Study: We've wiped out half the world's wildlife since 1970 [View all]

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In early July, a dentist from Minnesota named Walter James Palmer traveled to Zimbabwe, lured a male lion out of Hwange National Park, and shot him to death. The twist? This was no ordinary lion. No, Cecil the lion was a popular tourist attraction, and so now half the internet has erupted in outrage over his death.

It's a grisly tale. But it's also not an isolated case. Not even close. Over the past four decades, humans have managed to kill off a staggering number of wild animals worldwide — from charismatic lions and rhinos right down to lowly frogs. Most of these deaths don't spark anywhere near the furor that Cecil's did. But they certainly add up.

A major recent survey by the World Wildlife Fund estimated that the number of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish worldwide has declined a whopping 52 percent between 1970 and 2010. The main culprits? Humans. Mainly through hunting, fishing, deforestation, pollution, and other forms of habitat destruction. Statistically speaking, Cecil's death at the hands of a person was more likely than not.

Vertebrate populations declined 52 percent between 1970 and 2010


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http://www.vox.com/2014/9/30/6870749/the-world-has-lost-half-its-wildlife-since-1970-wwf-says