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Endangered Species International (IESI) is not a big organization. Our dedicated staff and volunteers spend most of their time in the field, between 60 and 100% on the ground working with local communities to save endangered species and their habitat. The majority of the decisions are made with and by local communities. As one of the most effective and transparent groups, ESI is proud of its achievements for conservation especially in the tropics (e.g., Central Africa and Southeast Asia). Big international conservation organizations have big budgets supporting big offices and staff with big salaries. Per dollar, such organizations accomplish much less than smaller ones on the ground organizations like us. Our field offices are small and mostly free of charges. Our resources go directly to the field in the remote regions of the world (e.g., Congo) where we achieve indisputable strong conservation advances for rainforest, coral reefs, and thousands of threatened species. Join us now and be part of our big mission!.
Endangered species news
Asian Primates down to the path towards extinction
Over seventy percent of Asia’s primates are threatened with extinction due to the clearing of tropical forests and the rampant illegal wildlife trade for traditional medicine and pets. That proportion is even higher in Southeast Asia. For example, in Vietnam and Cambodia, ninety percent of primates are at risk. In Indonesia, the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is now critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This change means that both species of orangutan now face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Regardless of past conservation efforts, both orangutans have not achieved the only vital goal: a stable or increasing population! It is vital and urgent for the Indonesian government to step up once for all to join forces with NGOs to protect orangutans in the wild.
Galapagos bird species extinct
The San Cristóbal vermilion flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus dubius) is officially extinct! This bird species, which only lived on the easternmost island of the Galapagos, has not been seen since 1987. Numerous field surveys since then have failed to show any evidence that it still exists. The cause of this extinction is unknown, but we can easily suspect invasive rats introduced by humans, which prey on the birds’ eggs, and a parasitic fly (Philornis downsi) which kills chicks after hatchling.
Fewer than 1,000 wild yaks, China
Wild yak (Bos mutus) once roamed widely, moving across much of Asia. Today, however, they are limited to the high-elevation Tibetan-Qinghai Plateau. Only 990 yaks remain in the wild in China’s Hoh Xil Nature Reserve. Overhunting and competition with livestock have depleted populations. Further, climate change is having an impact on its habitats.
Illegal pet trade not slowing downs in Indonesia
Illegal pet trade threatens at least thirteen Indonesian birds with extinction. Many of these species now have just a couple of dozen individuals left in the wild! ESI calls on the Indonesian government to place a higher priority on the caged bird trade, and inforce laws in part due to inadequate training and ethic within enforcement agencies.
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