables it to hunt for prey through stealth. Read More »

The newfound species facing instant extinction threat

iguana.smallA treasure trove of previously undiscovered biodiversity including a slug-sucking snake and 30 species of rain frog has been found in an unusual region of Ecuadorian rainforest – but scientists fear the creatures may become extinct before they have even been properly studied and described. Read More »

Species ‘becoming extinct at 1,000 times natural rate’

coral.smallUnited Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warns Monday that human expansion is wiping out species at around 1,000 times the “natural” rate as the UN launches the International Year of Biodiversity in Berlin. Read More »

Rare Sumatran tiger family caught on camera

A World Wildlife Fund research team in Indonesia has caught footage of a rare Sumatran tiger family on video camera for the first time. Read More »

Jungle training with Sumatra’s endangered orangutans

orangutan.smallSumatran orangutans could be the first great ape to become extinct as deforestation destroys their natural habitat on the Indonesian island. But a sanctuary which teaches rescued orangutans to fend for themselves in the wild could boost the species’ chances of survival, reports CNN’s Arwa Damon. Read More »

Lemurs face extinction amid Madagascan turmoil

lemur.smallPolitical turmoil and a resurgent “timber mafia” are threatening the unique biodiversity of Madagascar and putting thousands of species – including the island’s famous lemurs – at risk of extinction, environmentalists have warned. Read More »

Giant rat, tree kangaroo among ‘Lost World’ discoveries

rat.smallA new species of giant rat, a kangaroo-type creature that lives in trees and a fanged frog are among more than 40 never-before-seen creatures discovered during a “Lost World”-style expedition to a previously unexplored volcanic crater in Papua New Guinea. Read More »

Gorillas bring wildlife tourists to Rwanda

CNN’s David McKenzie reports from Rwanda on how the once-troubled central African country’s mountain gorillas have inspired a tourism boom. Read More »

Flying fox ‘being hunted to brink of extinction’

flyingfox.smallFlying foxes could be extinct as early as 2015 without concerted international efforts to bring the hunting of the world’s largest fruit bat under control, scientists have warned. Read More »