The Komodo dragon lives on the Indonesian island of Komodo and many other islands. The largest living lizard species can reach a length of 3 meters and a weight of 90 kilograms, which makes a comparison with the dragon imminent. The animal was already on the endangered species list, but because its habitat is expected to shrink by 30 percent due to rising temperatures and sea levels, the watch lizard is now considered an endangered species.
Of the 138,374 species on Earth, nearly 30 percent are at risk of extinction. Overfishing threatens to wipe out 37% of 1,200 species of sharks and rays. That’s a third more than seven years ago. More than a quarter of mammal species could become extinct, and this represents 12 percent of bird species.
But there is positive news, too. Groups of four of the seven most heavily fished tuna species are showing signs of recovery. Fishing quotas and anti-poaching seem to be paying off. For example, Atlantic bluefin tuna, which is widely used in sushi and can yield thousands of euros, is no longer a concern. This also applies to white and yellow tuna. Southern bluefin tuna also do better, but this species remains critically endangered.
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