Rice’s whales existed before humans. Now Trump could make them extinct
Why it matters: The removal of protections could lead to the extinction of Rice's whales, a species with only 50 remaining individuals.
- The US has invoked national security to remove protections for the endangered Rice's whale.
- Rice's whales, an ancient species, are now critically endangered with only approximately 50 individuals left.
- The Trump administration's potential action could lead to the extinction of a species that has existed for millennia.
The US government has controversially cited national security to strip protections from Rice's whales, an endangered cetacean species with only about 50 individuals remaining. This move could accelerate the extinction of a species that has existed since before modern humans, despite their historical presence and ecological significance.
