Wildlife Map Case Studies

Populations of brown howler monkeys have been severely declining over the last few decades, having suffered extensive habitat loss due to the land conversion of their Atlantic Forest habitat for cattle grazing and soya production in Brazil and Argentina. The northern brown howler monkey is classified as critically endangered. The remaining forest is extremely fragmented into hundreds of isolated patches, most too small to support viable populations in the long term. As they are pushed closer to human populations, due to increased demand for meat and dairy, attacks by domesticated dogs, traffic incidents and electrocution from are becoming serious threats to howlers living close to urban areas¹.

Brown howler monkeys are highly susceptible to yellow fever, with increased exposure thought to be driven by a combination of climate change and habitat fragmentation ². Over the next few decades, increased pathogen exposure along with habitat loss puts these primates at serious risk of extinction. Without them, we would lose a vital seed disperser for numerous plant species ³ – and maybe even the rainforest itself.

If you can spot them, you will find the Ecuadorian white-fronted capuchin nibbling on mature fruit in the tropical and subtropical forests of Peru and Ecuador. With their distribution over the last few decades having reduced to less than one per cent of their original range, they are classified as critically endangered with their numbers dwindling in the wild. Habitat loss and fragmentation is the overriding threat, with 70 per cent of the original forest cover having been converted for other uses – primarily for agriculture and cattle ranching ⁷; products which are later consumed in the UK. Like most tropical primates, they are integral to the health of both the rainforest’s and the planet, acting as seed dispersers, helping with forest regeneration and growth. This in turn provides habitat for other species and enables carbon absorption⁸.

Ecuadorian white-fronted capuchins thrive in forested areas with more than 25 per cent tree cover and low human population⁹. Therefore, forest conservation is essential for any hopes of survival – this can’t be done if their vital habitat and space is constantly being seized to feed our demand for meat and dairy.

An iconic bird of the Amazon, these unique birds are famous for their colourful and strikingly large bills. A highly social species, they have been found to gather in flocks of up to 20 individuals. But they are under threat.

These exotic birds live in the tropics of America, favouring old-growth forests to nest in. Over a fifth of their species face eradication with 11 out of 50 species being threatened or near threatened with extinction¹³, fuelled by the UK’s appetite for meat and dairy. Deforestation in the Amazon basin to make way for cattle and soya production destroys the jungle habitats they are dependent on for survival ¹⁴. Toucans are essential in preserving the lungs of our planet – they are excellent seed dispersers helping spread fruit trees far and wide that reabsorb carbon emissions¹⁵.

Once free to roam across the Amazon basin, these wild cats now cover just half of their historic range, as their habitats become increasingly fragmented due to conversion of tropical forest for soya crops and cattle ranching¹⁹. The United Nations state that the biggest threat to global forests is agriculture, with soya for cattle feed being a key culprit²⁰. In fact, over three–quarters of soya grown globally is fed to farmed animals ²¹.

Produce of this prolific habitat destruction is mainly used for exports; the UK imports most of its soya from South America ²² – where only 20–30 per cent of it can be certified as sustainable²³.

The severe fragmentation of the jaguar’s home lowers the densities of jaguars and their prey in the dwindling forest patches, this pushes jaguars closer to human-populations to hunt out alternative food sources, leading to an increase in human-wildlife conflict. Habitat loss has already resulted in jaguars becoming extinct in El Salvador and Uruguay. Protected forest zones aren’t enough to save the jaguar – the loss of corridors between surviving populations is threatening population collapse since most require connectivity between core sites to survive in the long term. The majority of these corridors are outside of these protected areas²⁴.

These majestic animals play a vital role for ecosystem health. Jaguars are the top predators in their environment, so they are essential for controlling the populations of other species. This helps keep a balance in the food chain and secures a healthy environment²⁵.

There are six species of sloth that are at home in the tropical canopy of Central and South America³³ – at least two of which have recorded large population decreases³⁴. The health of sloths is dependent on the health and expanse of the rainforest – they need an abundance of trees for shelter, food and protection³⁵. Sloths only urinate and defecate once a week, and when they do, they become exposed and vulnerable to predators³⁶. Deforestation is a constant threat; the more trees that get chopped down to make way for beef cattle grazing, the more time that sloths spend on the ground ³⁷. In essence without their trees, they will not survive.

Demand for beef cattle and animal feed is the number one driver for deforestation of tropical forests³⁸. And these products might be closer than you think – shocking investigations have found that products from mega corporations behind this deforestation, such as the Brazilian meat production giant JBS, are being sold in UK supermarkets and supplied to the NHS³⁹.

Sloths are a key element of the rainforest ecosystem. In fact, their fur is also a whole ecosystem in itself, with tiny animals living in their hair eating the algae that grows there⁴⁰. Meat and dairy not only threaten the sloth, but all the moths, beetles, cockroaches and worms that call the sloth a home.

Listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list, the African cheetah is a wide-ranging carnivore that’s particularly vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation, as they require a much larger area of land to survive than most other carnivore species. As their wild lands are destroyed and the corridors between existing wild areas are lost due to human activities, such as animal agriculture, cheetah population numbers are facing a steep decline⁴⁹. Once found across Africa, they now only cover 10 per cent⁵⁰ of their historic range having gone extinct in over 30 countries⁵¹, and most of the known cheetah range existing on unprotected lands⁵².

Less than 7,000 adults remain in the wild. As numbers of their wild prey dwindles there is also an increased risk of them being killed in human-wildlife conflict, if they end up having to rely on livestock as a food source⁵³. As a top predator they are essential for ecosystem regulation; without a healthy cheetah population our food systems are under threat – populations of herbivores would increase, which can deplete soil fertility⁵⁴.

Found stomping across the forests of west and central Africa⁶¹, this largest living terrestrial mammal plays an essential role in combating the human-induced climate crisis as they trample smaller plants to create space for trees to grow larger and store more carbon. Coupled with their role as seed dispersers, these elephants are crucial for a healthy biodiversity and humanity’s future survival. It is predicted that if elephants were to go extinct, the amount of carbon stored in central African rainforests could fall by 7 per cent! This loss would reduce the biomass of African forests by about three gigatonnes of carbon – equivalent to 14 years’ worth of carbon emissions from the UK ⁶². This scary image could soon become reality as rapid land use change for agriculture and livestock drives habitat loss and fragmentation with them currently being listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List⁶³.

Living in the high-altitude forests of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the endangered Eastern mountain gorillas are running out of space to live, as the impacts of the climate crisis, coupled with land use pressure from human populations, force them to migrate upslope. Rising temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns threaten the gorilla’s food availability and the quality of the remaining isolated forest patches that have not been converted for agricultural use⁶⁷.

Mountain gorillas are also victims of poaching and the illegal bushmeat trade. Worryingly the hunting, preparing and consuming of bushmeats contributes to the spread of viral diseases such as Ebola or bacterial infections which spill over from wildlife to human populations⁶⁸. With less than 1,200 remaining in the wild, and limited space northwards left – these Gorillas need our help⁶⁹.

The freshwater pearl mussel requires cool, well-oxygenated water free of pollution for population stability⁷³. However, with increased pollution and nutrient overload sucking the oxygen from the river, these mussels have seen a steep decline in their numbers⁷⁴, being listed as endangered by the IUCN⁷⁵. While formerly widespread throughout western and northern parts of Britain, there now only exists one viable population of freshwater pearl mussels in England in Cumbia, and the viable populations in Scotland are also under threat of decline⁷⁶.

One key source of this nutrient pollution is from animal agriculture, for instance slurry, septic tank leakage and agricultural run-off. Overgrazing itself poses a serious threat with the loss of vegetation releasing fine sediment into their river habitat, cutting off their oxygen supply. Climate change is also an encroaching threat, with the species likely to be affected by future changes in rainfall patterns and temperatures⁷⁷. This population decline has greater species implications, since mussels improve water quality through filtration for other species, such as fish, eels and otters⁷⁸.

Once stretching across the entire continent of Europe, from Turkey to the UK, and up into the Arctic circle ⁸⁵, Brown bears, also known as grizzly bears, are now only found in two per cent of their former range⁸⁶. While previously their biggest threats were hunting and use as game trophies, increasingly habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation due to human activities, such as livestock farming, are resulting in population declines⁸⁷⁸⁸. In Europe, four of ten subpopulations are critically endangered due to this habitat loss, with isolated populations of brown bears being pushed into human-populated areas, increasing human–wildlife conflict⁸⁹). Since these bears depend on large natural areas, they are important indicators for a range of other wildlife species and help keep overall animal population numbers in balance. These large mammals also are crucial for ecosystems spreading seeds over large areas of land ⁹⁰.

Living most of their lives at sea and only coming to land to breed, the Atlantic puffin, also dubbed the sea parrot⁹⁷, is an unfortunate victim of our demand for meat, dairy, fish and eggs. The Atlantic puffin is extremely vulnerable to the adverse effects of the climate crisis, which the meat and dairy industry contribute to heavily, due to prey shifts and increased sea temperatures. With their breeding populations confined to a small number of sites, any changes to the environment could have catastrophic consequences on the puffin’s population. Increased extreme weather events also pose a threat to these sea dwelling birds⁹⁸.

Pressures on food availability is exacerbated by the fishing industry exploiting the seas fish reserves, resulting in low breeding success⁹⁹. Due to declining population and projected future trends, they are now classified as vulnerable and are included on the Red List of UK Birds of Conservation Concern¹⁰⁰.

Native to Europe’s alpine and subalpine grasslands the Sudeten ringlet can be found fluttering between rocky mountain peaks and inland cliffs¹⁰⁵. Due to intensified grazing practices from farmed animal’s, populations of the Sudeten ringlet have declined by more than 30 per cent in last 10 years and it is now classified as vulnerable¹⁰⁶.

Butterflies are critical for a healthy ecosystem and have been supporting the flourishing of biodiversity for at least 50 million years. Alongside making up an important element of the food chain, they also provide environmental benefits such as pollination and natural pest control¹⁰⁷ – key for humanity’s continued survival.

As one of the most important pollinators for food crops, bees are integral to our food security. According to the European Red List of Bees, around a quarter of bumblebee species in Europe are threatened with extinction, with shifting agricultural practice and intensification of farming resulting in habitat loss and degradation, driving this population decline. Increased grazing from livestock has resulted in large scale losses of herb-rich grasslands, with a 97 per cent decline in enclosed semi-natural grasslands in England and Wales.

This large-scale habitat loss is devastating for bee populations, especially bumblebees who are especially susceptible. Herbicides and pesticides use are also a major threat to bees¹¹¹ – many of which¹¹² are used on the 55 per cent land area of crops grown to feed the farmed animals in the UK¹¹³. Moreover, the climate crisis is also increasingly becoming a threat to bee populations across Europe due to shifting habitats and weather conditions¹¹⁴.

The red wolf of Eastern North Carolina is critically endangered, it’s predicted that there only 20 – 30 individuals left in the wild¹¹⁹, down from 400 in the 1980s. The main driver of this extensive population decline – habitat loss and fragmentation to make room for agriculture coupled with the wolves being victims of predator-control programmes as they are considered a threat to livestock¹²⁰. An agricultural leader in the US, North Carolina is a key contributor to the meat and dairy industry; it is the second in the nation for pig farming¹²¹, and soya is the biggest crop produced¹²². And with over three quarters soya crops world-wide – used for animal feed¹²³, the link between the demise of the red wolf and meat and dairy demand is clear.

The largest mammal in North America, the migratory wild American bison currently occupy less than 1.2 per cent of their original range¹²⁹. Driven to near extinction in the past their population now stands at around 12,000, compared to a population in excess of 40 million back in the late 18th century¹³⁰. Nowadays the grazing of livestock, primarily cattle and sheep, has the largest negative impacts on bison populations. This is due to; damage to soil and vegetation that make up the bison’s food source, disease transmission from livestock to free-roaming bison, and livestock infrastructure blocking the natural movement of the migratory herds¹³¹.

Once rich with marine diversity, the Gulf of Mexico is now classified as a dead zone, so depleted of oxygen it kills fish and other marine life¹³⁵. Past inhabitants include the yellowtail snapper (pictured), the gray triggerfish and the greater amberjack¹³⁶. In 2021, this dead zone was measured at 6,334 square miles – equivalent to nearly more than four million acres of habitat¹³⁷! The Gulf of Mexico dead zone is not an isolated problem – factory farms are responsible for more than 500 nitrogen-flooded dead zones across the world’s oceans, due to animal waste and agricultural run-off¹³⁸. This run-off essentially suffocates fish and marine life, with the overload of nutrients causing deadly algae blooms which removes all oxygen from the water¹³⁹ – making it unable to support life.

Home to the tropical forests of Sumatra and Borneo, Asia’s only great ape is facing extinction due to our food choices¹⁴⁵. Rapidly expanding oil palm plantations are seizing the homes of these orangutan, with 90 per cent of the world’s oil palms currently grown in Malaysia and Indonesia¹⁴⁶. As key seed dispersers, orangutans are essential in maintaining forest ecosystems, supporting neighbouring wildlife¹⁴⁷.

This vital habitat is deforested, decimating orangutan populations and exacerbating the climate crisis, so that palm oil can be used in half of all supermarkets shelf products¹⁴⁸. However, it isn’t just found in beauty products and cheap food; one of the key products made from palm kernels is animal feed, primarily for cattle and sheep, with the UK importing around a tenth of the world’s palm kernel for these purposes¹⁴⁹.

Having inhabited the earth for the last 30 million years, the world’s rarest otter can¹⁵⁵ now only be found in a handful of South-eastern Asian countries including Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand and is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List. They are highly dependent on their habitats of lowland wetland forests for survival, many of which are cleared to grow plantations such as palm oil and soya crops¹⁵⁶. With over three quarters of the world’s soya crops used for animal feed¹⁵⁷, there is a clear link between meat and dairy and decline in these otter populations. The fishing industry is also a key player in the otter’s demise – with fish traps causing otters to drown¹⁵⁸.

An iconic image of global conservation, it is well known that the giant panda needs help. They once roamed across eastern and southern China, Vietnam and northern Myanmar, but are now isolated to only six separated mountain ranges¹⁶³. Human activity is the key driver of their decline, with livestock farming now the most observed disturbance of the panda’s habitat, pushing them out of their homes and isolating populations, making them vulnerable to additional threats. The climate crisis is predicted to worsen these impacts, including the widescale loss of bamboo, their primary food source. As they are forced closer to human populations, close contact with livestock and domesticated animals increases novel pathogen transferal, further threatening panda populations¹⁶⁴.

Not only are they of cultural and economic significance to China, but they are also crucial to keeping their mountain forest habitats healthy as key seed dispersers. This helps protect many other important and threatened species who share the same biodiverse rich habitat as the panda, such as snow leopards and takins¹⁶⁵.

Hidden in the branches of the montane forests of Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar and Nepal, the red panda is gravely under threat due to demand for meat and dairy. They are the only member of its animal family, the Ailuridae – making it unique in the animal kingdom¹⁶⁹. The major threats to the red panda’s survival include habitat loss, and fragmentation and degradation, due to the expansion of human communities and livestock farming¹⁷⁰.

Cattle herds invade the forests trampling and eating bamboo – the red panda’s primary food source. Coupled with the increasing negative impacts of the climate crisis of habitat shifting and extreme weather events, the red panda is vulnerable to extinction if no action is taken – with them currently being listed as endangered on the IUCN index¹⁷¹.

Rhinos have been around for nearly 40 million years¹⁷⁵ but now with only 2,100 – 2,200 individuals left in the wild, the greater one-horned rhino is vulnerable to extinction – and they are under threat from more than just poaching. Grazing by domestic livestock greatly reduces the quality of the rhino’s habitat. In Chitwan National Park, home to the second largest population, decline in calving rate and other reproductive indicators has been linked to change in habitat quality, with there being heavy livestock grazing pressure and disturbance in buffer zone areas. They are also vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis, such as increased storms and flooding¹⁷⁶. With meat and dairy responsible for a around a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions¹⁷⁷, the food choices we make in the UK can directly impact this rhino’s chance of survival.

At home deep diving in the waters of the Arctic and sub-Arctic, Hooded Seals are increasingly under threat due to the human-induced climate crisis. Listed as vulnerable on the IUCN index¹⁸¹, the hooded seal has seen a 90 per cent decline over the past few decades due to regional sea ice reduction, as a result of rising global temperatures¹⁸². As a pack ice species, they are highly dependent on the ice for their short breeding season. The reduction in sea ice is also impacting the productivity of the ice-edge ecosystems, gravely reducing the availability of the hooded seal food sources¹⁸³. Without this ice, their populations are under serious threat, and with meat and dairy responsible for around a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions¹⁸⁴, our diets have a lot to answer for.

The planet’s biggest land-based carnivore is under threat… listed as vulnerable on the IUCN index, there is estimated to be around only 22,000 of individuals left in the wild¹⁸⁹, with populations expected to decline dramatically over the coming years as the impacts of human-induced climate crisis worsen. Dependent on arctic sea ice for their food source, rising temperatures are melting this vital landscape that polar bears depend on for survival¹⁹⁰.

As top predators in the Arctic, they play a key role in balancing the local ecosystem¹⁹¹. Animal agriculture emits more greenhouse gas emissions than the whole of the transport industry combined¹⁹²– meaning that the fate of future polar bear populations is directly tied to the food we choose to eat.

In the chilly realms of Antarctica there are around 20 million breeding pairs of penguins – many of these species however are in decline due to receding sea ice. The regal emperor penguin is one of those threatened species – with populations having declined by up to 50 per cent in some places¹⁹⁷. Never setting foot on land, they live and breed on the sea ice surrounding continental Antarctica¹⁹⁸, however decreases in thickness and duration of this ice is making it increasingly difficult for them to find suitable breeding locations¹⁹⁹.

This issue might feel far away – but the heart of problem is closer to home than you may think! Meat and dairy are responsible for around a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions²⁰⁰, a driving force behind the climate crisis which is causing these vital habitats, and their resident wildlife, to disappear.

Bats are New Zealand’s only native land mammal, and the long-tailed bat, one of only two native bat species, are listed as threatened at a nationally critical level²⁰⁵ and critically endangered on the ICUN Red List²⁰⁶. Clearance of their forested habitat to make space for agricultural intensification, such as cattle and sheep grazing, is one of the drivers for their decline²⁰⁷. Indigenous forest, where bats roost, once covered 90 per cent of New Zealand but is now reduced to an estimated 14 per cent of its original area²⁰⁸. The UK is implicit in the long-tailed bats demise, as we heavily rely on this region for lamb imports; in 2021 New Zealand was the main import country for both fresh and frozen lamb²⁰⁹.

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Recent Campaigns

Wildlife Map Case Studies

Discover the animals at risk of extinction due to our deadly meat, dairy, fish and egg appetites.

South America

Brown howler monkey

Ecuadorian white-fronted capuchin

Toucan

Jaguar

Sloth

Africa

African cheetah

African forest elephant

Mountain gorilla

Europe

Freshwater pearl mussels

Brown bear

Atlantic puffin

Sudeten ringlet (Erebia sudetica)

Bumblebee

North America

The red wolf

American bison

Gulf of Mexico, marine dead zone

Asia

Orangutan

Hairy-nosed otter

Panda

Red panda

Greater one-horned rhino

Arctic and Antarctica

Hooded seal

Polar bear

Emperor Penguin

Oceania

Long-tailed bat

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