WWF is calling on governments to increase protection for newly and yet-to-be discovered creatures and their habitats in Southeast Asia’s Greater Mekong region.
A new WWF report has revealed an incredible 380 new species of plants and animals were discovered in the Greater Mekong region in 2021 and 2022.
A grand total of 24 amphibians, 19 fishes, one mammal, 290 plants and 46 reptiles were described by scientists in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. These include a colour-changing lizard, a thick-thumbed bat, a poisonous snake named after a Chinese mythological goddess, an orchid that looks like a muppet, and a tree frog with skin that resembles thick moss.
It’s fantastic news but, with many of the species already under threat of extinction from human activities, WWF is calling on governments in the region to increase protection for these amazing creatures and their habitats.
“These remarkable species may be new to science but they have survived and evolved in the Greater Mekong region for millions of years, reminding us humans that they were there a very long time before our species moved into this region,” said K. Yoganand, WWF-Greater Mekong regional wildlife lead. “We have an obligation to do everything to stop their extinction and protect their habitats, and help their recovery.”
The new species, like so many others already known to humanity, are under intense pressure from deforestation, habitat degradation, road development, loss of streams and rivers, pollution, diseases spread by human activities, competition from invasive species, and the devastating impacts of illegal wildlife trade. Sadly, many species go extinct before they are even discovered.
WWF works with a variety of partners, including business, communities, governments and NGOs, to develop strategies that protect Greater Mekong wildlife and their habitats. This includes some of the region’s best-known wildlife, such as Asian elephants, Irrawaddy dolphins and tigers, as well as the forests, rivers and oceans they depend on.
Below: Dario tigris, a miniature chameleon fish barely 20mm long is found only in the mountain streams of the Ayeyarwady river basin in Myanmar.
© Thadoe Wai / WWF-Myanmar