Rare animals pushed closer to extinction, scientists warn

NEARLY 50 rare mammals including tigers, leopards, sambar and fishing cats could face extinction, conservationists warned yesterday.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature list of vulnerable species also included more than 70 other mammals from India on its alert “red list”.

Professor Luigi Boitani of Sapienza Universita di Roma, an IUCN partner organisation, said: “The trend is particularly dramatic for south-east Asia which suffers from increasing human activities, with deforestation being the major issue.”