In spite of the tremendous efforts and determination of wildlife preservers and advocates, America’s dearest ivory-billed woodpecker and 22 more birds, fish and other species were officially declared extinct.
The U.S. government announced on Wednesday the extinction of the 23 species, however, it could be that one or more could reappear in the future.
Government scientists point climate change as the primary driver among other pressures. If warming on Earth continues rapidly, more disappearances could become more common and many fear that this could ultimately imperil plants and wildlife.
The ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) happens to be the best-known species that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared as ‘Critically Endangered’. These birds are native to old-growth and temperate coniferous forests in the southeastern U.S. and Cuba.
Read also: Researchers Developing AI That Can Predict Climate Change Tipping Points
Although there are several reports of appearances in the recent decade which prompted searches in the swamps of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, these sightings were never confirmed.
One among other disappearing species is the flat pigtoe or Marshall’s mussel, a freshwater mussel in the southeastern U.S. but has not been seen since 1980.
“When I see one of those really rare ones, it’s always in the back of my mind that I might be the last one to see this animal again,” said Anthony “Andy” Ford, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist in Tennessee who specializes in freshwater mussels.
While the reason behind their extinction may vary, human activities seem to be the principal cause.
It is unusual for wildlife officials to give up on these species, believing there is at least a slight chance of survival when the 23 species were added to the endangered list in the 1960s, however, to no avail, the status becomes final after the three-month comment period.
Source: Nature News World