Iraqi rights center warns 134 species at risk of extinction in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A Baghdad-based human rights center said on Tuesday that 134 species in Iraq are at risk of extinction, citing data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Strategic Center for Human Rights said its review of IUCN databases confirmed that 134 species in the country face the threat of disappearing, framing wildlife protection as tied to food security and the right to a clean environment. The center listed pollution, drought, rising temperatures, desertification, falling water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and intensive hunting of rare and migratory species as the main drivers of decline. Among the mammals flagged are the Persian gazelle, mountain goat, Iraqi wolf, striped hyena, sand fox, wild cat, marsh otter and wild boar, along with migratory birds including the Asian houbara, northern bald ibis, sacred ibis, white-headed duck, Egyptian vulture, imperial eagle and storks. According to national figures cited in the report, Iraq is home to 311 fish species, while roughly 234 plant and animal species face varying degrees of threat, including 59 fish species, 43 bird species and 20 mammal species. The center called on the government to tighten enforcement against poaching, expand protected natural areas and launch a national conservation program covering endangered species.