Introduction

So far our stories have been about species rescued from the very brink of extinction and reintroduced to nature, although very few of them are surviving with absolutely no human management. And with the prospect of continued human population growth, habitat loss, pollution, poaching, climate change, and so on, we must remain vigilant in our effort to protect them and their habitats.

Those grouped in this section have a future that is even less secure. They have been saved from toppling into the abyss of extinction but, for various reasons, they have not yet been reestablished in the wild.

In its vast desert habitat of Mongolia and China, the wild Bactrian camel is threatened by hunters—and also by lack of water, as so much of the snowmelt in the surrounding mountains is diverted for agriculture—and will, presumably, be diminished further by global warming. Its future will depend on continuing talks with the Chinese and Mongolian governments and the political will to find an area where the wild Bactrian camel will be safe and its needs met. The future of the Iberian lynx in the wild depends on the extent to which the authorities are prepared to protect areas of natural habitat from human encroachment—and to some extent on the lynx’s ability to learn how to cross roads safely!

Some must be retrained during captive breeding to adapt to the reality of their habitat. The giant pandas that are bred in captivity must be raised in such a way that they can survive and find more suitable food in their natural habitat than has been the case so far. And the effort to teach the northern bald ibis a new migratory route is still in the pilot phase—though this is very encouraging.

I have met many of those who are involved in the efforts to ensure a safer future for these species in the wild—some of them have been involved for many years. Fortunately for the animals—and for future generations—none of them will ever give up, no matter the challenges they face.

A further point to be made: These stories are representative of countless other rescue efforts that deserve to be publicized, some of which—such as the Chinese alligator—will appear on our Web site. One of the problems I have faced, during the writing of this book, is just how many admirable efforts are being made to save endangered species, all over the world. Just today, for example, I read about the beautiful little ladybird spider that lives close to my home in the UK. Its numbers were once down to about fifty individuals, but thanks to captive breeding there are now a thousand. I hope, on our Web site, we can honor many more of these ongoing projects, and the scientists and citizens who are helping to maintain and restore the biodiversity of our planet.

We do not know what the future holds for life on earth, whether our combined efforts can turn things in favor of animals and their world. What is important is that we never give up trying.