STOCKHOLM, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Scientists say a mass extinction of animals is in full swing. Many of the endangered species are in Sweden, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported Thursday, citing a new study in the publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The primary reason for these changes, according to the study, is human overpopulation and excessive consumption, especially by the rich, SVT reported.
The Swedish Species Information Centre publishes a "Red List" of endangered flora and fauna every five years. In 2015, that list included the Arctic fox, wolverine, lynx, several types of bats and the wolf.
"The wolf suffers from inbreeding," Ulf Gardenfors, professor of conservation biology at the Swedish Species Information Centre, told SVT. "The wolves that exist in Sweden are the result of very few individuals. They are too closely related. That is why we want to bring in new wolves from Russia, for example, to replenish the gene pool," Gardenfors said.
There are different reasons why a species is on the Red List, he said. When a species has too few individuals, a small change in the environment can have a big impact.
"Bechstein's bat is an example of such a species. It needs an old landscape to find food. It relies on a living environment that remains intact and doesn't change too much," he said.
