Scientists issue warning after studying unusual 'Dracula' flower: 'Described the situation as 'urgent''

Researchers recently assessed the extinction risk of a stunning flower, and the results are concerning.

What's happening?

Dracula orchids, known for their monkey-like appearance, are at a significant risk of extinction, according to Phys.org.

Dracula orchids, a genus that includes over 100 species of orchid, grow striking 'faces' that resemble monkeys with long, tail-like petals.

The genus was finally and completely assessed by botanists at the University of Oxford and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The findings revealed that "out of 133 species assessed, nearly 7 in 10 are threatened with extinction," per Phys Org.

Why are these results concerning?

Over 48,000 species are threatened with extinction, per IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species. That number only accounts for species they've assessed – tens of thousands of species' extinction status remains unknown. 

It's hard to pinpoint the exact number, but conservationists estimate 200 to 100,000 species – known and unknown – go extinct each year. Last year, species like the Little Mariana fruit bat and the Bachman's warbler were declared extinct.

The effects of climate change, industrialization, and urbanization are accelerating this rate anywhere from "1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate," according to the World Wildlife Fund.

What's being done to reduce extinctions?

While conservation efforts, such as habitat restoration, can reduce the rate of extinction, the long-term solution must address the root causes: rising temperatures, deforestation, ocean acidification, and other effects of a rapidly changing climate. 

To protect the plants and animals we share our planet with, whatever we do, we need to do it quickly. Conservationists like "Fundación EcoMinga, who manage the area, have described the situation as 'urgent,'" said Phys Org.

If extinction rates stay the same or increase, Earth could lose half of all species by 2050.

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