URGENT UPDATE: The Christmas Island shrew has officially been declared extinct, as confirmed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) during its annual conference in Abu Dhabi today. This decision marks the end of a unique high-pitched sound that once echoed across the Australian tropical island, forever silencing a creature last seen in 1984.
The extinction of the Crocidura trichura follows decades of decline, primarily due to the introduction of rats and invasive snakes that decimated its population. Reports indicate that only four individuals had been documented over the past 120 years, making any hope of rediscovery increasingly bleak.
John Woinarski, a Professor of Conservation Biology at Charles Darwin University, expressed regret over the lack of recorded sounds from this now lost species, stating, “We could have done better.” He highlighted that the shrew was known to produce a continuous, high-pitched squeak at night, a sound that is now lost to history.
In addition to the shrew, the IUCN also declared five other species extinct, including the slender-billed curlew and a cone snail. The gravity of this announcement sends a powerful message about the urgency of biodiversity conservation.
Professor Woinarski, a director of the IUCN Australasian Marsupials and Monotremes Specialist Species Group, lamented the broader implications of extinction on Australia’s unique ecosystems. He described the island as a “land of ghosts,” reflecting the lost diversity that once thrived there.
The Australian Government responded to the IUCN’s announcement, acknowledging that the loss of any species is a tragedy. A spokesperson stated, “The Australian Government drew a line in the sand on this in 2022 by committing to prevent new extinctions in the Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032.” However, the Christmas Island shrew remains classified as critically endangered under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, pending a formal nomination for extinction status.
The extinction of the Christmas Island shrew is a stark reminder of Australia’s troubling record, having lost 39 mammalian species since European settlement—an alarming statistic that underscores the need for urgent action in conservation efforts.
Environment Minister Murray Watt has been contacted for comment as the government evaluates its nature protection laws, which were described as “weak” and “ineffective” in a recent review. The ongoing discussions about improving these laws raise hopes that the tragic fate of the shrew will not be forgotten.
As Australia grapples with its biodiversity crisis, this latest extinction serves as a poignant reminder of what is at stake. Professor Woinarski emphasized, “Preventing extinction should be a cornerstone of changes in national environmental legislation.”
The disappearance of the Christmas Island shrew underscores a critical moment for conservation in Australia, urging immediate action to protect the remaining unique species before they too vanish from our world.
