简介：TheLoneliestAnimals Introduction Aroundtheglobe,uniqueandfascinatingspeciesfaceextinctionfromhuntingandhabitatdestruction,whichaffectsvulnerableanimalsineverykindofenvironment.Biologists,conservationists,wildlifepreservationcentersandzoologicalparksworktobreedandshelterrareandcriticallyendangeredanimalswhenandwheretheycan,butmanyspeciesaredowntothelastfewindividualsandfaceanincreasinglyuncertainfuture.Forsome,however,thefutureisalltooclear.LonesomeGeorge,aPintaIslandtortoisefromtheGalapagosIslands,istheverylastofhiskind.Forcenturies,untiltheywerebelievedtobeextinct,hisspecieskeptsailorsandpirateswell-fedonthehighseas.Georgealonesurvived.ButwhenGeorgedies,millionsofyearsofevolutionwillcometoanend.Otherspecies,likeSpix’smacaws,lemurs,Iberianlynxes,rhinos,black-footedferretsandChineserafetusturtles,werewellontheirwaytojoiningGeorgeastheloneliestanimalsintheworlduntilhelparrived,providinghopeforabetteroutcome. Eachspeciesintroublepresentsuniquechallenges,includinginbreedingandlackofgeneticdiversity,siblingrivalryonanextremescale,andindividualswhomayneverhaveseenanotheroftheirkind.Therearesomesuccesseswithcaptivebreeding.Forexample,theblack-footedferret,oncethoughttobeentirelyextinct,isnowbeingreintroducedtoitsnaturalhomeontheAmericanplainsafteranincredibleinterventionbyscientists.Butreboundinginartificialsettingsdoesn’tputendangeredanimalsintheclear–populationsmaygrow,butwithoutsuccessfulactiontopreserveandmaintaintheirwildhabitats,theymaybeconfinedtolaboratoriesandsanctuariesforever. TheLoneliestAnimalsfollowstheplightoftheseincredible,charismaticcreaturesandthestrugglesofthededicatedconservationistswhofightforthem.…