Tigers, Polar Bears and Blue Fin Tuna Among the Most Threatened Species in 2010, Says World Wildlife Fund

WASHINGTON DC, December 2, 2009 – World Wildlife Fund (WWF) today released its annual list of some of the most threatened species around the world, saying that the long-term survival of many animals is increasingly in doubt due to a host of threats, including climate change, and calling for a step up in efforts to save some of the world’s most threatened animals.

WWF’s list of “10 to Watch in 2010” includes such well-known and beloved species as tigers, polar bears, pandas, and rhinos, as well as lesser-known species such as bluefin tuna and mountain gorillas.  WWF scientists say these, and many other species, are at greater risk than ever before because of habitat loss, poaching, and climate change-related threats.  

This year’s watch list includes five species directly impacted by climate change, as well as the monarch butterfly, the species at the center of an endangered biological phenomenon.  Tigers are at the forefront of this year’s list, with the official Year of the Tiger slated to begin in February 2010.  

“We have an urgent window of opportunity in which to step up and pull back some of the world’s most splendid animals from the brink of extinction,” says Dr. Sybille Klenzendorf, WWF’s Managing Director of Species Conservation.  “We urge everyone who wants to live in a world with tigers, polar bears, and pandas to make it their New Year’s resolution to save these amazing and threatened species before it’s too late.