Two of Africa's best-known and most iconic species are threatened by the current climate crisis and urban expansion. The impressive annual migrations of wildebeests across the continent are disappearing.
The inability to move is weakening the DNA of these animals, leading to less genetic diversity, greater isolation and more inbreeding. On the other hand, the rise in lake levels due to increased rainfall caused by climate change is threatening flamingos. The authors warn that the flamingos will probably be pushed towards new unprotected areas in search of food, and this could seriously the future of the species is at risk.. Researchers led by Aidan Byrne used for the first time data provided by satellite observations of the Earth over about 20 years to study all the main lakes where flamingos feed, spread across Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. The data were then combined with climate data and direct observations. of the animals. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications and led by the University of Copenhagen and King's College London.