Among them are the Arabian gazelle and the Iraqi wolf… 134 species of animals are threatened with extinction in Iraq
Among them are the Arabian gazelle and the Iraqi wolf… 134 species of animals are threatened with extinction in Iraq
2026-07-19
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The Strategic Center for Human Rights warned on Sunday of a “very serious” environmental challenge facing Iraq, represented by the continuous decline in the numbers of aquatic and terrestrial animals, indicating that the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s databases confirm the existence of 134 species of living organisms threatened with extinction within the country.
A report issued by the center, which was received by Shafaq News Agency, stated that “protecting wildlife is no longer just an environmental issue, but is directly linked to food security and the human right to a healthy environment,” attributing the reasons to “pollution, drought, rising temperatures, desertification, the decline in the levels of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, as well as the campaigns of illegal hunting of rare and migratory species.”
Biological wealth facing annihilation
The report indicated that the Iraqi environment includes dozens of prominent species of mammals, birds and reptiles, most notably: the Arabian gazelle, the mountain ibex, the Iraqi wolf, the striped hyena, the sand fox, the wildcat, the marsh otter and the wild boar.
It also includes rare and migratory birds such as the Asian bustard, the bald ibis, the sacred ibis, the white-headed duck, the Egyptian vulture, the imperial eagle, and storks, which use the marshes as a major stop on their global migration routes, as well as local fish such as carp, barbel, catfish, and river carp, and water turtles.
National and international figures and indicators
The center revealed the extent of the crisis using official figures and data as follows:
National data: Iraq has about 311 species of fish, while there are approximately 234 species of plants and animals that are threatened to varying degrees, including 59 species of fish, 43 species of birds, and 20 species of mammals.
Global indicators: The IUCN Red List confirms that more than 48,000 species are threatened with extinction globally, while about a quarter of freshwater animal species face the risk of complete extinction.
The report warned that continued pollution of rivers and marshes with industrial and agricultural waste accelerates the loss of biodiversity, threatening the collapse of natural systems and its serious repercussions on fish stocks, the national economy, and public health.
Urgent demands and appeals
The Strategic Center for Human Rights called on the federal government, the ministries of (Environment, Agriculture, and Water Resources), the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the security services to take immediate national measures that include: tightening control and activating penalties against illegal hunting, expanding nature reserves and rehabilitating the marshes, increasing water releases, in addition to launching a national program to protect endangered species and guarantee the rights of future generations.
shafaq.com
