Study Documents Catastrophic Collapse of Sahara's Wildlife

The Wildlife Conservation Society and Zoological Society of London led a study that found the Sahara's wildlife population has dramatically decreased. 40 authors from 28 scientific organizations studied 14 species out in the Sahara, and discovered that half of them are regionally extinct. Overhunting seems to be a key factor in this, but a decrease in studies due to insecurity makes it hard to be certain about the number one cause of the population decline. Confirmed extinct species include the Bubal hartebeest and scimitar horned oryx. The African wild dog and African lion have disappeared altogether in the region. "The Sahara serves as an example of a wider historical neglect of deserts and the human communities who depend on them," says author Sarah Durant of WCS and ZSL.

 



http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/12/03/study_documents_catastrophic_collapse_of_saharas_wildlife.html