It’s official – humans are wiping out animals at an epidemic rate. So say the headlines today (the Metro’s is best, see above), with figures published that will shock the entire nation. While human life has continued to boom, the decimation of the animal population is becoming more and more apparent.

Here are some figures, according to the Living Planet Index report, to get your head around:

In 35 years, the number of humans has grown from 4billion to 6.5billion.
Land-based species have declined by 25 percent.
Marine species by 28 percent.
Tropical land species by 55 percent.

The news comes after America put polar bears on the endangered species list due to global warming. And why do we have problems like this? I’ve said it once (well actually, probably more like a hundred times) and I’ll say it again – go vegetarian if you want to save these fuzzy white bears and the rest of the animal kingdom. It’s a win-win situation really!

Image: Tiamhdha / CC

Alexia here! I’m back after a weekend of relaxation and now I’m raring to go. Watch this space over the next hour or so, as I’m about to bring you something very exciting… In the meantime, amuse yourselves with this news story from Nuremburg, where animal rights protestors dressed in fuzzy white suits are picketing Nuremburg zoo in Germany over the commercialisation of Snowflake, the polar bear cub. Polar bears don’t belong in an artificial cave full of bright lights, cameras and excited human beings. They belong in the wild, it’s not rocket science.