Amphibians, mammals, reptiles, fish and birds — across the entire planet a silent and apparently unstoppable genocide is under way, sweeping away the majority of non-human animals. The alarm is raised by the "Living Planet 2016" report, produced by the WWF in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London and the Stockholm Resilience Centre, according to which global wildlife has declined by 58 per cent from 1970 to 2012.

The scale of the slaughter

The study, which is published every two years to provide an assessment of the state of the world's wildlife, examined more than 14,000 populations of 3,706 vertebrate species from around the world and highlights an average annual decline of 2 per cent. The report also paints an even bleaker picture: if effective and shared conservation measures are not taken, at least two thirds of animal species will be extinct by 2020 — just four years away.

The causes of wildlife decline

The unstoppable haemorrhage of animal species is undoubtedly attributable to human activity. The constant growth of the human population entails a reduction in the space available to animals; habitat loss caused by deforestation and the expansion of cultivated land is therefore one of the main drivers of biodiversity decline. Other causes include the wildlife trade, which generates a global turnover worth 19 billion dollars a year, ecosystem pollution and climate change, the reckless exploitation of certain species through hunting and fishing, and the introduction — whether intentional or not — of non-native species that compete with indigenous ones. "We know what the causes are and we know the scale of the impact that humans are having on nature and on wildlife populations — WWF's Mike Barrett has stated — it really is time to act."

The most threatened species

The creatures disappearing most rapidly are those that inhabit lakes, rivers and wetlands, which declined by 81 per cent between 1970 and 2012. The causes lie in the pollution of water tables — to which animals such as amphibians, which also breathe through their skin, are particularly sensitive — and in the fragmentation of freshwater courses. Large vertebrates too, such as African elephants and sharks, are in serious danger, threatened by poaching and indiscriminate fishing.

It is time to change

Given these alarming figures, change is by necessity essential, before it is too late. According to those in the field, 2020 could represent the turning point, thanks to the entry into force of certain commitments made under the Paris COP 21 and the adoption of the UN's Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals. From a utilitarian perspective, the disappearance of wildlife represents an enormous economic loss for our species. But, of course, that is not all: when the majority of the living creatures with whom we share this planet have become extinct, we may perhaps realise how empty and sad the world can be without animals, and we will feel irreparably alone.