Bats, bushbabies and aardvark edge closer to extinction in southern Africa

Increased Threats to Mammals: The latest Red List from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has identified 11 additional mammal species in South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini that are closer to extinction.
Specific Species at Risk: Lesueur’s hairy bat, laminate vlei rat, thick-tailed bushbaby, aardvark, and African straw-coloured fruit bat are among those classified as at risk.
Significance of Uplisting: An uplisting can either indicate a genuine decline in population or improved understanding and better data accuracy.
Pressures on Mammals: Mammals are increasingly threatened by drought, heat, water shortages, and the shrinking of their habitats.
Human Impact: Conservationists emphasize that human activities continue to drive wildlife loss and this expanding human footprint signals increasing dangers for mammals.
Encouraging Downlisting: Some species like the roan antelope, southern elephant seal, and Hartmann’s mountain zebra have seen improvements due to successful conservation efforts.
Need for Urgent Action: More investment from governments, private sectors, and citizens is necessary to develop infrastructure with minimal environmental impact and to adopt a landscape systems approach to conservation.
Future Sustainability: Climate-proof conservation strategies must be designed to address ongoing threats like heat, drought, and water scarcity to ensure long-term survival of mammal species.