Save one Species

I know this is a very emotional subject and should not really be asked - so just a bit of fun - so no nasty remarks please.

If you could save just one species from extinction and secure their survival - what would it be ?

A very very difficult question - save the all - would be one answer.

Anyway for what it is worth mine would be........................... Orangutan - all 3 SUB species of course.

 

Sulu Hornbill

 

The thread says save one but then you save 3?

 

Nit picking - one species - 3 sub

 

But all three are considered as distinct species from one another?

 

Ok so for me it would be the Buffy headed marmoset (Callithrix flaviceps) here in Brazil.

Very close to the brink of extinction now and we are trying our hardest to conserve it.

 

Yep good shout

 

Why this species Cassidy ?

 

The Saola

 

Why this species?

 

A very unique and elusive species, this antelope-like bovine is not found in captivity due to being incredibly endangered, I want to save it due to how it is beautiful, magestic, unique and a great example of convergent evolution

 

Pretty much an impossible decision. Northern river shark would be one out of around 500 contenders.

 

Thanks for your reply !

I really hope it can be saved it.

 

I think it's important to look at the impact that species have on the ecosystem, as I firmly believe not all species have equal importance in the ecosystem. For that reason, I'd choose to save the honeybee, as it's a very important pollinator that is so important for the survival of many other species.

 

Humans.

 

Good one !

I suppose that would largely be contingent on whether that species wants to save itself though.

 

Hmm! Just one species, so I want something unique, threatened so that it needs “saving” and something where the practical measures carried out would have a knock on effect on other species as well. I therefore choose the only member of its family, with a population of perhaps 1000 at most, and where the action to save it requires reducing drought and thus climate change - the Plains-Wanderer.

 

Great rationale in your choice !

 

In terms of animals most important to ecosystems I would go with a species of vulture, probably white-backed. Although if the implication from this post is that all other species would become extinct, the cleaning work that vultures do wouldn’t really be important or possible anymore.

 

I probably should have given my reason. I want humans to exist long enough to see that their attempts at being "good" or morally right is not worth it in the long run.