The convention added the seven species to a list providing the highest level of protection. The meeting noted that the urial wild sheep, smooth hammerhead shark and the tope shark also need better protection and added these to a list of species whose conservation would benefit from better international cooperation. Sixty per cent of mainland Asian elephants are found in India and the species is listed as endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a victim of habitat loss and increasing human-elephant conflict. According to UN estimates, one million animal and plant species are at risk of becoming extinct in the decades ahead. The conference also discussed measures to reduce the adverse effects of human activities on migratory animals and conservation of important habitats.

Source: The Star February 23, 2020 14:37 UTC