The world population of this species does not exceed 6.700 individuals and is decreasing "in a worrying way" throughout South America.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himThe world population of this species probably does not exceed 6.700 individuals and is decreasing "in a worrying way" throughout South America.
The impact of humans on the planet, especially in recent decades, is putting many species at serious risk, leading them, in the worst case, to extinction. This time we are talking about the Andean condor which, according to what was published by a group of researchers from South America and Spain in a letter published recently in Science, has suffered an alarming demographic decline in recent years.
The world population of Vultur gryphus, scientific name of the Andean condor, probably does not exceed 6.700 individuals and is declining "in a worrying way" throughout its distribution area. The main reason is mass poisoning, to which the species is particularly prone due to its highly gregarious behavior.
"Andean condors are predominantly necrophages and usually congregate en masse to feed, which makes them very vulnerable to poisoned carrion, purposely placed by humans with the intention of eliminating condors and other animals considered a danger such as the puma. or wild dogs ”, explain some members of the Department of Ecology and the Research Center on Biodiversity and Global Change (CIBC) of the Autonomous University of Madrid.
The letter refers to two serious cases that occurred recently, one in Argentina and the other in Bolivia where 34 and 35 condors died respectively, a figure that represents the loss of 1% of the world population.
READ also: Massacre of condors: deaths from poisoning, pesticide (and man) fault
"Both situations show that if a poisoning event occurs, the consequences can be potentially devastating for populations of the species," the study says.
Unfortunately, poisoning is not the only threat this animal faces. Lead poisoning, competition for food with wild animals or strays, the threat of hunting and illegal capture are other major dangers that show us how delicate the conservation status of the condor is.
Researchers propose the conservation of this majestic bird by prioritizing collaborative approaches and combining local and international efforts, with the hope that its flight over the Andes will continue without running the risk of paying the consequences of human actions.
SOURCE: Science / UAM
READ also:
- Andean Condor: The largest bird in the world can fly 160 km without flapping its wings
- This bird can no longer sing the language of its species and risks extinction (due to man)
