New animal species in Mekong: discoveries and their dramatic threat

New animal species in Mekong: discoveries and their dramatic threat

In the Mekong region, one of the most rich ecosystems in Southeast Asia, a remarkable discovery was made: scientists have identified over 230 new animal and plant species. This exciting report, published by the WWF, shows that a total of 234 new species were registered in just one year, including a green-black pitcher with striking scales that look like eyelashes, and a small animal named Hylomys Macarong, which was named after the Vietnamese word for "vampire" due to its sharp tear teeth. All of this happened in an area that includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, and the total number of species newly described since 1997 has now exceeded the impressive mark of 3623, such as the nau.ch reported.

a treasury of biodiversity

The discoveries are not only fascinating, but also alarming because many of these species are threatened. If the serious threats caused by human activities such as habitat loss, illegal wildlife trade and climate change, the WWF urges the governments of the region to urgently take measures to protect these newly discovered species. Georg Scattolin from WWF Austria emphasizes that many previously unknown animals and plants appear in the Mekong catchment area, which indicates that there are still numerous secrets of nature that must be preserved, as in Kurier

Despite the challenges, the Mekong region remains a haven of biodiversity, but time is urging. Monstrous hydropower plants and climate change represent massive dangers by not only disturbing the hikes of many animal species, but also endangering the fish stocks. The situation of the river dolphins is particularly worrying because they are among the most threatened mammals in the world. If it is not traded quickly, many of these species discovered could die out before they are fully researched.